Towards systematic and evidence-based conservation planning for western chimpanzees.

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Spatial Planning
• Primatology

Background:

• Global animal populations, including primates, face severe declines driven by land-use change.
• Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) are Critically Endangered, with an 80% population decline in 24 years.
• Data-driven spatial planning is underutilized in primate conservation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify crucial geographic areas for western chimpanzee conservation.
• To inform conservation planning and land-use strategies for this critically endangered species.
• To provide data for prioritizing conservation interventions and mitigating human impacts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a previously published dataset of modeled western chimpanzee density distribution.
• Analyzed data across multiple scenarios considering different spatial scales and conservation targets.
• Mapped identified important areas against existing protected area designations (national parks, IUCN categories I-II).

Main Results:

• Less than one-third of identified critical areas for western chimpanzees are currently high-level protected.
• A scenario protecting 50% of remaining chimpanzees required ~60,000 km² (12% of range), with only 24% protected.
• Results highlight significant gaps in current protected area coverage for western chimpanzee habitats.

Conclusions:

• Identified areas are vital for prioritizing conservation actions like protected area expansion and 'no-go-zones'.
• Findings can inform environmental guidelines for infrastructure and resource extraction projects to minimize great ape impact.
• The systematic approach can be replicated for other primate taxa, aiding broader primate conservation planning.