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The critically endangered Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) is the world’s third most endangered species of crane. Despite the enhanced conservation actions in recent years, there are pieces of evidence that suggest that its population is continuously decreasing. To gain insights into the possible causes of the population decline, we tracked nine Siberian cranes in Russia and Mongolia using GPS transmitters. We obtained migration episodes based on over 0.31 million subsequent locations from 3283 bird days between June 1995 and December 2021. Siberian cranes migrated an average of 5604 ± 362 km in spring from wintering to breeding areas and a mean of 5265 ± 454 km from breeding to wintering areas. We identified 35 staging sites along the migration corridor, including 17 critical staging sites at which birds staged for >14 days and 18 stopover sites that supported individuals for more than two days within a ca. 200 km-wide migratory corridor. Of the areas used by the tagged cranes, 77% of the breeding areas in Russia, 55% of the staging areas, 99% of the non-breeding summering area in Mongolia, and 50% of the wintering areas in Poyang Lake in China lay outside the current protected area network. Although we should be prudent about interpreting the conservation gaps of the entire population from only a few tracked birds, these results strongly suggest that the current protection network for this numerically rare species is inadequate, requiring urgent review.

There are about 10% of the world’s land plants in China, of which 11% are threatened species. Here, we used China as a proxy to identify hotspots of threatened species, evaluate the effectiveness of current conservation networks and assess the correlations between distribution patterns of different groups. We built the most complete database of 3,881 species of threatened land plants in China (TLPCs) to date, based on 43,710 occurrence records at county level. A total of 467 counties identified as hotspot by species richness, complementarity, and weighted algorithms, mostly confined to the mountainous areas in southern China, which account for 15.58% of land area, however, hold 95.34% of the total TLPCs. The correlation analysis revealed weak to moderate relationship between the distribution patterns of three groups (bryophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms) and angiosperms of TLPCs. We found 86.34%, 84.05% and 95.77% of TLPCs protected by NNRs, PNRs and NRs [nature reserves, including both national NRs (NNRs) and provincial NRs (PNRs)], respectively. Besides, there were 41.11% and 18.84% of hotspots identified as conservation gaps of NNRs and NRs, respectively. In conclusion, the NNRs do not play a more dominant role in conserving TLPCs diversity in comparison to PNRs. We proposed that conservation planning need to be established in the periphery of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau due to a large number of hotspots and conservation gaps located in this area. Since a large proportion of unprotected TLPCs are critically endangered and narrow-ranged species, it is urgent to set priorities for their conservation in the nearest future.

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a biodiversity hotspot of national and global significance. Prerequisites for the effective conservation of biodiversity on the QTP are the identification of biodiversity conservation hotspots and gaps in the region and the subsequent optimization of the spatial planning of conservation networks. However, there is a lack of understanding and assessment of phylogenetic diversity in the QTP conservation network. In this study, 136 species of vascular plants included in the Red List of China’s Biodiversity - Higher Plants on the QTP were selected. The maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and the zonation model were used to identify conservation priority areas and analyze gaps on the QTP using 17%, 30%, 36% and 50% of the area as the conservation targets. In contrast to existing protected area planning based only on species richness (SR), this study also considered evolutionary distinctiveness (ED), which is a measure of the contribution of species to the overall evolutionary history, to determine the priority areas for biodiversity conservation on the QTP; thus, this study takes into account both taxonomic and evolutionary dimensions. The results showed the following: (1) The current conservation network protects an average of only 18.9% of the habitats of the 136 vascular plant species. (2) Under different conservation targets, the coverage percentages of the conservation network for the conservation priority areas identified based on the superposition of SR and ED were approximately 24.7%, 26.1%, 25.5%, and 25.3%, which accounted for approximately 4.6%, 8.5%, 9.7%, and 12.5%, respectively, of the QTP area. (3) Under different conservation targets, the priority areas were concentrated in the southeastern part of the QTP, and as the target area expanded, these priority areas gradually extended into the central and northwestern parts of the QTP. Conservation gaps are mainly concentrated in the eastern Yarlung Zangbo River, the Three Parallel Rivers region, the Southern Hengduan Mountains, the Songpan Plateau–Qionglai Mountains region, and the Yellow River Headwater Region. Phylogenetic diversity reveals evolutionary information about species, and its spatial pattern of divergence from taxonomic diversity emphasizes the significance of incorporating it into conservation, with the aim of promoting multidimensional biodiversity conservation for future conservation planning.

