Nature representation in South American protected areas: country contrasts and conservation priorities

Author:

Baldi Germán1,Schauman Santiago1,Texeira Marcos23,Marinaro Sofía4,Martin Osvaldo A.1,Gandini Patricia5,Jobbágy Esteban G.1

Affiliation:

1. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada San Luis, Universidad Nacional de San Luis & CONICET, San Luis, Argentina

2. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

3. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura, Universidad de Buenos Aires & CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

4. Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán & CONICET, Horco Molle, Argentina

5. Instituto Ciencias del Ambiente, Sustentabilidad y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral & CONICET, Puerto Deseado, Argentina

Abstract

Background South America faces strong environmental pressures as a result of agriculture and infrastructure expansion and also of demographic growth, demanding immediate action to preserve natural assets by establishing protected areas. Currently, 7.1% of the (sub)continent is under strict conservation categories (I to IV, IUCN), but the spatial distribution of these 1.3 × 106 km2 is poorly understood. We evaluated the representation of nature within the networks of protected areas, map conservation priorities and assess demographic, economic or geopolitical causes of existing protection patterns. Methods We characterized nature representation by looking at two components: the extent and the equality of protection. The first refers to the fraction of territory under protection, while the second refers to the homogeneity in the distribution along natural conditions of this protected fraction. We characterized natural conditions by either 113 biogeographical units (specifically, ecoregions) or a series of limited and significant climatic, topographic and edaphic traits. We analyzed representation every ten years since 1960 at national and continental levels. In the physical approach, histograms allowed us to map the degree of conservation priorities. Finally, we ranked the importance of different economic or geopolitical variables driving the observed distributions with a random forest technique. Results Nature representation varied across countries in spite of its priority in conservation agendas. In Brazil, Peru and Argentina there are still natural conditions with no formal protection, while in Bolivia and Venezuela, protected areas incorporate the natural diversity in a more balanced manner. As protected networks have increased their extent, so did their equality across and within countries over time. Our maps revealed as top continental priorities the southern temperate, subhumid and fertile lowland environments, and other country-specific areas. Protection extent was generally driven by a low population density and isolation, while other variables like distance to frontiers, were relevant only locally (e.g., in Argentina). Discussion Our description of the spatial distribution of protected areas can help societies and governments to improve the allocation of conservation efforts. We identified the main limitations that future conservation efforts will face, as protection was generally driven by the opportunities provided by low population density and isolation. From a methodological perspective, the physical approach reveals new properties of protection and provides tools to explore nature representation at different spatial, temporal and conceptual levels, complementing the traditional ones based on biodiversity or biogeographical attributes.

Funder

Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research

Publisher

PeerJ

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine,General Neuroscience

Reference68 articles.

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2. Las Áreas Protegidas de la Argentina;APN,2007

3. Representation of ecological systems within the protected areas network of the continental United States;Aycrigg;PLOS ONE,2013

4. Opportunities drive the global distribution of protected areas;Baldi;PeerJ,2017

5. National parks, conservation, and agrarian reform in Peru;Barker;Geographical Review,1980

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