Title
Regional Spatial Analysis: a Tool to Reduce Impacts on Biodiversity from Infrastructure Projects.
Author(s)
Valdivieso, Sebastian; Celi, Jorge; Ordonez, Francis; Zapata-Rios, Galo
Published
2017
Abstract
Infrastructure and natural resource extraction projects have the potential to produce irreversible negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Several of these negative effects could be addressed at early stages of these projects, such as conceptual development, feasibility analyses or project site selection, with appropriate early spatial analyses. Unfortunately, spatial analyses are often performed at a project level and do not consider relevant biodiversity information, making difficult for decision makers to effectively address, at an appropriate scale, the risk of loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. To reduce these risks on biodiversity, we propose the development of a set of maps that reflect environmental sensitivity at the regional or landscape level. We tested this methodology in the upper Napo River basin of Ecuador. The maps we generated came from three sources of information: 1) conservation status, 2) ecosystem services and 3) human threats. The sources of information were developed considering the most reliable sources and the scales that best fitted the objectives of the analysis. To define the conservation status, we used spatial information of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, habitat suitability models, and land use change. For ecosystem services we used above-ground carbon stock, terrestrial biological resources, aquatic biological resources and productivity of aquatic ecosystems. And for human threats, we used cumulative impacts from roads, oil and mining concessions, demographics, hunting and deforestation. Final maps are a spatial representation of the conservation priorities for the area and provide information regarding the location and the relative importance of natural areas. With this information, environmental and regional authorities can make better and more informed decisions, especially during the early phases of a project, reducing the risk of loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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PUB26984