Knowledge gaps and conservation priorities for west African chelonians

What is it about?

Defining priorities is important in both research and conservation, especially when knowledge gaps are hindering successful management. In this review, we quantify the knowledge gaps for all non-marine West African chelonians based on 21 criteria. This work builds on previous attempts to outline location-based priorities for turtles and tortoises, but also incorporates the filling of knowledge gaps as a critical component of successful conservation. This review, based on a similar review of research and conservation priorities for Colombian chelonians, also allows for intercontinental comparisons of the status of research and turtle conservation. We find this to be a valuable and useful contribution to the available literature on these seldom-studied, yet increasingly threatened species.

Featured Image