Research overview: protected-area effectiveness for cats under land-use pressure

Protected areas are the cornerstone of felid conservation, but their effectiveness at stopping habitat loss varies and is tested by mounting land-use and climate pressure. This overview surveys methods for assessing whether reserves actually reduce deforestation compared with unprotected areas, the problem of paper parks, and how protection interacts with surrounding land use. It reviews evidence on which governance and enforcement factors make protected areas work for cats like tigers and jaguars. The synthesis frames protected-area effectiveness as an empirical question rather than an assumption, explaining why simply drawing reserve boundaries does not guarantee habitat persistence and why monitoring real outcomes is essential as climate change shifts where protection is most needed.