Multicriteria evaluation for prioritizing areas to maintain functional forest connectivity

Abstract

The physiognomic differentiations of the landscape are consequences of the occurrence and regularity of anthropogenic disturbances, condition of resistance, and capacity for resilience. These properties influence the functioning and the possibility of connectivity of forest fragments. As a socio-ecological system, the landscape constantly changes and requires oriented management to define its standards and processes. This way, Multicriteria Evaluation (MCE) is an adequate tool for decision-making, considering its function of spatial aggregation, which supports the comparison and evaluation of criteria and scenarios. Thus, the study prioritized areas aiming for functional forest connectivity in a landscape under urban sprawl through the MCE. The studied area is located in the Biosphere Reserve of the Green Belt of the city of São Paulo, a region under pressure to convert forest remnants into urban use. The criteria represented our landscape environmental attributes and were defined through literature review, expert opinion, and various statistical techniques. Thus, proximity to forest fragments, Landscape Resistance Index, proximity to the drainage network, Topographic Wetness Index, and slope were the criteria that allow the identification of regions with the persistence of forest fragments and greatest landscape integrity. Therefore, by controlling the influence of the criteria, the proposed model supports the prioritization of areas for forest conservation, which supports the functional connectivity of the landscape's forest structure and supports planning forest restoration programs or payment for ecosystem services aimed at functional connectivity.