Alessandro gave the opening plenary talk at the VI meeting of the Asociación para la Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca on Monday 30 September.

Gustavo passed his qualifying exams today -- congratulations!

A new study published in Communications Biology highlights the crucial role of microreserves in protecting the world’s most vulnerable vertebrate class – amphibians. As the global community strives to protect 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030, researchers have examined how to effectively target gaps in the existing protected area network.

The study, led by Emma Steigerwald at the University of California Berkeley, found that microreserves, defined as reserves smaller than 10 square kilometers, can play a disproportionate role in amphibian conservation. Despite their small size, microreserves can protect a significant portion of many amphibian ranges, especially threatened species. The researchers discovered that existing microreserves can host a similar level of amphibian species richness as much larger protected areas, demonstrating their effectiveness in conserving biodiversity.

“Amphibians face a multitude of threats, including habitat loss, climate change, and pollution,” said co-author Alessandro Catenazzi. “By focusing on microreserves, we can target areas that are often overlooked but can provide critical habitat for these vulnerable species.” 

Citation: Steigerwald, E.C., J. Oshiro, J. Chen, V. Vredenburg, A. Catenazzi, M. Koo. 2024. Microreserves are an important tool for amphibian conservation​. Communications Biology​ 7: 1177. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06510-0