Global evaluation of current and future threats to drylands and their vertebrate biodiversity.

ABSTRACT: Drylands are often overlooked in broad conservation frameworks and development priorities and face increasing threats from human activities. Here we evaluated the formal degree of protection of global drylands, their land vertebrate biodiversity and current threats, and projected human-induced land-use changes to drylands under different future climate change and socioeconomic scenarios. Overall, drylands have lower protected-area coverage (12%) compared to non-drylands (21%). Consequently, most dryland vertebrates including many endemic and narrow-ranging species are inadequately protected (0-2% range coverage). Dryland vertebrates are threatened by varied anthropogenic factors-including agricultural and infrastructure development (that is, artificial structures, surfaces, roads and indus

SUBMITTER: Lewin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11310083 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature