Conservation planning in the real world: South Africa shows the way

Although conservation planning has received considerable theoretical attention in recent years, concerns remain over its practical application, especially in the developing world. A new collection of papers in Biological Conservation, focusing on the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, sets the standard for systematic prioritization of conservation areas, illustrates how ambitious plans can be implemented on the ground and, along the way, advances difficult issues such as the conservation of biological processes.