Effects of errors and gaps in spatial data sets on assessment of conservation progress.

摘要: Data on the location and extent of protected areas, ecosystems, species' distributions are essential for determining gaps in biodiversity protection identifying future conservation priorities. However, these data sets always come with errors maps associated metadata. Errors often overlooked studies, despite their potential negative effects reported species ecosystems. We used 3 case studies to illustrate implications sources reporting progress toward objectives: areas unknown boundaries that replaced by buffered centroids, propagation multiple spatial data, incomplete protected-area sets. As 2010, frequency World Database Protected Areas (WDPA) caused estimated 37.1% terrestrial Neotropical mammals be overestimated an average 402.8% 62.6% underestimated 10.9%. Estimated level world's coral reefs was 25% higher when using recent finer-resolution as opposed globally available coarse-resolution data. Accounting additional not yet incorporated into WDPA contributed up 6.7% marine ecosystems Philippines. suggest ways providers reduce ancillary users mitigate assessments.