Chimpanzees and Elephants Can Be Used as Reliable Flagship‐Umbrella Species for Eco‐Labels

ABSTRACT Eco‐labels are effective financial tools for implementing biodiversity‐based land management near protected areas. When eco‐labels market flagship species conservation, it is essential to ensure that these species also serve as umbrella species, benefiting broader biodiversity. This study assessed the potential of flagship species, chimpanzees and elephants, to act as umbrella species by analyzing their co‐occurrence with other species and evaluating species‐specific responses to anthropogenic pressures. Using 61,348 camera trap clips and illegal activities recorded during 4 years in Sebitoli protected forest (Kibale National Park, Uganda) surrounded by a highly anthropized landscape, we built a joint Species Distribution Model for chimpanzees, elephants, and 29 other taxa, including five threatened taxa. The co‐occurrence matrix showed that chimpanzees and elephants were respectively co‐occurrent with 26 and 20 other taxa, including respectively four and three threatened taxa. The intensity of illegal activities targeting wildlife (snaring) was significantly negatively impacting the detection of 18 of the taxa studied, including chimpanzees and elephants and three other threatened taxa. The intensity of illegal activities targeting flora had a significant negative impact on the detection of eight taxa, including elephants. Co‐occurrence patterns supported the potential umbrella species role of chimpanzees and elephants through the shared benefits of their habitat conservation. Results allowed us to recommend the reduction of illegal activities, especially snaring, as a relevant shared conservation action to promote within future label standards. Although chimpanzees co‐occurred with more species than elephants, elephants appeared as better surrogates for anthropogenic threats than chimpanzees, underlining their complementarity as umbrella species.