Successful Biodiversity Conservation Research Articles

Understanding Key Stressors for Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Loss: An Overview

Biodiversity hotspots are the regions with high levels of endemic species and significant habitat loss. Coastal areas can exhibit distinct biodiversity hotspots due to their diverse habitats, such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, and intertidal zones. These hotspots often support unique assemblages of species adapted to specific coastal conditions. Ecosystem services provided by marine biodiversity include provisioning services (seafood, resources for medicine); regulating services (stable climate and clean water); cultural services (recreational and mental benefits: sea bathing); and supporting services (nutrient circulation and photosynthesis). Despite some successful conservation efforts, biodiversity continues to decline. Marine ecosystems are vulnerable to rapid changes in diversity and function. Major pressures and threats causing increasing pressure on coastal and marine biodiversity include climate change, ocean acidification, habitat destruction and changes in sea use, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution. Preservation of coastal biodiversity is of prime importance for human wellbeing. The coastal ecosystems sustain diverse life forms and also safeguard essential ecological services. Therefore conservation and restoration of coastal biodiversity is a timeless responsibility for sustainable development. In light of these observations, this review aims to update recent information from the available literature on the key stressors of marine and coastal biodiversity loss. This study also suggests the strategies to be implemented for successful conservation and restoration of coastal and marine biodiversity.

Fish beta diversity associated with hydrologic and anthropogenic disturbance gradients in contrasting stream flow regimes

Understanding the role of hydrologic variation in structuring aquatic communities is crucial for successful conservation and sustainable management of native freshwater biodiversity. Partitioning beta diversity into the additive components of spatial turnover and nestedness can provide insight into the forces driving variability in fish assemblages across stream flow regimes. We examined stream fish beta diversity across hydrologic and anthropogenic disturbance gradients using long-term (1916–2016) site occurrence records (n = 17,375) encompassing 252 species. We assessed total beta diversity (Sørensen dissimilarity), spatial turnover, and nestedness of fish assemblages in contrasting stream flow regimes across a gradient of decreasing flow stability: groundwater stable (n = 77), groundwater (n = 67), groundwater flashy (n = 175), perennial runoff (n = 141), runoff flashy (n = 255), and intermittent (n = 63) streams. Differences in total beta diversity among the stream flow regimes were driven predominantly (>86 %) by spatial turnover (i.e. species replacement) as opposed to nestedness (i.e. species loss or gain). Total fish beta diversity and spatial turnover were highest in streams with intermediate flow stability (groundwater flashy), while more flow-stable streams (groundwater stable and groundwater) had lower turnover and higher nestedness. Species turnover was also strongly associated with seasonal variation in hydrology across all flow regimes, but these relationships were most evident for assemblages in intermittent streams. Distance-based statistical comparisons showed significant correlations between beta diversity and anthropogenic disturbance variables, including dam density, dam storage volume and water withdrawals in catchments of groundwater stable streams, while hydrologic variables were more strongly correlated with beta diversity in streams with runoff-dominated and flashy flow regimes. The high spatial turnover of species implies that fish conservation actions would benefit from watershed-focused approaches targeting multiple streams with wide spatial distribution, as opposed to simply focusing on preserving sites with the greatest number of species.

Surprising leopard restoration in fragmented ecosystems reveals connections as the secret to conservation success

The Chinese Loess Plateau has been the cradle of Chinese civilization and the main human settlement in China for thousands of years, where anthropogenic activities are believed to have deeply eroded natural landscapes. After decades of minimal leopard sighting in forests of northern China, due to serious human interference, we recently discovered that the leopard population is recovering. This finding provides hope for successful biodiversity conservation in human-dominated ecosystems. To understand the mechanism of leopard return into such a highly fragmented landscape, we applied the concept of ecological networks (ENs) to identify key factors promoting leopard restoration and quantify the ecological links among habitats. We first determined the existence of a healthy leopard population in the study area based on the size of its home range and presence of breeding individuals. We then innovatively used the relationship between species richness and top predators to generate ENs, and found that the connectivity of ENs had a significant positive interaction with leopard survival. Our study validates the effectiveness of establishing ecologically connected habitats for leopard protection, and highlights the importance of applying ENs for conservation planning in highly fragmented ecosystems. This study provides a successful case for the protection of top predators in human-dominated landscapes.

