Identifying Mozambique's most critical areas for plant conservation: An evaluation of protected areas and Important Plant Areas.

Richards, Sophie L.; Farooq, Harith; Matimele, Hermenegildo; Alves, Tereza; Datizua, Castigo; Langa, Clayton; Massingue, Alice; Osborne, Jo; Rokni, Saba; de Sousa, Camila; Darbyshire, Iain

Identifying Mozambique's most critical areas for plant conservation: An evaluation of protected areas and Important Plant Areas.

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Creator (person)

Richards, Sophie L.

ORCID

Farooq, Harith

ORCID

Matimele, Hermenegildo

ORCID

Alves, Tereza

Datizua, Castigo

ORCID

Langa, Clayton

Massingue, Alice

ORCID

Osborne, Jo

ORCID

Rokni, Saba

de Sousa, Camila

Darbyshire, Iain

ORCID

Date published

September 21, 2023

Abstract

Successful protected area networks must represent biodiversity across taxonomic groups. However, too often plant species are overlooked in conservation planning, and the resulting protected areas may, as a result, fail to encompass the most important sites for plant diversity. The Mozambique Tropical Important Plant Areas project sought to promote the conservation of Mozambique's flora through the identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs). Here, we use the Weighted Endemism including Global Endangerment (WEGE) index to identify the richest areas for rare and endemic plants in Mozambique and subsequently evaluate how well represented these hotspots are within the current protected area and IPA networks. We also examine the congruence between IPA and protected areas to identify opportunities for strengthening the conservation of plants in Mozambique. We found that high WEGE scores, representing areas rich in endemic/near‐endemic and threatened species, predict the presence of IPAs in Mozambique, but do not predict the presence of protected areas. We also find that there is limited overlap between IPAs and protected areas in Mozambique. We demonstrate how IPAs could be an important tool for ensuring priority sites for plant diversity are included within protected area network expansions, particularly following the adoption of the “30 by 30” target agreed within the post‐2020 Convention on Biological Diversity framework, with great potential for this method to be replicated elsewhere in the global tropics. As redes de áreas protegidas bem‐sucedidas devem representar a biodiversidade de diversos grupos taxonómicos. No entanto, frequentemente as espécies de plantas são negligenciadas no planeamento da conservação, e como resultado, as áreas protegidas podem não abranger os locais mais importantes para a diversidade de plantas. O projeto “Áreas Importantes de Plantas Tropicais de Moçambique” procurou promover a conservação da flora de Moçambique através da identificação de Áreas Importantes de Plantas (IPAs). Aqui usamos o índice de Endemismo Ponderado incluindo Ameaça Global (WEGE) para identificar as áreas mais ricas em plantas raras e endémicas em Moçambique e, subsequentemente, avaliar o quão bem representados estes hotspots estão dentro da actual rede de áreas protegidas e IPAs. Também examinamos a congruência entre IPAs e áreas protegidas para identificar oportunidades de fortalecer a conservação de plantas em Moçambique. Descobrimos que valores altos de WEGE, representando áreas ricas em espécies endémicas/quase‐endémicas e ameaçadas, preveem a presença de IPAs em Moçambique, mas não preveem a presença de áreas protegidas. Também descobrimos que há uma limitada sobreposição entre IPAs e áreas protegidas em Moçambique. Demonstramos como as IPAs poderiam ser uma ferramenta importante para garantir que os locais prioritários para a diversidade de plantas estejam incluídos na expansão da rede de áreas protegidas, particularmente após a adopção das Metas do Quadro Global “30 por 30” da Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica, com grande potencial para que este método seja replicado em outras áreas dos trópicos globais.

Funder

Funder name	Awards
Oppenheimer Generations Foundation
Stephen and Margaret Lansdown
Bentham-Moxon Trust, United Kingdom	Pilot funding
Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Denmark	Project BID-AF-2017-0047-NAC (2017–2019): “Mobilizing primary biodiversity data for Mozambican species of conservation concern” enabled the compilation of data on endemic and near-endemic plants species held at the Maputo herbaria.
Darwin Initiative, United Kingdom	Award 15/036 “Monitoring and Managing Biodiversity Loss in South-East Africa's Montane Ecosystems” completed in 2009 and Award 2380: “Balancing Conservation and Livelihoods in the Chimanimani Forest Belt, Mozambique”. - Award 15/036 “Monitoring and Managing Biodiversity Loss in South-East Africa's Montane Ecosystems” completed in 2009 and Award 2380: “Balancing Conservation and Livelihoods in the Chimanimani Forest Belt, Mozambique”.
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, United States	Grant 63,512 “In from the cold: providing the knowledge base for comprehensive biodiversity conservation in the Chimanimani Mountains, Mozambique; botanical survey component”.
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Monoco / Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Greece / Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, France	Pro-Natura International-led project on “Coastal Forests of Mozambique”