Categories of flexibility in biodiversity offsetting, and their implications for conservation

摘要: Abstract Biodiversity offsets (‘offsets’) are an increasingly widespread conservation tool. Often, offset policies have a like-for-like requirement, whereby permitted biodiversity losses must be by gains in similar ecosystem components. It has been suggested that some flexibility might improve outcomes — such as out-of-kind offsets, which channel compensation towards priority species. But there little formal exploration of other types flexibility, and the possible ecological consequences. Building upon existing framework for analysing interventions, we first categorise relevant to offsetting. We then explore under two offsetting, using model tracks value (via surrogate ‘ habitat condition ’ ×  area ) over time multiple vegetation communities. simulate flexible (i.e., implemented before or after development) type one compensated another). Our categorisation identifies categories previously not explicitly considered during policy development. The simulation showed were resulted declines happening sooner later than they would otherwise important, priorities change with time. Incorporating significantly different each community modelled, including counter-intuitive results. emphasize importance considering full spectrum As become prevalent, insufficient consideration consequences could lead undesirable outcomes.