Insights for protection of high species richness areas for the conservation of Mesoamerican endemic birds

Abstract

Aim: To assess the representativeness values of Mesoamerican endemic birds within the current network of protected areas (PAs) to determine high-priority and complementary conservation areas to maximize the long-term protection of species. Location: From central Mexico to southern Panama. Methods: We selected 180 bird species that are geographically restricted to Mesoamerica and estimated their potential ranges using species distribution models. Then, using two different removal rules in ZONATION software, we assessed the species’ representativeness levels within the current PA network. We also defined forest remnants that could be used to strategically expand PAs (to reach Aichi biodiversity targets) and maximize the species protection, explicitly considering anthropic pressures. Results: Current PAs cover ~13% of the land area of Mesoamerica, representing an average of ~19% of the total potential distribution for the endemic bird species considered. We also observed that there is <30% overlap between current PAs and the priority areas we define. Our prioritization analyses showed that strategically increasing protection coverage to 17%, as stipulated in the Aichi targets, would substantially increase the representativeness values of PAs (regardless of the removal rule used) and would increase the range by >35% for all species and >29% for threatened species. The consensus priority conservation areas identified were mainly distributed in Costa Rica (~48%), Mexico (~28%), and Panama (~10%). Main conclusions: Consistent with the global picture, Mesoamerican PAs showed low representativeness of their vulnerable endemic avifauna; therefore, well-informed decisions to guide conservation strategies are imperative. We provide insights about where future conservation efforts should focus to accomplish a representative and well-connected regional PA network.