Spatial prioritization in systematic conservation planning has traditionally been developed for several to many species and/or habitats, and single-species applications are rare. We developed a novel spatial prioritization model based on accurate estimates of remotely-sensed data and maps of threats potentially affecting long-term species persistence. We used this approach to identify priority areas for the conservation of the Endangered Greek meadow viper Vipera graeca, a cold-adapted species inhabiting mountaintops in the Pindos Mountains of Greece and Albania. We transformed the mapped threats into nine variables to estimate conservation value: habitat suitability (climate suitability, habitat size, occupancy, vegetation suitability), climate change (future persistence, potential for altitudinal range shift) and land-use impact (habitat alteration, degradation, disturbance). We applied the Zonation systematic conservation planning tool with these conservation value variables as biodiversity features to rank the areas currently occupied by the species and to identify priority areas where the chances for population persistence are highest. We found that 90% of current habitats will become unsuitable by the 2080s and that conservation actions need to be implemented to avoid extinction as this is already a threatened species with a narrow ecological niche. If threats are appropriately quantified and translated into variables of conservation value, spatial conservation planning tools can successfully identify priority areas for the conservation of single species. Our study demonstrates that spatial prioritization for single umbrella, flagship or keystone species is a promising approach for the conservation of species for which few data are available.

中文翻译：

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确定在变暖的山顶上濒临灭绝的适应寒冷的蛇的优先区域

传统上，系统保护规划中的空间优先级是针对几个到多个物种和/或栖息地制定的，单一物种的应用很少见。我们基于对遥感数据的准确估计和可能影响物种长期存在的威胁地图开发了一种新的空间优先排序模型。我们使用这种方法来确定保护濒临灭绝的希腊草甸毒蛇的优先区域希腊蝰蛇，一种适应寒冷的物种，栖息在希腊和阿尔巴尼亚的平多斯山脉的山顶上。我们将映射的威胁转化为九个变量来估计保护价值：栖息地适宜性（气候适宜性、栖息地大小、占用率、植被适宜性）、气候变化（未来持续性、海拔范围变化的可能性）和土地利用影响（栖息地改变、退化， 骚乱）。我们应用了分区系统的保护规划工具，将这些保护价值变量作为生物多样性特征，对物种当前占据的区域进行排名，并确定种群持续存在机会最高的优先区域。我们发现，到 2080 年代，目前 90% 的栖息地将变得不适合，需要采取保护行动以避免灭绝，因为这已经是一个生态位狭窄的受威胁物种。如果威胁被适当量化并转化为保护价值变量，空间保护规划工具可以成功地确定单一物种保护的优先区域。我们的研究表明，单个伞的空间优先级，