Suchergebnisse

Policies and research increasingly focus on the protection of ecosystem services (ESs) through priority-area conservation. Priority areas for ESs should be identified based on ES capacity and ES demand and account for the connections between areas of ES capacity and demand (flow) resulting in areas of unique demand-supply connections (flow zones). We tested ways to account for ES demand and flow zones to identify priority areas in the European Union. We mapped the capacity and demand of a global (carbon sequestration), a regional (flood regulation), and 3 local ESs (air quality, pollination, and urban leisure). We used Zonation software to identify priority areas for ESs based on 6 tests: with and without accounting for ES demand and 4 tests that accounted for the effect of ES flow zone. There was only 37.1% overlap between the 25% of priority areas that encompassed the most ESs with and without accounting for ES demand. The level of ESs maintained in the priority areas increased from 23.2% to 57.9% after accounting for ES demand, especially for ESs with a small flow zone. Accounting for flow zone had a small effect on the location of priority areas and level of ESs maintained but resulted in fewer flow zones without ES maintained relative to ignoring flow zones. Accounting for demand and flow zones enhanced representation and distribution of ESs with local to regional flow zones without large trade-offs relative to the global ES. We found that ignoring ES demand led to the identification of priority areas in remote regions where benefits from ES capacity to society were small. Incorporating ESs in conservation planning should therefore always account for ES demand to identify an effective priority network for ESs.

The frequently discussed gap between conservation science and practice is manifest in the gap between spatial conservation prioritization plans and their implementation. We analyzed the research-implementation gap of one zoning case by comparing results of a spatial prioritization analysis aimed at avoiding ecological impact of peat mining in a regional zoning process with the final zoning plan. We examined the relatively complex planning process to determine the gaps among research, zoning, and decision making. We quantified the ecological costs of the differing trade-offs between ecological and socioeconomic factors included in the different zoning suggestions by comparing the landscape-level loss of ecological features (species occurrences, habitat area, etc.) between the different solutions for spatial allocation of peat mining. We also discussed with the scientists and planners the reasons for differing zoning suggestions. The implemented plan differed from the scientists suggestion in that its focus was individual ecological features rather than all the ecological features for which there were data; planners and decision makers considered effects of peat mining on areas not included in the prioritization analysis; zoning was not truly seen as a resource-allocation process and not emphasized in general minimizing ecological losses while satisfying economic needs (peat-mining potential); and decision makers based their prioritization of sites on site-level information showing high ecological value and on single legislative factors instead of finding a cost-effective landscape-level solution. We believe that if the zoning and decision-making processes are very complex, then the usefulness of science-based prioritization tools is likely to be reduced. Nevertheless, we found that high-end tools were useful in clearly exposing trade-offs between conservation and resource utilization. ; peerReviewed

Policies and research increasingly focus on the protection of ecosystem services (ESs) through priority-area conservation. Priority areas for ESs should be identified based on ES capacity and ES demand and account for the connections between areas of ES capacity and demand (flow) resulting in areas of unique demand-supply connections (flow zones). We tested ways to account for ES demand and flow zones to identify priority areas in the European Union. We mapped the capacity and demand of a global (carbon sequestration), a regional (flood regulation), and 3 local ESs (air quality, pollination, and urban leisure). We used Zonation software to identify priority areas for ESs based on 6 tests: with and without accounting for ES demand and 4 tests that accounted for the effect of ES flow zone. There was only 37.1% overlap between the 25% of priority areas that encompassed the most ESs with and without accounting for ES demand. The level of ESs maintained in the priority areas increased from 23.2% to 57.9% after accounting for ES demand, especially for ESs with a small flow zone. Accounting for flow zone had a small effect on the location of priority areas and level of ESs maintained but resulted in fewer flow zones without ES maintained relative to ignoring flow zones. Accounting for demand and flow zones enhanced representation and distribution of ESs with local to regional flow zones without large trade-offs relative to the global ES. We found that ignoring ES demand led to the identification of priority areas in remote regions where benefits from ES capacity to society were small. Incorporating ESs in conservation planning should therefore always account for ES demand to identify an effective priority network for ESs. ; Peer reviewed

Context
Impact avoidance and biodiversity offsetting are measures that can be used for alleviating environmental impacts of economic development projects. Offsetting is frequently implemented via habitat restoration. Biodiversity offsets should be designed in a cost-effective manner.

