Current Conservation Research Articles

Phylogenetic analysis of the critically endangered Karpathos water frog (Anura, Amphibia): conservation insights from complete mitochondrial genome sequencing

Abstract The Karpathos water frog (Pelophylax cerigensis) is classified as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List and its distribution is restricted on the island of Karpathos, South Aegean Sea. Utilizing a next generation sequencing approach, we obtained whole mitochondrial genomes of P. cerigensis to determine the species phylogenetic position within the genus Pelophylax and to clarify the phylogenetic relationship between the species’ population on Karpathos Island and the population of P. cf. bedriagae from the neighboring Rhodes Island. High-throughput sequencing generated mean ± SD = 227 945 ± 18 306 reads averaged per sample. High quality reads were assembled resulting in the complete mitogenome of P. cerigensis of a total size of 17 922 bp. Mitogenome organization was similar to other Pelophylax species, comprising of 13 Protein Coding Genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and one Control Region. Overall mean genetic distance for the 13 PCGs, within the Ranidae family, ranged from 8.01% (COIII) to 11.6% (ATP8), while ratios of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions were <1 in all the 13 PCGs, indicating purifying selection. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses based on the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs (12S and 16S), showed that individuals from Karpathos and Rhodes form a well-supported monophyletic group with low genetic distance between them (p-distance = 0.1%). Hence, the Rhodes populations seem to belong to P. cerigensis and not to P. bedriagae as formerly thought, highlighting the need for revision of P. cerigensis current conservation status as well as further examination of the P. bedriagae species group.

Towards reef restoration in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, México: lessons learned

Introduction: Coral reef structures in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero are well-preserved. The coverage of living corals, near 60 % at several locations, makes them comparable to other coral reefs in the states of Oaxaca, Jalisco, and Nayarit and with high potential to promote their conservation.
 Objective: To present the outcome of 12 years of research in coral communities from Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, as a justifying argument for the current conservation efforts in the area.
 Methods: We developed a baseline on the conservation status of the reef structures, bioerosion processes and the source of major natural and anthropogenic impacts. We assessed the genetic diversity of the coral zooxanthellae symbionts, the outcome of a technique of coral transplantation to recover the coverage of living corals and the local ecological knowledge to involve local inhabitants to promote conservation.
 Results: At least five coral reefs remain exposed to a medium-low level of impact by bioerosion and anthropization. Coral transplantation experiments made in the area showed records of transplant survival nearing 90 %. Although the warming of the sea surface temperature that occurred during the El Niño of 2015-2016 caused coral bleaching and mortality in several coral populations in this area, there were no affectations attributed to this phenomenon in other locations. This response was not related to the level of exposure to anthropogenic impacts, and the presence of thermal resistant zooxanthellae was assessed using molecular tools, confirming the existence of zooxanthellae of the genus Durusdinium. The analysis of local ecological knowledge of the inhabitants of Zihuatanejo showed that they keep elaborate knowledge on the ecology of coral reefs. This is complemented with scientific knowledge that will encourage community participation in conservation strategies.
 Conclusions: A long-term multidisciplinary strategy is required for coral reef conservation that encompasses: 1) assessing the role of the overall holobiont in the thermal resistance of corals from this area and 2) establishing restoration strategies of coral reefs that include the local knowledge about marine ecology, for the establishment of coral reef protection and management schemes put in place by local inhabitants.

Development of indicators for assessment of green infrastructure for a territorial network of ecological stability

