Monitoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity at a Continental Scale--A Proposal for South America

Abstract

A monitoring system plan is being developed in South America to assess critically endangered ecoregions. The system will be based on a previous ecosystem and biodiversity inventory developed through a large gap analysis program in five South American ecoregions. The monitoring system will include three main elements: (1) Landscape Ecology: vegetation cover, fragmentation and deforestation, infrastructure (road, dams, pipelines); (2) Biological guidelines: species richness, endemism, endangered species and species of a particular interest; and (3) Conservation Policy and Socio-Economic guidelines: national protected areas systems, conservation policies, human population on important areas, main economic activities and other. Such a system is an important need for governments and private organizations in South America, especially to detect critical sites and socio-political issues before the environmental problems become too large.

Parent Publication

• Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

Citation

Silva, Xavier. 2006. Monitoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity at a Continental Scale--A Proposal for South America. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, Patrick J.; Burns, Denver P.; and Draggan, Sidney, Eds. 2006. Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 216-222