Expanding Protected Areas to Safeguard Kenya's Herpetofauna Under Climate Change.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss, particularly for ectothermic species such as reptiles and amphibians (hereafter herpetofauna), which are highly sensitive to environmental changes. While extensive research has evaluated the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in conserving biodiversity under climate change in developed and rapidly developing countries, similar studies in Africa remain scarce despite the continent's exceptional biodiversity. This study focuses on Kenya, home to over 110 amphibians and 290 reptile species, as a model to address this conservation gap in the face of climate change. We used species distribution models (SDMs) to predict herpetofauna distribution for the year 2050 under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5

SUBMITTER: Kimani RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12720015 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature