Research overview: spatial vulnerability mapping to prioritize felid refugia

Identifying where to concentrate conservation under climate change requires mapping vulnerability, combining exposure to change with the value and irreplaceability of habitat. This overview surveys how spatial vulnerability and prioritization analyses integrate climate projections, current habitat quality, threat layers, and connectivity to rank areas for action. It reviews applications across cat ranges where resources are limited and threats numerous. The synthesis frames vulnerability mapping as the analytical step that turns broad concern into specific spatial priorities, explaining how overlaying what is at stake with what is most threatened helps conservationists decide where protecting refugia and corridors will most reduce the risk of losing felid populations as climate and land use change.