Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania

Francesco Rovero; Michele Menegon; Jon Fjeldså; Leah Collett; Nike Doggart; Charles Leonard; Guy Norton; Nisha Owen; Andrew Perkin; Daniel Spitale; Antje Ahrends; Neil David Burgess

doi:10.1111/ddi.12246

Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania

Francesco Rovero, Michele Menegon, Jon Fjeldså, Leah Collett, Nike Doggart, Charles Leonard, Guy Norton, Nisha Owen, Andrew Perkin, Daniel Spitale, Antje Ahrends, Neil David Burgess

42 Citationer (Scopus)

45 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Aim: Detailed knowledge of species distributions, endemism patterns and threats is critical to site prioritization and conservation planning. However, data from biodiversity inventories are still limited, especially for tropical forests, and even well recognized hotspots remain understudied. We provide an example of how updated knowledge on species occurrence from strategically directed biodiversity surveys can change knowledge on perceived biodiversity importance, and facilitate understanding diversity patterns and the delivery of conservation recommendations. Location: Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Kenya and Tanzania. Methods: We surveyed amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals during 2005-2009, targeting mountain blocks that had been poorly surveyed or unsurveyed by the early Noughties. We combined new and old data to produce a database of species presence by mountain block spanning four decades of research. Species richness is regressed against survey effort, funding, ecological and human disturbance factors to analyse the best predictors of vertebrate richness across mountain blocks. Similarity among species assemblages among blocks is analysed using dissimilarity analysis. Results: New surveys raised the number of endemic and regional endemic vertebrates by 24% (from 170 to 211 species), including 27 new species of which 23 are amphibians and reptiles. Vertebrate richness is best explained by forest area, but rainfall is also important, especially for amphibians and reptiles. Forest elevational range is important for mammals and for block-endemic birds. Funding explains 19% of the variation in total species richness, while survey effort generally explains < 10% of variance. Cluster analysis shows that species assemblages are partitioned by geographical proximity among mountain blocks. Main conclusions: The biological value of the EAM has been underestimated, and strategic surveys are important even in well-recognized hotspots. The exceptional and global importance of these mountains for endemic vertebrates is highlighted, supporting the development of a network of Nature Reserves and the proposed inclusion within UNESCO's natural World Heritage Sites.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Diversity and Distributions
Vol/bind	20
Udgave nummer	12
Sider (fra-til)	1438-1449
Antal sider	12
ISSN	1366-9516
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12246
Status	Udgivet - 1 dec. 2014

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10.1111/ddi.12246Licens: CC BY-NC-ND

Rovero_2014_Targeted_vertebateForlagets udgivne version, 522 KBLicens: CC BY-NC-ND

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Rovero, F., Menegon, M., Fjeldså, J., Collett, L., Doggart, N., Leonard, C., Norton, G., Owen, N., Perkin, A., Spitale, D., Ahrends, A., & Burgess, N. D. (2014). Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania. Diversity and Distributions, 20(12), 1438-1449. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12246

Rovero, F, Menegon, M, Fjeldså, J, Collett, L, Doggart, N, Leonard, C, Norton, G, Owen, N, Perkin, A, Spitale, D, Ahrends, A & Burgess, ND 2014, 'Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania', Diversity and Distributions, bind 20, nr. 12, s. 1438-1449. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12246

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abstract = "Aim: Detailed knowledge of species distributions, endemism patterns and threats is critical to site prioritization and conservation planning. However, data from biodiversity inventories are still limited, especially for tropical forests, and even well recognized hotspots remain understudied. We provide an example of how updated knowledge on species occurrence from strategically directed biodiversity surveys can change knowledge on perceived biodiversity importance, and facilitate understanding diversity patterns and the delivery of conservation recommendations. Location: Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Kenya and Tanzania. Methods: We surveyed amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals during 2005-2009, targeting mountain blocks that had been poorly surveyed or unsurveyed by the early Noughties. We combined new and old data to produce a database of species presence by mountain block spanning four decades of research. Species richness is regressed against survey effort, funding, ecological and human disturbance factors to analyse the best predictors of vertebrate richness across mountain blocks. Similarity among species assemblages among blocks is analysed using dissimilarity analysis. Results: New surveys raised the number of endemic and regional endemic vertebrates by 24% (from 170 to 211 species), including 27 new species of which 23 are amphibians and reptiles. Vertebrate richness is best explained by forest area, but rainfall is also important, especially for amphibians and reptiles. Forest elevational range is important for mammals and for block-endemic birds. Funding explains 19% of the variation in total species richness, while survey effort generally explains < 10% of variance. Cluster analysis shows that species assemblages are partitioned by geographical proximity among mountain blocks. Main conclusions: The biological value of the EAM has been underestimated, and strategic surveys are important even in well-recognized hotspots. The exceptional and global importance of these mountains for endemic vertebrates is highlighted, supporting the development of a network of Nature Reserves and the proposed inclusion within UNESCO's natural World Heritage Sites.",

author = "Francesco Rovero and Michele Menegon and Jon Fjelds{\aa} and Leah Collett and Nike Doggart and Charles Leonard and Guy Norton and Nisha Owen and Andrew Perkin and Daniel Spitale and Antje Ahrends and Burgess, {Neil David}",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/ddi.12246",

language = "English",

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pages = "1438--1449",

journal = "Diversity and Distributions",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania

AU - Rovero, Francesco

AU - Menegon, Michele

AU - Fjeldså, Jon

AU - Collett, Leah

AU - Doggart, Nike

AU - Leonard, Charles

AU - Norton, Guy

AU - Owen, Nisha

AU - Perkin, Andrew

AU - Spitale, Daniel

AU - Ahrends, Antje

AU - Burgess, Neil David

PY - 2014/12/1

Y1 - 2014/12/1

N2 - Aim: Detailed knowledge of species distributions, endemism patterns and threats is critical to site prioritization and conservation planning. However, data from biodiversity inventories are still limited, especially for tropical forests, and even well recognized hotspots remain understudied. We provide an example of how updated knowledge on species occurrence from strategically directed biodiversity surveys can change knowledge on perceived biodiversity importance, and facilitate understanding diversity patterns and the delivery of conservation recommendations. Location: Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Kenya and Tanzania. Methods: We surveyed amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals during 2005-2009, targeting mountain blocks that had been poorly surveyed or unsurveyed by the early Noughties. We combined new and old data to produce a database of species presence by mountain block spanning four decades of research. Species richness is regressed against survey effort, funding, ecological and human disturbance factors to analyse the best predictors of vertebrate richness across mountain blocks. Similarity among species assemblages among blocks is analysed using dissimilarity analysis. Results: New surveys raised the number of endemic and regional endemic vertebrates by 24% (from 170 to 211 species), including 27 new species of which 23 are amphibians and reptiles. Vertebrate richness is best explained by forest area, but rainfall is also important, especially for amphibians and reptiles. Forest elevational range is important for mammals and for block-endemic birds. Funding explains 19% of the variation in total species richness, while survey effort generally explains < 10% of variance. Cluster analysis shows that species assemblages are partitioned by geographical proximity among mountain blocks. Main conclusions: The biological value of the EAM has been underestimated, and strategic surveys are important even in well-recognized hotspots. The exceptional and global importance of these mountains for endemic vertebrates is highlighted, supporting the development of a network of Nature Reserves and the proposed inclusion within UNESCO's natural World Heritage Sites.

AB - Aim: Detailed knowledge of species distributions, endemism patterns and threats is critical to site prioritization and conservation planning. However, data from biodiversity inventories are still limited, especially for tropical forests, and even well recognized hotspots remain understudied. We provide an example of how updated knowledge on species occurrence from strategically directed biodiversity surveys can change knowledge on perceived biodiversity importance, and facilitate understanding diversity patterns and the delivery of conservation recommendations. Location: Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Kenya and Tanzania. Methods: We surveyed amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals during 2005-2009, targeting mountain blocks that had been poorly surveyed or unsurveyed by the early Noughties. We combined new and old data to produce a database of species presence by mountain block spanning four decades of research. Species richness is regressed against survey effort, funding, ecological and human disturbance factors to analyse the best predictors of vertebrate richness across mountain blocks. Similarity among species assemblages among blocks is analysed using dissimilarity analysis. Results: New surveys raised the number of endemic and regional endemic vertebrates by 24% (from 170 to 211 species), including 27 new species of which 23 are amphibians and reptiles. Vertebrate richness is best explained by forest area, but rainfall is also important, especially for amphibians and reptiles. Forest elevational range is important for mammals and for block-endemic birds. Funding explains 19% of the variation in total species richness, while survey effort generally explains < 10% of variance. Cluster analysis shows that species assemblages are partitioned by geographical proximity among mountain blocks. Main conclusions: The biological value of the EAM has been underestimated, and strategic surveys are important even in well-recognized hotspots. The exceptional and global importance of these mountains for endemic vertebrates is highlighted, supporting the development of a network of Nature Reserves and the proposed inclusion within UNESCO's natural World Heritage Sites.

U2 - 10.1111/ddi.12246

DO - 10.1111/ddi.12246

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1366-9516

VL - 20

SP - 1438

EP - 1449

JO - Diversity and Distributions

JF - Diversity and Distributions

IS - 12

ER -

Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania

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