Diferentes abordagens para a seleção de prioridades de conservação em um contexto macrogeográfico

Abstract

We are on the verge of a major biodiversity crisis and therefore exercises that select particular species groups and areas for conservation became essential. For this reason, applied conservation strategies show a striking progression from endeavors targeted at single species or at individual sites, to the systematic assessment of entire taxa at large scales. These, in turn, inform wide-reaching conservation policies, strategies and financial investments. Today, there are different approaches for the selection of conservation priorities ranging from indicator groups to the use of several algorithms to find optimal sets of areas to be included in a reserve network at regional, continental and global scales. All of these approaches reside on the theoretical and conceptual framework proposed by the Conservation Biogeography and the Systematic Conservation Planning. In this paper, we review some of these approaches and discuss the different methods by which they are attained. We propose how to enhance prioritization exercises by the inclusion of species biological traits, providing examples of its application. We also discuss how to improve extinction risk assessments by using not only information at species level but also at the population level. Underpinned by theoretical knowledge, the use of distinct approaches to priority-selection exercises provide us a fundamental scientific basis for designing efficient conservation strategies, which can contribute to a much more complex and interdisciplinary process of policy negotiation and implementation.