Choosing the survivors? A GIS-based triage support tool for micro-endemics: Application to data for Mexican amphibians

Given the current speed of land use change, we cannot expect to save all species from extinction, and so must decide how to focus limited resources to prevent the greatest number of extinctions. This paper proposes a simple conservation triage method that: evaluates the threat status for 145 micro-endemic Mexican amphibian species; assesses current potential threat abatement responses derived from existing policy instruments and social initiatives; and combines both indicators to provide broad-scale conservation strategies that would best suit amphibian micro-endemic buffered areas (AMBAs) in Mexico. To prioritize the AMBAs we used existing and newly compiled spatial databases of territorial conservation instruments, threats, and amphibian range distributions for Mexico. We identify 50% of Mexican micro-endemic amphibians as requiring urgent actions. Based on the location of the AMBAs and using existing conservation instruments, we develop a conservation strategy for the majority of these species. However, almost 25% urgently need field-base verification to confirm their persistence due to the small percentage of remnant natural vegetation within the AMBAs, before we may sensibly recommend such a strategy.