Approaches to Corridor Planning: Transitioning TAMARIN from Mata Atlantica to Madagascar

Abstract

Effective long-term species conservation requires a conservation approach targeted at all scales at which biodiversity occurs, from the scale of species occurrences to the scale of populations and the ecological processes needed to sustain them (Noss, 2002). Protected areaand site-level initiatives have proven to be effective at protecting habitat, even when resources for effective management are lacking (Bruner et al., 2001), but protected areas alone are often of insufficient size to sustain viable populations of the species they are designed to protect (see, for example, Newmark, 1995). The total area accessible to conservation target species can be increased by connecting protected areas through biological corridors and stepping stones of habitat (Beier and Noss, 1998). But even with large protected areas and effective connectivity networks, human population pressures and incompatible land and resource use in surrounding areas can compromise biodiversity conservation goals (Wiens, 1996). In order to achieve the effective conservation of species, populations and ecological processes, a regional-scale biodiversity conservation corridor approach is necessary. Biodiversity conservation corridors have two objectives—the primary objective is the conservation or restoration of naturally functioning landscapes and the species diversity naturally present within the landscape; the secondary objective is the reconciliation of biodiversity conservation with the livelihood aspirations of human communities in the region and national development goals. Within biodiversity conservation corridors, irreplaceable biodiversity areas are put under strict protection, areas that can support both conservation and development goals through sustainable use and direct incentives for conservation are also identified, while economically important areas are targeted for more intensive development. A biodiversity conservation corridor is therefore a landscape in which land use, incentives, and policies are designed to achieve conservation objectives while contributing to economic development (Sanderson et al., 2003). Chapter 9 Approaches to Corridor Planning: Transitioning TAMARIN from Mata Atlantica to Madagascar