RT Journal Article
T1 Unveiling Emerging Trends and Gaps in Scientific Research on Vertebrate Biodiversity in Tropical Savannahs
A1 Ferreira, Marcelo Martins
A1 Bobrowiec, Paulo Estefano Dineli
A1 Mustin Carvalho, Karen
A1 Carvalho, William Douglas
AB Savannahs are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to the rapid change in their land use for forestry, soybean cultivation, and pasture. However, savannahs are less studied than tropical forest ecosystems despite this intense anthropogenic pressure. As such, here we investigate the gaps and trends in scientific research on terrestrial vertebrates in tropical savannahs, via a systematic search for scientific articles on the Web of Science platform. Subsequently, to identify the geographic distribution of the studies, we divided the total number of articles by the area of the Savannah biome (in km2) that occurs in each country. Our results show that Africa has a deficit in scientific research on terrestrial vertebrates compared to Oceania and South America, and that this global trend in the distribution of studies is closely related to the Human Development Index. We also identified land use change and fire dynamics as the most studied drivers of biodiversity loss, while invasive species and climate change were the least well studied. Finally, our research revealed that about 80% of the articles focused on mammals and birds, and that phylogenetic and functional diversity were the least studied dimensions of vertebrate biodiversity in tropical savannahs. These results are concerning for conservation efforts, as they reveal not only a substantial geographic gap but also a limited and biased understanding of savannah biodiversity.
PB John Wiley & Sons
SN 2045-7758
YR 2026
FD 2026-02-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/136553
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/136553
LA eng
NO Ferreira, M. M., Bobrowiec, P. E. D., Mustin, K., & Carvalho, W. D. (2026). [Rev. of Unveiling Emerging Trends and Gaps in Scientific Research on Vertebrate Biodiversity in Tropical Savannahs]. Ecology and Evolution, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/ECE3.72917
NO This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (01.02.016301.005462/2024-32); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (88881.934045/2024-01); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (BG22/00121, CA3/RSUE/2021-00197, and RYC2023-045231-I); and the National Geographic Society (NGS-96963R-22).
NO Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas
NO CAPES (Brazil)
NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
NO National Geographic Society (U.S.)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 12 may 2026