Capacity development challenges and solutions for Natura 2000: an approach through blended learning

AbstractCapacity development is essential for the effective management of protected areas and for achieving successful biodiversity conservation. European Natura 2000 sites form an extensive network of protected areas and developing the capacity of staff at all levels is a priority that will positively influence the appropriate implementation of conservation actions. In this study we identify the main challenges and potential solutions to developing the skills, knowledge and tools required for effective Natura 2000 site management. Our findings are based on a case study of the European project LIFE e-Natura2000.edu, which focuses on capacity development in practical biodiversity conservation and management through integrated and blended learning experiences (i.e. a combination of face-to-face and virtual teaching). We illustrate the main elements for successfully building capacity within a variety of knowledge and experience backgrounds and operating levels related to the management of Natura 2000 sites. Multifaceted, blended learning approaches are key to tackling the various needs of Natura 2000 managers in terms of skills, knowledge and tools.

The Limpopo–Mpumalanga–Eswatini Escarpment—Extra-Ordinary Endemic Plant Richness and Extinction Risk in a Summer Rainfall Montane Region of Southern Africa

Climatic, edaphic, and topographic differences between mountains and surrounding lowlands result in mountains acting as terrestrial islands with high levels of endemic biota. Conservation of mountains is thus key to successful biodiversity conservation. The Limpopo–Mpumalanga–Eswatini Escarpment (LMEE) in South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the largest components of southern Africa’s Great Escarpment. Despite botanical collecting effort over 150 years, there has never been a holistic and comprehensive synthesis of plant endemics data for the LMEE. For the first time, we define the LMEE as an orographic entity, covering 53,594 km2; it forms a contiguous highland area from the Pongola River in the south, north to the Woodbush area, and includes rugged western Eswatini. Using exhaustive literature mining, coupled with combined decades of fieldwork by the authors, and up-to-date taxonomic assessments of the 46 undescribed species, we provide the first robust list of plant endemics for the LMEE. The LMEE has 496 endemic plant taxa, comprising 10.7% of the provisional flora (4,657 taxa). This is more than double the endemic plant taxa in the Drakensberg Mountain Centre (DCM), and may be the richest concentration of montane endemics in southern Africa outside of the Core Greater Cape Floristic Region. Grassland hosts the largest number of endemics (74.2%), followed by Savanna (26.6%), then Forest (7.7%). Most endemics of conservation concern occur in Grassland (68.4%), in which one is Extinct and two are Extinct in the Wild. Evolutionary partitioning between Grassland, Savanna and Forest is suggested by low introgression of Biomes at family and genus level, and by a dominance of life-forms adapted to open habitats. High threat statuses for Grassland endemics can be attributed to the historical transformation of almost 20% of Grassland to forestry pre-1990, and ongoing degradation of primary Grassland. With conservation area coverage only 11.1% of the LMEE, the exceptional richness of the endemic flora—combined with major conservation threats—suggest that the LMEE should become a major focus of conservation effort between South Africa and Eswatini as a matter of urgency.

Promoting Biodiversity Conservation Requires a Better Understanding of the Relationships Between Ecosystem Services and Multiple Biodiversity Dimensions

In order to reverse the global trend of biodiversity loss, the concept of ecosystem services has been widely applied to make policymakers and the general public realize that conserving biodiversity possesses both intrinsic and utilitarian values. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to first have a clear understanding of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). To advance our understanding of this issue, we first reviewed the major progress in current BES studies, with an emphasis on three biodiversity dimensions (i.e., taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem diversity). Based on the findings, we then propose three research topics as future directions: (1) More direct and explicit studies on the effects of different dimensions of biodiversity on various ecosystem service types; (2) developing a biodiversity-based understanding of the formation of ecosystem services; (3) creation of science-based ecosystem management plans and policies that can maximize synergies between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service enhancement. By conducting such research, we will be able to not only further understand the complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services but also better promote the concept of ecosystem services for more successful biodiversity conservation in the future.

