Complementarity and the use of indicator groups for reserve selection in Uganda

摘要: A major obstacle to conserving tropical biodiversity is the lack of information as where efforts should be concentrated. One potential solution focus on readily assessed indicator groups, whose distribution predicts overall importance candidate areas1,2. Here we test this idea, using most extensive data set patterns diversity assembled so far for any part tropics. As in studies temperate regions2,3,4,5,6,7,8, found little spatial congruence species richness woody plants, large moths, butterflies, birds and small mammals across 50 Ugandan forests. Despite congruence, sets priority forests selected single taxa only often captured other groups with same efficiency all at once. This because efficient conservation networks incorporate not species-rich sites, but also those biotas best complement areas9,10,11. In Uganda, different exhibit similar biogeography, one taxon collectively represent important forest types well. Our results highlight need, when evaluating indicators reserve selection, consider cross-taxon complementarity well richness.