Regional analysis of geographic priorities for biodiversity conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The approach used to determine conservation priorities included three levels of analysis: biological importance; conservation threat and opportunity; and human utility (a fourth level -- policy and institutional feasibility -- had to be omitted due to insufficient data). These analyses were applied to biologically and ecologically distinct geographic units, called Regional Habitat Units (RHUs), representing the major habitat types found in Latin America and the Caribbean -- tropical moist lowland forests, tropical montane forests, tropical dry forests, xeric or desert systems, lowland and montane grasslands, and temperate forests. Seven RHUs (one of major habitat type) were identified as the highest priority for biodiversity conservation, and another seven were recommended as high priority. Because of the emphasis on representing different habitat types, and the use of multiple criteria to assess biological value and conservation status, the list of priority RHUs includes a number of areas that have not received significant conservation attention in the past. For example, temperate forest (pine-oak forests in Mexico and southern temperate forests in Chile), xeric (Caatinga in Brazil, deserts and other xeric formations in Mexico) and dry forest (the Chaco in Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, the Cerrado of Brazil) ecosystems were identified as having high priority for biodiversity conservation efforts at the regional level. Appendices include sample data forms, a list of workshop participants, and a brief bibliography.