COPY: A new technique for evaluation of biodiversity protection projects

Abstract

New Zealand, like many other countries, is troubled by introduced animal and plant species which attack, damage, or displace indigenous species. Considerable amounts of taxpayer funds are spent each year attempting to combat these invasive species and some research has been conducted into the "cost effectiveness" and the efficiency of various conservation activities. Research into the cost effectiveness of biodiversity protection projects is hindered by the absence of satisfactory measures of output. A new output measure, Conservation Output Protection Years (COPY) is proposed for use in a cost utility evaluation of biodiversity protection projects. This paper outlines this approach and reports on the use of COPY in evaluation of six New Zealand biodiversity protection projects. The paper demonstrates that COPY provides a practical output measure, and reports on the comparative output per dollar spent on each biodiversity protection project.