Current overlapping distribution of megaherbivores and top predators: An approach to the last terrestrial areas with ecological integrity

• Published in: Biological conservation 2023-01, Vol.277, p.109848, Article 109848
• Main Authors: Gil-Sánchez, Jose María, Sánchez-Cerdá, Mariola
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ecosystem functionality; Extinction; Key species; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife mapping
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109848

The Earth's wildlife is facing a new, fast and huge extinction process due to the impact of humans. This scenario not only affects the biodiversity itself but also the capacity of the ecosystems to retain their structure and functions. The roles of megaherbivores and top predators are crucial for ecosystem ecological integrity and key in many eco-evolutionary processes. We provide a global overview of the current ecological integrity of terrestrial surfaces, built through an inventory of the areas that still preserve their integral community of megaherbivores and top predators. The targeted species were the taxa present during the upper Holocene, which represents the ecological scenario before the current biodiversity crisis caused by humans. We established the ecosystem's ecological integrity by mapping the areas where all targeted taxa are currently present. We used the maps provided by the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the information obtained through a bibliography review for the former distribution ranges to build the cartography. We identified 81 areas with a full community of megaherbivores and top predators, most of which are very small in size (