Landscape structure and biotic indicators have a significant role in assessing the green infrastructure of a landscape and design of a territorial ecological network. In this contribution, a methodological approach has been developed for assessing and defining indicators of current land use and biota that can be used for designing a territorial network of ecological stability. We used the assessment of ecological stability of the elements of the current landscape structure, an index of the ecological stability of a representative geo-ecosystem, the cumulative effect of high ecological stability landscape elements, and the Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI) to measure the degree of entropy, or landscape diversity. The assessment of biota was based on qualitative habitat field data and an evaluation of their overall nature conservation importance based on the type of land cover and habitats, the importance of habitats, their current conservation status, how many rare habitats are in a region, and how many vulnerable species are present in habitats. The assessment was applied on a local level, using the example of the Dolný Lopašov study area. The spatial distribution of green infrastructure is not balanced within the study area. The most significant elements of the ecological network consist of natural and semi-natural habitats that have a favourable conservation status. The Malé Karpaty Mountains, situated in the northern region, are forest-covered and have the highest ecological stability. Intensively cultivated fields are dominant in the central and southern parts of the study areas and are characterised by a low proportion of green infrastructure and low ecological stability. The results of the modelling of the cumulative impact of landscape elements on ecological stability by distance show that the cumulative impact of woodland elements positively affects the ecological stability of the area, especially in the area of intensively cultivated fields, an element with a low degree of ecological stability. Using selected indicators of current landscape structure and biota helps to assess the overall ecological stability of the area, identify the most stable areas, as well as areas with the lowest ecological stability, where it is necessary to complete and design new elements of green infrastructure to increase the function of the ecological network.

GIS를 활용한 한려해상국립공원 문화유산의 분포 분석

This study proceeded an on-site investigation of cultural heritage distributed in Hallyeohaesang National Park and found out current conservation status and existence. The cultural heritage of Hallyeohaesang National Park is distributed around the coasts and islands of the Namhae area. In terms of period, it retains various cultures from prehistoric times to modern and contemporary times. Each cultural heritage surveyed mainly consists of monuments, related to Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and national defense remains. The study classified those cultural heritage found by the on-site investigation into designated and undesignated cultural heritage by accurately measuring the locations via GPS. Then, the study performed a spatial analysis based on GIS program to present the location and distribution of the cultural heritage on map spaces. The study tried to present the cultural heritage in Hallyeohaesang National Park in spatial data via GIS and tried to seek for continued conservation and utilization of the regional cultural heritage.

The timing and ecological consequences of Pleistocene megafaunal decline in the eastern Andes of Colombia

AbstractExamining the ecological consequences of the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions within biodiversity hotspots is crucial for our understanding of the potential consequences of contemporary extinctions. We present the first multi-species record of spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF) from Monquentiva and the high-Andean forests of Colombia to reconstruct Late Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunal abundance. Fossilised pollen and charcoal are used to examine the consequences of megafaunal declines on the surrounding vegetation and fire activity. Our SCF record indicates the presence of Pleistocene megafauna at least since 30,290 BP, with two waves of megafaunal decline at ca. 22,900 BP and 10,990 BP. At Monquentiva, megafaunal decline in the Early Holocene resulted in transitional non-analogue vegetation, loss of some herbivore-dispersed plant taxa, an encroachment of palatable and woody flora, and a rise in fire activity. Differences with other published South-American records suggest that ecological consequences of megafaunal declines were habitat-specific. Overall, we show that ecosystems in the eastern Colombian Cordillera were highly sensitive to the decline of megafaunal populations. Under the current biodiversity crisis, management and conservation efforts must account for the effects of local herbivore declines on plant dispersal, on fire activity, and the potential loss of ecosystem services.

Assessing prioritization measures for a private land conservation program in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region

AbstractPrivate land conservation has become an important tool for protecting biodiversity and habitat, but methods for prioritizing and scheduling conservation on private land are still being developed. While return on investment methods have been suggested as a potential path forward, the different processes linking private landscapes to the socioeconomic systems in which they are embedded create unique challenges for scheduling conservation with this approach. We investigated a range of scheduling approaches within a return on investment framework for breeding waterfowl and broods in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. Current conservation targeting for waterfowl in the region focuses mostly on the distribution and abundance of breeding waterfowl. We tested whether MaxGain approaches for waterfowl conservation differed from MinLoss approaches in terms of return on investment and which approach performed best in avoiding loss of waterfowl and broods separately. We also examined variation in results based upon the temporal scale of the abundance layers used for input and compared the region's current scheduling approach with results from our simulations. Our results suggested that MinLoss was the most efficient scheduling approach for both breeding waterfowl and broods and that using just breeding waterfowl to target areas for conservation programs might cause organizations to overlook important areas for broods, particularly over shorter timespans. The higher efficiency of MinLoss approaches in our simulations also indicated that incorporating probability of wetland drainage into decision‐making improved the overall return on investment. We recommend that future conservation scheduling for easements in the region and for private land conservation in general include some form of return on investment or cost‐effective analysis to make conservation more transparent.

