Biological Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Taking the pulse of the world's raptors — A systematic quantitative review of wildlife rehabilitation centre admissions","authors":"Connor T. Panter ,&nbsp;Heather E. Bullock ,&nbsp;Mark Brown ,&nbsp;Devvratsinh Mori ,&nbsp;Lindy J. Thompson","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities, including urban expansion, persecution, and energy and transportation infrastructure, contribute to global wildlife declines. Understanding wildlife mortality and morbidity is crucial for conservation, especially for bioindicator species such as raptors. However, causes of raptor mortality and morbidity remain poorly understood on a global scale. Analysing 147,422 wildlife rehabilitation centre (WRC) admissions from 38 sources containing admissions records from 1989 to 2023, we conducted a systematic quantitative review of raptor admission causes for 148 species globally. Raptor admissions increased over time, with owls (34.3%), falcons (23.7%), and buteo hawks (22%) being the most frequently admitted taxonomic groups. Most admissions were due to unknown causes (40.7%), followed by human-related (39.1%) and natural causes (20.2%). The leading human-related causes were unspecified trauma (18.5%), vehicle collisions (14.1%), and electrocution or gas flare incidents (7.4%). Factors including taxonomic group, body mass, feeding guild, threat status, country GDP per capita, and continent significantly predicted admission type (human vs. natural). Mortality probabilities were 60% for human-related admissions and 19% for natural causes. Wind turbine collisions and electrocution or gas flares resulted in the highest mortality rates (98% and 92%, respectively), while eagles and New World Vultures faced the highest overall mortality probabilities following admission (56% and 55%, respectively). Our findings emphasise the need for comprehensive conservation strategies that address human-induced threats, particularly as the global green energy transition advances. Mitigating risks associated with future infrastructure development, including onshore wind turbines, powerlines, and roadways, is crucial for raptor conservation in an anthropogenic world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111746"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From captivity to recovery: Successful reintroduction of the extinct-in-the-wild Zoogoneticus tequila into its natural habitat","authors":"Omar Domínguez-Domínguez ,&nbsp;Arely Ramírez-García ,&nbsp;Oscar Gabriel Ávila-Morales ,&nbsp;Alejandro Chávez-García ,&nbsp;Ana Leticia Escalante-Jiménez ,&nbsp;Luis Humberto Escalera-Vázquez ,&nbsp;J. Francisco Evaristo-Moreno ,&nbsp;Gerardo García ,&nbsp;Aide Alejandra Gaytán-Alvarado ,&nbsp;Mayra Gómez-Cano ,&nbsp;Rubén Hernández-Morales ,&nbsp;Federico Hernández-Valencia ,&nbsp;Yvonne Herrerías-Diego ,&nbsp;Luis Martín Mar-Silva ,&nbsp;Valentín Mar-Silva ,&nbsp;Martina Medina-Nava ,&nbsp;Jonathan Saúl Mendoza-Cruz ,&nbsp;Diego Montejo-Díaz ,&nbsp;Ernesto Moreno-Zamora ,&nbsp;Ricardo Miguel Pérez-Munguía ,&nbsp;Ivette Marai Villa-Villaseñor","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities have significantly altered ecosystems, resulting in rapid biodiversity loss and extinction rates. <em>Ex situ</em> conservation is a vital strategy for the recovery of species classified as Extinct in the Wild. Despite skepticism due to low success rates in reintroduction projects, the reintroduction of <em>Zoogoneticus tequila</em> has been a notable triumph for a freshwater fish once considered extinct in its natural habitat. The reintroduction process followed four phases: (1) <em>ex situ</em> research, increasing the number of captive-bred individuals, and preparing them for a life in the wild, (2) identification of suitable reintroduction sites, (3) release of fish into the reintroduction site, (4) long-term monitoring of released individuals. The chosen habitat in the upper Teuchitlán River proved suitable with relatively healthy environmental conditions. Seven years of post-release monitoring revealed that the species demonstrated remarkable adaptability to semi-natural and wild environments, thriving despite initial challenges, genetic bottlenecks, and environmental pressures. Additionally, the species extended its range through the colonization of nearby springs. This study highlights the potential of <em>ex situ</em> conservation for reversing extinction when paired with rigorous research protocols. <em>Zoogoneticus tequila</em>, once classified as Extinct in the Wild, is now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List with an increasing population, demonstrating the success of this conservation approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111734"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The bees' knees: A review and meta-analysis of urban green-space habitats for insect pollinators","authors":"Philippa L. Bell ,&nbsp;Georgia E. Garrard ,&nbsp;Kirsten M. Parris","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As insect diversity declines worldwide, conservationists and land managers are increasingly looking to take advantage of novel green spaces for insect conservation in urban areas. However, to establish effective habitat for conservation, we must first have a robust understanding of the features of urban green spaces that provide resources to support a diverse community of insects. Here, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to evaluate the relationships between bee, beetle and butterfly