Data from: Optimizing restoration outcomes in the Brazilian Cerrado: A spatial planning framework integrating endemic lizard biodiversity, connectivity, and costs

Given the extensive loss and fragmentation of natural areas in the Brazilian Cerrado, ecological restoration of degraded lands is essential to halt biodiversity decline in this globally significant hotspot. Ambitious restoration targets, limited financial resources, and data-deficient scenarios demand strategies that address these challenges while ensuring cost-effectiveness. We developed an innovative spatial prioritization framework using the prioritizr package in R to identify priority areas for restoration in the Cerrado, integrating endemic lizard biodiversity, functional connectivity, and restoration costs. For species with few occurrence records, we built Species Distribution Models (SDMs) based on phylogenetic inference, applying the novel ENphylo method recently proposed in the literature, while conventional SDMs were used for species with sufficient records. By combining total species richness and the richness of threatened species as proxies for biodiversity value, we accounted for both conservation urgency and representativeness. Functional connectivity was assessed by quantifying the contribution of each restorable area to landscape connectivity, whereas restoration cost was estimated using natural regeneration potential as a proxy. The optimization produced an efficient and replicable solution that identified four focal regions for restoration—central, southeastern, western, and northern Cerrado—balancing ecological value with implementation feasibility. These results highlight the need for strategic restoration in regions under heavy agricultural pressure and habitat fragmentation. Our approach advances restoration planning in data-deficient contexts by integrating cutting-edge biodiversity modeling and optimization tools, offering a robust framework to inform national and global restoration policies and biodiversity planning efforts across tropical ecosystems facing similar conservation and socio-economic challenges.