Aims
To investigate how spatial conservation prioritisation methods, most commonly used for reserve network design, could be used for informing impact avoidance and biodiversity offsetting.

Methods
Zonation is a publicly available framework and software for grid-based, large-scale, high-resolution spatial conservation prioritisation. Zonation produces a hierarchical, balanced, and complementarity-based priority ranking through the landscape, identifying areas of both highest and lowest conservation value in one analysis. It is shown how these capabilities can be utilised in the context of impact avoidance and offsetting.

Key results
Impact avoidance can be implemented by focusing environmentally harmful activity into low-priority areas of the spatial priority ranking. Offsets can be implemented via a more complicated analysis setup. First, identify development areas unavailable for conservation, which leads to a decrease in the quality of conservation value achievable in the landscape. Second, develop compensation layers that describe the difference made by allocation of extra conservation action. Running a spatial prioritisation, integrating information about where species are (representation), what areas and features are damaged (reduced condition and negative connectivity effects), and the difference made by remedial action, allows identification of areas where extra conservation effort maximally compensates for damage. Factors such as connectivity and costs can be included in this analysis. Impact avoidance and offsetting can also be combined in the procedure.

Conclusions
Spatial conservation-prioritisation methods can inform both impact avoidance and offsetting design.

Implications
Decision support tools that are commonly associated with reserve selection can be used for planning of impact avoidance and offsetting, conditional on the availability of high-quality data about the distributions of biodiversity features (e.g. species, habitat type, ecosystem services).

Populations of Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) are declining in Canada&rsquo ; s Atlantic Northern Forest. Land conservancies and government agencies are interested in identifying areas to protect populations, while some timber companies wish to manage forests to minimize impacts on Canada Warbler and potentially create future habitat. We developed seven conservation planning scenarios using Zonation software to prioritize candidate areas for permanent land conservation (4 scenarios) or responsible forest management (minimizing species removal during forest harvesting while promoting colonization of regenerated forest ; 3 scenarios). Factors used to prioritize areas included Canada Warbler population density, connectivity to protected areas, future climate suitability, anthropogenic disturbance, and recent Canada Warbler observations. We analyzed each scenario for three estimates of natal dispersal distance (5, 10, and 50 km). We found that scenarios assuming large dispersal distances prioritized a few large hotspots, while low dispersal distance scenarios prioritized smaller, broadly distributed areas. For all scenarios, efficiency (proportion of current Canada Warbler population retained per unit area) declined with higher dispersal distance estimates and inclusion of climate change effects in the scenario. Using low dispersal distance scenarios in decision-making offers a more conservative approach to maintaining this species at risk. Given the differences among the scenarios, we encourage conservation planners to evaluate the reliability of dispersal estimates, the influence of habitat connectivity, and future climate suitability when prioritizing areas for conservation.

Gaps in research exist for country-wide analyses to identify areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services to help reach Aichi Target 11 in developing countries. Here we provide a spatial conservation prioritization approach that ranks landowners for maximizing the representation of biodiversity features and ecosystem services, while exploring the trade-offs with agricultural and commercial forestry production and land cost, using Uruguay as a case study. Specifically, we explored four policy scenarios, ranging from a business as usual scenario where only biodiversity and ecosystem services were included in the analysis to a potentially unsustainable scenario where expansion of alternative land uses and economic development would be given higher priority over biodiversity and ecosystem services. At the 17% land target proposed for conservation, the representation levels for biodiversity and ecosystem services were, on average, higher under the business as usual scenario. However, a small addition to the proposed target (from 17 to 20%) allowed to meet same representation levels for biodiversity and ecosystem services, while decreasing conflict with agricultural and commercial forestry production and opportunity costs to local landowners. Under the unsustainable scenario, a striking 41% addition to the conservation target (from 17 to 58%) was needed to meet same representation levels for threatened ecosystems and ecosystem services, which are crucial to sustain human well-being. Our results highlight that more realistic and potentially higher conservation targets, than politically set targets, can be achieved at the country level when sustainable development needs are also accounted for. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. ; Peer reviewed

