Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates
| Autor: | Luíz Fernando Esser, Patrick K. Malonza, Rudolf Mremi, Abraham Eustace, Reginald T. Mwaya |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Atmospheric Science
Tanzania Geographical Locations Critically endangered Ethnicities Somalian People Conservation Science Climatology Multidisciplinary Geography biology Eukaryota Africa Eastern Turtles Tortoises Biogeography Habitat Vertebrates Medicine Research Article Conservation of Natural Resources Climate Change Science Wildlife Zambia Climate change Animals Wild Animals Ecosystem African People Models Statistical Endangered Species Ecology and Environmental Sciences Organisms Pancake tortoise Biology and Life Sciences Reptiles biology.organism_classification Kenya Environmental niche modelling Fishery Habitat destruction Testudines Amniotes People and Places Africa Earth Sciences Population Groupings Protected area Zoology |
| Zdroj: | PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 1, p e0238669 (2021) PLoS ONE |
| DOI: | 10.1101/2020.08.24.264796 |
| Popis: | While the international pet trade and habitat destruction have been extensively discussed as major threats to the survival of the pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri), the impact of climate change on the species remains unknown. In this study, we used species distribution modelling to predict the current and future distribution of pancake tortoises in Zambezian and Somalian biogeographical regions. We used 224 pancake tortoise occurrences obtained from Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia to estimate suitable and stable areas for the pancake tortoise in all countries present in these regions. We also used a protected area network to assess how many of the suitable and stable areas are protected for the conservation of this critically endangered species. Our model predicted the expansion of climatically suitable habitats for pancake tortoises from four countries and a total area of 90,668.75 km2to ten countries in the future and an area of 343,459.60 - 401,179.70 km2. The model also showed that a more significant area of climatically suitable habitat for the species lies outside of the wildlife protected areas. Based on our results, we can predict that pancake tortoises may not suffer from habitat constriction. However, the species will continue to be at risk from the international pet trade, as most of the identified suitable habitats remain outside of protected areas. We suggest that efforts to conserve the pancake tortoise should not only focus on protected areas but also areas that are unprotected, as these comprise a large proportion of the suitable and stable habitats available following predicted future climate change. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|