Multiple causal mechanisms linking biodiversity conservation with human well-being

Sustainability science and sustainable development policies increasingly recognize the contribution of biodiversity conservation to human well-being. However, understanding of the linkages between conservation and human well-being remains limited. Empirical evidence on the existence, magnitude and variation in causal pathways is fragmented, hampering decision-makers’ ability to design conservation interventions that also support human well-being. Here we present a conceptual framework that identifies five major pathways through which conservation interventions affect human well-being: 1) governance, 2) ideas and information, 3) conservation infrastructure, 4) ancillary opportunities, and 5) ecosystem services. These pathways may interact, creating novel synergies and trade-offs, scale-dependency, and distributive effects that shape an intervention’s social impact. Use of such a multi-causal framework can help avoid skewing policy decisions and investments toward any one pathway. Recognition of the diverse mechanisms linking conservation and human well-being allows scholars and practitioners to better assess the contribution of biodiversity conservation to global sustainability