In the framework of the research group on biodiversity conservation of the CNR-ISE priority ecoregions for rodent conservation have been identified. Current emphasis on biodiversity mapping and identification of conservation priorities which are not species-specific, highlight the importance of rodents as a biodiversity indicator group. In fact Rodents occur naturally on all continent (with the exception of Antarctica) and in almost all habitat, with more than 2000 recognised species (representing more than 40% of all living mammal species). Owing to the high number of species, the poor interest of conservationists, the lack of conservation funds with the urgent necessity to prevent the complete extinction of whole phylogenetic lineages at the genus, subfamily and family level for this mammal order a taxonomic richness level (genus) approach has been used as surrogate of species richness. Such a high-taxonomic approach has been revealed more realistic, and provided a more stable basis also in identifying ancient, species-poor lineages that contribute heavily to the diversity of the rodent order at the expences of more recent, speciose clades. The study recognized 2 families and 62 rodent genera as threatened (all those genera having all the extant species listed according to the highest threatened categories by the IUCN - The World Conservation Union. The analyses highlight the Philippines, New Guinea, Sulawesi, the Caribbean, China temperate forests and the Atlantic forest of the south-east Brazil as the most important "threat-spot" for rodent conservation. A few region like the remaining forests of Togo (western Africa), and drylands of the Turanian and Mongolian-Manchurian steppe as well as the desert of the Horn of Africa are singled out as important area for rodent conservation but are not generally recognized in global biodiversity assessment.
This research besides the scientific interest, has an important practical aspect because provides governments and international organisations with some easy references for planning conservation activities at local and global level.
A collaboration with the Natural History Museum of London has been established to use and verify the results of the research throughout models performed by the Worldmap software (i.e. rarity, endemism, genera richness and biogeography).
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