Connectivity conservation at the crossroads: protected areas versus payments for ecosystem services in conserving connectivity for Colombian carnivores

Autor: Diego A. Zárrate Charry, José F. González-Maya, Andrés Arias-Alzate, J. Sebastián Jiménez-Alvarado, Jessica Dayanh Reyes Arias, Dolors Armenteras, Matthew G. Betts
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Royal Society Open Science, Vol 9, Iss 1 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2054-5703
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201154
Popis: Protected areas (PAs) constitute one of the main tools for global landscape conservation. Recently, payments for environmental services (PES) have attracted interest from national and regional governments and are becoming one of the leading conservation policy instruments in tropical countries. However, the degree to which areas designated for PES overlap with areas that are critical for maintaining species' landscape connectivity is rarely evaluated. We estimated habitat distributions and connectivity for 16 of the 22 mammalian carnivores occurring in the Caribbean region of Colombia, and identified the overlap between existing PAs and areas identified as being important for connectivity for these species. We also evaluated the potential impact of creation of new PAs versus new PES areas on conserving connectivity for carnivores. Our results show that PAs cover only a minor percentage of the total area that is important for maintaining connectivity ([Formula: see text]). On the other hand, PES, if implemented extensively, could contribute substantially to mammalian carnivores’ connectivity ([Formula: see text]). However, in a more realistic scenario with limited conservation investment in which fewer areas are set aside, a strategy based on implementing new PAs seems superior to PES. We argue that prioritizing designation of new PAs will be the most efficient means through which to maintain connectivity.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals