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Conservation challenges regarding species status assessments in biogeographically complex regions: examples from overexploited reptiles of Indonesia K YLE J. SHANEY,ELIJAH W OSTL,AMIR H AMIDY,NIA K URNIAWAN M ICHAEL B. HARVEY and E RIC N. SMITH Abstract IUCN Red List assessments are important for conservation initiatives across heterogeneous mountain conservation and management initiatives. However, status and island landscapes. assessments are often challenging because of poor sampling Keywords Biogeography, conservation, cryptic, diversity, between biogeographical regions. Researchers sometimes species distribution modelling, threatened, trade, wildlife assess poorly known species, which can have unforeseen ra- mifications, including the trade of rare and cryptic species The supplementary material for this article can be found at under common species names. Here, we address this issue http://dx.doi.org/./S in relation to economically important reptile species in Indonesia. We reviewed examples of single species categor- ized as Least Concern for which the assessments probably Introduction encompassed multiple closely related species. We also ex- amined Red List assessments that utilized species distribu- he ability of wildlife officials to appropriately manage a tion modelling techniques, and identified biogeography as Tgiven species or population depends on the quality of a major barrier to using such methods. To test how biogeo- data available. Wildlife officials require accurate informa- graphy may affect status assessments we used our own tion to set harvest quotas, establish protected areas and pro- model lizard system from Indonesia, taking an integrative pose management regulations (Margules & Pressey, ), phylogeographical approach to quantify status assessments and many rely on the IUCN Red List (IUCN, ) for this under contrasting scenarios. We show that failure to ac- information. However, many species have yet to be assessed count for biogeographical breaks leads to significant varia- or have been categorized as Data Deficient until more infor- tion in Red List status. Our model system fluctuates from mation becomes available. Broad geographical sampling is Least Concern to Endangered, depending upon whether needed to determine a species’ conservation status accu- biogeographical boundaries are considered in taxonomic rately, particularly for potentially cryptic species (unde- evaluations. We identify Sauria (lizards) and Serpentes scribed, similar species). This is especially important when (snakes) as major lineages requiring taxonomic and conser- assessing the status of species inhabiting large geographical vation attention in Indonesia. We also make the following ranges and multiple habitat types. Without systematic ana- ’ recommendations: ( ) Indonesia s trade quotas should lysis, cryptic species are harvested and traded under the further subdivide management zones to account for gaps name of closely related common species, which could lead in taxonomic evaluations; ( ) genetic sampling should be to the extinction of undescribed species. Brown et al. considered a high priority during wildlife exportation pro- () described an example of population declines in cryp- cesses from poorly studied geographical areas; and ( ) con- tic giraffe lineages hidden under a common species name tinuation of thorough biological inventory is critical for with a lower risk status. Lohman et al. () described a si- milar scenario for cryptic, island bird lineages in the Philippines, and other examples are provided in Bernardo (). Despite this major conservation concern, status as- KYLE J. SHANEY (Corresponding author), ELIJAH WOSTL and ERIC N. SMITH The sessments are sometimes made in geologically complex re- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center and Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, gions where little is known about the extent of biological Arlington, Texas 76010, USA. E-mail [email protected] diversity. AMIR HAMIDY Laboratory of Herpetology, Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Loss of cryptic species may be acute in countries such as Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Bogor, West Indonesia, where an absence of data across many islands or Java, Indonesia mountains makes accurate Red List assessment difficult to NIA KURNIAWAN Department of Biology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java, Indonesia accomplish. The Pacific Ring of Fire includes much of Indonesia and the unique geology has facilitated the evolu- MICHAEL B. HARVEY Department of Biological Sciences, Broward College, Davie, Florida, USA tion of widespread species diversity. Indonesia also encom- Received November . Revision requested February . passes many major biogeographical breaks, including Accepted March . First published online July . Huxley’s Line, Lydekker’sLine,Wallace’s Line and Weber’s Oryx, 2017, 51(4), 627–638 © 2016 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605316000351 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.22, on 29 Sep 2021 at 19:56:57, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605316000351 628 K. J. Shaney et al. Line. In turn, taxonomic relationships are difficult to resolve Methods across the region. Further complicating the issue, anthropo- genic pressures are causing a rapid decline in diversity. We gathered information on the status of all currently recog- Agricultural practices across the Greater Sunda Islands nized reptiles in Java and Sumatra, to assess the conservation (Borneo, Java and Sumatra) have resulted in one of the knowledge of major reptilian lineages. We focus specifically world’s highest rates of deforestation (Sodhi et al., ), on Javan and Sumatran reptiles because our own herpetofau- with forests being converted into oil palm, rubber, tea and nal surveys conducted over the last years focused on these coffee plantations (Myers et al., ; Miettinen et al., islands. To generate a comprehensive list of all species of ). These practices, in combination with a lack of wildlife reptiles known to occur on Java and Sumatra we searched management resources and personnel, have led to unregu- primary literature and web-based databases (Das, ;The lated overharvesting of resources. The islands of Java and Reptile Database, ). For each species we obtained its Sumatra are of particular concern, and it is estimated that conservation status from the IUCN Red List (IUCN, ). only % of the original forest remains on Java, and %on Species not on the Red List were categorized as Not Sumatra (Brooks et al., ; Achard et al., ;Margono Evaluated. Using these sources we produced a summary of et al., ). the Red List status of Javan and Sumatran reptiles, by major The Greater Sunda Region (or Sundaland) encom- taxonomic group (crocodiles, lizards, snakes and turtles). passes much of West Indonesia and is considered to be a biodiversity hotspot (CEPF, ). The islands of the re- Species of Least Concern, and major biogeographical gion are home to a variety of endemic and threatened spe- boundaries cies (Shepherd et al., ) but many vertebrate groups remain poorly studied, particularly reptiles. Few herpeto- The issue of species complexes is clearly defined in the faunal surveys have been conducted throughout the IUCN guidelines for status assessment (IUCN, ). Greater Sunda Region in recent times and the extent of IUCN is not a taxonomic authority, and those who conduct reptilian diversity in Java and Sumatra is unknown Red List assessments conduct the best assessments possible (Iskandar & Erdelen, ), with significant gaps in taxo- with the information available. However, the challenges of nomic assessments. Compounding this issue, reptiles have complex biogeography and lack of funding for biological in- been exploited for skin, meat and the pet trade throughout ventory can lead to significant problems when conducting Indonesia (Shepherd, ; Natusch & Lyons, ; Red List assessments. Nijman et al., ). Given the demand for reptiles, quotas We searched for examples of species complexes previously and other management decisions based on species status assessed for the IUCN Red List that span major biogeographi- are critical. Indonesia is considered to be an epicentre cal boundaries, widening our focus to include all reptile for illegal wildlife trade, and reptiles are traded in higher species that inhabit Indonesia (beyond the status assessments volume than any other taxonomic group throughout the discussedabove).WefocusedonspeciescategorizedasLeast Greater Sunda Region (Natusch & Lyons, ). The rep- Concern because their Red List assessments are commonly tile extinction risk across the Indo-Malayan region has based on a large distribution and the ability to occupy multiple been described as one of the highest in the world (Böhm habitat types. These characteristics suggest that multiple et al., ). Although CITES has implemented export species may be assessed as a single Least Concern species. quotas for multiple reptile species in Indonesia, species We further narrowed the list to species that are commonly are continually misidentified and quotas are often applied exploited in trade, because cryptic species are likely to be across vast regions, sometimes neglecting to account more affected in such scenarios. The final list identified multi- for geographical isolation and potentially unrecognized ple commercially traded species that are categorized as Least lineages.

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