Protected areas (PAs) play a critical role in conserving biodiversity and maintaining viable populations of threatened species. Yet, as global change could reduce the future effectiveness of existing PAs in covering high species richness, updating the boundaries of existing PAs or creating new ones might become necessary to uphold conservation goals. Modelling tools are increasingly used by policymakers to support the spatial prioritization of biodiversity conservation, enabling the inclusion of scenarios of environmental changes to achieve specific targets. Here, using the Western Swiss Alps as a case study, we show how integrating species richness derived from species distribution model predictions for four taxonomic groups under present and future climate and land-use conditions into two conservation prioritization schemes can help optimize extant and future PAs. The first scheme, the "Priority Scores Method" identified priority areas for the expansion of the existing PA network. The second scheme, using the zonation software, allowed identifying priority conservation areas while incorporating global change scenarios and political costs. We found that existing mountain PAs are currently not situated in the most environmentally nor politically suitable locations when maximizing alpha diversity for the studied taxonomic groups and that current PAs could become even less optimum under the future climate and land-use change scenarios. This analysis has focused on general areas of high species richness or species of conservation concern and did not account for special habitats or functional groups that could have been used to create the existing network. We conclude that such an integrated framework could support more effective conservation planning and could be similarly applied to other landscapes or other biodiversity conservation indices.

Protected areas (PAs) play a critical role in conserving biodiversity and maintaining viable populations of threatened species. Yet, as global change could reduce the future effectiveness of existing PAs in covering high species richness, updating the boundaries of existing PAs or creating new ones might become necessary to uphold conservation goals. Modelling tools are increasingly used by policymakers to support the spatial prioritization of biodiversity conservation, enabling the inclusion of scenarios of environmental changes to achieve specific targets. Here, using the Western Swiss Alps as a case study, we show how integrating species richness derived from species distribution model predictions for four taxonomic groups under present and future climate and land-use conditions into two conservation prioritization schemes can help optimize extant and future PAs. The first scheme, the "Priority Scores Method" identified priority areas for the expansion of the existing PA network. The second scheme, using the zonation software, allowed identifying priority conservation areas while incorporating global change scenarios and political costs. We found that existing mountain PAs are currently not situated in the most environmentally nor politically suitable locations when maximizing alpha diversity for the studied taxonomic groups and that current PAs could become even less optimum under the future climate and land-use change scenarios. This analysis has focused on general areas of high species richness or species of conservation concern and did not account for special habitats or functional groups that could have been used to create the existing network. We conclude that such an integrated framework could support more effective conservation planning and could be similarly applied to other landscapes or other biodiversity conservation indices

Biodiversity offsetting is a tool to balance ecological damage caused by human activity with new benefits created elsewhere. Offsetting is implemented by protecting, restoring or managing sufficiently large areas of habitat. While there are concerns about the true feasibility of offsetting, they are becoming a common policy tool world-wide. Operationally uncomplicated, quantitative approaches to spatial analysis of offsets are rare and their use is often restricted by the availability of suitable spatial data. We describe a practical method for offsets that builds upon two layers of relatively easily sourced spatial data, a balanced spatial priority ranking and a weighted range size rarity map. Together with (a) spatial information about impact and offset areas, and (b) extra parameters for the effectiveness of avoided loss and the amount of leakage expected, we can evaluate whether the proposed offset exchange represents a credible no net loss or net positive impact with an upward trade. The priority ranking and range size rarity maps can be produced in various ways, most notably using existing conservation planning tools. Here we used the standard outputs of the Zonation spatial prioritization software. We illustrate the method and associated visualization in the context of offsetting of boreal forests in Finland, where forests experience high and increasing pressures from forestry and bioenergy sectors. The example is timely as there is political demand for the uptake of biodiversity offset policies in Finland, and boreal forests are the most common biotope. The methods described here are applicable to biomes around the world. The described tools are made available as r scripts that utilize standard Zonation outputs, thus providing direct linkage to any past or future Zonation applications. As a limitation, the present methods only apply to avoided loss offsets. ; Peer reviewed