Early stages of crop expansion have little effect on farm-scale vegetation patterns in a Cerrado biome working landscape

In addition to protected areas, sustainable working landscapes are key to successful biodiversity conservation. Yet such landscapes are threatened by rapid crop expansion, in particular in Brazil. In this context, this study explores the influence of farming systems on farm-scale vegetation patterns around the Serra da Bodoquena National Park in Mato Grosso do Sul. To collect data on farming systems and how they are evolving, we conducted interviews at 40 farms covering 120,000 ha, including eight farms with land within the national park. To assess vegetation patterns, we conducted pixel-wise and landscape analyses based on MapBiomas land cover maps from which we calculated seven metrics over the 2009–2019 period. Using multivariate methods, we identified the activities that differentiated farming systems, isolating five farm types with contrasting involvement in crop cultivation and ranching. We found that most farm-scale landscape metrics were only weakly influenced by farming systems. Temporal analyses and interviews suggested that biophysical and legislative contexts limit crop expansion, which mainly occurred at the expense of old pastures and did not directly impact forest proportion within farms. As a consequence, crop expansion in the region seemed to mainly affect small tree patches in pasture areas, making its effect on vegetation patterns barely detectable with 30-m resolution imagery. These findings suggest that rather than focusing solely on deforestation, monitoring the dynamics of wooded pastures with high-resolution images is crucial to assess the early effects of crop expansion on vegetation patterns and to ensure the conservation of biodiversity-friendly agricultural matrices around protected areas in Brazil.

Conservation of birds in fragmented landscapes requires protected areas

For successful conservation of biodiversity, it is vital to know whether protected areas in increasingly fragmented landscapes effectively safeguard species. However, how large habitat fragments must be, and what level of protection is required to sustain species, remains poorly known. We compiled a global dataset on almost 2000 bird species in 741 forest fragments varying in size and protection status, and show that protection is associated with higher bird occurrence, especially for threatened species. Protection becomes increasingly effective with increasing size of forest fragments. For forest fragments >50 ha our results show that strict protection (International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] categories I–IV) is strongly associated with higher bird occurrence, whereas fragments had to be at least 175 ha for moderate protection (IUCN categories V and VI) to have a positive effect. This meta‐analysis quantifies the importance of fragment size, protection status, and their interaction for the conservation of bird species communities, and stresses that protection should not be limited to large pristine areas.

Metapopulation‐level associations in positively interacting stream fishes

Positive biotic interactions are recognized as important factors determining species distributions. Although effects of positive interactions have often been observed at local scales, much less is known about consequences at larger spatial scales. Here, we study nest associations of stream fishes – widespread reproductive facilitation between host (nest‐builder) and beneficiary (nest associate) species in North America – as a model system to examine the role of positive interactions in determining the metapopulation‐level relationship between host and beneficiary species. Using regional data of fish distribution in the Midwestern US, we found that watershed‐level occupancy of host species (i.e. metapopulation occupancy) remarkably increased that of nest associates. Our results illustrated that the effects of positive biotic interactions at the metapopulation level were comparable or even stronger than environmental drivers, i.e. factors that have been studied most extensively in metapopulation studies. Further, our model supported the hypothesis that the metapopulation‐level relationship between hosts and nest associates was mediated by a gradient of environmental conditions: strong associations occurred under stressful habitats. This study provides insightful evidence that positive biotic interactions have larger scale consequences for distributions of organisms than previously thought. Successful biodiversity conservation may need a broader framework that appreciates the role of positive biotic interactions at larger spatial scales.

Protecting connectivity promotes successful biodiversity and fisheries conservation.

The global decline of coral reefs has led to calls for strategies that reconcile biodiversity conservation and fisheries benefits. Still, considerable gaps in our understanding of the spatial ecology of ecosystem services remain. We combined spatial information on larval dispersal networks and estimates of human pressure to test the importance of connectivity for ecosystem service provision. We found that reefs receiving larvae from highly connected dispersal corridors were associated with high fish species richness. Generally, larval "sinks" contained twice as much fish biomass as "sources" and exhibited greater resilience to human pressure when protected. Despite their potential to support biodiversity persistence and sustainable fisheries, up to 70% of important dispersal corridors, sinks, and source reefs remain unprotected, emphasizing the need for increased protection of networks of well-connected reefs.

Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century.

Humanity will soon define a new era for nature-one that seeks to transform decades of underwhelming responses to the global biodiversity crisis. Area-based conservation efforts, which include both protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, are likely to extend and diversify. However, persistent shortfalls in ecological representation and management effectiveness diminish the potential role of area-based conservation in stemming biodiversity loss. Here we show how the expansion of protected areas by national governments since 2010 has had limited success in increasing the coverage across different elements of biodiversity (ecoregions, 12,056threatened species, 'Key Biodiversity Areas' and wilderness areas) and ecosystem services (productive fisheries, and carbon services on land and sea). To be more successful after 2020, area-based conservation must contribute more effectively to meeting global biodiversity goals-ranging from preventing extinctions to retaining the most-intact ecosystems-and must better collaborate with the many Indigenous peoples, community groups and private initiatives that are central to the successful conservation of biodiversity. The long-term success of area-based conservation requires parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to secure adequate financing, plan for climate change and make biodiversity conservation a far stronger part of land, water and sea management policies.

From a research study to a conservation partnership: Developing approaches to restoring common scoter populations

Abstract Like many sea‐duck populations, the British breeding population of common scoters Melanitta nigra has declined markedly. In 2009, a study was established to measure factors affecting lake use by breeding scoters, to inform conservation measures. That study, published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (AQC) in 2016, showed that lakes used by scoters had relatively more shallow water and large invertebrates. Furthermore, lakes with abundant large invertebrates had relatively few brown trout Salmo trutta. These results probably reflect the importance of foraging habitat (shallow water), prey abundance (large invertebrates), and competition for prey (trout abundance) in influencing scoter lake use. To develop this study, additional research, and scoter conservation measures, we formed a long‐term partnership, comprising nature conservation non‐governmental organizations, statutory agencies, fisheries managers and the regional hydropower company. The partnership meets regularly to coordinate and review research and develop conservation measures, building on the earlier lake‐use study. At key scoter lakes managed for hydropower, the partnership negotiated a revised water level management regime, favouring shallow water availability in the breeding season. This regime was informed by additional research, showing the value of certain islands for nesting scoters, and water level requirements to maintain these as islands. In a different key scoter area — an extensive near‐natural peatland where recreational angling takes place — the partnership established a trial of increased brown trout angling, with increased fish removal, to determine whether this would increase invertebrate prey abundance and benefit breeding scoters. Both conservation interventions are currently being evaluated by detailed monitoring. Overall, the earlier study published in AQC, was important in strengthening and informing our researcher–practitioner partnership, as we collaborated within an adaptive management framework to reverse scoter declines. Long‐term interdisciplinary partnerships are likely to have an important role to play in general, for the successful conservation of aquatic biodiversity.

Conserving woodland butterflies in managed forests: Both local and landscape factors matter

The conservation of forest biodiversity is increasingly relying on forest landscapes managed for timber production. A precondition for successful biodiversity conservation in intensively managed landscapes is a good understanding of habitat- and landscape-level drivers of species diversity. In this study, we investigated the effects of habitat characteristics and landscape context on the species richness and composition of butterflies in temperate forest landscapes routinely managed by clear-cutting. Our focus was on forest-dependent species. Even though about a quarter of the entire butterfly fauna in Europe are associated with forest habitats, the drivers of their diversity are poorly known. We used data from an unprecedentedly extensive butterfly survey, conducted in more than 400 sites distributed across all major forest types in Estonia (Northern Europe). Our data indicate that, generally, forests harvested for timber production remain suitable as habitats for forest butterflies: across the study sites, we recorded almost the full complement of their total regional species richness. By far the most influential driver of local butterfly species richness in such forests appears to be the proportion of forest cover in the surrounding landscape. The species richness of forest butterflies starts to show signs of decline at remarkably high levels of forest cover in the landscape. Surprisingly, landscape-scale forest heterogeneity around study sites had no discernible effect on local species richness, the pattern plausibly resulting from low mobility of forest butterflies. The most important habitat-scale predictor of butterfly species richness was soil moisture, with butterfly communities being most species-rich in forests on soils of intermediate moisture. Different forest types contribute to the regional species pool of forest butterflies in a complementary manner. No single forest type alone provides habitat for the entire species pool: peaks of abundance of different species are distributed across multiple forest types. Accordingly, a substantial part of the variation in species assemblages could be attributed to characteristic soil conditions (moisture and pH) of different forest types. Our findings imply that both the extent and heterogeneity of forest landscapes are important for maintaining the diversity of forest butterflies at the landscape scale.

Holistic Environmental Approaches and Aichi Biodiversity Targets: accomplishments and perspectives for marine ecosystems.