diversity (species richness and abundance) and habitat features (such as the abundance and species richness of vegetation and flowers) in urban green spaces. We identify clear relationships between total insect diversity and green area; vegetation height, abundance and species richness; and floral abundance and species richness. Bees are the most studied taxon of the three investigated here and show a clear positive relationship with vegetation species richness and the species richness and abundance of flowers. We highlight how uncertainty in the relationship between these variables and individual insect orders is driven by differing resource requirements across life stages and functional groups. This is particularly apparent with respect to beetles and butterflies, which were also the more data-deficient taxa investigated. Overall, we suggest that land managers and conservationists could build large areas of habitat in cities through the revegetation of many small spaces that are sufficiently close to be ecologically connected, with a focus on providing abundant and varied floral resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111743"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How can global differences in nature connection inform new relationships with nature?","authors":"Miles Richardson ,&nbsp;Nara Maria Forte Diogo Rocha ,&nbsp;Michael L. Lengieza","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111768","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111768","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The deteriorating human–nature relationship is increasingly recognized as a root cause of climate change and biodiversity loss. Understanding similarity and differences at scale is critical when considering policy and this study investigates global differences in nature connectedness between the “Global North” and “Global South”, using data from 61 countries and a range of socio-economic and cultural indicators. Results show that nature connectedness is significantly higher in the Global South. While economic development has often been linked to environmental degradation, our findings suggest that cultural and spiritual values play a more substantial role in shaping the human–nature relationship. Specifically, indicators related to spirituality and the balance between science and faith were strongly associated with nature connectedness, whereas objective environmental and economic factors explained less variance. These results have implications for environmental policy as they highlight the importance of cultural worldviews in fostering nature connectedness and suggest that efforts to repair the human–nature relationship, particularly in the Global North, may benefit from integrating spiritual and relational perspectives. The study concludes that nature connectedness is embedded more deeply in cultural and value-driven contexts than in economic or environmental conditions. Recognising and learning from the cultural strengths of the Global South may inform transformative approaches to sustainability and resilience, including policy shifts that embrace nature-based spirituality and relational worldviews.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111768"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylogenetic diversity recovery along Atlantic Forest succession: The potential for conserving evolutionary history","authors":"Alex Josélio Pires Coelho ,&nbsp;Carlos Mário Galván-Cisneros ,&nbsp;Pedro Manuel Villa ,&nbsp;Heitor Mancini Teixeira ,&nbsp;Fabio Antônio Ribeiro Matos ,&nbsp;Alice Cristina Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Nayara Mesquita Mota ,&nbsp;Fernando da Costa Britod Lacerda ,&nbsp;Fábia Maria dos Santos Souza ,&nbsp;Nathália Vieira Hissa Safar ,&nbsp;Nathália Silva ,&nbsp;Fabiana Bonani ,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago ,&nbsp;Marcelo Simonelli ,&nbsp;Carlos Ernesto Gonçalves Reynaud Schaefer ,&nbsp;David P. Edwards ,&nbsp;Markus Gastauer ,&nbsp;Fernando Silla ,&nbsp;Marinez Ferreira de Siqueira ,&nbsp;João Augusto Alves Meira-Neto","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111779","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111779","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the recovery of phylogenetic diversity during tropical forest succession is critical for informing ecosystem stability, conserving evolutionary history, and guiding restoration. To address these goals, we evaluated patterns of phylogenetic diversity, structure, and lineage turnover across 61 s-growth and 18 old-growth forest communities in three regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We asked whether second-growth forests recover the phylogenetic diversity found in old-growth forests over time, whether there is a consistent pattern of community assembly along succession, whether functional traits are phylogenetically conserved, and to what extent second-growth forests contribute to evolutionary history conservation at the landscape scale. Our results revealed that second-growth forests exhibit increasing species richness and phylogenetic diversity with forest age. However, standardized phylogenetic structure metrics (sesPD, sesMPD, sesMNTD) remained stable along succession and did not differ from old-growth forests, suggesting that successional time alone does not shape phylogenetic structure. Most functional traits showed low phylogenetic signal, indicating a decoupling between phylogenetic and functional recovery. Despite the absence of some rare and evolutionarily distinct