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Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2016

MARTA VERGÍLIO ,
CATARINA FONSECA ,
HELENA CALADO ,
PAULO A.V. BORGES ,
RUI BENTO ELIAS ,
ROSALINA GABRIEL ,
ANTÓNIO MARTINS ,
EDUARDO AZEVEDO  and
PEDRO CARDOSO
MARTA VERGÍLIO*
Affiliation:
CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/InBIO – Associate Laboratory, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, Ponta Delgada 9501–801, Portugal
CATARINA FONSECA
Affiliation:
CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/InBIO – Associate Laboratory, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, Ponta Delgada 9501–801, Portugal
HELENA CALADO
Affiliation:
CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/InBIO – Associate Laboratory, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, Ponta Delgada 9501–801, Portugal
PAULO A.V. BORGES
Affiliation:
cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores – Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Àvila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroìsmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
RUI BENTO ELIAS
Affiliation:
cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores – Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Rua Capitão João d'Àvila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroìsmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
ROSALINA GABRIEL
Affiliation:
cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores – Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Àvila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroìsmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
ANTÓNIO MARTINS
Affiliation:
CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/InBIO – Associate Laboratory, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, Ponta Delgada 9501–801, Portugal
EDUARDO AZEVEDO
Affiliation:
Center of Climate, Meteorology and Global Change of the University of the Azores (CCMMG-CITA-A) – Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
PEDRO CARDOSO
Affiliation:
cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores – Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Àvila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroìsmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 17, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
*
*Correspondence: Marta Vergílio e-mail: marta.hs.vergilio@uac.pt
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Summary

Protected areas (PAs) have been selected using either subjective or objective criteria applied to an extremely limited subset of biodiversity. Improved availability of species distribution data, better statistical tools to predict species distributions and algorithms to optimize spatial conservation planning allow many impediments to be overcome, particularly on small islands. This study analyses whether 219 species are adequately protected by PAs on Pico Island (the Azores, Portugal), and if they are as efficient as possible, maximizing species protection while minimizing costs. We performed distribution modelling of species’ potential distributions, proposed individual conservation targets (considering the context of each species in the archipelago and their current conservation status) to determine the efficiency of current PAs in meeting such targets and identify alternative or complementary areas relevant for conservation. Results showed that current PAs do not cover all taxa, leaving out important areas for conservation. We demonstrate that by using optimization algorithms it is possible to include most species groups in spatial conservation planning in the Azores with the current resources. With increasing availability of data and methods, this approach could be readily extended to other islands and regions with high endemism levels.

Keywords

conservation targetsgenetic algorithmsprotected areassmall islandsspatial conservation planningspecies distribution modelling

Information

Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 337 - 349
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2016 

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