In order to help safeguard biodiversity from global changes, the Conference of the Parties developed a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020 that included a list of twenty specific objectives known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. With the end of that timeframe in sight, and despite major advancements in biodiversity conservation, evidence suggests that the majority of the Targets are unlikely to be met. This article is part of a series of perspective pieces from the 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (May 2018, Montréal, Canada) to identify next steps towards successful biodiversity conservation in marine environments. We specifically reviewed holistic environmental assessment studies (HEA) and their contribution to reaching the Targets. Our analysis was based on multiple environmental approaches which can be considered as holistic, and we discuss how HEA can contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in the near future. We found that only a few HEA articles considered a specific Biodiversity Target in their research, and that Target 11, which focuses on marine protected areas, was the most commonly cited. We propose five research priorities to enhance HEA for marine biodiversity conservation beyond 2020: (i) expand the use of holistic approaches in environmental assessments, (ii) standardize HEA vocabulary, (iii) enhance data collection, sharing and management, (iv) consider ecosystem spatio-temporal variability and (v) integrate ecosystem services in HEA. The consideration of these priorities will promote the value of HEA and will benefit the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.

Rare or overlooked? The distribution of Hairy Jointgrass in north coast New South Wales, Australia, and implications for its conservation status

Efficient threatened species prioritisation and management is critical to the overall success of biodiversity conservation. Insufficient species information can make it challenging to accurately assess a species’ extinction risk and develop appropriate management strategies. In this study we undertook field surveys and spatial data analysis to better understand the habitat and distribution of the threatened annual grass Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino (Hairy Jointgrass) within its north coast New South Wales range. We developed and tested a high-resolution maximum entropy (Maxent) model, using field survey population mapping and freely available spatial data (e.g. soil, topography, foliage cover, hydrology) to identify its landscape distribution drivers, to predict its suitable habitat areas and to estimate its abundance. The model indicated that A. hispidus habitat occurs in non-woody vegetation in areas of high topographic wetness and persistent moisture, particularly in and around drainage lines or on south-facing slopes. We found that A. hispidus appears to be much more widespread than previously known, with high rates of occurrence at predicted but previously unsurveyed sites, and approximately 15 % of the study area projected to be suitable habitat for the species. We estimated that the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of the species exceeded vulnerable species listing criteria thresholds within IUCN guidelines. This study demonstrates how species distribution modelling can add to existing resources to provide cost-effective data to inform and streamline conservation planning.

Zoos and animated animals increase public interest in and support for threatened animals

Raising public interest in and conservation activity for threatened species is critically important for successful biodiversity conservation. However, our understanding of what influences the public interest in threatened animals and how the interest induces conservation activities is quite limited. Here, we examined the role of zoos and a television program featuring animated animals in shaping public interest in and support for animals including threatened species from 2011 to 2018 in Japan. Public interest was measured by Internet search volumes and support by donation activity in zoos. Results showed that both zoos and the animated program made a significant contribution to increasing public interest in animals. The spatial distribution of the Google search volume for 92 animals was correlated with that of animals exhibited in zoos. In tandem with this, the broadcast of a Japanese animated TV program featuring animals (Kemono Friends) increased the Google search volume and Wikipedia pageviews for animal species featured in the program. The total increases of search volume and Wikipedia pageviews were estimated to be approximately 4.66 million for 37 species and 1.06 million for 63 species, respectively. Furthermore, after the original broadcasts of the program, we found that animals featured in the animated program had more financial supporters through donations than animals that were not featured. These results are striking because they indicate the increase in public interest led to actual conservation activity by citizens. Overall, our results demonstrate that both zoos and the animated TV program played important roles in promoting public interest in and support for threatened animals. Enhanced collaborations between people in the entertainment industry and conservation entities could contribute greatly to global biodiversity conservation.

Ecological restoration for biodiversity conservation improves habitat quality for an insectivorous passerine in boreal forest

It is increasingly recognized that successful biodiversity conservation will necessitate active ecological restoration measures. In boreal forests, emulating natural disturbances is commonly used as a restoration tool for improving habitat quality for a range of sensitive species. We assessed the consequences of prescribed burning and artificial gap creation on the demographic parameters of an insectivorous bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). This to improve our ability to develop strategies for successful ecological restoration aiming at improving the conservation status of boreal forest birds. Pied flycatchers reproduced equally well in nature reserves, forests subjected to ecological restoration and untreated control stands. Nestling body weight was found to be higher in stands restored through prescribed burning. Considering that nestling condition at the time of fledging is known to be positively related to survival rates after fledging, our results suggest a positive effect of prescribed burning on population dynamics and on local habitat quality. Our findings should encourage forest managers to actively use prescribed burning as a management tool in boreal forests to complement other conservation measures. However, one should be careful with generalizing these results to other bird species as they only are directly applicable to pied flycatchers. Still, they may potentially apply also to other insectivorous bird species with similar habitat requirements. In addition, it should be stressed that to maintain diverse boreal forest bird assemblages, heterogeneous landscapes are needed including both burned and unburned forest of different successional stages.

Underlying social attitudes towards conservation of threatened carnivores in human-dominated landscapes

AbstractCarnivore conservation depends on people's willingness to implement management practices to reduce threats to carnivores and mitigate conflicts between carnivores and domestic animals. We assessed the willingness of rural communities in central-southern Chile to (1) conserve carnivores, and (2) adopt management practices to reduce predation of domestic animals, a key factor triggering carnivore–human conflicts in rural areas. The study focused on five carnivores: the chilla Lycalopex griseus, the culpeo Lycalopex culpaeus, Darwin's fox Lycalopex fulvipes, the guiña or kodkod Leopardus guigna, and the puma Puma concolor. We found that rural communities perceived that threats towards carnivores rarely occurr in their region, contrary to the literature on this subject; people's attitudes differed depending on the carnivore; and people were willing to adopt management practices to help conserve carnivores (e.g. overnight protection of domestic animals and investment in infrastructure for henhouses and cowsheds), except leashing dogs. The willingness to conserve carnivores and adopt practices that would help do so may be associated with how these measures affect people's well-being. Although rural communities would like carnivores to be conserved, this cannot be achieved unless some pivotal practices, such as management of domestic dogs, are adopted by these communities. For successful biodiversity conservation outcomes in human-dominated landscapes, the social incentives necessary for rural communities to adopt appropriate management practices must be identified and implemented.

How conceptions of equity and justice shape national park negotiations: The case of Parc Adula, Switzerland

This article engages with conceptions of equity and justice in protected area negotiations and ties in with recent scientific discourses on the importance of social equity for successful biodiversity conservation. I follow the question of how conceptions of justice shaped discussions surrounding a national park project in Switzerland, Parc Adula. The project was rejected in a public vote in 2016. Drawing on qualitative interview data, this article analyses park negotiations and sheds light on a plurality of senses of justice. Whereas Parc Adula as a bottom-up project based on direct democracy already respected just procedures, perceptions of (in-)justice still informed day-to-day discussions and disputes. Thus, I argue that understanding justice as a process that reveals itself in disputes, and acknowledging its plurality, can help understand struggles over conservation and regional development.

Input matters matter: Bioclimatic consistency to map more reliable species distribution models

Abstract Accuracy of global bioclimatic databases is essential to understand biodiversity–environment relationships. Many studies have explored biases and uncertainties related to species distribution models (SDMs) but the effect of choosing a specific database among the different alternatives has not been previously assessed. The lack of bioclimatic congruence (degree of agreement) between different databases is a main concern in distribution modelling and it is critical in single‐source models, for which the database choice is decisive. In order to prevent unreliable predictions derived from distorted input data, SDMs accuracy can be assessed by mapping model predictions according to a bioclimatic congruence measure derived from the comparison of multiple databases, which can be achieved with the bioclimatic consistency maps that we propose in this study. Here, (a) we present the first global‐scale bioclimatic congruence map to analyse environmental mismatches between recently updated bioclimatic databases. We also test the importance of input matters on the reliability of distribution models of sixteen mammals, by addressing (b) inconsistencies among species response curves (temperature and precipitation), and (c) discrepancies among SDMs predictions depending on the chosen bioclimatic database. Finally, (d) we propose a strategy to assess bioclimatic consistency of model predictions, showing its application to the specific case of Litocranius walleri. Our results confirm that the single‐source modelling approach greatly influences the estimation of species–environment relationship and consequently, bias spatial predictions derived from SDMs. This is especially true for studies conducted in polar and mountainous regions which showed the smallest bioclimatic congruence. We show that by adding bioclimatic congruence to SDMs projections, we can build a bioclimatic consistency map that enables the detection of both risky and consistent areas, as revealed for the case of L. walleri. Assessing uncertainty in bioclimatic input data is key to avoid erroneous conclusions in macroecological and biogeographical studies. The spatial characterization of bioclimatic consistency provides an adequate empirical framework which effectively illustrates bioclimatic data limitations. We strongly recommend that this new strategy should be formally and systematically incorporated into distribution modelling to build more reliable SDMs, which are essential to develop successful biodiversity conservation programmes.