lineages, particularly within Malpighiales, in second-growth forests, beta diversity analyses demonstrated that combining both forest types conserves a broader set of lineages than either type alone. This phylogenetic complementarity underscores the value of conserving both forest types as complementary components of regional biodiversity. Our findings emphasize the role of second-growth forests in preserving evolutionary history and support their inclusion in conservation and restoration strategies. By integrating broad-scale phylogenetic analyses with regional datasets, this study enhances our understanding of biodiversity recovery in one of the world's most threatened tropical biomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111779"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence of long-term survival gains in Panthera from modern zoological facilities supports their role in integrated conservation","authors":"Rikke Øgelund Nielsen ,&nbsp;Gabriela Mastromonaco ,&nbsp;Sugoto Roy ,&nbsp;Kristine Schad Eebes ,&nbsp;Elmar Fienieg ,&nbsp;Alexander Sliwa ,&nbsp;Peter Müller ,&nbsp;Sheila Roe ,&nbsp;Candice Dorsey ,&nbsp;Jilian Fazio ,&nbsp;Andrew Haertzen ,&nbsp;Marco Roller ,&nbsp;Sandra E. Trautwein ,&nbsp;Morgane Tidière","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The accelerating global biodiversity crisis emphasizes the need for <em>ex situ</em> programs to complement <em>in situ</em> conservation. Modern zoological facilities, committed to conservation, education, and research, have significantly evolved, yet public and political scrutiny persists, particularly regarding <em>Panthera</em> species. Here, we evaluated long-term trends in survival-related metrics in all five extant <em>Panthera</em> species born in zoos from 1874 to 2022. Using data from 41,244 individuals, we applied Bayesian survival models to estimate life expectancy, lifespan equality, and first-year survival across six historical periods by species and sex. All three metrics increased significantly through time (life expectancy: +0.89 ± 0.43 years per decade; lifespan equality: +0.114 ± 0.006 per decade, first-year survival: +0.023 ± 0.003 per decade). Individuals born in the most recent decade lived nearly five years longer on average (a 1.7-fold increase) than those born in the early 20th century, with more individuals reaching older ages. Jaguars showed the highest values, and a sex difference was observed only in lions. Moreover, life expectancy and lifespan equality were strongly correlated, confirming progressive improvement in management, husbandry and veterinary care standards in modern facilities. Finally, zoo-born lions now surpass their wild counterparts in life expectancy and lifespan equality. These findings demonstrate that modern facilities sustain longer and more equitable lifespan in <em>Panthera</em>, strengthening their demographic stability and genetic value. Enhanced conditions of life and longevity reinforce the contribution of <em>ex situ</em> populations to species recovery, supporting the integrated <em>One Plan Approach</em> for <em>Panthera</em> conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111773"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State","authors":"Trifosa I. Simamora ,&nbsp;Timothy J. Boycott ,&nbsp;Connor M. Wood ,&nbsp;Steven M. Grodsky","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Smoke from new fire regimes driven by climate change may affect biodiversity in new regions of the world. Wildfires that occurred in eastern Canada in 2023 burned nearly 7.8 million hectares of forest, sending smoke throughout the northeastern United States. We leveraged passive acoustic monitoring to investigate real-time effects of wildfire smoke on vocalization behavior of globally imperiled grassland birds during the breeding season in open land covers across New York State. We determined an overall negative effect of elevated smoke levels on breeding grassland bird vocal activity. We observed the strongest vocalization responses in Bobolink (<em>Dolichonyx oryzivorus</em>) – a colonial breeding, grassland-obligate species; Bobolink vocal activity sharply dropped during intense smoke early in the breeding season, yet increased during a milder smoke event later in the breeding season. Our results indicate that wildfire smoke can present an additive stressor to already imperiled grassland bird species via potential fitness reductions from decreased communication. While some aspects of smoke exposure may be uncontrollable, our results suggest that increased attention to conservation practices that promote grassland birds in the Northeast could be prioritized to offset negative effects of increased smoke associated with global change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111738"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A 30-year population decline of a threatened forest orchid associated with old growth forests","authors":"Victor Johansson ,&nbsp;Matilda Jansson ,&nbsp;Karl-Olof Bergman","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensive forestry practices have transformed boreal forest landscapes, with profound consequences for biodiversity. Species dependent on old-growth forest characteristics are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and structural simplification. We analyzed population trends and habitat preferences of the red listed and legally protected orchid <em>Goodyera repens</em> using 30 years (1993–2022) of data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory, examining occurrence, colonization, and