Assessment of the Conservation Status of Natural and Semi-Natural Patches Associated with urbanAreasThroughHabitat Suitability Indices

Abstract

Urban environments rely on the surrounding natural ecosystems remnants as providers of ecosystem<br />functions, therefore these areas not only support a unique biodiversity but also have a social value for maintaining<br />public health andwellbeing. For this reason, urbanization is considered to be one the biggest threats to ecosystems,<br />leading to native biodiversity simplification and, thus, to a detriment of the provided ecosystemservices.Moreover,<br />this change in land use results in high levels of landscape fragmentation and modification in areas surrounding the<br />habitat remnantswhich, in consequence, become inadequate formany native species. In this context, it is important<br />that urban planners have the information to assess the possible consequences of future changes in land use in<br />order to increase the landscape chances of supporting both, native biodiversity and the needs of a growing human<br />population. The objective of the present work is to evaluate the ecological integrity of natural and semi-natural<br />vegetation patches immersed in an urban area in order to generate a conceptual framework for landscape<br />assessment that allows urban planners to envision the best choice for city development at a given place. To do so,<br />we developed a quantitative integral environmental evaluation index that includes ecological characterization,<br />geological characterization, and environmental characterization (presence of anthropic disturbance) of the assessed<br />area. We conclude that the index we have generated in this work is suitable to be used as a management tool to<br />allow an unbiased valuation and to identify managing situations that require a short term response.