How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World
Effective, resilient and strategic protected area networks are essential to protect biodiversity and human welfare, especially in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots. This is the case in the Brazilian Cerrado, the richest tropical savanna, and a deforestation front worldwide. Worryingly, the rate of ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064423000184 |
| _version_ | 1797820694956867584 |
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| author | João Paulo S. Vieira-Alencar Bruna E. Bolochio Ana Paula Carmignotto Ricardo J. Sawaya Luís Fábio Silveira Paula Hanna Valdujo Cristiano de Campos Nogueira Javier Nori |
| author_facet | João Paulo S. Vieira-Alencar Bruna E. Bolochio Ana Paula Carmignotto Ricardo J. Sawaya Luís Fábio Silveira Paula Hanna Valdujo Cristiano de Campos Nogueira Javier Nori |
| author_sort | João Paulo S. Vieira-Alencar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Effective, resilient and strategic protected area networks are essential to protect biodiversity and human welfare, especially in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots. This is the case in the Brazilian Cerrado, the richest tropical savanna, and a deforestation front worldwide. Worryingly, the rate of habitat conversion in Cerrado greatly reduces opportunities to conserve its biodiversity. Herein, using the most comprehensive database on the distribution of Cerrado endemic terrestrial vertebrates, we mapped conservation priority areas and evaluated how and to what extent habitat loss and fragmentation reduce conservation opportunities. Priority areas are scattered throughout the Cerrado. Larger priority areas are concentrated in the northern portion of the region. Southern priority areas are small, scattered, and isolated. During the last 35 years, opportunities to conserve large contiguous areas have significantly decreased, hampering the representation of key endemic species. However, as most endemic vertebrates are small ranged, modest but well located increments in total protected area will result in significant overall improvements in the PA system. Protecting the largest priority areas identified here is urgent and mandatory, while using habitat restoration as a key activity to promote connectivity among smaller priority areas, especially in the southern portion of this hotspot. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:42:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f89c45a330c84513942aae39b7835dc9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2530-0644 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:42:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-f89c45a330c84513942aae39b7835dc92023-05-25T04:24:50ZengElsevierPerspectives in Ecology and Conservation2530-06442023-04-01212121127How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the WorldJoão Paulo S. Vieira-Alencar0Bruna E. Bolochio1Ana Paula Carmignotto2Ricardo J. Sawaya3Luís Fábio Silveira4Paula Hanna Valdujo5Cristiano de Campos Nogueira6Javier Nori7Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Corresponding authors.Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), 18052-780, Sorocaba, SP, BrazilCentro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), 09606-070, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, BrazilSeção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, 04263-000, São Paulo, SP, BrazilThe Biodiversity Consultancy, 3E King’s Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ, UKDepartamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, BrazilInstituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, Córdoba, Argentina; Corresponding authors.Effective, resilient and strategic protected area networks are essential to protect biodiversity and human welfare, especially in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots. This is the case in the Brazilian Cerrado, the richest tropical savanna, and a deforestation front worldwide. Worryingly, the rate of habitat conversion in Cerrado greatly reduces opportunities to conserve its biodiversity. Herein, using the most comprehensive database on the distribution of Cerrado endemic terrestrial vertebrates, we mapped conservation priority areas and evaluated how and to what extent habitat loss and fragmentation reduce conservation opportunities. Priority areas are scattered throughout the Cerrado. Larger priority areas are concentrated in the northern portion of the region. Southern priority areas are small, scattered, and isolated. During the last 35 years, opportunities to conserve large contiguous areas have significantly decreased, hampering the representation of key endemic species. However, as most endemic vertebrates are small ranged, modest but well located increments in total protected area will result in significant overall improvements in the PA system. Protecting the largest priority areas identified here is urgent and mandatory, while using habitat restoration as a key activity to promote connectivity among smaller priority areas, especially in the southern portion of this hotspot.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064423000184Cerrado biodiversity hotspotConservation planningDeforestation hotspotsEndemismHabitat fragmentationTerrestrial vertebrates |
| spellingShingle | João Paulo S. Vieira-Alencar Bruna E. Bolochio Ana Paula Carmignotto Ricardo J. Sawaya Luís Fábio Silveira Paula Hanna Valdujo Cristiano de Campos Nogueira Javier Nori How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation Cerrado biodiversity hotspot Conservation planning Deforestation hotspots Endemism Habitat fragmentation Terrestrial vertebrates |
| title | How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World |
| title_full | How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World |
| title_fullStr | How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World |
| title_full_unstemmed | How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World |
| title_short | How habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the World |
| title_sort | how habitat loss and fragmentation are reducing conservation opportunities for vertebrates in the most threatened savanna of the world |
| topic | Cerrado biodiversity hotspot Conservation planning Deforestation hotspots Endemism Habitat fragmentation Terrestrial vertebrates |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064423000184 |
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