Selection and management of priority areas for conservation of focal species (Puma concolor)

• Grant number: 11/10791-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: October 14, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Rozely Ferreira dos Santos
• Grantee: Camila Schlieper de Castilho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The nature conservation is a priority these days when biodiversity and environmental services starts being economic valued by governments and society. Protected areas are one of the tools for conservation of biodiversity, although small and isolated protected areas with poor quality environmental fail in maintain viable populations of animal species that require bigger areas to survive. The definition of landscape planning that aim the recover and long term maintain of continuous areas of suitable environment and habitat to faunal species may help these Protected Areas to effectively act in maintain biodiversity and environmental services. Aiming the long term conservation of cougars (Puma concolor) this project will determine spatial characteristics of preferential habitat and, using these characteristics, select priority areas to conserve this species. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) scenarios will be constructed and used to elaborate management alternatives to maintain or recover continuous areas of preferential habitat to the species.