Open research questions in Environmental Conservation and Management

What the literature leaves open

• Significant inconsistent presentation of budgetary and spatial measures suggests a lack of standardized reporting conventions rather than directly comparable investment levels.

  Cross-sectoral analysis of corporate biodiversity disclosures among top revenue global companies · 2025 · DOI

• The current people-wetlands relationship is often based on exploitation and depletion. There is a need for a holistic framework that recognizes the intrinsic rights and living beingness of wetlands.

  How Implementing the Rights of Wetlands Provides Benefits to People and Wetlands: Relationships, Rights, Responsibilities, Experiences, and Actions · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the gap that current financing methods are not aligned with the spatial and temporal structure of biodiversity. It notes that joint biodiversity-finance approaches do not account for ecosystems' locality.

  A financial framework for nature must that recognise that ecosystems have local temporal and spatial dynamics · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the challenge of managing cumulative chemical pressure. It also discusses the need for a systems-based approach to environmental risk assessment. The system must ensure fair access and market incentives for lower-impact products.

  PESTICIDE REGULATION AND THE OMNIBUS PROCESS A systems-based regional management approach: operational framework, fair access, and market incentives · 2026 · DOI

• The current EU pesticide regulation does not account for cumulative chemical pressure. There is a need for a systems-based approach to environmental risk assessment. The paper identifies a gap in the current regulation and proposes a novel solution.

  PESTICIDE REGULATION AND THE OMNIBUS PROCESS A systems-based regional management approach: operational framework, fair access, and market incentives · 2026 · DOI

• Further analysis of the impact of international conservation regimes on African rural communities. Examination of the effectiveness of alternative livelihoods in reducing poaching. Investigation of the role of corruption and weak governance in the ivory trade.

  Conservation Bioethics between the Rights of Local Communities and Global Responsibility in Combating Ivory Trafficking · 2026 · DOI

• The disjunction between global conservation discourses and local realities. The lack of consideration for the ethical implications of conservation policies on local communities. The need for a shared responsibility approach to conservation.

  Conservation Bioethics between the Rights of Local Communities and Global Responsibility in Combating Ivory Trafficking · 2026 · DOI

• The need for a comprehensive understanding of environmental regulations and their impact on the environment. The importance of harmonizing economic and social development with environmental protection.

  General Considerations on European and National Regulations on Environmental Protection · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of integrated assessments of ecosystem condition and ecosystem services. Many ecosystem services assessments rely on land-use and land-cover proxies. There is a need for more spatially explicit indicators.

  Towards Integrated Ecosystem Assessments: A literature review on linking ecosystem condition indicators to ecosystem services · 2026 · DOI

• This review provides a comprehensive overview of how EC indicators are used in ES assessments, offering critical insights for scientists and policy-makers to design robust ecosystem assessment strategies. The conclusion follows the structure of the three research questions outlined in the Introduction. Related to the types and characteristics of the EC indicators used in ES assessments, this review identified that EC indicators focused on terrestrial ecosystems, with a strong emphasis on cropland and multiecosystem assessments, whereas marine ecosystems are notably under-represented.

  Towards Integrated Ecosystem Assessments: A literature review on linking ecosystem condition indicators to ecosystem services · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of ecological restoration initiatives. Future research should investigate the governance challenges and policy frameworks that influence restoration projects. Future research should explore the application of the database in informing project design and policy decisions.

  Restoration information: A European database of ecological restoration knowledge from stakeholder surveys · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of comprehensive information on ecological restoration practices across Europe. There is a need to identify effective restoration measures and inform policy decisions. There is a gap in understanding the governance challenges and policy frameworks that influence restoration projects.

  Restoration information: A European database of ecological restoration knowledge from stakeholder surveys · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of a unified structure for integrated ecosystem assessments, - The need for a modular and flexible framework that caters to diverse needs and contexts, - The presence of challenges that limit the uptake of ecosystem information in decision-making

  Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (FIEA): A structured approach to support evidence-based decision-making · 2026 · DOI

• The FIEA development has set out two primary objectives: (i) To develop a unified Framework for integrated ecosystem assessments that ensures applicability for scientific assessments as well as decision-making in both public and private sectors, integrates ecological, economic and social dimensions, incorporates considerations of ecosystem condition, services and accounting approaches and provides the level of detail required to implement integrated ecosystem assessments; and (ii) to achieve this development through a collaborative interactive co-creation process involving diverse potential target users, thereby enhancing the Framework's relevance, adaptability and practical applicability. The FIEA fulfils these objectives as a flexible Framework that combines, integrates and streamlines insights from multiple sources across different sectors. It assembles ecological, economic and social aspects, making it applicable in various contexts to support scientific assessments, as well as decision-making in both public and private sectors. The Framework’s modular design allows it to be customised to diverse needs and requirements. Thus, it has proven its suitability for practical use in real-world applications. As the FIEA includes sub-steps for assessing ecosystem condition and also includes ecosystem accounting, it naturally takes into account recent scientific developments in this area. The step-wise co-creation approach was vital in shaping the FIEA. By working closely with scientists, public and private sector representatives, as well as civil society organisations, the Framework was refined to ensure it is applicable while meeting real-world needs. In conclusion, the FIEA stands as an integrated and flexible framework, including step-wise guidance required for implementation, that supports Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (FIEA): A structured approach ... 27 ecosystem assessments and decision-making relevant for, for example, the creation of scientific evidence, environmental planning, restoration measures, business management and policy development. It bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping to incorporate ecosystem services into decision-making and fostering sustainable management practices.

  Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (FIEA): A structured approach to support evidence-based decision-making · 2026 · DOI

• There is some lack of agreement on the usefulness of the approach, problems with the oversuse of monetary valuation in policy appraisal, isolation of work, policy processes and government departments and difficulties in the communication of the benefits of the NCA.

  Policy Officials’ Views on Challenges and Opportunities to the Use of the Natural Capital Approach to Promote Environmental Improvement in England · 2026 · DOI

• Originality/value This paper contributes a reproducible, evidence-grounded six-theme classification of biodiversity accounting studies (N = 122) and an integrative heuristic that links methodological innovations, disclosure practices and socioeconomic outcomes; thereby revealing both an empirical concentration on disclosure and an under-researched policy-relevant gap in public-sector and accountability-focused research.

  Biodiversity research: a systematic literature review and direction for future research · 2026 · DOI

• The existing regulations on nature protection have shortcomings, including lack of clear or binding targets and deadlines. The implementation of obligations for natural resource restoration is challenging.

  How to protect and rebuild biodiversity and ecosystems across the European Union? From a sectoral perspective to horizontal challenges – An overviewof EU nature protection law · 2026 · DOI

• The study was not designed as a formal systematic or scoping review. Limited data availability is a constraint on OECM effectiveness. Governance fragmentation is a challenge for OECM implementation.

  Conserving biodiversity beyond protected-area networks in Mediterranean countries: challenges and opportunities for OECMs · 2026 · DOI

• Traditional conservation models are limited, and broader, more integrated conservation strategies are urgently needed. There is a lack of understanding of the potential and limitations of OECMs in Mediterranean countries.

  Conserving biodiversity beyond protected-area networks in Mediterranean countries: challenges and opportunities for OECMs · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies challenges related to the management of landscape parks, including the need to balance conservation and development goals. The findings highlight the importance of participatory forms of governance in addressing these challenges.

  Redefining the role of landscape parks in Poland: A Q method analysis of stakeholder perspectives from the Małopolskie Voivodship · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could focus on exploring the implications of the findings for policy and management decisions regarding landscape parks. Further studies could investigate the applicability of the Q methodology in other contexts and regions.

  Redefining the role of landscape parks in Poland: A Q method analysis of stakeholder perspectives from the Małopolskie Voivodship · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on developing more effective interventions for sustainable resource management. The study suggests that future research should explore the development of more effective monitoring systems for sustainable resource management. The paper also suggests that future research should investigate the application of the concept of co-optimizing human development and ecosystem health in different contexts.

  Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Resource Management: Balancing Ecosystem Integrity and Human Development · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on sustainable resource management, highlighting the need for a multi-sectoral approach that considers both ecological and social aspects of sustainability. The review also identifies a gap in the development of effective monitoring systems for sustainable resource management.

  Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Resource Management: Balancing Ecosystem Integrity and Human Development · 2026 · DOI

• The paper does not provide a comprehensive solution to the gaps identified - It highlights the need for further research and development of an evidentiary infrastructure

  Making soil biodiversity actionable: genomic evidence, policy gaps, and implementation pathways in British Columbia · 2026 · DOI

• Development of an evidentiary infrastructure for genomic soil biodiversity evidence - Integration of genomic tools with baselines, conventional soil indicators, and monitoring standards

  Making soil biodiversity actionable: genomic evidence, policy gaps, and implementation pathways in British Columbia · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Environmental Conservation and Management

• The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital · Nature · 1997 · 16,525 citations
• The shallow and the deep, long‐range ecology movement. A summary∗ · Inquiry · 1973 · 1,560 citations
• Green Grabbing: a new appropriation of nature? · The Journal of Peasant Studies · 2012 · 1,479 citations
• Revision of the Common International Classification for Ecosystem Services (CICES V5.1): A Policy Brief · One Ecosystem · 2018 · 1,107 citations
• The Importance of Land-Use Legacies to Ecology and Conservation · BioScience · 2003 · 943 citations
• Environmental Entitlements: Dynamics and Institutions in Community-Based Natural Resource Management · World Development · 1999 · 918 citations
• Where are Cultural and Social in Ecosystem Services? A Framework for Constructive Engagement · BioScience · 2012 · 889 citations
• Social Equity Matters in Payments for Ecosystem Services · BioScience · 2014 · 501 citations
• Governance Principles for Natural Resource Management · Society & Natural Resources · 2010 · 479 citations
• Mapping and Valuing Ecosystem Services as an Approach for Conservation and Natural‐Resource Management · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2009 · 468 citations

Most recent work

• Development of a conceptual apparatus in the field of establishment, formation, conservation, development, studying, and utilization of plant genetic resources collections · PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BREEDING · 2026
• Biodiversity-harmful subsidies in Australia · Australasian Journal of Environmental Management · 2026
• Neoliberal Conservation and the Corporate Governance of Biodiversity: A Multispecies Intersectional Critique of Offsetting · Journal of Business Ethics · 2026
• The Case for Deference in Ecosystem Management · The Monist · 2026
• Towards Integrated Ecosystem Assessments: A literature review on linking ecosystem condition indicators to ecosystem services · One Ecosystem · 2026
• Biodiversity research: a systematic literature review and direction for future research · Journal of Accounting Literature · 2026
• A Review and Critique of Methods and Knowledge Gaps in Quantifying Spillover Effects from Protected Areas · Conservation Biology · 2026
• Can agri-environmental schemes be designed to meet EU habitat restoration goals for semi-natural habitats? An interdisciplinary case study · Ambio · 2026
• China’s National Parks Law offers a pathway to better biodiversity data · Nature Reviews Biodiversity · 2026
• Hidden patterns in fauna compensation values in European biodiversity legislation · Nature Ecology & Evolution · 2026

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