Geographic evaluation of conservation status of African forest squirrels (Sciuridae) considering land use change and climate change: the importance of point data
Known occurrences based on natural history museum voucher specimens for three genera of African forest squirrels were used to develop a detailed, fine-scale distributional under- standing of each species. Considerations of species’ autecology, effects of land use change, and effects of global climate change were all included in our analyses, and negative effects of land use and climate change on species’ distributional areas were roughly equivalent across the species surveyed. We describe geographic patterns of distribution and endemism, and identify areas of potential occurrence of unknown species. Comparing with coarse grid-based approaches currently in vogue in African biodiversity conservation efforts, we suggest that the point-based method offers significant advantages in fine resolution and avoiding loss of information, and yet are feasibly implemented for many vertebrate groups.