Urban environments are arguably among the most suitable targets for conservation science, as they represent opportunities to preserve both species and habitats under threat while at the same time allowing people to engage with nature. We highlight the need for conservation within urban environments using species whose recovery is entirely dependent on effective action within cities and towns. We identified 39 urban‐restricted species in Australia and reviewed the advice guiding their conservation to address the question, “What does conservation look like when cities are the last chance for saving species?” We argue that in such circumstances securing land for conservation purposes cannot be relied upon; instead, species must be protected on lands not originally intended for conservation and urban communities must be involved in recovery actions. Ultimately, to achieve such outcomes, decision makers need to recognize the importance of urban ecosystems in the recovery of imperiled species.

中文翻译：

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当城市是拯救物种的最后机会

城市环境可以说是保护科学最合适的目标之一，因为它们代表了保护受到威胁的物种和栖息地的机会，同时允许人们与自然接触。我们强调需要使用物种在城市环境中进行保护，这些物种的恢复完全取决于城市和城镇内的有效行动。我们确定了澳大利亚的 39 种城市限制物种，并审查了指导它们保护的建议，以解决这个问题：“当城市是拯救物种的最后机会时，保护是什么样的？” 我们认为，在这种情况下，不能依赖为保护目的而保护土地；相反，必须在原本不用于保护的土地上保护物种，城市社区必须参与恢复行动。