Are protected areas covering important biodiversity sites? An assessment of the nature protection network in Sicily (Italy)

Giovanni Signorello ; Carlo Prato ^[1] ; Alessia Marzo ^[1] ; Renzo Ientile ^[1] ; Giuseppe Cucuzza ^[1] ; Saverio Sciandrello ; Javier Martínez López ; Stefano Balbi ^[2] ; Ferdinando Villa ^[2]
1. [1] University of Catania
  
  University of Catania
  
  Catania, Italia
2. [2] Basque Centre of Climate Change (BC3)
Localización: Land use policy: The International Journal Covering All Aspects of Land Use, ISSN 0264-8377, ISSN-e 1873-5754, Nº. 78, 2018, págs. 593-602
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- GIS spatial analysis of three indicators (vegetation value, faunal richness and landscape heterogeneity) was used to detect and map High-Value Biodiversity Areas (HVBAs), estimate the coverage of biodiversity in the Sicilian protected areas network, and identify new priority areas that could improve long-term biodiversity conservation outcomes. Findings indicated that only 32% of HVBAs are currently covered by the protected areas network. Hotspot analysis revealed that a modest expansion (less than 1%) in the current extent of protected areas would include a disproportionate amount (56%) of biodiversity hotspots, and identified prioritized candidates HVBAs for designation of new protected areas.