Mapping Spatial Patterns of Habitat Loss in Protected Areas of Arid Northern Mexico

Keywords: Nature conservation, Natural Protected Areas, Arid lands, habitat loss, Mexico
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 43

Abstract

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines Protected Area (PA) as a space oriented to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. PAs have gradually increased worldwide and at least one-sixth of the terrestrial surface in the world holds the PA status. However, PAs had not been successful in biodiversity conservation. The most negative impact in biodiversity occurs in locations where vegetation has been removed. These areas represent habitat loss for plant and animal species. Protected Areas from arid lands are fragile ecosystems. This study examines vegetation loss in three Protected Areas from the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico: 1) The Federal Mapimi Biosphere Reserve, 2) The State Reserve of Real de Guadalcazar, and 3) the State Reserve of the Sacred Site of Huiricuta. I emphasize key methodological steps that enhance accuracy in the assessment of vegetation cover loss. I point out relevant findings on preliminary results by using maps constructed from satellite images, temperature and precipitation patterns, the Maximum Likelihood algorithm, field data collected by Global Positional System, and local knowledge. The conclusions show that the identification from spatial patters of vegetation loss relies on a high use of geotechnologies and systematization processes. Both of which fail to 1) explain the factors that trigger vegetation conversion patterns, and 2) discriminate efficiently the typical overlapping in PAs among anthropic cover and native vegetation cover. In this context, local knowledge as well interpretation skills become powerful tools for the analysis.