Traditional means of assessing representativeness of conservation value in protected areas depend on measures of structural biodiversity. The effectiveness of priority conservation areas at representing critical natural capital (CNC) (i.e., an essential and renewable subset of natural capital) remains largely unknown. We analyzed the representativeness of CNC-conservationpriority areas in national nature reserves (i.e., nature reserves under jurisdiction of the central government with large spatial distribution across the provinces) in China with a new biophysical-based composite indicator approach. With this approach, we integrated the net primary production of vegetation, topography, soil, and climate variables to map and rank terrestrial ecosystems capacities to generate CNC. National nature reserves accounted for 6.7% of CNC-conservation priority areas across China. Considerable gaps (35.2%) existed between overall (or potential) CNC representativeness nationally and CNC representation in national reserves, and there was significant spatial heterogeneity of representativeness in CNC-conservation priority areas at the regional and provincial levels. For example, the best and worst representations were, respectively, 13.0% and 1.6% regionally and 28.9% and 0.0% provincially. Policy in China is transitioning toward the goal of an ecologically sustainable civilization. We identified CNC-conservation priority areas and conservation gaps and thus contribute to the policy goals of optimization of the national nature reserve network and the demarcation of areas critical to improving the representativeness and conservation of highly functioning areas of natural capital. Moreover, our method for assessing representation of CNC can be easily adapted to other large-scale networks of conservation areas because few data are needed, and our model is relatively simple. Los medtos tradicionales para evaluar la representatividad de los valores de conservación en las áreas protegidas dependen de las medidas de la biodiversidad estructural. La efectividad de las áreas de conservación prioritarias por representar al capital natural crítico (CNC) (es decir, un subconjunto esencial y renovable de capital natural) todavía permanece desconocida en su mayoría. Analizamos la representatividad de las áreas de conservación prioritarias de CNC en las reservas naturales nacionales (es decir, reservas naturales bajo jurisdicción del gobierno central con una gran distribución espacial a lo largo de las provincias) de China con una nueva estrategia indicadora basada en componentes biofísicos. Con esta estrategia, integramos la producción primaria neta de vegetación, la topografía, el suelo y las variables climáticas al mapa y clasificamos las capacidades de los ecosistemas terrestres para generar CNC. Las reservas naturales nacionales representaron el 6.7 % de las áreas de conservación prioritarias de CNC en toda China. Existieron vacíos considerables (35.2 %) entre la representatividad general (o potencial) de CNC a nivel nacional y la representación de CNC en las reservas nacionales, y hubo una heterogeneidad espacial significativa de la representatividad en las áreas de conservación prioritarias de CNC en los niveles regionales y provinciales. Por ejemplo, la mejor y la peor representación fueron, respectivamente, 13.0 % y 1.6% regionalmente y 28.9 % y 0.0 % provincialmente. La política en China está en transición hacia la meta de una civilización sustentable ecológicamente. Identificamos las áreas de conservación prioritarias de CNC y los vacíos de conservación y con esto contribuimos a las metas políticas de optimizar la red de reservas naturales nacionales y la demarcación de las áreas cruciales para mejorar la representatividad y conservación de las áreas de capital natural altamente funcionales. Además, nuestro método para evaluar la representación del CNC puede adaptarse fácilmente a otras redes a gran escala de áreas de conservación porque se requieren pocos datos y nuestro modelo es relativamente simple.

Astragalus (Fabaceae), as a mega genus, among 57 Angiosperm genera, with high diversity, has vast distribution in the World. However, there is a lack of up-to-date information about species richness, sections, centers of endemism, and distribution patterns of the genus Astragalus in the Old-World. In this study, we extracted the geographic data of the Astragalus genus from a 40 years field survey, floras, monographs, and former literature. Using this comprehensive dataset, the endemic and common species in each region of the Old-World were revealed. We identified centers of endemism and hotspots of Astragalus based on three metrics: species richness (SR), weighted endemism (WE) and corrected weighted endemism (CWE). The results showed that the genus of Astragalus has 2748 taxa and about 150 sections in the Old-World. Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan in Southwest Asia are the main centers of diversity and endemism of genus Astragalus in the Old-World. Iran plays as a migratory corridor between countries of the Old-World that has many common species with other countries. The Irano-Anatolian hotspot covered the most areas of the three metrics (SR-WE-CWE), followed by the Caucasus, Mountains of Central Asia, Himalayas, and Mediterranean Basin. These regions are the most critical hotspots with the strongest species diversification, which can be considered areas with a high degree of protection. However, nearly half of the identified hotspot areas of Astragalus (1.7 × 10 6 ‬ km 2 ) were not covered by the global biodiversity hotspot map, which can be identified as conservation gaps and could be introduced as new reserves.

