Bridging Knowledge and Action: Evidence-Based Conservation

The gap between scientific knowledge and effective conservation and restoration action remains a major challenge in ecology. Advances in ecosystem and species risk assessment, biodiversity monitoring, conservation genetics, evolutionary biology, and biogeography have improved the identification of threats and conservation priorities, but their integration into policy, territorial governance, and management remains uneven. Conservation initiatives must also account for social and cultural contexts, particularly in Indigenous territories and local communities across the Pan-Amazon region. Recent research has demonstrated the value of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, functional assessments, population-viability analyses, and genetic tools for guiding conservation decisions. Nevertheless, important gaps persist in translating these assessments into locally appropriate interventions, restoration strategies, policy instruments, and measurable outcomes. Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to connect ecological and evolutionary evidence with governance, implementation, and evaluation.This Research Topic aims to advance conservation and restoration ecology by examining how ecological and evolutionary evidence can inform the protection, management, recovery, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. It will bring together research that connects ecosystem- and species-level assessments with conservation planning, population viability, applied genetics, territorial governance, and evidence-informed policy. Contributions may investigate how scientific information is incorporated into decisions by governments, conservation organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other stakeholders. The Research Topic will also consider the effectiveness of conservation and restoration interventions, the conditions required for successful implementation, and approaches for measuring ecological, social, and policy outcomes.To gather further insights into evidence-based conservation and restoration across the Pan-Amazon region and other relevant geographic contexts, we welcome comparative, interdisciplinary, and globally applicable contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:-Ecosystem risk assessment using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems-Species risk assessment using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species-Biodiversity monitoring and ecological indicators-Ecosystem functional status, integrity, and resilience-Conservation planning and prioritization-Ecological restoration and ecosystem recovery-Population viability and species recovery strategies-Applied conservation genetics, genomics, and evolutionary tools-Biogeographical approaches to conservation prioritization-Indigenous- and community-based conservation and restoration-Territorial governance and conservation policy-Integration of Indigenous and local knowledge-Science–policy interfaces and evidence-informed decision-making-Decision-support tools and conservation modelling-Evaluation of conservation effectiveness and restoration outcomes-Case studies translating ecological evidence into practical action Topic editors: Jon Paul Rodríguez, Marco Mendez, María A. (Tina) Oliveira-Miranda Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86014/bridging-knowledge-and-action-evidence-based-conservation