BackgroundAccurate disease mapping based on spatiotemporal data is an important aspect of public health surveillance, targeting interventions, and health service planning. This is achieved by public health surveillance organisations around the world through the construction of choropleth maps based on single spatiotemporal aggregations of finer resolution data. However, such maps are undermined by their dependence on the spatiotemporal units used. This dependence is described by the related modifiable areal and temporal unit problems (MAUP; MTUP), also known as change of support problems (COSPs).
AimTo accurately map disease.
MethodsUsing ischaemic stroke admissions and mental health-related ED presentations in metropolitan Perth between 2013 and 2016 as exemplars, we present a novel zonation overlay approach for disease mapping. This method involves aggregating fine resolution spatial data numerous times instead of just once, using the automated zonation construction software AZTool.
Results Through implementing the zonation overlay method in combination with a rolling window of time, both the MAUP and the MTUP may be overcome in the context of disease mapping. Furthermore, the AZTool zonations act as a geographical encryption key, allowing fine resolution, precise maps to be constructed while protecting the privacy of individuals.
ConclusionHealth surveillance organisations continue to produce single aggregation choropleth maps of disease, without acknowledging their limitations except in rare cases. Producing such maps and suggesting they should guide policy makers, while being aware of but not acknowledging the impact of COSPs, could be described as scientific malfeasance. However, assuming that most researchers producing such maps are not intending to mislead, we must conclude that COSPs are poorly understood and their impact underestimated. The zonation overlay method we describe can help alleviate the consequences of this continued practice.

Increasing awareness of the impact of biodiversity loss and natural system instability on human life is changing the societal perception of the environment and the amount of effort put into solving environmental problems. In spatial planning, this translates into a quest for the sustainable use of the territory, allocating areas to their most suitable usage while managing conflicting interests and forces. Conservation areas are the cornerstone of any spatial strategy for nature conservation, but are strongly affected by socio-economic constraints that affect their implementation and maintenance. Prioritising interventions thus becomes fundamental to achieve efficient and effective results. Conservation planning has come a long way since its infancy, gradually putting aside traditional ad hoc reserve selection in favour of a more scientific and systematic approach. This development has been supported by advances in technology, especially in the area of geographic information systems, which allow for improved acquisition and faster treatment of spatial data. Modelling has also became a fundamental scientific activity for conservation planning, offering a better understanding of natural and biological phenomena and generating indispensable data used in emerging conservation planning support software. This dissertation looks at methods for the selection of high-quality areas for conservation, focusing on the maximum cover problem and analysing how traditional strategies translate into spatial differences on the resulting selection. The study area chosen to test our methodology is the Alpine region of the Canton of Vaud, in Switzerland, an area known for its biodiversity and cultural richness. After a thorough analysis of the area, focused on the biodiversity, socio-economic, political, and legal aspects that affect conservation planning, we decided to concentrate on prioritisation for vegetation conservation. Using Zonation v4 — a software package developed to aid conservation planning decision — and taking into account the previous analysis, we assess the spatial differences that result from different decisions, such as privileging rarity or richness, weighting species according to different criteria, or including socio-economic costs. We also examine the logic behind existing protected areas and investigate a possible expansion to benefit vegetation conservation. The outputs and subsequent analysis show the strong influence of both strategic preferences and socio-economic constraints on the priority ranking for potential protected areas. However, regardless of the strategy chosen, some areas are consistently ranked high and are therefore good candidates for further expansion. Furthermore, existing protected areas already show good coverage, and an increase of merely 2% in protected area would suffice to retain almost full representation of the vegetation species under consideration In the end, there are no perfect or universal solution for conservation planning prioritisation: different spatial translations can yield similar results for biodiversity. The process is an exercise in trade-offs in which software like Zonation can be of great assistance, allowing for an easier assessment of different scenarios and conservation strategies. ; A crescente consciencialização das repercussões da perda de biodiversidade e da disrupção dos sistemas naturais na vida humana tem modificado a percepção dos problemas ambientais e fomentado a mobilização de recursos para os resolver. Em ordenamento do território, esta preocupação traduz-se na procura de uma ocupação sustentável do espaço, tentando gerir forças e interesses muitas vezes opostos e dificilmente conciliáveis. As áreas protegidas são os alicerces de qualquer estratégia para a conservação ao nível territorial, mas a sua implementação e manutenção é fortemente influenciada por limitações contextuais de origem socioeconómica. Priorizar intervenções e investimentos em conservação de forma a torná-la mais eficaz e eficiente torna-se, assim, essencial. A planificação para a conservação ambiental e o método de selecção de reservas por esta empregado têm sido alvo de desenvolvimentos nas últimas décadas, passando de uma abordagem pouco científica a um processo sistemático. Esta mudança de paradigma só foi possível devido ao desenvolvimento paralelo de tecnologias de informação geográfica que vieram possibilitar uma melhor e mais rápida aquisição de dados espaciais e seu tratamento. A modelação tornou-se uma ferramenta científica indispensável no processo de planeamento, permitindo a recolha de informação sobre fenómenos naturais e de dados indispensáveis para a utilização de software de ajuda à decisão. Esta dissertação pretende estudar os métodos empregues na identificação e selecção de áreas a proteger, focando-se no problema da máxima representatividade e na análise de estratégias comuns de priorização na tradução espacial dessa selecção. A área de estudo escolhida para esta análise foi a zona alpina do Cantão de Vaud, na Suíça, uma área conhecida pela sua biodiversidade e riqueza cultural. Depois de uma análise detalhada às características de biodiversidade, socioeconómicas e político-legais locais, decidimos concentrar o nosso estudo na preservação da vegetação. Recorrendo ao programa de apoio à decisão em planeamento de conservação Zonation v4, analisámos as diferenças espaciais resultantes de diferentes opções de conservação e dados de entrada, tais como a preferência pela salvaguarda da raridade ou da riqueza biológica, a atribuição de diferentes pesos às espécies com base em critérios vários ou a inclusão de informação socioeconómica. Tentámos ainda apurar a lógica subjacente à criação das reservas existentes e identificar possibilidades de expansão que beneficiariam a conservação. Concluímos que a tendência para proteger a raridade ou a riqueza tem tradução espacial relevante, sendo, no entanto, as limitações socioeconómicas o maior factor de constrangimento para a salvaguarda de biodiversidade. Independentemente da estratégia usada, certas áreas são consistentemente seleccionadas, mostrando-se boas candidatas para expansão futura. Os resultados revelam ainda que as reservas actuais têm boa cobertura e um aumento de 2% da área seria suficiente para atingir uma representação quase total das espécies consideradas. É possível encontrar soluções interessantes sem comprometer de forma marcante a salvaguarda da biodiversidade. Em planeamento de conservação, não existem soluções perfeitas e universais, tratando-se antes de um constante exercício de concessões. Programas de ajuda à decisão em planeamento de conservação, como o Zonation v4, demonstram grande potencial, permitindo uma melhor compreensão das alternativas e a sua rápida visualização espacial. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: priorização, planeamento de conservação, SIG, Zonation, Vaud

Recovery of large carnivores in the European human-dominated landscapes has sparked a debate regarding the optimal landscape conditions in which carnivores can thrive and coexist with humans (López-Bao et al. 2015). Here, we use brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Romanian Carpathians to test and develop a framework for identifying habitat conservation priorities based on a novel integration of resource selection functions, home range data, and systematic conservation planning (Pop et al. 2018). We used a comprehensive GPS telemetry dataset from 18 individuals to (1) calculate sex-specific seasonal home ranges, and (2) characterize population-level habitat selection. We then used systematic conservation planning software Zonation to identify contiguous areas of high conservation value for males and females by using Manly's habitat selection ratios as weights for habitat layers, and home range information as a smoothing parameter for habitat connectivity. Home ranges were smallest during winter (median [IQR] for November-February: 28.2 km2 [9.8-42.4]), and largest during the intense-feeding season (September-November: 127.3 km2 [62.2-288.5]), with males having larger home ranges across all seasons. Females consistently selected for mixed forest habitat during all seasons. Males selected mixed forest during winter; then switched to a rather generalist approach, selecting regenerating forest, and mixed and coniferous forests during low-feeding/reproduction and wild berries seasons. We identified large tracts of forest habitat (~14% of the landscape) that was selected across all seasons as key habitats for brown bear conservation in the Eastern Carpathians. Spatially, high-value winter habitat was the most dissimilar for both males and females, suggesting that conservation actions should focus on protecting contiguous denning habitat. These key findings can inform the management and conservation of the brown bear population in the Romanian Carpathians, currently plagued by high uncertainity in management outcomes (Popescu et al. 2016) by identifying critical intervention areas for maintaining landscape connectivity, enable transboundary management, and contribute to maintaining Favourable Conservation Status, an important target of European Union Strategy for Biodiversity. 1. López-Bao, J.V., Kaczensky, P., Linnell, J.D.C., Boitani, L. & Chapron, G. (2015). Carnivore coexistence: Wilderness not required. Science 348, 871–872. 2. Pop, M. I., R. Iosif, I. V. Miu, S. Chiriac, L. Rozylowicz, and V. D. Popescu. 2018. Combining resource selection functions and home range data to identify habitat conservation priorities for brown bears. Animal Conservation. in press 3. Popescu, V. D., K. A. Artelle, M. I. Pop, S. Manolache, and L. Rozylowicz. 2016. Assessing biological realism of wildlife population estimates in data-poor systems. Journal of Applied Ecology 53, 1248-1259 ; peerReviewed

