Spatial Analysis of Federal Protected Areas and Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation in Brazil

This study presents a spatial analysis of priority areas for biodiversity conservation (PABCs) in Brazil and their coverage by federal protected areas as an indicator of the level of protection afforded to biodiversity in the country and the convergence of environmental protection policies in the sphere of federal government. Georeferenced data were processed using a geographic information system, enabling the calculation of areas, analyses of superimpositions, localizations, and the obtainment of other information using spatial features manipulated in this system. A comparative analysis is done of the PABCs mapped in two periods (2003 and 2007) to ascertain the evolution of this public policy instrument in detecting environmental priorities in protected areas. The improved coverage of PABCs by protected areas in the more recent mapping indicates a good convergence of environmental policies, which are enhanced by technical improvements to mapping procedures and methods for identifying such areas. As a result, the priority areas for biodiversity conservation could become a protected area regulated and recognized by the federal government.

Surrogacy of bird species in systematic conservation planning and conservation assessments in Yunnan Province,China

Bird diversity is often used as surrogates for other species diversity,but there is a limited understanding of the extent of this surrogate in identifying representative priority conservation areas(PCAs).We used Yunnan Province in China as a case to measure the surrogacy of birds in systematic conservation planning.Here,we collected distribution records of mammals,amphibians,reptiles,and birds from public databases and literature,and applied systematic conservation planning methods to identify PCAs.We targeted four taxonomic groups at conservation targets of 17%,31%,and 50%of the total study area,and used the Jaccard similarity index to evaluate the surrogate extent of bird PCAs for the other three groups.Then,we overlapped different portfolios of PCAs with six categories of protected areas(PAs)in Yunnan,calculated the protection rates,and evaluated the effect of sustainable-use PAs on improving the protection rate of strict Nature Reserves.The results showed that bird PCAs generally had the highest surrogacy for representing PCAs of the other three taxa.At the 50%conservation target,the Jaccard indices between birds and the other taxa reached about 0.50.Moreover,amphibian PCAs had a good surrogacy for conserving reptiles,with a Jaccard index of 0.30,0.44 and 0.51 at the 17%,31%and 50%conservation targets,respectively.The existing PA system had quite low coverages for PCAs of these four taxa,and the average protection rates were 22.97%,19.78%and 16.52%at the three levels of conservation targets,respectively.The sustainable-use PAs can greatly complement the strict Nature Reserves by achieving average increased PA coverages of 10.00%,9.20%and 7.90%at the three conservation targets.Our findings provide a basis for surrogate-based conservation planning for areas with insufficient biodiversity information.

A comprehensive evaluation of flowering plant diversity and conservation priority for national park planning in China

Establishment of a national park protection system in China,including the latest target proposed to protect at least 30%of the land area,calls for a comprehensive exploration of conservation priorities incorporating multiple diversity facets.We herein evaluate the spatial distribution of Chinese flowering plants from the perspectives of richness,uniqueness,vulnerability,and evolutionary history,by integrating three mega-phylogenies and comprehensive distribution data.We detect significantly high consistency among hotspots of different diversity measures for Chinese flowering plants,suggesting that multiple facets of evolutionary diversity are concentrically distributed in China.Affording legal protection to these areas is expected to maximize positive conservation outcomes.We propose two integrative diversity indices by incorporating three richness-based and three phylogeny-based measures,respectively.Both methods identify areas with high species richness,but the integrative phylogeny-based index also locates key areas with ancient and unique evolutionary histories(e.g.,Ailao-Wuliang Mts,Dabie Mts,Hainan rainforest,Karst area of Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi,Nanling Mts,and southeast coastal regions).Of all the diversity indices explored,phylogenetic endemism maximizes the incidental protection of other indices in most cases,emphasizing its significance for conservation planning.Finally,42 priority areas are identified by combining the 5%-criterion hotspots of two integrative indices and the minimum area to protect all threatened species analyzed.These priorities cover only 13.3%of China's land area,but host 97.1%of species richness(23,394/24,095),96.5%of endemic species(11,841/12,274),100%of threatened species(2,613/2,613),and 99.3%of phylogenetic diversity for flowering plants involved in this study.These frameworks provide a solid scientific basis for national park planning in China.

