There are many unanswered questions concerning the influence of conservation including: (i) What are the intangible benefits beyond meeting biodiversity targets, such as social and cultural benefits? (ii) To what extent do benefits arise within the boundaries of a conservation intervention, and what sort of benefit flows into and out of them? (iii) Who are the affected human, non-human (living and non-living), current and future entities? (iv) What negative influences arise from conservation and to what extent do these effect different entities of nature?

To help answer these questions, private protected areas (PPAs) in Australia will be the research context used to apply our approach. PPAs are privately owned land parcels primarily managed for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. They present an ideal case study for this research since there are a diversity of actors and mechanisms involved.

The main outcome will be a holistic approach to better account for the full suite of influences of conservation interventions. This will act as a tool for practitioners, policymakers and conservation scientists alike to contribute toward effectively gathering data, analysing, and reporting on conservation. A stronger evidence base on the benefits of conservation is vital to leverage support for conservation initiatives that reduce biodiversity loss, meet international commitments and enhance socio-cultural benefits.