Mammal diversity, threats and knowledge across spatial scales

Abstract

Herein we provide a global dataset and analysis framework to address declines in mammal populations and ultimately extinction risk. By making this data freely and publically available we hope that it can bring the best science to bear on decision making globally and nationally. Protected areas are among the most powerful tools available to protect species and populations within and between countries - thus at the regional scale we examine the effectiveness of land stewardship on mammal populations.Finally we examine this same landscape in terMON of the need to broaden our ecological decision making parameters to include terrestrial, freshwater and marine components - and explore means by which ecological services transcend these biomes and why decision making need take all into consideration. We conclude that spatial scale is a fundamental issue that is often neglected in decision making and that in many cases conservation planning recommendations are either too broad or too specific in the context of the policy tools available.