A New Framework to Minimize Costs and Maximize the Benefits of Biodiversity in Land Restoration

by the USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers
March 9, 2026

A new framework could help managers prioritize which lands to restore for biodiversity. This cost-benefit approach to restoration provides a flexible option for land managers to get the best bang for limited conservation bucks.

This framework can analyze multiple parcels of land to determine which would be most suitable for a species of concern. It takes into account where a species was found historically, where it might be found in the future under climate change projections, what types of habitat it prefers, and where that habitat was historically located, as well as the cost of restoration.

Ecosystem restoration can be costly, as it involves acquiring land, labor and materials for implementing restoration actions, and long-term management. Land managers are faced with tough decisions about where to put limited resources and this framework can help them better understand how those costs stack up against the benefits to species.

Keep reading: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/news/a-new-framework-minimize-costs-and-maximize

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70174