Conservation Priorities for Aquatic Mammals and Their Terrestrial Relatives
Author Information
Author(s): Laura J. May-Collado, Ingi Agnarsson
Primary Institution: Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico
Hypothesis
Are aquatic mammals more urgent conservation priorities than their terrestrial relatives, and are high priority species receiving sufficient conservation effort?
Conclusion
Aquatic mammals are in urgent need of conservation focus, especially those confined to freshwater, as many are threatened or data deficient.
Supporting Evidence
- 74% of fully aquatic cetartiodactylans are threatened or data deficient.
- Only 3% of high priority species are stable.
- 97% of high priority species are either declining or insufficiently known.
Takeaway
This study looks at how we can prioritize conservation efforts for aquatic mammals and their land relatives, showing that many are in trouble and need help.
Methodology
A phylogenetic analysis of conservation priorities for all 620 species of Cetartiodactyla and Carnivora was conducted, comparing conservation priority rankings among methods.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in species ranking due to the choice of methodology and data limitations.
Limitations
The study may not include all species due to missing data and relies on IUCN Red List categories which may not fully capture extinction risk.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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