Large-scale anthropogenic changes to landscapes will cause species to move and shift their ranges against a backdrop of international political boundaries. Transboundary conservation efforts are therefore key to preserving intact and connected landscapes, particularly if such efforts can be implemented within the framework of protected area networks that provide for resiliency and persistence in the face of threats such as climate change. We studied the distribution, connectivity, and integrity of protected areas in regions near international borders within the Americas. We found that there is a greater proportion of land protected near vs. far from borders, with this effect extending approximately 125 km from the border. This trend was most pronounced when considering multiuse categories of protected areas in the analysis. We also found that there is greater connectivity of protected areas in border regions than more internally within countries, and relatively low rates of habitat loss within border-situated and internal protected areas. Our results indicate that protected area networks are larger and more connected if considered in a transboundary context and that efforts to conserve species and mitigate effects of long-term stressors like climate change will be most successful when planning includes neighboring countries. Despite a relative lack of attention to transboundary conservation in the Americas, our results suggest substantial opportunities for linking landscapes via a focus on international border regions and coordination across borders in protected areas management.

中文翻译：

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美洲保护区的分布和连通性促进了跨界保护。

大规模的人为景观变化将导致物种在国际政治边界的背景下移动和转移范围。因此，跨界保护工作是保护完整和相连的景观的关键，特别是如果可以在保护区网络的框架内实施此类工作的话，保护区网络可以在面对气候变化等威胁时提供弹性和持久性。我们研究了美洲国际边界附近地区保护区的分布，连通性和完整性。我们发现，在边境附近地区或远离边境地区，保护的土地比例更大，这种影响距离边境地区约125公里。在分析中考虑保护区的多用途类别时，这种趋势最为明显。我们还发现，边境地区保护区的连通性高于国家内部的连通性，而边境保护区和内部保护区的栖息地丧失率相对较低。我们的结果表明，如果在跨界环境中考虑，保护区网络规模更大，联系更紧密，当计划包括邻国在内时，保护物种和减轻气候变化等长期压力源的影响的努力将是最成功的。尽管相对缺乏对美洲跨界保护的关注，但我们的结果表明，通过关注国际边界地区和保护区管理中的跨境协调，可以将景观联系起来的机会很大。