Effects of occurrence data density on conservation prioritization strategies

Place-prioritization analyses are a means by which researchers can translate information on the geographic distributions of species into quantitative prioritizations of areas for biodiversity conservation action. Although several robust algorithms are now available to support this sort of analysis, their vulnerability to biases deriving from incomplete and imbalanced distributional information is not well understood. In this contribution, we took a well-sampled group (i.e., Icteridae or New World blackbirds) in an intensively sampled region (the contiguous continental United States), and developed a set of pseudo-experimental manipulations of occurrence data density—in effect, we created situations in which data density was reduced 10- or 100-fold, and situations in which data density varied 100-fold from region to region. The effects were marked: priority areas for conservation shifted, appeared, and disappeared as a function of our manipulations. That is, differences in density of data can affect the position and complexity of areas of high conservation priority that are identified using distributional areas of species derived from ecological niche modeling. The effects of data density on prioritizations become more diffuse when considerations of existing protected areas and costs related to human intervention are taken into account, but changes are still manifested. Appropriate considerations of sampling density when constructing ecological niche models to identify distributional areas of species are key to preventing artifactual biases from entering into and affecting results of analyses of conservation priority

Potential migratory routes of Urania boisduvalii (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae) among host plant populations

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Aim Migratory species depend on various habitats and resources along their migration routes. Characteristics such as dependence on distinct habitats and the presence of multiple threats along their migratory routes make these species vulnerable, and gaps in knowledge about their ecology and migration processes make them difficult to conserve. Urania boisduvalii is a diurnal moth endemic to Cuba that feeds on plants of Omphalea spp. during its larval phases. These plants produce secondary metabolites as a defence against the moth's larvae, which then are forced to migrate. Although some ecological aspects of Urania boisduvalii are known, its migration routes remain largely unknown. This research proposes potential migratory routes of Urania boisduvalii among populations of its host plant. Location Cuba. Methods We developed ecological niche models of the moth and its hosts based on environmental, anthropic, biotic and biogeographic factors to obtain potential distributional areas that include zones where positive interactions are found but exclude those where negative factors are present. These areas were overlapped to hypothesize potential breeding areas for the moths. Potential migratory corridors were proposed based on environmental connectivity. Results The moth and its hosts have broad potential distributions; however, limiting factors have substantially reduced these areas, especially for plants. The potential migratory routes of Urania boisduvalii are complex and mostly involve the western and eastern regions of Cuba. Most records outside potential breeding areas were close to these migratory corridors. Main conclusions We offer initial hypotheses of the migratory routes of U. boisduvalii, which may be useful to guiding monitoring projects that can provide more definitive views of the seasonal distribution of this species across the Cuban archipelago

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