Forest conservation: Remember Gran Chaco

Abstract

Tropical and Subtropical dry forests around the globe are experiencing rapid clearing and concomitant biodiversity loss (1). In their Research Article "Plantdiversity patterns in neotropical dry forests and their conservation implications" (23 September 2016, p. 1383), DRYFLOR et al. highlight the often underappreciated, yet exceptional floristic richness and uniqueness of these forests, and they provide compelling arguments for ramping up efforts to protect them. We applaud the DRYFLOR team for their seminal work, but we are also concerned about the exclusion of the Gran Chaco, frequently considered the world's largest continuous tropical dry forest region.