Unprotecting the rare species: a niche‐based gap analysis for odonates in a core Cerrado area

Current conservation efforts in the Cerrado Protected Areas, specifically Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks, fail to adequately protect rare odonate species. The study reveals a direct linear relationship between species range size and protection levels, with wider-ranging species being more likely to be protected than restricted or threatened ones. Using niche-based species distribution models (SDMs), researchers identified critical gaps in the existing conservation network, highlighting three areas of high odonate beta diversity where urgent conservation action is needed. The analysis also demonstrated that raw odonate data without SDM modeling provides limited utility for setting conservation priorities.

Nóbrega, C. C., & De Marco, P. (2011). Unprotecting the rare species: a niche‐based gap analysis for odonates in a core Cerrado area. Diversity and Distributions, 17(3), 491–505. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00749.x