prior3D: An R package for three-dimensional conservation prioritization

Abstract

Systematic conservation planning (SCP) is essential for meeting global conservation goals and mitigating anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. Effective conservation planning should incorporate the three-dimensional nature of ecosystems, including species distribution by depth. Recent advancements, like the 3D prioritization approach, address this by considering multiple depth zones. The R package prior3D is an open-source tool designed for prioritizing conservation efforts across different depth zones in a unified framework. Starting from the deepest zone and moving upwards, it optimizes conservation priorities and allows flexible allocation of protection levels per depth. This approach strategically prioritizes areas with higher species gains, while ensuring minimum representation of all depth zones in the final prioritization solution. While conceived for marine conservation, prior3D is applicable to any 3D ecosystem making it a critical tool for multi-realm conservation efforts.