Optimizing protected areas to boost the conservation of key protected wildlife in China

To meet the challenge of biodiversity loss and reach the targets of the proposed Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the Chinese government updated the list of national key protected wildlife in 2021 and has been continually expanding the protected areas (PAs). However, the status of protected wildlife in PAs remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a national assessment of the status of protected wildlife and suggested an optimization plan to overcome these shortcomings. From 1988 to 2021, the number of protected species almost doubled, and the area of PAs increased by 2.4 times, covering over 92.8% of the protected species. Nonetheless, 70.8% of the protected species are still not effectively protected by PAs, with some having less than 10% of their habitat included in PAs. Despite the significant addition of amphibians and reptiles to the latest protection list, they are the fewest species and are the least covered by PAs compared with birds and mammals. To fix these gaps, we systematically optimized the current PAsnetwork by adding another 10.0% of China's land area as PAs, which resulted in 37.6% coverage of protected species' habitats in PAs. In addition,26 priority areas were identified. Our research aimed to identify gapsin current conservation policies and suggest optimization solutions to facilitate wildlife conservation planning in China. In general, updating the list of key protected wildlife species and systematically optimizing PA networks are essential and applicable to other countries facing biodiversity loss.

Current Status and Conservation Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources in Bhutan

Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) ensures food security and maintains genetic diversity. The efforts to conserve FAnGR are minimal in Bhutan. In the pursuit of increasing livestock productivity, farmers are rearing livestock that narrows the range of genetic diversity. This review attempts to summarize the status of FAnGR and the efforts to conserve them. Some unique livestock breeds in Bhutan are Nublang (cattle breed), Yak, Saphak (pig breed), Yuta (horse breed), Merak-Saktenpa (horse breed), and Belochem (chicken breed). There was a drop in the yak, buffalo, equine, pig, sheep, and goat populations. Both in situ and ex situ conservation measures are in place for some of the breeds and strains (e.g., Nublang and traditional chicken). Conservation efforts are limited to the government, but other individuals, stakeholders and non-government organizations must play an increasing role in preserving genetic diversity. It is pertinent that Bhutan comes up with a policy framework to conserve its indigenous cattle.

Protecting the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges: A review of policy pathways for creating conservation measures in the international waters of the Southeast Pacific

Seamount ecosystems host ecologically important species, including many that are found nowhere else on Earth. The Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges, two adjacent seamount chains in the Southeast Pacific, are biodiversity hotspots marked by the highest levels of marine endemism on Earth. Historically isolated from many human activities, this region has produced a unique biodiversity and provides an excellent opportunity for protecting a global biodiversity hotspot before it is degraded. However, no legal protection mechanism currently exists for comprehensively protecting areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) of the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges. After years of negotiations at the United Nations for a legally binding instrument to address conservation in ABNJ, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement was finally agreed in March 2023. While this Agreement may provide one avenue for protecting the high seas, the Agreement has yet to be adopted and ratification may take several years. As it stands, conservation efforts in ABNJ will rest on sectoral bodies primarily set to manage large-scale industries like fishing, shipping, and mining, but that do have the ability to enact conservation measures other than restricting these industrial activities. Our study provides an overview of the major international organizations managing activities in the ABNJ of the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges, identifies current conservation measures, and maps out potential policy pathways for creating conservation measures in this unique region. Our synthesis focused on identifying conservation procedures within the documents of international organizations and applying their rules and procedures to implement conservation measures. We identify three potential pathways. A regional and national pathway that relies on cooperation among international organizations spearheaded by the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), and an international pathway through the BBNJ Agreement.

Distributed Equivalent Circuit Model of Dipole Based on Radiation Characteristics

Based on the analytical solution of the current integral equation and the distributed radiation resistance solved by the method of moments in this letter, a distributed equivalent circuit model of dipole with the consideration of radiation characteristics is proposed. In terms of current distribution and energy conservation, the analytical solutions to the distributed parameters of dipole are compared with the solutions of electromagnetic simulator and circuit simulation software, and the correctness and effectiveness are verified. The result showed that the distributed equivalent circuit model can compensate for the problem of indistinct distributed radiation characteristics and improve the process of antenna design effectively.

