TY - JOUR

T1 - Range-wide priority setting for the conservation and restoration of Asian rosewood species accounting for multiple threats and ecogeographic diversity

AU - Gaisberger, Hannes

AU - Fremout, Tobias

AU - So, Thea

AU - Thammavong, Bansa

AU - Bounithiphonh, Chaloun

AU - Hoa, Tran Thi

AU - Yongqi, Zheng

AU - Kanchanarak, Tania

AU - Changtragoon, Suchitra

AU - Sreng, Sineath

AU - Ping, Huang

AU - Hung, Tin Hang

AU - Win, Pyae Pyae

AU - Hartvig, Ida

AU - Theilade, Ida

AU - Boshier, David

AU - MacKay, John

AU - Kettle, Chris

AU - Jalonen, Riina

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to the following experts for sharing occurrence data of the studied species: Alison KS Wee, Chhang Phourin, Ferry Slik, Fran Lambrick, Greuk Pakkad, Hugo Volkaert, Josep Serra-Diaz, Jens Svenning, Lutz Lehmann, Mu Mu Aung, Nguyen Hoang Nghia, Simon Laegaard, Stephen Elliott, Voradol Chumchamroom, Wichan Eiadthong (deceased). This work was supported by the UK Darwin Initiative [grant number 25-023], the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) [grant number GenR 2017-5), and the CGIAR Trust Fund Contributors ( https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ ) through the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry. Additional funding was provided through EuropeAid [grant number CSO-LA/2019/161819-3/7], the Franklinia Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation [grant number CF19-0234], and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 31761143002]. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Understanding the impact of multiple anthropogenic threats on tree species is urgently needed for estimating population decline and enabling coordinated and efficient conservation actions. We applied a spatially explicit framework to assess the vulnerability of three highly valuable Asian rosewood species (Dalbergia cochinchinensis, D. cultrata, D. oliveri) to five key threats across their native ranges in six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. All three species face significant threat levels from at least one of the five threats in more than 75% of their native ranges, including within existing protected areas. Overexploitation is the single most important threat (53–60%), followed by habitat conversion (17–41%) and fire (20–28%). About 21% of the distribution range of D. cultrata is under medium to very high threat from climate change, which is predicted to have less impact on D. oliveri and on D. cochinchinensis. Based on our threat assessment we delineated species-specific priority areas for conservation and restoration that we subdivided by ecoregions as a surrogate for adaptive variation within species. Half of the ecoregions were classified as priority for improving the conservation of adaptive variation in one or more of the species. We propose spatially explicit follow-up actions that include in situ conservation, restoration, and ex situ conservation to improve the effectiveness of current conservation measures to capture adaptive variation within species. Transboundary coordination will be important to effectively address conservation threats. The study can act as a model for regional planning for other valuable tree species.

AB - Understanding the impact of multiple anthropogenic threats on tree species is urgently needed for estimating population decline and enabling coordinated and efficient conservation actions. We applied a spatially explicit framework to assess the vulnerability of three highly valuable Asian rosewood species (Dalbergia cochinchinensis, D. cultrata, D. oliveri) to five key threats across their native ranges in six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. All three species face significant threat levels from at least one of the five threats in more than 75% of their native ranges, including within existing protected areas. Overexploitation is the single most important threat (53–60%), followed by habitat conversion (17–41%) and fire (20–28%). About 21% of the distribution range of D. cultrata is under medium to very high threat from climate change, which is predicted to have less impact on D. oliveri and on D. cochinchinensis. Based on our threat assessment we delineated species-specific priority areas for conservation and restoration that we subdivided by ecoregions as a surrogate for adaptive variation within species. Half of the ecoregions were classified as priority for improving the conservation of adaptive variation in one or more of the species. We propose spatially explicit follow-up actions that include in situ conservation, restoration, and ex situ conservation to improve the effectiveness of current conservation measures to capture adaptive variation within species. Transboundary coordination will be important to effectively address conservation threats. The study can act as a model for regional planning for other valuable tree species.

KW - Climate change

KW - Conservation planning

KW - Dalbergia ssp.

KW - Distribution and vulnerability mapping

KW - Ecogeographic diversity

KW - Threat assessment

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109560

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109560

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85129104388

VL - 270

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

SN - 0006-3207

M1 - 109560

ER -