Dissertação de mestrado em Ecologia, apresentada ao Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra. ; Os ecossistemas marinhos têm vindo a enfrentar um aumento no número de ameaças como a exploração insustentável dos recursos marinhos (por exemplo a pesca excessiva), degradação e perda de habitats marinhos, efeitos da poluição, da introdução de espécies invasoras e efeitos das alterações climáticas. Uma possível forma de diminuir tais impactos é através da implementação de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas (Marine Protected Areas, MPAs), que desempenham um papel importante na conservação da biodiversidade e contribuem para a recuperação do ambiente marinho. No entanto a percentagem do oceano que está actualmente sob protecção (2.8%) é bastante baixo considerando um dos objectivos estabelecidos pela CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity): proteger pelo menos 10% da costa e áreas marinhas até 2020. As águas circundantes ao arquipélago das Berlengas têm um grande valor de conservação devido às suas características que levam à agregação de grande produtividade marinha, permitindo a subsistência de várias aves marinhas, algumas delas em perigo de extinção (como a Pardela-Balear Puffinus mauritanicus). Embora esta área esteja actualmente sob protecção, os limites da Área Marinha Protegida (MPA) não se sobrepõem totalmente à área definida como importante para as aves marinhas (marine Important Bird Area, mIBA) que foi estabelecida com base apenas na biodiversidade local. Os limites actuais da MPA das Berlengas foram definidos com a contribuição de informação de rastreamento das áreas de procura de alimento mais importantes para uma ave marinha predadora de topo com uma ampla distribuição, a Cagarra Calonectris diomedea, sobretudo durante a fase de alimentação às crias entre 2005 e 2008. Contudo, os limites da mIBA e MPA das Berlengas não foram avaliados usando informação de rastreamento de todo o ciclo reprodutivo da espécie durante vários anos (para englobar a estocasticidade ambiental inter-anual). O objectivo desta tese foi usar dados de rastreamento de uma ave marinha predadora de topo para definir importantes áreas de procura de alimento e avaliar a sua adequabilidade no estabelecimento de uma rede de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas ao longo de Portugal Continental. Mais especificamente este trabalho pretende responder às seguintes questões: (1) Que factores (ambientais ou antropogénicos) influenciam a distribuição de procura de alimento da Cagarra ao longo do período de reprodução e através dos anos? (2) Estarão os actuais limites (da mIBA e MPA das Berlengas) a proteger todas as importantes áreas de procura de alimento desta espécie? Para responder a estas questões fixaram-se dispositivos de GPS (Global Positioning System) nas penas do dorso dasaves para identificar as áreas de procura de alimento usadas pela espécie. Modelos de distribuição de espécies (MaxEnt) foram realizados usando informação de rastreamento e dados ambientais de forma a entender que variáveis ambientais desencadeiam a distribuição de procura de alimento da espécie. Para avaliar a adequabilidade dos limites das actuais mIBA e MPA das Berlengas usou-se o software Zonation, que pode ser usado para o delineamento e avaliação de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas, produzindo diferentes cenários dependendo das especificações das prioridades de conservação. Os resultados demonstraram diferentes padrões de procura de alimento em 2010 e 2012 comparativamente com os anos de 2011 e 2013; e também diferenças nas características das viagens, com viagens mais perto da colónia nos períodos de alimentação das crias. Estas diferenças anuais podem estar relacionadas com a variação climática, como reflectido pelo índice NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation), que mostra valores de índice positivos mais altos em 2012 (considerando o período de tempo de estudo) e valores de índice negativos mais baixos em 2010. Durante o período de alimentação das crias, as aves mostraram um comportamento de procura de alimento designado por central-place foraging, como consequência da constante necessidade de voltar para a colónia para alimentar as crias. Portanto, áreas na periferia da colonia são mais propensas a ser usadas durante o período de alimentação das crias do que durante os períodos de incubação e antes da postura do ovo. De forma geral, as aves exploraram sobretudo áreas produtivas sobre a plataforma continental nos arredores da colónia e áreas ao longo da costa Portuguesa, assim como áreas produtivas mais distantes perto de bancos e montes submarinos na região do Norte Atlântico. Os resultados permitem-nos concluir que a actual MPA está apenas a proteger 25.9% das áreas de procura de alimento mais relevantes para a Cagarra. Enquanto essas áreas de procura de alimento sobrepõem-se 45.5% com a mIBA das Berlengas. Um valor de sobreposição mais elevado (59.6%) é obtido ao comparar com as novas Áreas Marinhas Protegidas propostas que estão actualmente sob a avaliação do governo Português. A implementação das novas Áreas Marinhas