Identifying Priority Areas for Conservation Actions in the South of Ecuador

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Identifying Priority Areas for Conservation
Actions in the South of Ecuador

• Gioconda Remache B.

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Introduction

• In the 1950s and 1960s, biological ecosystems
  were considered stable and predictable
• Researches related to Tropical Ecosystems
  Functioning determine nature is unstable and
  dynamic
• Conservation networks
• capacity to maintain ecosystems processes
• capacity of resilience
• Identification of Priority Areas
• tools to preserve and manage natural and
  disturbed areas

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General Overview

• Identify Priority Areas

• Indicators selection
• Ecological Analysis
• Pressures-Threatens Analysis
• Define the priority areas
• Nucleus Zones Identification

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Study Area

• Southeast Ecuador
• 638,510.60 ha
• 800 - 3,880 m
• 64 denso, and chaparro forest 10 herbaceous
  and shrubby paramo remaining is disturbed area
• 8ºC - 20ºC
• 71 of PNP is inside

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• Podocarpus National Park
• Unique protected area in the south of the
  country.
• Floristic composition different from Northern and
  Central Andes.
• Relevant importance of endemism and biodiversity
  
• 4 species are endemic of Ecuador
• 23 are exclusively in this area
• Important Bird Area (IBA) 628 bird species
• One of the most important areas to preserve
  viable populations of Andean bears

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Indicators Selection
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Ecological Analysis
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Core Area Index

• Identifies internal areas that are not affected
  by external pressures

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Area and density

• Identifies the extension and level of compaction
  of the patches

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Remnant Vegetation

• Identifies natural remnant vegetation in each
  basin identified

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Interspersion andJuxtaposition Index

• Identifies the level of adjacency to other
  classes

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Shannon's Diversity Index

• Measure of diversity in community ecology,
  applied here to landscapes.

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Shannon's Evenness Index

• Shows the evenness of the spatial distribution of
  the identified classes

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Patch Cohesion Index

• Defines the measures of the physical
  connectedness of the corresponding patch type

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Singularity

• Quantifies scenic beauty , diversity, and
  endemism

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Mahalanobis Distance
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Ecological Analysis
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Pressure and Threatens Analysis
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Accessibility

• Determines the facility or difficulty to access
  to vulnerable zones

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Mining Industry

• Evaluates the presence or absence of mining
  industry

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Distance to towns

• Identifies the habitants influence in the study
  area

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Pressures-Threatens Analysis
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Priority Areas
Restoration Areas Recovery Areas Conservation
Areas
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Restoration Areas
Aim Reforestation and revegetation with native
species that were extracted from the area.
Moderate integrity zones, high threats. Low integrity, with high, moderate, and low threats.

• It covers 33.497,82 ha.
• 30.499,20 ha (91,05 ) are not in the category
  of protection.

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Recovery Areas
Aim To take actions to recover or regenerate
native vegetation. They surround high integrity
zones, so they are buffer zones.
High integrity zones, with high and moderate threats. Moderate integrity, with low and moderate threats.

• It covers 160.123,59 ha.
• 158.477,22 ha (70,54 ) are not in the
  category of protection.

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Conservation Areas
Aim To implement management, protection and/or
preservation actions to maintain ecological
integrity.
Very high integrity zones, with low, moderate and high threats. High integrity zones, low threats enclosed in very high and moderate integrity zones.

• It covers 224.659,35 ha.
• 138.833,55 ha (86,70 ) are
• not in the category of protection.

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Nucleus Zones

• Critical importance zones identified inside of
  the conservation areas.
• Their propose is to consolidate and strength
  conservation zones through short term decision
  proposals

• 108.396,39 ha
• Good connectivity
• 50 nucleus zones are inside of PNP.

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Discussion

• Consider to maintain the viability of umbrella
  species (Andean bear).
• Socio-economic information is needed.
• High Integrity values are isolated.
• Nucleus zones will be considered for conservation
  actions.

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• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Environmental Ministry
• ArcoIris Foundation
• Fundatierra Foundation
• Environmental Geomatic Center (CINFA)
• Ecuadorian Foundation for Ecological Studies