Umbrella Species Concept Revisited

The conservation strategy of the umbrella species concept is based on the assumption that protecting one species, i.e. flagship or keystone species, confers a “protective umbrella” to co-occurring species.

In their Letter to Conservation Biology, our colleague Tati Micheletti and her peers explain how and why conclusions about umbrella species’ value can be misinterpreted. Their work highlights the importance of a careful attention to methods and can be considered very important for conservation efforts.

Micheletti et al. (2025): Reconciling opposite conclusions in umbrella species evaluation. Conservation Biology, e70106. doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70106 (OPEN ACCESS)