Áreas prioritárias e conectividade funcional multiespécie: dos processos metodológicos às prioridades de conservação

Abstract

Landscapes with greater connectivity are essential to minimize biodiversity losses. In this work, we present a methodological proposal for the definition of Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) through multispecies functional connectivity, developed in a Biosphere Reserve under pressure from mineral extraction activities, a region known as the Quadrilátero Ferrífero. The methodology included the identification of endangered and endemic target species, birds and mammals, the organization of a land cover and land use map, the participation of specialists and the modeling of functional ecological corridors using the LsCorridors software. We present alternatives to organize the results in GIS environments to define PACs and identify values of overlap between corridors for different species, which allowed generating corridors for groups of species with preferential habitat in the Atlantic Forest (Seasonal Forest), Cerrado (Savanna) and Rupestrian Grasslands. This methodology can be an alternative to identify biodiversity conservation areas on a regional scale, in different landscapes and for different species or groups of species. Lastly, we generated socio-environmental data for the 24 PACs identified, such as the presence of Ferruginous Rupestrian Grasslands, a unique ecosystem highly threatened by mining activity, pressure from other anthropic activities, percentages of Legal Reserve within the PACs, as well as the presence of remnant communities of quilombos that will be able to support the implementation of regional environmental policies and for the conservation of a reserve of international importance.