Using landscape metrics and species potential distribution modeling in cities to develop the Selection of Areas for Species Conservation Index (SASCI)

Abstract

We found that SASCI reconciles the natural and anthropic contexts with the definition of the best places for conservation, and can be applied at different scales. The creation, management, and enrichment of protected areas are important strategies for the conservation of endangered species, especially in places more susceptible to biodiversity loss. However, there are few methodologies to establish priority areas for biodiversity conservation in urban areas. The objective of this study was to create the Selection of Areas for Species Conservation Index (SASCI) to verify which protected green areas in cities have more favorable environmental conditions for endangered species conservation. Based on the Forest Conservation Priority Index (FCPI), the SASCI can be applied to any species in any city. Whereas the FCPI does not consider the potential distribution of the species of interest and provides a generic overview of the best green areas for conservation without the necessary specificities for the conservation of a given species, the SASCI considers important landscape metrics in urban environments, in addition to potential distribution modeling. To elaborate the SASCI equation, weights were attributed to the landscape metrics and areas of medium and high potential distribution. The endangered species Ocotea odorifera was used as an example of the application of SASCI. Our index was instrumental in determining the best areas for the conservation of the species in Curitiba, Brazil. Thirty-one green areas were classified on a scale of three priority levels, depending on the results calculated with the SASCI.