Abstract
This study presents a spatial analysis of priority areas for biodiversity conservation (PABCs) in Brazil and their coverage by federal protected areas as an indicator of the level of protection afforded to biodiversity in the country and the convergence of environmental protection policies in the sphere of federal government. Georeferenced data were processed using a geographic information system, enabling the calculation of areas, analyses of superimpositions, localizations, and the obtainment of other information using spatial features manipulated in this system. A comparative analysis is done of the PABCs mapped in two periods (2003 and 2007) to ascertain the evolution of this public policy instrument in detecting environmental priorities in protected areas. The improved coverage of PABCs by protected areas in the more recent mapping indicates a good convergence of environmental policies, which are enhanced by technical improvements to mapping procedures and methods for identifying such areas. As a result, the priority areas for biodiversity conservation could become a protected area regulated and recognized by the federal government.
Highlights
Brazil has been termed a megadiverse country because it harbors such a large proportion of the planet’s biodiversity: 15% - 20%
This study presents a spatial analysis of priority areas for biodiversity conservation (PABCs) in Brazil and their coverage by federal protected areas as an indicator of the level of protection afforded to biodiversity in the country and the convergence of environmental protection policies in the sphere of federal government
The improved coverage of PABCs by protected areas in the more recent mapping indicates a good convergence of environmental policies, which are enhanced by technical improvements to mapping procedures and methods for identifying such areas
Summary
Brazil has been termed a megadiverse country because it harbors such a large proportion of the planet’s biodiversity: 15% - 20%. It was the first signatory in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Due to the Brazilian continental dimensions and great geomorphological and climatic variations, Brazil hosts six biomes and a coastal marine ecosystem [1]. To be classified as a hotspot, the area must contain at least 0.5% (1500) of the 300,000 known plant species in the world and it must have lost 70% of its primary vegetation [2]. A hotspot is a highly biodiverse area that is under considerable anthropogenic pressure
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