Conservation and Militarization: Managing Biodiversity on US Department of Defense Lands

Military lands, such as those owned and used by the Department of Defense (DoD) in the United States for the purposes of soldier training and weapons testing can be resources in the effort to preserve global biodiversity and protect at-risk species. The DoD hosts numerous federally listed threatened and endangered species on its lands and has engaged in conservation activities for many decades. In this article, we review the unique opportunities and challenges of managing these species on DoD land and outline lessons for managing biodiversity on lands not specifically designated for conservation. Some aspects unique to DoD lands include the goal of creating a natural-looking training area, a mosaic of disturbances that mimic natural ones, the historical legacy of hazardous waste, and the restrictions of certain public activities. Though the DoD is not an obvious choice to contribute to accomplishing conservation goals, it offers particular advantages for disturbance-adapted species.