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US protected lands mismatch biodiversity priorities.

Clinton N Jenkins¹, Kyle S Van Houtan², Stuart L Pimm³

¹Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista - SP, 12960-000, Brazil; clinton.jenkins@gmail.com.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|April 8, 2015

Summary

Protecting natural habitats is crucial for preventing species extinction. The US has substantial protected lands, but their location conflicts with biodiversity hotspots, necessitating strategic conservation investments.

Keywords:

conservation priorities endemism extinction protected areas range size

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Area of Science:

Conservation Science
Biodiversity Studies
Environmental Policy

Background:

Habitat loss is the primary driver of species extinction globally.
Effective conservation strategies require strategic land protection efforts.
The United States possesses the economic and political capacity for significant habitat conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the United States' protected area network in relation to the country's biodiversity.
To identify priority areas for future conservation investments based on species distribution and existing protections.
To inform conservation policy and investment strategies for maximizing biodiversity protection.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of new distribution maps for terrestrial vertebrates, freshwater fish, and trees across the US.
Comparison of species distribution patterns with the existing protected area portfolio.
Analysis of the geographic congruence between endemism hotspots and protected land status.

Main Results:

The US has a substantial total area under protection.
The geographic distribution of protected areas is largely misaligned with patterns of species endemism.
Vulnerable species are concentrated in regions with less protected land, particularly in the Southeast, and private land protections do not align with these priorities.

Conclusions:

Current protected areas in the US are not optimally located to conserve the nation's biodiversity.
Significant conservation gaps exist, especially in the Southeast, requiring targeted protection efforts.
Future conservation investments should prioritize specific areas, including both public and private lands, to address biodiversity needs effectively.