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1. Combining camera trap surveys and IUCN range maps to improve knowledge of species distributions

   https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14221  

   Chen, Cheng; Granados, Alys; Brodie, Jedediah F; Kays, Roland; Davies, T Jonathan; Liu, Runzhe; Fisher, Jason T; Ahumada, Jorge; McShea, William; Sheil, Douglas; et al (June 2024, Conservation Biology)

   Abstract Reliable maps of species distributions are fundamental for biodiversity research and conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps are widely recognized as authoritative representations of species’ geographic limits, yet they might not always align with actual occurrence data. In recent area of habitat (AOH) maps, areas that are not habitat have been removed from IUCN ranges to reduce commission errors, but their concordance with actual species occurrence also remains untested. We tested concordance between occurrences recorded in camera trap surveys and predicted occurrences from the IUCN and AOH maps for 510 medium‐ to large‐bodied mammalian species in 80 camera trap sampling areas. Across all areas, cameras detected only 39% of species expected to occur based on IUCN ranges and AOH maps; 85% of the IUCN only mismatches occurred within 200 km of range edges. Only 4% of species occurrences were detected by cameras outside IUCN ranges. The probability of mismatches between cameras and the IUCN range was significantly higher for smaller‐bodied mammals and habitat specialists in the Neotropics and Indomalaya and in areas with shorter canopy forests. Our findings suggest that range and AOH maps rarely underrepresent areas where species occur, but they may more often overrepresent ranges by including areas where a species may be absent, particularly at range edges. We suggest that combining range maps with data from ground‐based biodiversity sensors, such as camera traps, provides a richer knowledge base for conservation mapping and planning. 

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2. Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Threats and opportunities

   https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf1466  

   Ralimanana, Hélène; Perrigo, Allison L.; Smith, Rhian J.; Borrell, James S.; Faurby, Søren; Rajaonah, Mamy Tiana; Randriamboavonjy, Tianjanahary; Vorontsova, Maria S.; Cooke, Robert S.; Phelps, Leanne N.; et al (December 2022, Science)

   BACKGROUND Madagascar is one of the world’s foremost biodiversity hotspots. Its unique assemblage of plants, animals, and fungi—the majority of which evolved on the island and occur nowhere else—is both diverse and threatened. After human arrival, the island’s entire megafauna became extinct, and large portions of the current flora and fauna may be on track for a similar fate. Conditions for the long-term survival of many Malagasy species are not currently met because of multiple anthropogenic threats. ADVANCES We review the extinction risk and threats to biodiversity in Madagascar, using available international assessment data as well as a machine learning analysis to predict the extinction risks and threats to plant species lacking assessments. Our compilation of global International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments shows that overexploitation alongside unsustainable agricultural practices affect 62.1 and 56.8% of vertebrate species, respectively, and each affects nearly 90% of all plant species. Other threats have a relatively minor effect today but are expected to increase in coming decades. Because only one-third (4652) of all Malagasy plant species have been formally assessed, we carried out a neural network analysis to predict the putative status and threats for 5887 unassessed species and to evaluate biases in current assessments. The percentage of plant species currently assessed as under threat is probably representative of actual numbers, except in the case of the ferns and lycophytes, where significantly more species are estimated to be threatened. We find that Madagascar is home to a disproportionately high number of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. This further highlights the urgency for evidence-based and effective in situ and ex situ conservation. Despite these alarming statistics and trends, we find that 10.4% of Madagascar’s land area is protected and that the network of protected areas (PAs) covers at least part of the range of 97.1% of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates with known distributions (amphibians, freshwater fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammal species combined) and 67.7% of plant species (for threatened species, the percentages are 97.7% for vertebrates and 79.6% for plants). Complementary to this, ex situ collections hold 18% of vertebrate species and 23% of plant species. Nonetheless, there are still many threatened species that do not occur within PAs and are absent from ex situ collections, including one amphibian, three mammals, and seven reptiles, as well as 559 plants and more yet to be assessed. Based on our updated vegetation map, we find that the current PA network provides good coverage of the major habitats, particularly mangroves, spiny forest, humid forest, and tapia, but subhumid forest and grassland-woodland mosaic have very low areas under protection (5.7 and 1.8% respectively). OUTLOOK Madagascar is among the world’s poorest countries, and its biodiversity is a key resource for the sustainable future and well-being of its citizens. Current threats to Madagascar’s biodiversity are deeply rooted in historical and present social contexts, including widespread inequalities. We therefore propose five opportunities for action to further conservation in a just and equitable way. First, investment in conservation and restoration must be based on evidence and effectiveness and be tailored to meet future challenges through inclusive solutions. Second, expanded biodiversity monitoring, including increased dataset production and availability, is key. Third, improving the effectiveness of existing PAs—for example through community engagement, training, and income opportunities—is more important than creating new ones. Fourth, conservation and restoration should not focus solely on the PA network but should also include the surrounding landscapes and communities. And finally, conservation actions must address the root causes of biodiversity loss, including poverty and food insecurity. In the eyes of much of the world, Madagascar’s biodiversity is a unique global asset that needs saving; in the daily lives of many of the Malagasy people, it is a rapidly diminishing source of the most basic needs for subsistence. Protecting Madagascar’s biodiversity while promoting social development for its people is a matter of the utmost urgency Visual representation of five key opportunities for conserving and restoring Madagascar’s rapidly declining biodiversity identified in this Review. The dashed lines point to representative vegetation types where these recommendations could have tangible effects, but the opportunities are applicable across Madagascar. ILLUSTRATION: INESSA VOET 