Spatial-temporal shifting patterns and in situ conservation of spotted seal(Phoca largha)populations in the Yellow Sea ecoregion

Understanding the habitat shifting pattern is a prerequisite for implementing in situ conservation of migratory species.Spotted seals(Phoca largha)inhabiting the Yellow Sea ecoregion(YSE)comprise a small population with independent genes and represent a charismatic flagship species in this region.However,this population has declined by 80%since the 1940s,and increased support from the countries around the YSE is urgently needed to address the potential local extinction risk.A time-series niche model and life-history weighted systematic conservation planning were designed on the basis of a satellite beacon tracking survey(2010–2020)of the YSE population.The results showed clustering and spreading shifting patterns during the breeding and migratory seasons,respectively.The closed-loop migration route formed in the YSE indicated that this population might be geographically isolated from populations in other breeding areas around the world.The conservation priority area(CPA),with an area of 19632 km^(2)(3.58%of the total YSE area),was the most effective response to the potential in situ risk.However,nearly 80%of the CPA was exposed outside the existing marine protected areas(MPAs).Future establishment of MPAs in China should strategically consider the conservation gap identified herein,and it is recommended for Korea’s closed fishing season to be spatially set in the western Korean Peninsula from May to August.This study also exemplified that the lack of temporal information would lead to the dislocation of niche modeling for migratory species represented by spotted seals.Attention should be paid to protecting small and migratory populations in marine biodiversity conservation planning.

Identifying priority areas for conservation in the lower Yellow River basin from an ecological network perspective

Taking the lower Yellow River basin as the study area,this study aims to construct ecological networks to mitigate the negative impacts of rapid urbanization on the ecosystem.Ecological sources were identified based on morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA),habitat quality and landscape connectivity.The ecological resistance surface was constructed and corrected by integrating natural and anthropogenic factors.The spatial range of ecological corridors and some of their key nodes were identified based on circuit theory.The ecological network(EN)was finally optimized using a similarity search and cost connectivity modules.The results show that the optimized ecological network structure is more stable than before.The EN includes 23 ecological sources with a total area of 5464.8 km^(2)and 30 ecological corridor clusters with a total area of 2205.92 km^(2).Through the internal landscape heterogeneity of the corridor,28 ecological node areas and 75 barrier areas were identified as key protection and restoration areas,with a total area of 78.44 km^(2)and 372.79 km^(2),respectively.Through the construction and optimization of EN,this study identifies key areas for promoting ecological sustainability and provides a useful framework for coordinating regional ecological conservation and economic development.

Conservation priority of global Galliformes species based on phylogenetic diversity

In this study,based on phylogenetic diversity(PD),I develop a conservation strategy for Galliformes species around the world.A cladogram of 197 Galliformes species derived from a previous study was used for calculat­ing PD metrics.Branch length is an important aspect of the phylogenetic information a tree can convey,but 2 traditionally-used metrics,the number of phylogenetic groups to which a taxon belongs(I)and the proportion that each taxon contributes to the total diversity of the group(W),are fully node-based and do not take branch length into account.Therefore,to measure PD more appropriately,I combined a branch-related metric,pen­dant edge(P),in addition to I and W.A final combined rank for Galliformes species was obtained by summing the ranks of the 3 metrics.My results showed that the 5%top priority species for conserving evolutionary po­tential were Galloperdix lunulata,Haematortyx sanguiniceps,Margaroperdix madagarensis,Syrmaticus soem­merringii,Coturnix pectoralis,Polyplectron napoleonis,Alectoris melanocephala,Xenoperdix udzungwensis,Afropavo congensis and Syrmaticus reevesii.The current species priority ranking based on pylogenetic diversi­ty and the official International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN)ranking of Galliformes species was significantly correlated when considering the 5 categories of IUCN(critical endangered,endangered,vulnera­ble,near threatened and least concern).This indicated the feasibility of introducing the PD index into the net­work of IUCN regional Red List assessment.The 5%top priority countries selected using the complementarity principle possessing diversified Galliformes genetic resources were China,Indonesia,Mexico,India,Colombia,Australia,Brazil,Angola,Congo and Japan(in descending order).China,Indonesia,Mexico,Brazil,India and Colombia are consistently selected among the 4 top priority sets of richness,rarity,endemicity and PD.This re­sult indicated that the priority result from PD is highly congruent with conventional measures.Along with oth­er conventional ecological attributes,the alternative conservation scenario based on PD is reasonable and can be adopted in systematic conservation planning.

