Conservation effectiveness of seven biosphere reserves in the Western Amazon
Gonzaga Roa, Amaia (University of Helsinki)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals
Cabeza, Mar (University of Helsinki)
Brondizio, Eduardo (Indiana University Bloomington)
Luz, Ana Catarina (UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
Sirén, Jukka (University of Helsinki)
Massoca, Paulo (Florida Atlantic University)
Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)

Date:	2026
Abstract:	Over the past three decades, a complex network of area-based conservation strategies and Indigenous territories has expanded across the Amazon, driven by global efforts to curb biodiversity loss and regional initiatives to uphold Indigenous Peoples' rights. Yet, deforestation continues to threaten the region's ecological integrity and the sociocultural resilience of its diverse mosaic of Indigenous, rural, and traditional communities. Biosphere reserves-spanning protected areas, Indigenous territories, and rural-urban settlements-epitomize the governance challenges and environmental pressures facing the broader Amazon Basin. Evaluating their conservation effectiveness is critical for advancing the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. In this study, we apply advanced matching methods to assess deforestation avoidance in seven biosphere reserves across the western Amazon: Podocarpus-El Cóndor, Yasuní, and Sumaco in Ecuador; Manu and BIOAY in Peru; and Beni and Pilón Lajas in Bolivia. Our findings show that most biosphere reserves in the region are effective in reducing deforestation, although forest loss is still increasing across all sites. Notably, transition areas and buffer zones generally avoided more deforestation than core areas, despite their relatively less stringent protection status. These results contribute to the growing evidence of the vital role biosphere reserves can play in mitigating deforestation. Their hybrid governance models, institutional arrangements, and territorial strategies may provide meaningful pathways for aligning local aspirations with global biodiversity targets.
Grants:	European Commission 101117423 Agencia Estatal de Investigación RYC2021-034198-I Agencia Estatal de Investigación CEX2024-001506-M
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2024-001506-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Amazon Basin ; Biosphere reserves ; Conservation effectiveness ; Counterfactual analysis ; Matching methods ; Western Amazon
Published in:	Conservation Science and Practice, June 2026, art. e70292, ISSN 2578-4854

DOI: 10.1111/csp2.70292

21 p, 3.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles