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Network expansion of marine protected areas in a changing world is a difficult task for conservation planners. Brazil experiences a combination of low and uneven protection of marine environmets, increasing anthropogenic pressures, climate change, and gaps in information regarding the geographical distribution of many species (Wallacean shortfall). Here, we addressed these issues and present a strategy for identifying priority marine areas for conservation in Brazil that would contribute to increasing species representation and achievement of conservation targets. Within this strategy, we accounted for (i) species range shifts due to climate change and their influence on species distribution, (ii) the lack of species geographical distribution data, and (iii) anthropic pressures on oceans. First, we built ecological niche models (ENMs) for 12 threatened starfish species in both present and future (2100) times using Maxent. We also quantified and mapped species range shifts. Second, we developed three conservation spatial solutions and compared the 10% top-ranked areas. The results showed that ENMs had a good performance in representing the distribution of species, even those that had few occurrence records. Our models forecasted a significant range expansion for the majority of species (10 out 12) by 2100. We found that the priority sites covering the top-ranked 10% in the study area identified in ours conservation spatial solutions would protect between 10.41% and 15.88%, on average, of suitable areas for the starfish species. Our results indicated priority sites for conservation less affected by anthropic pressures (~2%) when data on human impacts on oceans were incorporated into the spatial prioritization process. We identified a network of priority marine sites for conservation that minimized human influence and considered the effects of climate change on species distribution. We used threatened starfish species as a case study for illustrating our approach; however, such an approach could be applied to any taxonomic group, which supports the development of more effective conservation actions that represent biodiversity under such threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We defined global spatial priorities for conservation of carnivores. [•] We found a spatial conservation conflict between agricultural expansion and carnivore conservation. [•] This conflict is alleviated if spatial conservation prioritization process includes agricultural expansion data. [•] Accounting for agricultural expansion in spatial prioritization process resulted in a lower representation of carnivores. [•] To be more effective, different conservation actions should be implemented regarding agricultural expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Envenomation caused by Lonomia obliqua caterpillars is an increasing problem in Southern Brazil. The clinical profile is characterized by a profound hemorrhagic disorder. In the present study, we describe the characterization of a fibrin(ogen)olytic factor (lonofibrase) isolated from a venomous secretion of the caterpillars. The crude extract showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect in the rate of thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting and produced fragmentation of fibrinogen. Isolation of the fibrin(ogen)olytic enzyme was achieved by combining ion exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration in a fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. A single 35-kDa band was identified and the isolated enzyme named lonofibrase. Lonofibrase rapidly degrades Aα and Bβ chains of fibrinogen, also being able to cleave fibrin in a distinct way from that observed with plasmin. The presence of lonofibrase with both fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic activities in L. obliqua secretion is coherent with the severe hemorrhagic clinical profile resulting from envenomation caused by these insects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biodiversity founds ecosystem services which guarantee human survival and wellbeing. Halt biodiversity loss requires efficient conservation actions, and the establishment of protected areas is a crucial strategy. However, their planning is still hindered by shortfalls of data, particularly in neglected regions such as Caatinga, a Brazilian biome dominated by tropical dry forests. We used global range maps of tetrapods and local environmental information to mapping species' Area of Habitat (AOH) and support conservation assessment and spatial prioritization in Caatinga. We quantified biodiversity's representation in current protected areas (PAs) and indigenous lands (ILs), as well in priority areas (PRIs) proposed by government for future conservation. Following international targets for 2020 and 2030, we presented a prioritization solution to protect 17% and 30% of biome. PAs and ILs, covering 9.1% of the Caatinga, represent on average 9.8% of species' AOH, with 37 gap species. By protecting 15.3–32.0% of biome, PRIs networks might increase the current mean to 15.2%–37.5% of species' AOH, still resulting in gap species. Our solution represents on average 26.8–42.5% of species' AOH, with no gap species, and effectively represent more than 91% of tetrapods at higher risk. Opportunity costs displaced priorities to areas less affected by human activities, mainly reducing threatened species' representation. Optimized use of available data, including global maps refined by local information, help to support efficient conservation planning. Once that improve the conservation benefits becomes urgent nowadays, when science-based initiatives are under attack, our approach might contribute to other vulnerable and poorly known biomes. Unlabelled Image • Conservation planning in Caatinga might be improved by mapping species' area of habitat (AOH) from global database. • Spatial prioritization based on AOH support an optimal expansion of protected areas (PAs). • Species at higher risk are the most protected based on suitable habitat's representation in PAs. • Opportunity costs might reduce threatened species' representation in Caatinga. • Our methodological framework can be extended to other vulnerable and poorly known regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The destruction of natural habitats is causing loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Although a "zero deforestation" is targeted, agriculture expansion caused by increasing human population and per capita consumption might boost the destruction of natural habitats in the coming decades. Here, we estimated the current and future extinction crisis in terrestrial ecoregions caused by habitat destruction and related this pattern with the current conservation efforts. We applied an Endemics-Area Relationship to assess vertebrates' potential extinctions in 513 ecoregions based on current land cover data and a future scenario of habitat loss. We compared our predictions to the proportion of the ecoregions' area formally protected, testing the concordance between threat distribution and conservation efforts. Finally, we evaluated how the distribution of threat relates to the biodiversity hotspots delimitation. We found that 2134 endemic vertebrates are currently threatened due to accumulated habitat loss, which is consistent with the assessment of the IUCN Red List. Further, this threat could overtake 4209 species when considering habitat loss projections to 2040. Our findings indicate a high concentration of threat in a few megadiverse localities, some of them outside the biodiversity hotspots. We found little overlap between our predictions of extinction and current protected areas distribution. This study supports current biodiversity crisis diagnoses and the expected recrudescence of Anthropocene defaunation in the future when considering scenarios of further habitat destruction. Our analysis also contributes to the definition of global priorities to prevent further biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]