Data from: Assessing the umbrella value of a range-wide conservation network for jaguars (Panthera onca)

Umbrella species are employed as conservation short-cuts for the design of reserves or reserve networks. However, empirical data on the effectiveness of umbrellas is equivocal, which has prevented more widespread application of this conservation strategy. We perform a novel large-scale evaluation of umbrella species by assessing the potential umbrella value of a jaguar (Panthera onca) conservation network (consisting of viable populations and corridors) that extends from Mexico to Argentina. Using species richness, habitat quality, and fragmentation indices of ~ 1500 co-occurring mammal species, we show that jaguar populations and corridors overlap a substantial amount and percentage of high-quality habitat for co-occurring mammals, and that the jaguar network performs better than random networks in protecting high-quality, interior habitat. Significantly, the effectiveness of the jaguar network as an umbrella would not have been noticeable had we focused on species richness as our sole metric of umbrella utility. Substantial inter-order variability existed, indicating the need for complementary conservation strategies for certain groups of mammals. We offer several reasons for the positive result we document, including the large spatial scale of our analysis and our focus on multiple metrics of umbrella effectiveness. Taken together, our results demonstrate that a regional, single-species conservation strategy can serve as an effective umbrella for the larger community, and should help conserve viable populations and connectivity for a suite of co-occurring mammals. Current and future range-wide planning exercises for other large predators may therefore have important umbrella benefits.

伞护种（umbrella species）常被用作保护区或保护区网络设计的便捷保护手段。然而，有关伞护种有效性的实证研究结果尚无定论，这一现状阻碍了该保护策略的更广泛应用。本研究开展了一项新颖的大规模评估，针对一条从墨西哥延伸至阿根廷的美洲豹（Panthera onca）保护网络（由可存活种群与生态廊道构成）的潜在伞护价值进行了量化分析。研究基于约1500种同域共存哺乳动物的物种丰富度、生境质量及生境破碎化指数展开分析，结果显示：美洲豹种群与生态廊道覆盖了同域共存哺乳动物大量且占比可观的高质量生境，且该美洲豹保护网络在保护高质量核心生境方面的表现优于随机构建的对照网络。尤为关键的是，若仅以物种丰富度作为衡量伞护效用的唯一指标，该美洲豹保护网络的伞护有效性本不会被察觉。研究发现哺乳纲不同目类群间存在显著的目间变异，这表明针对特定哺乳动物类群需采用互补性保护策略。针对本研究得到的正向结果，我们提出了多项解释依据，包括分析采用的大空间尺度，以及聚焦伞护有效性的多指标评估。综合来看，本研究结果证实：一项区域性的单物种保护策略可作为更大尺度群落的有效伞护手段，且能够助力保护一系列同域共存哺乳动物的可存活种群与生态连通性。因此，当前及未来针对其他大型食肉动物的全域分布区规划工作，有望带来重要的伞护效益。