No Planet for Apes? Assessing Global Priority Areas and Species Affected by Linear Infrastructures

Approximately 65% of primate species are facing extinction, with threats including the impacts linear infrastructures such as roads, railways, and power lines, associated habitat loss fragmentation, direct indirect mortality, changes in animal behavioral patterns. Nevertheless, this is an often-overlooked topic primatology, there limited information on which regions most affected by infrastructures. Here, we provide a global assessment priority areas for conservation integrating from global-scale open-access data sets distributional ranges, traits, to infrastructures, together systematic literature review questionnaire sent primatological societies. We produced bivariate map that reflects patterns co-occurrence Conservation Value Infrastructure Density. From highlight Primate Mitigation Areas (regions high Density), where infrastructure mitigation should be prioritized; Preservation low represent preserved further development. primarily include Atlantic forest Brazil, Guinean forests West Africa, Southeastern Asia, whereas found principally Amazon Congo River basins. Our also list great apes gibbons ranking highest. Global projects, especially Belt Road Initiative, can seriously affect both (particularly preservation areas) vulnerable species, due massive sprawl human activity. Thus, call dedicated strategic environmental social assessments throughout these different economic corridors within Initiative planning process, prior developing projects. serve tool coordinate management actions legislation around world.