Maria Isabel Arce Plata

Tropical Dry Forests are among the most endangered ecosystems worldwide. In Colombia, they have also been declared a highly endangered ecosystem, yet between 2000 and 2020, approximately 10–20% of their habitat and connectivity were lost.

We found that:

• For 755 bird, mammal, and plant species distributed across Colombia’s Tropical Dry Forests, habitat loss continues, mainly due to conversion to productive land-cover types such as pasturelands and plantations.

• Mammals were the most affected group by these habitat conversions.

• The Species Habitat Index, an indicator included in the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, proved useful at a local scale to assess ecosystem status and to better link these results with national-level biodiversity commitments.

• Only about 12% of the remaining habitat is located within protected areas.

The surrounding landscape of these forests is highly transformed, and few large, continuous areas remain. Therefore, protecting what is left will require promoting sustainable land-use practices and working closely with local communities, including the establishment of ecological corridors to support connectivity among remaining habitat patches.