Journal Article

Protection of Mammal Diversity in Central America

GIRI, CHANDRA, JENKINS, CLINTON N.

2008

Overview

Central America is exceptionally rich in biodiversity, but varies widely in the attention its countries devote to conservation. Protected areas, widely considered the cornerstone of conservation, were not always created with the intent of conserving that biodiversity. We assessed how well the protected-area system of Central America includes the region's mammal diversity. This first required a refinement of existing range maps to reduce their extensive errors of commission (i.e., predicted presences in places where species do not occur). For this refinement, we used the ecological limits of each species to identify and remove unsuitable areas from the range. We then compared these maps with the locations of protected areas to measure the habitat protected for each of the region's 250 endemic mammals. The species most vulnerable to extinction--those with small ranges--were largely outside protected areas. Nevertheless, the most strictly protected areas tended toward areas with many small-ranged species. To improve the protection coverage of mammal diversity in the region, we identified a set of priority sites that would best complement the existing protected areas. Protecting these new sites would require a relatively small increase in the total area protected, but could greatly enhance mammal conservation.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Inc,Blackwell Publishing, Inc,Blackwell,Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subject: Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Applied ecology / biodiversidad / Biodiversity / Biodiversity conservation / Biological and medical sciences / Central America / Conservation / conservation areas / Conservation biology / Conservation easements / Conservation of Natural Resources / Conservation of Natural Resources - methods / conservation priorities / Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife / Demography / distribución de especies / Ecology / Endemic species / Extinct species / extinction / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Habitat conservation / habitats / hotspot / mammal / Mammalia / Mammals / Mammals - physiology / mamífero / mapa de distribución / methods / Mexico / Models, Biological / Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking / physiology / prioridades de conservación / protected area / Protected areas / Protected species / range map / sitio de importancia para la conservación / Species / species distribution / Species extinction / Threatened species / Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution / Wildlife conservation / área protegida