Published In

Science Advances

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-16-2025

Subjects

Threatened species -- mass extinction

Abstract

Human impacts on carnivores are a persistent conservation challenge worldwide. We present a global analysis showing the overlap of conservation lands and the cumulative impact of humans on the distribution ranges of 257 terrestrial carnivore species. Our findings reveal that 64% of carnivore ranges overlap with areas characterized by high human pressures. We found that Indigenous peoples' lands emerge as crucial for carnivore population viability, potentially safeguarding 26% of carnivore ranges globally, while protected and wilderness areas cover roughly 10 and 16% of carnivore ranges, respectively. These three areas combined cover 35% of the global range of carnivores. Reducing human pressure on conservation lands and managing them to protect carnivores are therefore critical, yet challenging. The extent of carnivore ranges outside these areas underscores the necessity to expand the network of conservation lands, which are a pivotal component of global conservation planning, alongside broader proactive species-specific conservation measures.

Rights

Copyright (c) 2025 The Authors Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Locate the Document

10.1126/sciadv.adq2853

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adq2853

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43965

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Included in

Anthropology Commons

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