<p>The effectiveness of protected area management refers to the degree to which management practices conserve biological and cultural resources and achieve the purposes for which the area was established. Evaluating this effectiveness is a crucial step in developing comprehensive systematic conservation plans. These evaluations help advance protected area strategies, develop capabilities, enable efficient resource allocation, enhance accountability and transparency among stakeholders, and provide support for management decisions. This study evaluates the efficiency of protected areas in Iran’s 4th Spatial Planning Region (Khuzestan and Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad provinces) by integrating habitat quality modeling with ecosystem service valuation. Using the InVEST Habitat Quality model and Combining benefit transfer-calibration methods, we assess both ecological integrity and economic value of conservation efforts. Findings reveal that while many protected areas maintain high habitat quality, others experience degradation due to urbanization, agriculture, and infrastructure expansion. The mean habitat quality across all protected areas were estimated at 0.71 for 2004 and 0.7 for 2024. Overall, the trend in habitat quality from 2004 to 2024 has been declining (from 0.7 to 0.6). This decline is more pronounced in certain protected areas, with steeper rates of degradation. Economic valuation highlights significant disparities across regions, with Soolak and Kuh-e-Dil demonstrating the highest conservation value. Results emphasize the need for adaptive boundary revisions and enhanced management strategies to optimize biodiversity protection and ecosystem service sustainability.</p>