Priority areas for bat conservation in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Systematic conservation planning aims at defining priority areas in order to maximize the conservation of key biodiversity elements with minimum cost, and it might serve to direct strategies and conservation decisions. The present study aimed at identifying priority conservation areas for bats in the state of Espírito Santo using a systematic conservation-planning framework, considering current climatic scenarios and projections of climate change to 2080. To define suitable areas within the state to each species in both scenarios (present and future), we used the climate envelope approach with the software Maxent. To select the planning units, we used two target sets: (i) species representation in 17% and 40% of the suitable area for the species within the state, and (ii) species representation in 17% and 40% within the state's area. Patterns of species richness predicted to the current and the future scenarios were similar, however, it was possible to observe a future increase in species richness for the north part of the state. When the representation target was more ambitious, to maintain 40% of the suitable area to the state, we observed the need to add new areas close to the current protected areas. These additions should be done mainly close to existing protected areas and in the coastal areas of the state, considering the connectivity between those areas. © 2012 by Unisinos.