Global patterns of terrestrial vertebrate diversity and conservation.
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TLDR
A snapshot of how well the planet’s protected area system encompasses vertebrate biodiversity is provided, with substantial differences between the identified vertebrate priorities and the leading map of global conservation priorities, the biodiversity hotspots.Abstract:
Identifying priority areas for biodiversity is essential for directing conservation resources. Fundamentally, we must know where individual species live, which ones are vulnerable, where human actions threaten them, and their levels of protection. As conservation knowledge and threats change, we must reevaluate priorities. We mapped priority areas for vertebrates using newly updated data on >21,000 species of mammals, amphibians, and birds. For each taxon, we identified centers of richness for all species, small-ranged species, and threatened species listed with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Importantly, all analyses were at a spatial grain of 10 × 10 km, 100 times finer than previous assessments. This fine scale is a significant methodological improvement, because it brings mapping to scales comparable with regional decisions on where to place protected areas. We also mapped recent species discoveries, because they suggest where as-yet-unknown species might be living. To assess the protection of the priority areas, we calculated the percentage of priority areas within protected areas using the latest data from the World Database of Protected Areas, providing a snapshot of how well the planet’s protected area system encompasses vertebrate biodiversity. Although the priority areas do have more protection than the global average, the level of protection still is insufficient given the importance of these areas for preventing vertebrate extinctions. We also found substantial differences between our identified vertebrate priorities and the leading map of global conservation priorities, the biodiversity hotspots. Our findings suggest a need to reassess the global allocation of conservation resources to reflect today’s improved knowledge of biodiversity and conservation.read more
Citations
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References
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Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities
Norman Myers,Russell A. Mittermeier,Cristina G. Mittermeier,Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca,Jennifer Kent +4 more
TL;DR: A ‘silver bullet’ strategy on the part of conservation planners, focusing on ‘biodiversity hotspots’ where exceptional concentrations of endemic species are undergoing exceptional loss of habitat, is proposed.
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Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth
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Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide
Simon N. Stuart,Janice Chanson,Neil A. Cox,Bruce E. Young,Ana S. L. Rodrigues,Debra L. Fischman,Robert W. Waller +6 more
TL;DR: The first global assessment of amphibians provides new context for the well-publicized phenomenon of amphibian declines and shows declines are nonrandom in terms of species' ecological preferences, geographic ranges, and taxonomic associations and are most prevalent among Neotropical montane, stream-associated species.
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The Brazilian Atlantic Forest:: how much is left and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation
Milton Cezar Ribeiro,Jean Paul Metzger,Alexandre Camargo Martensen,Flávio Jorge Ponzoni,Márcia Makiko Hirota +4 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors quantify how much of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest still remains, and analyze its spatial distribution, and suggest some guidelines for conservation: (i) large mature forest fragments should be a conservation priority; (ii) smaller fragments can be managed in order to maintain functionally linked mosaics; (iii) the matrix surrounding fragments, and (iv) restoration actions should be taken, particularly in certain key areas.
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Response to Comment on "Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide"
Simon N. Stuart,Janice Chanson,Neil A. Cox,Bruce E. Young,Ana S. L. Rodrigues,Debra L. Fischman,Robert W. Waller +6 more
TL;DR: The first global assessment of amphibians provides new context for the well-publicized phenomenon of amphibian declines and shows declines are nonrandom in terms of species' ecological preferences, geographic ranges, and taxonomic associations and are most prevalent among Neotropical montane, stream-associated species.