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Research Article

Mismatch of research effort and threat in avian conservation biology [ 353-362 ]

Daniel Brito and Monik Oprea

Abstract
Avian declines and extinctions are a worldwide concern. Conservation priorities for birds should target threatened taxa (taxonomic targets) and regions with high levels of species richness and endemism (geographical targets). Does published research on bird conservation reflect the global taxonomic and geographic priorities? We surveyed six years (2000-2005) of six international conservation journals, and analyzed all articles on birds. Attention indexes were calculated for orders, threatened species, and biogeographic realms. We also examined how well research from tropical nations (with high levels of richness and endemism) are represented in the international literature. Results show that Struthioniformes is the order that has the highest attention (0.54), mostly because this order has relatively few species, and the lowest attention was recorded for Coliiformes (0.00). For some orders (Anseriformes, Apodiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Coraciiformes, Cuculiformes, Gaviiformes, Pelecaniformes, Phoenicopteriformes, Podicipediformes, Struthioniformes, Tinamiformes and Trogoniformes), most of the published research focuses on non-threatened species. The Nearctic and Palearctic are the biogeographic realms that receive most attention by avian conservationists. However, the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan are the regions with higher species diversity. Eighty-four countries contributed articles, but the majority of bird conservation research is conducted by North American and western European researchers. There is urgent need for capacity building in tropical developing nations. Birds are seriously threatened and are rapidly declining worldwide. However, bird conservation is still misplacing its focus in lower biodiversity regions and for some orders focusing in non-threatened species. If such trends are not changed, the consequences for the persistence of birds worldwide may be dire.

Extinções de declínios populacionais em aves são uma preocupação mundial. Prioridades de conservação para aves devem focar em taxa ameaçados (prioridades taxonômicas) e regiões com altos níveis de riqueza e endemismo (prioridades geográficas). Será que as pesquisas publicadas sobre conservação de aves refletem tais prioridades? Nós analisamos todos os artigos sobre conservação de aves em seis periódicos internacionais de conservação entre 2000 e 2005. Índices de atenção foram calculados para ordens, espécies ameaçadas e regiões biogeográficas. Nós também representatividade de nações tropicais (com altos níveis de riqueza e endemismo) no cenário internacional de pesquisa em conservação de aves. Os resultados mostram que Struthioniformes é a ordem com o maior índice de atenção (0.54), principalmente por possuir poucas espécies, e o menor índice de atenção foi regitrado para a ordem Coliiformes (0.00). Para algumas ordens (Anseriformes, Apodiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Coraciiformes, Cuculiformes, Gaviiformes, Pelecaniformes, Phoenicopteriformes, Podicipediformes, Struthioniformes, Tinamiformes and Trogoniformes), a maior parte dos trabalhos publicados foca em espécies não-ameaçadas. As regiões biogeográficas que recebem mais atenção são a Neártica e a Paleártica. Entretanto, as regiões com maior diversidade de aves são a Neotropical, a Afrotropical e a Indo-malaia. Autores de oitenta e quarto países publicaram artigos sobre o tema, mas a maioria das pesquisas é realizada por pesquisadores norte-americanos e europeus. Existe uma necessidade urgente de capacitação em países tropicais em desenvolvimento. As aves estão sériamente ameaçadas e rapidamente declinando em escala global. Entretanto pesquisas em conservação de aves ainda estão erroneamente colocando seu foco em regiões de baixa diversidade e no caso de algumas ordens, em especies não-ameaçadas. Se tais tendências não mudarem, as consequências para a persistência de aves podem ser catastróficas


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General interest summaries (when available)
    English: Despite extremely high species diversity and endemism of existing tropical forests, 16 million ha are lost annually, an unprecedented process in evolutionary history. According to BirdLife International (BLI,2000) globally, one in eight bird species may become extinct over the next 100 years, with 99% of the extinctions resulting from human activities such as deforestation and hunting. The study by Brito and Oprea, based on a review of the available scientific literature (2000-20006), considers avian declines and extinctions as a worldwide concern and argues that the Nearctic and Palearctic are the biogeographic realms that receive most attention by avian conservationists, while the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan are the regions with higher avian species diversity. They further point out that the majority of bird conservation research is conducted by North American and western European researchers and that there is urgent need for capacity building in tropical developing nations. The authors warn that avian conservation science is misplacing its focus in lower-biodiversity regions in general and in non-threatened species for some orders, and that if such trends are not changed the persistence of several bird species worldwide may be seriously compromised.

    Español: Desacuerdo entre el esfuerzo de investigación y las amenazas para la conservación de las aves. La extinción de muchas especies de aves y el continuado decremento en el tamaño de las poblaciones de otras es una preocupación a nivel mundial. Las prioridades de conservación para las aves deben ser enfocadas hacia taxones amenazados y en regiones con altos niveles de riqueza de especies y endemismos. Sin embargo, una reconocimiento de la literatura para el periodo 2000-2005 revela que ña mayoría de los reportes se enfocan sobre taxones no amenazados y especialmente en las regiones Neártica y Paleoártica. Sin embargo, las regiones Neotropical, Afrotropical y Indomalaya, regiones con una alta diversidad de especies y endemismos, reciben poca atención. Asimismo, el reconocimiento indica que la mayoría de la investigación conservacionista es llevada a cabo por investigadores Norte Americanos y de Europa occidental. Esto último sugiere una necesidad urgente de dirigir esfuerzos a la capacitación en países tropicales. A pesar de que las aves están seriamente amenazadas por la actividad humana y sus poblaciones continúan decreciendo a nivel mundial, el estudio de la conservación de estas continua enfocada a regiones de baja biodiversidad y en muchos casos sobre grupos de especies no amenazadas.
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   Tropical Conservation Science is an open-access e-journal that publishes research relating to conservation of tropical forests and other tropical ecosystems.

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