Aim In this study, we (1) determine whether simple species distribution models based on regional data provide incomplete descriptions of potential distributions; (2) investigate whether underrepresented areas where potential distributions are estimated using only regional data are spatially and environmentally structured; and (3) examine why regional data may not adequately describe potential distributions. Location Iberian Peninsula. Methods We used a multidimensional envelope procedure to estimate the potential distributional areas of 73 species of Iberian diving beetles (Dytiscidae) using two data sets (Iberian data and data from the entire range). We used a Mann–Whitney U-test to compare the features (climate, number of database records and proportion of human-transformed land uses) of these underrepresented areas with those of the remaining Iberian territory. Results By comparing species-richness estimates obtained by overlaying predicted species distributions modelled using either global or regional data, we found that some areas of species’ potential distributions are underrepresented when only regional data are used. Incomplete estimates of potential distributions when using only Iberian data may be partly attributable to limited survey efforts combined with unique local climates, but none of the considered factors by itself seems to fully explain this underrepresentation. Main conclusions Our results show that species data from regional inventories may provide an incomplete description of the environmental limits of most species, resulting in a biased description of species’ niches. The results of distribution models based on partial information about the environmental niche of a species may be inaccurate. To minimize this error, we highlight the importance of considering all known populations of a given species or at least a sample of populations distributed across the whole range, to include environmental extremes of the distribution. We highlight some methodological and conceptual concerns that should be considered when attempting to infer potential distributions from occurrence data.

This paper addresses the conservation status of the spectacled bear Tremarctos ornatus in the northern Andes (Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador) by analysing the degree of range fragmentation and estimating habitat availability. From satellite images we constructed maps of remnant habitat blocks, consisting of Andean forest and páramo (high elevation shrublands and grassland) ecosystems. This information was overlain with a road map to determine potential isolation of populations, and a human accessibility model was used to estimate the core area of each block. This analysis revealed that the species' range is fragmented by landscape transformation and roads into 113 blocks >100 km², representing 42% of the original extent of the bear's distribution. Forty percent of the blocks are 5,000 km². However, taking into account only core area, 56% of the blocks are 5,000 km². In addition, many blocks have internal patches of colonization, further reducing habitat quality. This effect is more severe in smaller fragments, where internal disturbances constitute a high proportion of the block area. We used a high population density estimate of 0.25, a medium density of 0.11 and a low density of 0.04 bears per km² to estimate population sizes. Twenty-nine populations are likely to have >500 individuals with the high estimate, but only nine with the medium and one with the low estimate (largest estimated population was 9,048 bears). These estimates are much lower if only the core area of blocks is used. Hunting has been identified as a major threat for many bear populations. Our analyses indicate that a regional conservation strategy for spectacled bear should focus on maintaining or increasing habitat availability in larger blocks, and reducing human-induced mortality across the region.

The Water Energy Food nexus is a powerful topic in agricultural systems to elucidate threats to biodiversity conservation and culture. This paper aimed to recapitulate nexus thinking research, focusing on social-ecological transitions of agriculture systems and biodiversity management within the Water-Energy-Food nexus. We developed a systematic review and a bibliometric analysis derived from 529 documents in the Scopus database. The ToS method identified a total of 81 relevant information in the sample of documents (529) categorised into roots (10), trunks (9) and leaves (62). This review paper situates types, focus, and highlights regarding biodiversity and prevalent thematic research areas such as “Food Nexus”, “Environmental Flows”, “Sustainability”, “Transitions”, and “Governance”. Our results suggest that future research should focus on the nexus of “Water-Energy-Food-Biodiversity” and propose a transdisciplinary approach to elucidate the state of sustainability transitions in the agricultural systems at the landscape level. It could increase stakeholder interest in conservation, and sustainability management, to reverse biodiversity losses in ecosystems.

Land-use decision making in densely populated cities is challenged to cover the urban demand for water and food while maintaining the integrity of ecosystems that regulate the supply of these ecosystem services, beyond urban limits. Land-use decision making can be informed using spatial analysis of ecosystem services supply and demand, shedding light on potential mismatches, surpluses, deficits, and unsustainable uses of ecosystems. The integration of such analysis in land-use decision making, however, can be challenged by the complexity of the hierarchical and inflexible planning models used in various countries. We explored how the analysis of potential mismatches, surpluses, and deficits in the supply and demand of water and fertile soil can be spatially assessed for urban areas, and how such information can be used to inform land-use decision making. We used official data and geoprocessing methods to map water -supply, demand, and risk for water scarcity-, and fertile supply –supply, demand, and risk for food insecurity-, for Bogota and Villavicencio. We showed a high risk for water scarcity in Bogota, and an increasing competition for fertile soil between urbanization and agriculture. We recommended a cooperative management strategy of ecosystems and services considering that both cities shared river basins and natural reserves, in addition to their strike differences in population size. Inter-jurisdictional and inter-municipal cooperation, in addition to strong governance, are necessary to handle mismatches of urban ecosystem services supply and demand, and a potential solution to solve conflicts related to access, availability, and jurisdiction of ecosystem services in urban areas..