Logo image
Back
Sparse genetic data limit biodiversity assessments in protected areas globally
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Sparse genetic data limit biodiversity assessments in protected areas globally

Ivan Paz-Vinas, Amy G. Vandergast, Chloe Schmidt, Deborah M. Leigh, Simon Blanchet, Rene D. Clark, Eric D. Crandall, Hanne De Kort, Jeff Falgout, Colin J. Garroway, …
Frontiers in ecology and the environment, v 23(8), e2867
Oct 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2867
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2867View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology Ecology
Global conservation targets include protecting genetic diversity within species. Yet few studies have assessed whether protected areas (PAs) include genetically diverse populations across species globally. A first step is understanding the availability of population genetic data that could be used in these assessments. We surveyed georeferenced population-level nuclear (as opposed to mitochondrial or plastid-based) genetic data across continents and marine biomes (36,354 populations, 2809 species) and found substantial geographic and taxonomic gaps. Most data were concentrated in Europe and North America, with major gaps in Africa and Asia. For most taxonomic groups, data were available for <1% of described species. Globally, 52.08% of the total areal extent of PAs lacked genetically sampled populations. These gaps in data availability highlight the need for targeted genetic data collection, harmonization, and sharing to improve genetic diversity monitoring and conservation planning. Combined with proxy-based genetic indicators, such data are needed to inform PA assessments, bolster area-based conservation initiatives like 30 x 30, and support achievement of global genetic conservation targets.

Metrics

1 Record Views
8 citations in Web of Science

Details

Logo image