Identifying conservation priorities for threatened Eastern Himalayan mammals

• Published in: Conservation biology 2018-10, Vol.32 (5), p.1162-1173
• Main Authors: Dorji, Sangay, Rajaratnam, Rajanathan, Falconi, Lorena, Williams, Stephen E., Sinha, Priyakant, Vernes, Karl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological evolution; Complementarity; Computer programs; Conservation; Conservation areas; Conservation status; Current distribution; data deficient; deficiente de datos; Distribution; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered species; Endemism; evolutionarily distinct mammal; extinción; Extinction; half‐earth; Identification; Land conservation; Land cover; Land use; Mammals; mamífero pequeñom mamífero evolutivamente distintivo; media tierra; protected area; Protected areas; Protection; Rare species; Regional planning; Skewed distributions; small mammal; Software; Spatial analysis; Species extinction; Terrestrial environments; Threatened species; Wildlife conservation; Zonation; área protegida; 声学指标; 无源声音监测; 生物声学; 生物多样性; 随机森林
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13115

To augment mammal conservation in the Eastern Himalayan region, we assessed the resident 255 terrestrial mammal species and identified the 50 most threatened species based on conservation status, endemism, range size, and evolutionary distinctiveness. By using the spatial analysis package letsR and the complementarity core-area method in the conservation planning software Zonation, we assessed the current efficacy of their protection and identified priority conservation areas by comparing protected areas (PAs), land cover, and global ecoregion 2017 maps at a 100 × 100 m spatial scale. The 50 species that were most threatened, geographically restricted, and evolutionarily distinct faced a greater extinction risk than globally nonthreatened and wide-ranging species and species with several close relatives. Small, medium-sized, and data-deficient speciesfaced extinction from inadequate protection in PAs relative to wide-ranging charismatic species. There was a mismatch between current PA distribution and priority areas for conservation of the 50 most endangered species. To protect these species, the skewed regional PA distribution would require expansion. Where possible, new PAs and transboundary reserves in the 35 priority areas we identified should be established. There are adequate remaining natural areas in which to expand current Eastern Himalayan PAs. Consolidation and expansion of PAs in the EH requires strengthening national and regional transboundary collaboration, formulating comprehensive regional land-use plans, diversifying conservation funding, and enhancing information sharing through a consolidated regional database. Evaluamos las 255 especies de mamíferos terrestres residentes e identificamos a las 50 especies más amenazadas con base en el estado de conservación, endemismo, tamaño de la distribución y características evolutivas distintivas para aumentar la conservación de mamíferos en la región oriental del Himalaya. Con el uso del paquete de análisis espacial letsR y el método complementario de área núcleo dentro del software de planeación de la conservación Zonation, analizamos la eficiencia actual de su protección e identificamos las áreas de prioridad de conservación al comparar las áreas protegidas (AP), la cobertura de suelo, y mapas de 2017 de ecoregiones globales a una escala espacial de 100 × 100 m. Las 50 especies con mayor amenaza, restricción geográfica, y características evolutivas distintivas enfrentaron un mayor riesgo de extin