Identifying optimized on-the-ground priority areas for species conservation in a global biodiversity hotspot

Threatened species are inadequately represented within protected areas (PAs) across the globe. Species conservation planning may be improved by using public species-occurrence databases, but empirical evidence is limited of how that may be accomplished at local scales. We used the Three Parallel Rivers Region of China as a case to investigate the utility of public species data in improvement in conservation planning. We mapped the distribution of each species as suitable habitat ranges using species distribution models (for 261 plants and 29 animals with ≥5 occurrences) or as point locations (for 591 plants and 328 animals with