© The Author(s) 2016 287
R. Pellens, P. Grandcolas (eds.), Biodiversity Conservation and Phylogenetic
Systematics, Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation 14,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-22461-9_14
Priorities for Conservation of the Evolutionary
History of Amphibians in the Cerrado
Débora Leite Silvano , Paula Hanna Valdujo , and Guarino Rinaldi Colli
Abstract Population declines and species extinction can be abated through the
establishment of effective conservation policies. Actions and policies towards bio-
diversity conservation must be well planned and priorities must be set. Besides the
widely recognized principles of systematic conservation planning, it is also impor-
tant to consider species attributes, such as their evolutionary distinctiveness (ED)
and distribution pattern. In this study we did a gap analysis to evaluate protection
status of anuran species endemic to the Brazilian Cerrado. We then selected priority
areas for conservation in this biome based on a systematic conservation planning
framework, also including species attributes as prioritization criteria. We found 65
gap species, for which less than 20 % of their conservation targets are met by the
current network of protected areas, and 39 of them are not protected at all. Priority
areas are located in the central portion of the Cerrado, and include river valleys and
mountaintops. Mountains in southeastern and central Cerrado are especially rich in
endemic and range-restricted species, resulting in higher priority values for these
areas. Priority areas selected here are also the richest regions and have greater Total
Evolutionary Distinctiveness than the rest of the biome, demonstrating their high
potential for conserving evolutionary history of anuran lineages in the Cerrado.
Despite their great importance for biodiversity, areas that have higher richness of
endemic species are also those that suffered from more severe loss of habitat, which
reinforces the urgency for effective actions towards species conservation.
D. L. Silvano (*)
Laboratório de Zoologia – Universidade Católica de Brasília ,
Campus I – QS 07 Lote 01 EPCT, Águas Claras – CEP , 71966-700 Brasília , DF , Brazil
e-mail: [email protected]
P. H. Valdujo
Laboratório de Ecologia da Paisagem WWF-Brasil ,
SHIS EQ QL 6/8 , 71620-430 Brasília , DF , Brazil
e-mail: [email protected]
G. R. Colli
Departamento de Zoologia , Universidade de Brasília ,
Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro , 70910-900 Brasília , DF , Brazil
e-mail: [email protected]