Protegidas iria permitir a protecção das áreas de procura de alimento mais relevantes para a Cagarra. Isto porque a sua implementação iria gerar uma conectividade entre a maioria das áreas a norte e sul da actual MPA das Berlengas, providenciando um corredor ecológico para a Cagarra e outros organismos marinhos. ; Marine ecosystems have been facing an increasing number of threats such as unsustainable exploitation of marine resources (e.g. overfishing), degradation and loss of marine habitats, pollution, invasive species and climate change. A possible way to diminish the impact of such threats is through the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which play an important role in biodiversity conservation and contribute to restock the entire marine environment. However the percentage of ocean that are already protected (2.8%) is alarmingly low considering one of the targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): to protect at least 10% of coastal and marine areas until 2020. Berlengas archipelago surrounding waters have great conservation value due to features that congregate a high marine productivity, allowing the survival and maintenance of several seabird species, some of them endangered (e.g. the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauritanicus). Although this important area is currently under protection, the boundaries of the Berlengas Marine Protected Area (MPA) do not overlap fully with the Berlengas marine Important Bird Area (mIBA), which was designated based on the areas with great importance to the small range local biodiversity. The present boundaries of the Berlengas MPA were defined with the contribution of tracking information of the most important foraging areas of a wide range seabird top predator, the Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea, mostly during the chick-rearing phases of 2005 – 2008. Yet, the boundaries of the Berlengas mIBA and MPA have not been assessed, using tracking information for the whole breeding cycle of this species during several years (in order to take into account inter-annual environmental stochasticity). The aim of this thesis was to use tracking data of a seabird top predator to define boundaries of key foraging grounds and assess their adequacy on the establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas within Mainland Portugal. More specifically, this work intended to answer the following questions: (1) Which factors (environmental or Human-related) drive the foraging distribution of Cory's shearwater along the breeding period and across years? (2) Are the current boundaries (from both Berlengas mIBA and Berlengas MPA areas) protecting all key foraging grounds of this species? To address these questions Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices were attached to the back feathers of Cory's shearwater in order to identify the foraging areas used by this species. Species Distribution Models (SDM; MaxEnt) were performed using foraging tracking data combined with environmentaldata in order to understand which environmental variables trigger the foraging distribution of the species. To better access the adequacy of the current Berlengas mIBA and MPA boundaries it was used the conservation planning software Zonation. This software can be used to design and evaluate Marine Protected Areas by producing different scenarios depending on specification of conservational priorities. Results showed very distinct foraging patterns in 2010 and 2012 comparing with 2011 and 2013 and also distinct foraging trip characteristics, with trips closer to the colony during chick-rearing periods. These annual differences may be related with climatic variation, as reflected by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, with the highest positive index value in 2012 (considering our study period) and the lowest negative index value in 2010. During the chick-rearing period, birds showed a typical central-place foraging behaviour, as a consequence of the constant need to return to the colony to feed their chick. Therefore, areas in the vicinity of the colony are more likely to be used during chick-rearing than during pre-laying and incubation periods. Overall, birds mostly exploited productive areas above the continental shelf around the colony and along the Portuguese coast, as well as more distant productivity areas near known banks and seamounts of the north Atlantic region. Results also allowed to conclude that the actual Berlengas MPA is only protecting 25.9% of the most relevant foraging region for Cory's shearwater. While the same foraging region overlapped 45.5% with the Berlengas mIBA. A considerably higher overlapped area (59.6%) was obtained when comparing with new proposed Marine Protected Areas, under evaluation by the Portuguese government. The implementation of these new areas would protect the most relevant foraging areas of Cory's shearwater. This is because the implementation of these new areas would generate connectivity between the main areas north and south of the actual Berlengas MPA, thus providing an ecological corridor for Cory's shearwaters and other marine taxa.