Current conservation efforts lack a standardized system for identifying and analyzing failures, unlike some other sectors that have made progress in learning from mistakes.
The authors created a 3-tier taxonomy that classifies the root causes of failure in conservation projects, based on real-life examples of failures and their underlying issues.
Testing the taxonomy with conservation practitioners revealed no significant gaps, and it aims to enhance understanding and learning from failed conservation projects, ultimately fostering a culture that encourages learning from failures in the field.