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How do protected landscapes associated with high biodiversity and population levels change?
Pablo Cuenca1, Cristian Echeverria2
1Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador.
Plos One
|July 4, 2017
Summary
Protected areas (PAs) shield tropical forests from deforestation, but surrounding landscapes face significant forest loss and fragmentation. Market access drives deforestation, threatening biodiversity hotspots like Chocó-Darien.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Forestry
Background:
- Protected areas (PAs) aim to conserve forests but face challenges in areas with local community resource dependence.
- Effective forest protection often requires examining landscapes beyond PA boundaries, considering diverse land ownership and use restrictions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess forest cover change and fragmentation between 1990 and 2014 within and around protected areas.
- To identify drivers of forest cover change and fragmentation in the Chocó-Darien biodiversity hotspot.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of forest cover change and fragmentation patterns using geospatial data from 1990 to 2014.
- Identification of deforestation drivers, focusing on proximity to markets and transport networks.
Main Results:
- Protected areas showed varied forest cover changes, with some experiencing increased fragmentation.
- Surrounding landscapes exhibited greater forest cover loss and fragmentation, primarily driven by market access and transport networks.
- Protected areas acted as a buffer against deforestation in high-density population areas.
Conclusions:
- Protected areas are crucial for conserving tropical Andean forests but do not prevent fragmentation in adjacent areas.
- Continued deforestation trends in surrounding landscapes pose a significant threat to biodiversity in the Chocó-Darien hotspot.
- Integrated landscape management is essential for effective forest conservation.
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