CRB: Target Taxon Analysis: A Biogeographical, Systematics Approach to Conservation Inventories

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9225059 Kremen Target taxon analysis: a biogeographical, systematics approach to conservation inventories. Little distributional data on plants and animals is available to guide conservation decision-making to maximize the protection of biological diversity. That which does exist rarely represents the most diverse component of biodiversity, the insects. Insects make up 95% of animal life, and are the mainstay of ecosystems, participating in myriad essential ecological interactions. More information on insect distributions is needed so that conservation strategies can both protect the bulk biodiversity and ensure the long-term viability of ecosystems. However, many insect species are undescribed, a factor which limits including them in inventory programs for conservation evaluation. To obtain better data for conservation planning, a method (target taxon analysis) has therefore been proposed for choosing and utilizing informative insect indicator groups in conservation inventories. %%% The present proposal requests funds to support further testing and refining if the method. The work will be carried out in Madagascar, whose endangered rain forests constitute an international conservation priority. The project will use an established butterfly target taxon (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae: Henetosia) to: (1) continue testing the method by comparing Henotesia distributions with those of both insect and vertebrate groups, (2) assess the effectiveness of target taxon analysis at different spatial scales, and (3) extend target taxon analysis from a method for rigorously selecting and evaluating indicators, to one which can also be used for designing optimal reserve networks. iences 4 Division of Environmental Biology 4 l : Washington, DC 20550 y x d d d y 4 M ~ J M X D 4 X J 0 Systematic and Population Biology ` (#d phone: (202) 357 9588 ` (#f fax: (202) 357 1191 `$ (#\ e mail: rhoneycu@note.nsf.gov X & ( m r ( ! ! ! F ( ( ( Times New Roman Symbol & Arial 5 " h v ev e - Gayle Edmonds Gayle Edmonds