Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Framework: biogeographic gap analysis of Argentina’s protected area system

Biodiversity loss demands conservation strategies that integrate evolutionary and ecological processes. Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for conserving 30 per cent of terrestrial areas by 2030, emphasising ecological representativeness and areas of high conservation value. Using a biogeographical framework, we assessed Argentina’s terrestrial protected area system through spatial analyses of coverage, representativeness and inclusion of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). Argentina currently protects 11.06 per cent of its territory, well below the global target, with highly uneven representation across biogeographical provinces and districts, including critical gaps (<5 per cent coverage). Only 42 per cent of KBAs are protected, and their full inclusion would raise coverage to just 17.86 per cent. Achieving Target 3 will require not only expanding protected areas but also identifying other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), private conservation initiatives, and ecological connectivity across human-modified landscapes.