Grazing hay meadows: History, distribution, and ecological context

AbstractAimsOnce widely used across Europe, grazing of hay meadows is now a rare agricultural practice that is mainly applied in rural regions with maintained traditional agriculture. In this review, we examine the knowledge on grazing hay meadows in the Carpathian Mountains, including its historical distribution, implementation and timing, potential impacts on grassland productivity and biodiversity, and implications for grassland conservation and restoration.LocationThe Carpathian Mountains (43.8–50.1°N, 16.9–27.1°E).MethodsWe conducted a literature review including biological, ecological, agricultural, ethnological, and historical sources.Results and ConclusionsIn each of the seven farming systems that existed in parallel in the Carpathian Mountains before agricultural intensification, grazing of hay meadows was applied regularly. Spring, autumn, and occasionally summer grazing, along with corralling and manuring of hay meadows, were integral parts of these systems, adapted to the seasonal movement of dairy farms across various agroecosystems. The data reviewed provide insight into the role of animals in hay meadow management, as well as how the breakdown of these historical farming systems is impacting local biodiversity, the economy, and the community. According to the literature sources, grazing hay meadows has numerous positive impacts on grassland biodiversity, including suppressing fast‐growing competitors, reducing the accumulation of litter, increasing the availability of germination gaps, dispersing seeds through zoochory, supporting ground‐nesting birds through later mowing, and promoting the regeneration of plants from seeds. From this perspective, the combination of mowing and grazing can be considered a promising tool in current grassland conservation and restoration efforts.

Long-Term Perspective on Fishing and Mammal Defaunation in the Atlantic Forest Coast of Brazil Using Archaeological Faunal Remains

Background and research aim: Escalating anthropogenic threats to the Atlantic Forest, a renowned biodiversity hotspot, has placed the region in the spotlight for current conservation efforts. Faunal overexploitation and habitat degradation are among key factors driving the region’s recent declines in faunal populations and biodiversity. Assessing the scale of these impacts is complicated by the near-complete absence of historical reference baselines. Methodology: Here, we provide a contribution to bridge this knowledge gap by analysing faunal remains from two historical archaeological sites, Morro Grande 1 (MG1) and Praia Grande Unidade 21 (PG-U21), in Babitonga Bay (Santa Catarina state, Brazil) dated between 1750 to 1950 AD. Results: Our results revealed that fishing and hunting played a crucial role in household consumption and economic livelihoods during the European colonisation of southern Brazil. Native terrestrial mammals made up a significant proportion of faunal remains at both sites. This suggests that species currently undergoing population declines were exploited in the region for at least the past two centuries. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence that the selective hunting of medium- and large-bodied native terrestrial mammals has persisted in the region for over 4500 years, and requires us to reconsider the idea of a heavy reliance on domestic animals during early European colonisation of southern Brazil. Our study thus traces the causes of regional terrestrial mammal defaunation back to the Pre-colonial and Historical times. Implication for conservation: We recommend the integration of historical and archaeological data into modern faunal population assessments and conservation initiatives to set more informed reference baselines.

Introducing a Conceptual Model for Assessing the Present State of Preservation in Heritage Buildings: Utilizing Building Adaptation as an Approach

Building adaptation comprises a variety of construction actions that enhance current condition and extend the life span of buildings. Architectural adaptation involves refurbishing, retrofitting, restoration, renovation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, material reuse, conservation, and preservation, as well as other activities to improve building conditions. In this study, the most relevant definitions, implementations, and ranges of the specified terminologies are examined; on the basis of this classification, a conceptual model is constructed to facilitate accurate categorization of building adaptations and its application in various case studies. The current state of heritage buildings in Erbil (the Erbil Citadel as a World Heritage Site and the buffer zone as cultural heritage) is evaluated. We aimed to investigate their current conservation status and determine whether the Erbil Citadel’s heritage building adaptation has addressed the issue of energy retrofitting to realize green and passive construction. The results indicate that the framework model is an effective assessment tool in the field of conserving heritage buildings. The majority of Erbil’s heritage buildings have been restored and rehabilitated for public interaction; nevertheless, additional interventions are required to improve the buildings’ energy efficiency and conservation for this to be recognized as sustainable heritage development. In the future, academics and practitioners may use the suggested framework to clearly and consistently describe the scope of the work in their building adaptation, thereby eliminating the high costs of correcting code and specification requirements that were not met.

