A wide megafauna gap undermines China's expanding coastal ecosystem conservation.
Sci Adv
; 9(32): eadg3800, 2023 08 09.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37556546
ABSTRACT
To fulfill sustainable development goals, many countries are expanding efforts to conserve ecologically and societally critical coastal ecosystems. Although megafauna profoundly affect the functioning of ecosystems, they are neglected as a key component in the conservation scheme for coastal ecosystems in many geographic contexts. We reveal a rich diversity of extant megafauna associated with all major types of coastal ecosystems in China, including 218 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, cephalopods, and fish across terrestrial and marine environments. However, 44% of these species are globally threatened, and 78% have not yet been assessed in China for extinction risk. More worrisome, 73% of these megafauna have not been designated as nationally protected species, and <10% of their most important habitats are protected. Filling this wide "megafauna gap" in China and globally would be a leading step as humanity strives to thrive with coastal ecosystems.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ecossistema
/
Conservação dos Recursos Naturais
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article