Aim The mountainous regions in SW Asia harbour a high number of endemic species, many of which are restricted to the high‐elevation zone. The (sub)alpine habitats of the region are under particular threat due to global change, but their biodiversity hotspots and conservation status have not been investigated so far. Location Subalpine‐alpine habitats of SW Asia. Methods Distribution data of all (sub)alpine vascular plant species of the region were compiled, resulting in 19,680 localities from 1672 (sub)alpine species, the majority of them being restricted to the region (76%). Six quantitative indices of species diversity were used on the basis of 0.5° × 0.5° grid cells to identify (sub)alpine hotspots. Hotspots whose surface area in the (sub)alpine zone was covered by nature reserves maximally by 10% were defined as conservation gaps. Results A high proportion (80%) of the endemic species of the study area is range‐restricted and narrowly distributed. The results of all six indices were highly correlated. Using the top 5%, 10% and 20% richest cells supported by any index, 32, 53 and 98 cells, respectively, were identified as Hotspots. Almost 60% of these Hotspots at all three levels were identified as unprotected (i.e. constituted Conservation Gaps). Generally, only 22%, 18% and 16%, respectively, of the alpine surface area of the identified Hotspots were covered by nature reserves for the top 5%, 10% and 20% richest cells, respectively. Main conclusions Although the rate of protection in (sub)alpine Hotspots exceeds that of the entire region it is still insufficient, because these Hotspots are much richer in endemic and in range‐restricted species, but at the same time are under high pressure of global change. Therefore, the establishment of new nature reserves with high conservation efficiency in (sub)alpine habitats with a particular focus on the identified Hotspots is strongly recommended.

Aim Biodiversity hotspots often span international borders, thus conservation efforts must as well. China is one of the most biodiverse countries and the length of its international land borders is the longest in the world; thus, there is a strong need for transboundary conservation. We identify China's transboundary conservation hotspots and analyse the potential effects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on them to provide recommendations for conservation actions. Location China, Asia. Methods We compiled a species list of terrestrial vertebrates that span China's borders. Using their distribution, we extracted the top 30% of the area with the highest richness value weighted by Red List category and considered these transboundary hotspots for conservation priority. Then we analysed protected area (PA) coverage and connectivity to identify conservation gaps. To measure potential impact of the BRI, we counted the species whose distribution range is traversed by the BRI, and calculated the aggregation index, proportion of natural land and night light index along its routes. Results We identified 1964 terrestrial vertebrate species living in the border region. We identified four transboundary hotspots and found insufficient PA coverage and low connectivity in three of them. The BRI routes intersected all four hotspots and traversed 82.4% (1619/1964) of the transboundary species, half of which (918) are sensitive to the potential risks brought by the BRI. Night light index increased generally along the BRI. However, the proportion of natural land and the aggregation index near the BRI showed different trends in hotspots. Main Conclusions There is an urgent need for conservation action in China's transboundary region. The BRI should put biodiversity conservation at the core of its development strategy. Furthermore, we suggest using the planned BRI as a platform for dialogue and consultation, knowledge and data sharing, and joint planning to promote transboundary conservation.