Angler and guide perceptions provide insights into the status and threats of the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) fishery

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) support an economically important fishery, yet there is limited information on the status of their fishery and population. A survey consisting of anglers and fishing guides was administered to help address these data deficiencies and to better understand the current and historical status of the recreational Atlantic tarpon fishery. An additional goal was to assess perceived threats to Atlantic tarpon and understand what anglers and fishing guides view as priorities for improved conservation and management efforts. Respondents (n = 918 completed surveys) indicated a significant decline in fishing quality since the 1970s. Respondents perceived water and habitat quality as the greatest threats to Atlantic tarpon populations and restoration of those as the top conservation priorities. Respondents also supported regulations that prohibit harvest (i.e., catch-and-release only), increased science efforts to understand Atlantic tarpon ecology for conservation solutions, and spatial management, such as pole-troll zones (i.e., where high speed motorboat travel is prohibited). Support for conservation solutions varied between those that targeted Atlantic tarpon with spin and fly gear, with fly gear anglers having higher support for increased regulatory oversight. With individual guides losing, on average, 2–7 Atlantic tarpon per year to sharks over the last five years, shark encounters appear to be increasing and are located in areas where Atlantic tarpon seasonally aggregate, such as passes. Given the chronic data-limited situation, local ecological knowledge derived from recreational anglers and fishing guides provide an important source of knowledge for the current and future conservation of Atlantic tarpon populations.

Optimizing Structural Parameters of PEMFC Based on Taguchi Method

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has become one of the new energy vehicle powertrains due to its special advantages, such as no pollution to the environment, high energy efficiency and power density. In order to improve the performance, a three-dimensional simulation model of the actual PEMFC is constructed. Combined with the mathematical models such as the electrochemical model and current conservation model, the model is calibrated by experiments. When the working voltage is 0.64 V, the error of the simulation results is 0.73%, compared with the experimental data. Then, the Taguchi method is used to design a multi-factor and multi-level orthogonal experimental scheme of PEMFC. Based on the orthogonal experimental table, the effects of different anode wave channel distortion, gas diffusion layer thickness and gas diffusion layer porosity on the current density are studied with a simulation experiment. The influence of the above factors on the orthogonal experiment results is analyzed by the signal-to-noise ratio. The regression equation is obtained by calculating the orthogonal experimental data. The t-test results are greater than 3.49, which indicates that each independent variable in the regression equation is important. R2 test is 0.915, and the F test is 53.508, indicating that the regression equation is significant and the optimal and worst structural parameter combinations are predicted. The current density reaches 14,190.18 A/m2 under the optimal structure combination, which is 6.14% higher than the calibrated model. Single factor experiments are carried out on these three different structural parameters to verify the effectiveness of the Taguchi method, and the best combination of structural parameters is obtained.

On unfolded approach to off-shell supersymmetric models

We construct and analyze unfolded off-shell systems for chiral and vector supermultiplets using multispinor formalism and external currents. We find that auxiliary variables of multispinor formalism allow for the interesting reorganization of the unfolded off-shell modules: one can unify dynamical and auxiliary scalars in the Wess-Zumino model, as well as an auxiliary pseudoscalar and a zero-helicity subsector in the vector supermultiplet, so that the resulting unfolded equations get simplified, while various constraints like chirality, electric current conservation and P-oddness of the pseudoscalar can be formulated entirely in terms of these auxiliary variables.

Local perception of the current state and threat factors of a critically endangered species, Celtis toka (Forssk.) Hepper & J.R.I. Wood, in Burkina Faso: implications for species conservation

