While new conservation areas are generally recommended to be added to existing ones, this study found that areas far from existing conservation areas would provide more conservation impact.
Here we report the results of a global species assessment for the largest plant taxon evaluated to date under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria, the iconic Cactaceae (cacti). We show that cacti are among the most threatened taxonomic groups assessed to date, with 31% of the 1,478 evaluated species threatened, demonstrating the high anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity in arid lands.
The NatureServe Biodiversity Indicators Dashboard enables users to track four indicators of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear, user-friendly format