Connectivity for conservation: a systematc approach to link relevant areas for conservation with the biosphere reserve Sierra del Abra Tanchipa
In the last three centuries, the planet’s biomes have changed. Human beings have drastically altered the quantity, pattern and composition of natural vegetation globally, fragmenting native vegetation in patches, forming a matrix composed by decreasing numbers of natural areas and growing numbers of...
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| Tipo de documento: | dissertação |
| Estado: | Versão publicada |
| Data de publicação: | 2019 |
| País: | México |
| Recursos: | Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí |
| Repositório: | Repositorio Institucional de la UASLP |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:repositorioinstitucional.uaslp.mx:i/5732 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://repositorioinstitucional.uaslp.mx/xmlui/handle/i/5732 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Connectivity conservation, Protected Areas, Voluntarily Destined Areas for Conservation Conservación para la biodiversidad, Areas Naturales Protegidas, Areas destinadas voluntariamente a la Conservación BIOLOGÍA Y QUIMICA |
| Resumo: | In the last three centuries, the planet’s biomes have changed. Human beings have drastically altered the quantity, pattern and composition of natural vegetation globally, fragmenting native vegetation in patches, forming a matrix composed by decreasing numbers of natural areas and growing numbers of areas modified by anthropogenic activities. When the connectivity between natural areas are altered by fragmentation, native biodiversity is threatened, because fragmentation isolates the habitat of plants and animals, preventing the movement of organisms and processes that occur in habitats of connected landscapes. In this process, often areas designated for biodiversity conservation, the so-called Protected Areas (PA), become ‘islands’ surrounded by a matrix formed by anthropogenic activities. However, the conservation of biodiversity is optimized when protected areas are connected, Due to international commitments, since 2016 Mexico, seeks to implement connectivity approaches into biodiversity conservation policies. The Biosphere Reserve Sierra Abra Tanchipa (BRSAT) is located in the mountain range Sierra Madre Oriental in northeastern of Mexico, has an exceptional landscape with an important extension of deciduous and sub-deciduous tropical forests with great biological diversity. This includes endemic and threatened taxa of plants and animals. BRSAT is surrounded by a complex fragmented landscape of agricultural activities, and land uses. The aim of this research is to develop a systematic approach to link BRSAT with relevant areas for conservation integrating physical ecological and socio economic data of the landscape to find the most suitable areas for connectivity conservation and to explore their incorporation to a voluntary conservation scheme. The analysis was made through mapping different criteria with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (Arcgis 10.5) and with the Least Cost Path tool, using as a resistant layer, and the most relevant areas for conservation. Secondly, physical, ecological and socio economic data was combined to obtain a suitability map to identify the optimal areas for conservation adjacent to the connectivity route. This was achieved through an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method that considers experts weighted assessment for the elected variables. Finally, through interviews to landowners, government agents, and academia experts, to a brief look of the knowledge, motivations and constraints to establish protected areas to create connectivity under the national Mexican Scheme for ‘Voluntary Destined Areas for Conservation’ (VDAC) was obtained. The routes connect BRSAT with relevant areas for conservation and go across mainly through Ejidos, with high and medium values of suitability. There were critical areas found, that could help to promote connectivity for conservation, mainly in the surroundings of BRSAT (Ejido las Pitas). In addition, areas with high suitability values for connectivity conservation were found in the south of the study area, close to Biosphere Reserve Sierra Gorda. This connectivity route has not being analyzed properly before. Moreover, according to the interviews there is a good potential establish VDCA to protect natural resources, to help to create connectivity and to generate benefits to the landowners. This results helps to fulfill Mexican mandates to create new areas for conservation, and to reconnect to the threatened of BRSAT which otherwise would become an isolated area. Additionally, to explore among some stakeholders the potential to establish through the route, private protected areas destined voluntarily by the landowners. |
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