extinction probabilities in relation to stand characteristics. <em>Goodyera repens</em> declined dramatically over the study period, with occurrence probability decreasing from 1.9% in 1993–1997 to 0.6% in 2018–2022—a 66% decline. Occurrence probability increased strongly with basal area, stand age, and moss species richness, with basal area emerging as the strongest predictor across all models. The species exhibited a very low colonization rate (0.7% over 10 years) combined with high local extinction risk (75.2%), with extinction probability increasing sharply when basal area declined between surveys (e.g. due to clear-cutting). This reflects the fundamental mismatch between the species' requirements for old-growth forest conditions and modern forestry operating on 60–100 year rotations that prevent forests from developing old-growth characteristics. The 66% decline documented here is most likely a direct consequence of forestry practices that systematically remove old-growth habitat by harvesting forests at the stage when they become suitable for the species. Without fundamental changes to forest management that allow forests to develop and maintain old-growth conditions across the landscape, <em>G. repens</em> and other old-growth specialists will continue to decline toward potential regional extinctions in coming decades.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111765"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implications of African infrastructure development for threatened species' habitats and persistence","authors":"Sean Sloan ,&nbsp;Pablo Izquierdo","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Infrastructure development (ID) is an economic priority for Africa but threatens remaining natural areas, supporting some Sustainable Development Goals while undermining others. Despite increasing African ID investment, its scale and environmental implications remain poorly surveyed, particularly for biodiversity. In response, this study compiles spatial data on future African ID (roads, rails, development corridors, BRI projects, transmission lines, pipelines, mines, oil/gas) relative to new high-resolution mapping of African threatened vertebrate species habitats (<em>n</em> = 1092). Habitats shared by progressively more threatened species do not appear less susceptible to incursions by future ID, suggesting that ID planning has not meaningfully avoided high-richness habitats. Future ID would intersect high-richness habitats relatively more frequently than has current infrastructure, and more often than expected given the prevalence of such habitats across Africa, particularly for habitats &gt;86^th richness percentile (20% future vs. 13% current infrastructure) or &gt;5 km from current infrastructure. Future ID would similarly incur into nominally inaccessible wilderness areas at greater rates than has current infrastructure (16–23% future vs. 10–16% current), again particularly where &gt;5 km from current infrastructure. A conservative scenario presuming habitat loss &lt;1 km from future ID and &gt;5 km from current infrastructure describes small to moderate declines to species persistence of 0.05–2% of maximum potential persistence, concentrated amongst 29 small-range species in the Great Rift Valley. Persistence declines would worsen drastically, given greater habitat losses around future ID, underscoring the imperative of limiting future ID footprints. To this end, a proposal for a conservation trust, entailing ‘on demand’ local conservation areas financed by future developers, is outlined.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111707"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing and ranking a national red list of Saudi Arabian plants through meta-analysis","authors":"Christopher Clarke ,&nbsp;Zahra Alhawsa ,&nbsp;Simon John Attwood ,&nbsp;Sarah Alsaidalani ,&nbsp;Mark Tester","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Methods aimed at ranking species considered important for conservation at the national level are usually applied to countries with a long history of botanical surveys and comprehensive spatial coverage. Here we propose a simple, objective and transferable method for areas for which botanical knowledge is still highly sporadic. What makes our method unique is that it does not require the use of detailed field surveys as we show how data can be obtained using freely available international open data sources to complement national data. This reduction in reliance on national surveys makes it internationally applicable. Nevertheless, the choice of criteria cannot be standardized across nations as this is dependent on data availability. Yet our approach has in built flexibility to accommodate these limitations by allowing users to select their own criteria.</div><div>Applying the method to Saudi Arabia, a total of 266 taxa were selected to make up its National Red List (NRL) of plants. Taxa were ranked in order of importance on the basis of 12 criteria according to threat, range, taxonomic rarity and conservation importance.</div><div>Evaluating the ten highest scoring plants reveals that not all enjoy in situ protection or are the focus of detailed management plans, and there are still disagreements relating to species taxonomy. Nevertheless, the method proposed in this paper provides a vital starting point for species-based conservation in areas of low data coverage and availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"316 ","pages":"Article 111713"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}