Conserving Biogeography: Habitat Loss and Vicariant Patterns in Endemic Squamates of the Cerrado Hotspot

Autor(es)

de Mello, Pietro L. H. ^[1] ; Machado, Ricardo B. ^[2] ; Nogueira, Cristiano de C. ^[2]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Brasilia, Inst Ciencias Biol IB, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil

^[2] Univ Brasilia, Inst Ciencias Biol IB, Dept Zool, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PLoS One; v. 10, n. 8 AUG 7 2015.
• Citações Web of Science: 3
• Assunto(s): Áreas de conservação Répteis Fragmentos florestais Biodiversidade

Resumo

Little is known about the threat levels and impacts of habitat loss over the Cerrado Squamate fauna. The region is under severe habitat loss due to mechanized agriculture, accelerated by changes in the Brazilian National Forest Code. The Squamate fauna of the Cerrado is rich in endemics and is intrinsically associated with its surrounding microhabitats, which make up a mosaic of phitophysiognomies throughout the region. Herein we evaluate current conservation status of Squamate biogeographic patterns in the Brazilian Cerrado, the single savanna among global biodiversity hotspots. To do so, we first updated point locality data on 49 endemic Squamates pertaining to seven non-random clusters of species ranges in the Cerrado. Each cluster was assumed to be representative of different biogeographic regions, holding its own set of species, herein mapped according to their extent of occurrence (EOO). We then contrasted these data in four different scenarios, according to the presence or absence of habitat loss and the presence or absence of the current protected area (PA) cover. We searched for non-random patterns of habitat loss and PA coverage among these biogeographic regions throughout the Cerrado. Finally, with the species EOO as biodiversity layers, we used Zonation to discuss contemporary PA distribution, as well as to highlight current priority areas for conservation within the Cerrado. We ran Zonation under all four conservation scenarios mentioned above. We observed that habitat loss and PA coverage significantly differed between biogeographic regions. The southernmost biogeographic region is the least protected and the most impacted, with priority areas highly scattered in small, disjunct fragments. The northernmost biogeographic region (Tocantins-Serra Geral) is the most protected and least impacted, showing extensive priority areas in all Zonation scenarios. Therefore, current and past deforestation trends are severely threatening biogeographic patterns in the Cerrado. Moreover, PA distribution is spatially biased, and does not represent biogeographic divisions of the Cerrado. Consequently, we show that biogeographic patterns and processes are being erased at an accelerated pace, reinforcing the urgent need to create new reserves and to avoid the loss of the last remaining fragments of once continuous biogeographic regions. These actions are fundamental and urgent for conserving biogeographic and evolutionary information in this highly imperiled savanna hotspot. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 12/19858-2 - Biogeografia e conservação das serpentes brasileiras
• Beneficiário: Cristiano de Campos Nogueira
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado