Marxan Good Practices Handbook Suggested Citation: List of Figures and Tables List of Boxes Foreword to the Second Edition Foreword to the First Edition

Marxan is software that delivers decision support for reserve system design. Marxan was initially designed to solve a particular class of reserve design problems known as the minimum set problem (see Box 1.1) where the goal is to achieve some minimum representation of biodiversity features for the smallest possible cost. Marxan helps users to determine the possible contribution of individual areas and whole networks towards meeting their objectives. Users may use Marxan to explore and propose possible network configurations, to facilitate collaborative network design, or to guide their own land acquisition / marine zoning. Marxan is not designed to act as a stand‐alone reserve design solution. Its effectiveness is dependent upon the involvement of people, the adoption of sound ecological principles, the establishment of scientifically defensible conservation goals and targets and the construction of spatial datasets. Marxan should be used as part of a systematic conservation planning process (outlined in this chapter) and in collaboration with other forms of knowledge. These other forms of knowledge are essential to the refinement of Marxan inputs, the interpretation of Marxan outcomes and the precise placement of final reserve boundaries. Because it seeks spatially efficient solutions, based on a defined problem, Marxan represents a significant step forward from earlier approaches of scoring sites. Nonetheless, there is a significant amount of uncertainty in selecting sites, which is but one aspect of systematic conservation planning, the final step of which is monitoring to evaluate whether the sites make meaningful contributions to the network. 1.1 OVERVIEW OF SYSTEMATIC CONSERVATION PLANNING 1.1.1 What is systematic conservation planning? World‐leading conservation planning processes, both marine and terrestrial, are employing an approach known as systematic conservation planning (Pressey et al. 1993, Noss and Cooperrider 1994, Davey 1998, Pressey 1999, Margules and Pressey 2000, Groves 2003, Noss 2003, Leslie 2005). Systematic conservation planning focuses on locating, designing and managing protected areas that comprehensively represent the biodiversity of each region (Mace et al. 2006). This approach to planning involves Chapter 1: Introduction 1 proceeding through a transparent process of selecting and designing a system of protected areas that function together to meet clear region‐wide conservation goals. Systematic protected areas planning is a means toward ensuring the integrity of the broader ecosystem by meeting big‐picture, regional‐scale goals while allowing local needs and conditions to influence the management and governance of each individual site in aspects such as size, shape, use, zoning, and regulation, as appropriate (Smith et al. 2006). Systematic conservation planning is a departure from ad‐hoc, site‐by‐site approaches that have been used to select protected areas in the past. An ad‐hoc approach is one in which site selection is driven by conservation urgency, affinity, scenery and ease of designation, often avoiding areas that are politically or economically costly. Most areas now thought of as protected areas for “conservation” were not chosen to meet specific biodiversity objectives (Possingham et al. 2000). Many existing protected areas were selected because they are favoured vacation spots, or located in places that are unsuitable for other purposes such as agriculture or urban development (Pressey et al. 1993). Other areas have been selected to protect a few charismatic flagship or umbrella species (Simberloff 1998) without any guarantee that they will adequately conserve regional biota. This approach has resulted in a legacy of fragmented collections of sites in which some habitats or ecosystems, like the “rock and ice” of high mountain areas, are overrepresented, while others, such as low‐lying fertile plains, are rarely conserved (Pressey et al. 1993, Soulé and Terborgh 1999). 1.1.2 Eight stages of systematic conservation planning Systematic conservation planning involves eight key stages. 1. Identify and involve stakeholders. Effective conservation planning requires the involvement of stakeholders from the onset of the planning process. Engaging stakeholders encourages information exchange, enables collaborative decision‐ making, fosters buy‐in by increasing stakeholders’ understanding of decisions made, and increases the accountability of those leading the planning process. Potential stakeholders include levels of government, industry, traditional owners, land holders and concerned community members. 2. Identify goals and objectives. The definition of clear goals and objectives for a comprehensive network distinguishes systematic conservation planning from other approaches. Conservation goals articulate priorities for the protection and restoration of biodiversity, whereas socio‐economic goals seek to protect and enhance the social and economic interests of the region and the people living in it. For example, the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia