30 years of satellite data show imperiled species are most vulnerable to habitat loss on private lands

To stem the ongoing loss of biodiversity, there is an urgent need to distinguish between effective and ineffective approaches for protecting species habitats. Using Google Earth Engine and 30 years of Landsat images, we quantify habitat change for 24 vertebrates on the U.S. Endangered Species List (ESA) and IUCN Red List across different categories of land ownership (e.g., federal, state, and private) that are subject to different conservation-focused legal restrictions. These estimates exclude changes due to agricultural conversion and burned areas. Imperiled species evaluated lost the least habitat (3.6%) on federal lands, while losses on private lands without conservation easements were more than twice as great (8.1%). Differences in annual percent loss before and after species were placed on the Endangered Species List, and between ESA and Red List species suggest that the ESA limited habitat loss and was most effective on federal lands. These results emphasize the importance of federal lands for protecting habitat for imperiled species and highlight the need to improve habitat protection on private lands for long-term conservation.