Background The National Key Protected Wild Plants (NKPWPs) list serves as China’s primary legal framework for plant diversity protection, with the species categorized into Level I (critically endangered, strictly protected) and Level II (lower risk but still requiring protection). However, the geographical distribution of these species and gaps in their conservation remain elusive due to the limited availability of data on species distribution. Thus, to address these gaps and support precise conservation, we developed a county-level distribution database for the NKPWP species using information primarily sourced from literature. Using this database, we elucidated the geographical distribution patterns of NKPWPs and identified the gaps in both in situ and ex situ conservation. Results The NKPWPs analyzed in the study included 1,128 plant species. We compiled a county-level distribution database for these species with 30,397 records. Detailed analysis of this data revealed that these species were concentrated in the mountainous regions of southern China, including the Eastern Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains, south Yunnan, the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi border, and the Wuling Mountains. Among the 1,118 embryophyte species of the checklist, 1,060 (94.81%) were found conserved in situ, 681 (60.91%) were found conserved ex situ, and 660 (59.03%) through both approaches. Besides, species with a higher threat level and limited distribution range exhibited lower conservation coverage in both ex situ and in situ approaches; 37 species received no conservation (3.31%). Conclusions The county-level distribution database developed in this study comprehensively depicts the geographical distribution patterns of NKPWP in China, offering valuable data for planning species conservation and providing a foundational framework for addressing the existing gaps in their conservation across China. This database will ultimately support targeted conservation and resource allocation to protect plant diversity effectively. We also suggest adopting an integrated evaluation approach for conservation strategies in other areas, globally, or for other biological groups.

ABSTRACT Aim The contact zone of three zoogeographic realms, the Palearctic, Saharo‐Arabian and Oriental, is an evolutionary cradle of high species richness and endemism in Iran. In this study, we investigate statistically inferred bioregions of Lepidoptera in this region. Additionally, we assess species turnover and potential conservation gaps across the defined bioregions in this country. Location Iran. Taxa Lepidoptera. Methods Potential ranges of Lepidopteran species were estimated using species distribution modelling and masking unsuitable ecosystem patches within a Minimum Convex Polygon, utilising the most comprehensive dataset available for the group to address the knowledge gaps in their known distribution. A presence/absence matrix was generated to define bioregions using clustering‐ and network‐based methods. We then assessed the faunistic relationships of the defined bioregions and the degree of coverage of these regions by the network of protected areas (PAs) within the country. Results Despite some differences, the presence of five main bioregions for Lepidoptera was suggested by both clustering‐ and network‐based methods. Beyond this, six and seven small zones were detected respectively, on the overlapping areas of major bioregions as potential transition zones. Ultimately, we found an uneven distribution and extensive gap of PAs across the detected bioregions. Main Conclusions The results of this study suggest a crucial transitional position of Iran between three main global zoogeographic realms. While similar to the results of the clustering‐based method, the bioregions detected by the network‐based method are more compatible with previously identified ecoregions, macrobioclimates and phytogeographical regions of the country. The most diverse defined bioregions and transition zones in this study are on average protected by less than 10% of their total areas. Further studies are needed to investigate the historical and ecological drivers that differentiate the species assemblages between bioregions and zoogeographic realms.

Aim Holistic marine biodiversity conservation refers to ecosystem‐based management through marine conservation planning (MCP), based on mapping habitat protection priority areas. In practice, MCP is frequently hindered by information gaps in biodiversity distributions, particularly on a marine ecoregion scale. Species distribution modelling (SDM) can help to resolve this gap and provide information essential for MCP scenarios. We constructed habitat configurations for three coastal marine megafauna animals using SDM, then based MCP scenarios on the projected habitat configurations and tested the use of marine megafauna animals as surrogates to protect major ecosystems. Location Gulf of Thailand, Southeast Asia. Methods A MaxEnt model was used to project likely habitats for Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) and sea turtles in the Gulf of Thailand. MARXAN software was used to prioritize spatial configurations for habitat protection. The percentage of overlaps between MARXAN delineations and major biodiversity features in the Gulf of Thailand were calculated. Results Habitat configurations of humpback dolphins, Irrawaddy dolphins and sea turtles were projected throughout the coastal and estuarine waters along the Gulf of Thailand. MCP based on the habitat of three marine megafauna animals highlighted five critical habitats for the protection of major ecosystems in the Gulf of Thailand. Main conclusions Holistic MCP starts with mapping critical habitats for marine protected area (MPA) networks, balances MPA networks with maritime livelihood activities and alleviates conflicts between MPA management and local livelihood needs. A combination of SDM and MARXAN methods provides a cost‐effective approach to delineate MPA networks. In this approach, surrogate selection and data preparation should consider niches representative of regional ecosystem features and avoid spatial sampling bias. In coastal and estuarine waters, marine megafauna such as coastal cetaceans and sea turtles may serve as efficient surrogates to protect major ecosystems.