Celtis toka, the only species of the genus Celtis (family Cannabaceae) encountered in the flora of Burkina Faso, is critically endangered in the country. To engage the public for the future conservation and domestication of the species, knowledge of the factors threatening Celtis toka survival is necessary. Thus, the study objective was to identify the perceptions of local people concerning the current state and conservation strategies of Celtis toka in Burkina Faso. To investigate potential solutions to the threats posed to Celtis toka, we randomly surveyed 405 consenting participants using a selected semi-structured interview. Moreover, field observations were performed to assess the threat drivers cited by local people of the Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian climatic zones. Descriptive analyses (relative frequency and fidelity level) and generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to highlight the impact of sociodemographic factors and climate zones on the current state, threat drivers, and potential solutions. The chi-square test was used to assess whether to plant C. toka. GLM analyses revealed that local knowledge about the current state, threat factors and potential solution to the threat as related to natural stand varied significantly according to ethnolinguistic group (P < 0.000), sex (P = 0.01) and age (P = 0.01). Rural people had varying perceptions of the current state of C. toka. Sixty-eight percent reported a decrease in population, ten percent reported scarcity, and five percent reported extinction. The views of local people were that the factors affecting C. toka were pruning (25%), climate change (14%), deforestation (10%), ageing (10%), debarking (9%), and agriculture (7%). Potential solutions included planting (45%), conservation of C. toka and its habitat (27%), sustainable use of Celtis toka (14%), promotion of education and awareness about Celtis toka (10%) and tree/crop association (5%). The study concluded that the ethnobotanical knowledge of Celtis toka may play an important role in its conservation and domestication in Burkina Faso. Furthermore, its incorporation into reforestation and restoration programs is critical to species survival.

Ecological sustainability and high-quality development of the Yellow River Delta in China based on the improved ecological footprint model

Aiming at the traditional ecological footprint model, the improved ecological footprint of the carbon footprint effectively makes up for the singularity of the ecological footprint's consideration of carbon emissions, and plays an important role in promoting high-quality development and ecological sustainability. This paper selects 2015, 2018 and 2020 as important time points for the study, corrects the ecological footprint parameter factors based on net primary productivity (NPP), measures the ecological footprint after the improvement of the carbon footprint, studies the spatial and temporal variation in the ecological footprint at the 100-m grid scale with the support of IPCC greenhouse gas inventory analysis, and analyzes the current ecological conservation status of the Yellow River Delta. Additionally, in the context of a low carbon economy, the decoupling index of carbon emissions and GDP is extended to the evaluation and analysis of high-quality development. The study showed that (1) the ecological footprint of the Yellow River Delta has increased year by year, from 0.721 hm2·person− 1 to 0.758 hm2·person− 1, an average annual increase of 2.9%; the ecological carrying capacity has decreased from 0.40 hm2·person− 1 to 0.31 hm2·person− 1, an overall decrease of 28.59%. (2) The overall ecological deficit of the Yellow River Delta grid is lightly overloaded, with most of the ecological surplus occurring in the northern and eastern parts of the study area and a few moderate and heavy overloads in the center of the core area where there is a lot of built-up land and the area is small and easy to gather. (3) Based on the low-carbon economy analysis, 2015, 2017 and 2020 reach absolute decoupling and are in the ideal scenario. However, in the rest of the years, carbon emissions and economic development are still in a large contradiction, and decoupling has fluctuated and varied greatly in the last six years. The effective combination of ecological footprint and low carbon economy analysis provides an important theoretical basis for improving ecological conservation and achieving high-quality development.

Shifting the conservation Overton window

Shifting the conservation Overton window

Mismatch between conservation needs and actual representation of lions from West and Central Africa in in situ and ex situ conservation

AbstractMismatches between conservation action and conservation needs have been highlighted for diverse species. Lion (Panthera leo) conservation is no exception, raising the question of whether current conservation strategies are always adequate to ensure the long‐term persistence of threatened taxa.To investigate the representation of different lion Evolutionary Significant Units in field research, captive populations, funding allocation, and education, we carried out a literature review and sent an online questionnaire to zoos worldwide. Over 75% of the publications focused on southern and eastern African populations. Uplisting the West African lion to Critically Endangered did not change this result. We received 88 responses from zoos, which reported 346 lions in 83 zoos. Only 14 individuals have West and Central African origins. Over 70% of the respondents reported that they do not include any information on the conservation status or taxonomy of lions from West and Central Africa in their education programs. The minority of zoos funding in situ lion projects did so in Eastern and Southern Africa. We provide recommendations to encourage role‐players involved in lion and other threatened species conservation to address this mismatch by shifting some of their attention and funding to West and Central Africa.