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3. Accurate predictive modeling of conservation status in animal species using supervised learning

   https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3471388/v1  

   Aoki, Anais; Sethuraman, Arun (October 2023, Research Square)

   Abstract Conservation management to mitigate extinction of wildlife becomes more crucial than ever as global impacts due to anthropogenic activities and climate change continue to create devastation for species around the globe. Despite ongoing efforts to understand species constantly changing population dynamics due to anthropogenic stressors, there is a strong disconnect between conservation research and conservation policy, what is known as the “Conservation Gap”. The International Union of Conservation of Nature, the IUCN, is a globally recognized organization that works to sustain biodiversity by maintaining a ranking of species known as their Red List. However, the IUCN does not currently utilize genetic information to assess species conservation status despite the availability of molecular data. Here we use over 7300 studies collated from the MacroPopGen database, and over 450 published articles from the public repository DataDryad, focused on conservation and population genetics, sampling across a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate taxa, and using IUCN classifications to predict species endangerment using machine learning. Our models were able to accurately predict species threat level classified by the IUCN using both measures of genetic diversity and differentiation with IUCN assessment criteria. Our goal is to use these models to help determine and communicate conservation status to practitioners that takes into consideration all available species-specific information. 

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4. Cryptic extinction risk in a western Pacific lizard radiation

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02412-x  

   McDonald, Peter J.; Brown, Rafe M.; Kraus, Fred; Bowles, Philip; Arifin, Umilaela; Eliades, Samuel J.; Fisher, Robert N.; Gaulke, Maren; Grismer, L. Lee; Ineich, Ivan; et al (July 2022, Biodiversity and Conservation)

   Abstract Cryptic ecologies, the Wallacean Shortfall of undocumented species’ geographical ranges and the Linnaean Shortfall of undescribed diversity, are all major barriers to conservation assessment. When these factors overlap with drivers of extinction risk, such as insular distributions, the number of threatened species in a region or clade may be underestimated, a situation we term ‘cryptic extinction risk’. The genusLepidodactylusis a diverse radiation of insular and arboreal geckos that occurs across the western Pacific. Previous work onLepidodactylusshowed evidence of evolutionary displacement around continental fringes, suggesting an inherent vulnerability to extinction from factors such as competition and predation. We sought to (1) comprehensively review status and threats, (2) estimate the number of undescribed species, and (3) estimate extinction risk in data deficient and candidate species, inLepidodactylus. From our updated IUCN Red List assessment, 60% of the 58 recognized species are threatened (n = 15) or Data Deficient (n = 21), which is higher than reported for most other lizard groups. Species from the smaller and isolated Pacific islands are of greatest conservation concern, with most either threatened or Data Deficient, and all particularly vulnerable to invasive species. We estimated 32 undescribed candidate species and linear modelling predicted that an additional 18 species, among these and the data deficient species, are threatened with extinction. Focusing efforts to resolve the taxonomy and conservation status of key taxa, especially on small islands in the Pacific, is a high priority for conserving this remarkably diverse, yet poorly understood, lizard fauna. Our data highlight how cryptic ecologies and cryptic diversity combine and lead to significant underestimation of extinction risk. 

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5. Out of sight and out of mind? The conservation status of subterranean biodiversity in the United States and Canada

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-025-03099-6  

   Niemiller, Matthew L; Zigler, Kirk S; Curtis, Amanda N; Trapeni, Carter M; Slay, Michael E; Culver, David C; Hutchins, Benjamin T; Kendall_Niemiller, K Denise (July 2025, Biodiversity and Conservation)

   Subterranean ecosystems harbor globally important yet highly threatened biodiversity. Unfortunately, subterranean biodiversity is often neglected in regional and global conservation initiatives, including conservation assessments. We reviewed the conservation status and threats to subterranean species based on the two most popular conservation assessment protocols in North America, NatureServe and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, as well as federal and state/provincial protection status of the 1,460 described cave-obligate species occurring in the United States and Canada. Only 9.3% of species have been assessed under IUCN Red List criteria compared to 77.9% of species assessed under NatureServe criteria; notably, 1,065 and 116 of species are assessed at an elevated risk of extinction by NatureServe and IUCN Red List, respectively. Just 41 species are listed or proposed to be listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and none of the 10 species that occur in Canada are federally listed. Vertebrates (fishes and salamanders), decapods (crayfishes and shrimps), and U.S. federally listed species are overrepresented on the list of species with IUCN Red List assessments compared to other taxonomic groups, particularly arachnids, millipedes, and insects. Most species assessed under IUCN Red List criteria as well as federally listed species occur in the Edwards Plateau and Balcones Escarpment karst region of Texas. Major threats frequently reported in conservation assessments include habitat degradation, pollution/contamination, recreational activities, climate change, and groundwater exploitation; however, information on threats was lacking for most species for nearly all major taxonomic groups, except decapods, fishes, and salamanders. The intrinsic vulnerability of subterranean biodiversity coupled with the many potential threats facing species and extensive biodiversity knowledge gaps makes assessing their conservation status and ultimately their protection a challenging endeavor. We highlight several limitations of implementing current conservation assessment approaches while offering recommendations to improve our ability to assess the conservation status of subterranean biodiversity to better inform sound local to global conservation policies and actions. 

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