Manuel Peralvo

Identification of Biodiversity Conservation Priorities using Predictive Modeling: An Application for the Equatorial Pacific Region of South America

We used predictive modeling of species distributions to identify conservation priority areas in the equatorial Pacific region of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Museum and herbarium data and predictive models of species distributions are increasingly being used to assess the conservation status of individual species. In this study, we assembled occurrence data for 28 species of vascular plants, birds, and mammals to assess the conservation priorities of the set of natural communities that they represent. Environmental variables were used to predict the species’ distributions using correlative modeling as an alternative to point data, which has been the traditional approach to identify critical areas. Specific priority sites for conservation were identified using an area-selection algorithm based on simulated annealing. Four scenarios of prioritization were created using different criteria for the spatial compactness of the selected sites and fragmentation of remnant habitat. The results provide a preliminary assessment of conservation priorities for the dry ecosystems of the Equatorial Pacific region, and will serve as guidelines to focus future fieldwork.

Food habits of Andean bears in the Oyacachi River Basin, Ecuador

The Andean bear may be considered an umbrella species in South America because it uses large areas and a wide diversity of habitats. In addition, protection of Andean bear habitats is directly connected to the conservation of watersheds to safeguard future water supplies. Finally, the charisma of the species has been instrumental in improving the publics attitude toward wildlife (Cuesta 1998). However, Andean bears are threatened by habitat loss and conflicts with humans (Suairez 1999). In Ecuador, habitat loss due to agricultural activities has resulted in fragmentation and isolation of bear populations (Cuesta et al. 1999, Suairez 1999), whereas poaching has contributed to population reductions. Annual bear mortality due to poaching is estimated at 70-120 individuals (Adams and Mazariegos 1994 in Suarez 1999). Information about the ecology of Andean bears is crucial to provide a more solid basis for bear conservation. Diet studies provide such important information. Our study objective was to improve the knowledge of the ecology of this species in Ecuador by examining Andean bear diets in the Oyacachi area and the habitats that provide those foods.

Delineating priority habitat areas for the conservation of Andean bears in northern Ecuador

Abstract We sought to identify priority areas for the conservation of Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) habitat in the northern portion of the eastern Andean cordillera in Ecuador. The study area included páramo and montane forest habitats within the Antisana and Cayambe-Coca ecological reserves, and unprotected areas north of these reserves with elevations ranging from 1,800 to 4,300 m. We collected data on bear occurrence along 53 transects during 2000–01 in the Oyacachi River basin, an area of indigenous communities within the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. We used those data and a set of 7 environmental variables to predict suitability of Andean bear habitat using Mahalanobis distance, a multivariate measure of dissimilarity. The Mahalanobis distance values were classified into 5 classes of habitat suitability and generalized to a resolution of 1,650-m × 1,650-m grid cells. Clusters of grid cells with high suitability values were delineated from the generalized model and defined as important habitat areas (IHAs) for conservation. The IHAs were ranked using a weighted index that included factors of elevation range, influence from disturbed areas, and current conservation status. We identified 12 IHAs, which were mainly associated with páramo and cloud forest habitats; 2 of these areas have high conservation priorities because they are outside existing reserves and close to areas of human pressure. The distribution of the IHAs highlighted the role of human land use as the main source of fragmentation of Andean bear habitat in this region, emphasizing the importance of preserving habitat connectivity to allow the seasonal movements among habitat types that we documented for this species. Furthermore, the existence of areas with high habitat suitability close to areas of intense human use indicates the importance of bear–human conflict management as a critical Andean bear conservation strategy. We suggest that a promising conservation opportunity for this species is linked to its occurrence in highland habitats, which play a key role in the maintenance of long-term water supplies.

Priority areas for biodiversity conservation in mainland Ecuador

Ecuador’s territory harbors a unique set of species and ecosystems, many of them endemic to the countries’ territory and subject to different sources of threat of anthropogenic origin. Despite national and subnational conservation strategies developed in Ecuador to conserve its biodiversity in the long run, including the National System of Protected Areas (PANE) and the forest conservation incentive program SocioBosque (PSB), further actions are needed to mitigate and reverse the effects of threats for the persistence of biodiversity. This study was designed to identify the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in mainland Ecuador that can contribute to preserving key species (i.e. endemic, threatened) and ecosystems in the wider landscape, thus complementing current conservation efforts (i.e. PANE). Species distribution models and recent maps were used to identify a set of 744 species and 87 ecosystems as surrogates of the country’s biodiversity. Marxan, a systematic reserve selection algorithm was used to identify important biodiversity areas that could represent between 10% and 20% of the remnant distribution of the surrogates. The optimized solution generated by Marxan included 24% (3.64 million ha) of Ecuador′s remnant vegetation, of which 35% is within the current national protected area system and 13% (456 000 ha) are included within SocioBosque communal and private conservation agreements. Major conservation shortfalls of the PANE were concentrated in the Southern Andes, Central Amazonia, and the Central and Southern portions of the Coastal plain. The incidence of complementary criteria to prioritize conservation strategies, related to climate change, ecosystem conversion, carbon and accessibility, and population density change in relation to the important biodiversity areas was heterogeneous among regions. This confirms the need to implement differentiated conservation and sustainable landscape management strategies. Fourteen priority landscapes were identified based on these important biodiversity areas, including remnant ecosystems considered critical for maintaining large-scale connectivity among regions and preservation of restricted range and threatened species. Further work is needed to expand base information about distribution patterns of biodiversity, improve the representation of endemic and threatened species in conservation strategies, and to fully integrate conservation priorities among a wider set of goals in land use planning exercises at different scales.

CONDESAN: Better Knowledge, Better Decisions—Supporting Sustainable Andean Mountains Development

The Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) was established in February 1993 after a series of consultations among different regional stakeholders working on sustainable development. Inspired by Agenda 21, which emerged from the Rio 1992 Earth Summit, and influenced by the ecoregional approach, CONDESAN was created as a platform to promote research for development throughout the Andean region. The Consortium is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Research Priorities for the Conservation and Sustainable Governance of Andean Forest Landscapes

The long-term survival of Andean forest landscapes (AFL) and of their capacity to contribute to sustainable development in a context of global change requires integrated adaptation and mitigation responses informed by a thorough understanding of the dynamic and complex interactions between their ecological and social components. This article proposes a research agenda that can help guide AFL research efforts for the next 15 years. The agenda was developed between July 2015 and June 2016 through a series of workshops in Ecuador, Peru, and Switzerland and involved 48 researchers and development experts working on AFL from different disciplinary perspectives. Based on our review of current research and identification of pressing challenges for the conservation and sustainable governance of AFL, we propose a conceptual framework that draws on sustainability sciences and social–ecological systems research, and we identify a set of high-priority research goals and objectives organized into 3 broad categories: systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge. This paper is intended to be a reference for a broad array of actors engaged in policy, research, and implementation in the Andean region. We hope it will trigger collaborative research initiatives for the continued conservation and sustainable governance of AFL.

CONDESAN: Promoting Long-Term Monitoring at Different Scales to Support Natural Resource Governance in the Andean Countries

Abstract Effective governance of natural resources requires robust information about a diverse set of social and ecological dynamics. CONDESAN (the Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina) is making progress in the Andean region to generate, manage, and mobilize knowledge about key social, economic, and environmental processes and to make them available to actors who most need it for decision-making. The approaches integrate tools at multiple scales, emphasizing the diverse nature of the drivers and impacts of environmental change and promoting long-term monitoring within collaborative networks. True integration of social and environmental observation platforms is still a challenge, but current progress and future initiatives will allow CONDESAN to generate sound alternatives for the Andes.