Spatial phylogenetics of the Chinese angiosperm flora provides insights into endemism and conservation

The flora of China is well known for its high diversity and endemism. Identifying centers of endemism and designating conservation priorities are essential goals for biodiversity studies.However, there is no comprehensive study from a rigorous phylogenetic perspective to understand patterns of diversity and endemism and to guide biodiversity conservation in China. We conducted a spatial phylogenetic analysis of the Chinese angiosperm flora at the generic level to identify centers of neo-and paleoendemism. Our results indicate that:(i) themajority of grid cells in China with significantly high phylogenetic endemism(PE) were located in the mountainous regions;(ii) four of the nine centers of endemism recognized, located in northern and western China, were recognized for the first time;(iii) arid and semiarid regions in Northwest China were commonly linked to significant PE, consistent with other spatial phylogenetic studies worldwide;and(iv) six highpriority conservation gaps were detected by overlaying the boundaries of China’s nature reserves on all significant PE cells. Overall, we conclude that the mountains of southern and northern China contain both paleo-endemics(ancient relictual lineages) and neo-endemics(recently diverged lineages). The areas we highlight as conservation priorities are important for broad-scale planning, especially in the context of evolutionary history preservation.

Assessing Threats and Setting Conservation Priorities for Plant Species between Forest and Meadow Ecotone in Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve, China

In order to understand the pattern and status of plant species in the forest-meadow ecotonein Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve, this study was undertaken through expert consultation, literaturesurvey and fieldwork in various parts of the ecotone during 2002-2004. Based on 3 important systems,i.e. threatened status, genetic loss effect and use value, the list of threatened and prioritized plants wasestablished. In this paper, the threatened coefficient was defined as the criteria of category for threatenedplants, the conservation priorities coefficient summed by threatened coefficient, genetic coefficient anduse value coefficient was defined as the criteria of prioritized plants. In addition, 10 indicators toevaluate threatened grading and conservation priorities sequence were included in the 3 importantsystems. The weights of 3 systems and 10 indicators were given through expert consultation andanalytic hierarchy process. Ten indicators were given scores based on the subcriteria, respectively, andall the scores of the 3 systems were summed up for each species, then contrasted to the criteria ofthreatened grading and conservation priorities for plant species. The status of endangerment andconservation priorities of plant species were analyzed, and the results showed that the number ofendangered species was 2, vulnerable species 37, near threatened species 140, safe species 767; the firstconcern category had 4 species, the second concern category 18, the third concern category 150 and theleast concern category 774.

Securing a future for wild Indochinese tigers:Transforming tiger vacuums into tiger source sites

A century ago,tigers(Panthera tigris Linnaeus,1758)were so common in parts of Southeast Asia as to be considered pests,and governments sponsored their killing.Habitat loss and fragmentation,market-driven poaching and loss of prey have since led to the disappearance of Indochinese tigers from most their former range.Despite 15 years of dedicated tiger conservation funding,national estimates of Indochinese tiger subpopulations can at best only be roughly approximated.The future for the subspecies appears grim unless very focused efforts can be applied to stabilize and recover subpopulations.On a regional scale,the 2 proposed subspecies Panthera tigris corbetti and P.tigris jacksoni are effectively managed as separate conservation units.Evaluating where to place conservation efforts should consider the vulnerability(likelihood of extinction)and irreplaceability(likelihood that an area contributes uniquely to regional conservation)of tiger subpopulations.Only 1 site in Thailand supporting<200 individuals(Huai Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai)is considered low vulnerability,and is irreplaceable.Five sites in Lao,Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia are medium vulnerability and irreplaceable.Priorities at these 6 sites are to double tiger numbers within 10 years through protection and monitoring.Seven sites in Lao,Thailand and Myanmar are high vulnerability and irreplaceable,and might be recovered if government commitment to tigers,staff capacity and legal frameworks for tiger protection are established.Tigers are extremely vulnerable or even extinct in Cambodia’s Eastern Plains and the site is irreplaceable for tigers because it represents the only large(>10000 km^(2))block of dry forest habitat available in the region.A reintroduction program is the only option to recover tigers there.