Abstract

MERELES, Fátima et al. Designing biological corridors for the Pilcomayo River region (Gran Chaco) of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Rev. Soc. cient. Parag. [online]. 2023, vol.28, n.2, pp.220-249. ISSN 2617-4731.  https://doi.org/10.32480/rscp.2023.28.2.220.

The Pilcomayo River region of the Gran Chaco is shared between three countries: Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Land use changes in this region have resulted in gaps within the plant formations, and biological corridors serve as a conservation tool to provide greater resilience to the remaining formations. The objective of this work is to analyze existing data for the design of biological corridors that safeguard the connectivity between important sites for biodiversity within the Pilcomayo River area, without this resulting in a high cost for the fauna. To achieve this, work was carried out in the area shared between the three affected countries. As a basis for connectivity, 14 nucleus zones or HVCA were identified: five in Argentina, two in Bolivia, six in Paraguay, and one shared between Bolivia and Paraguay. A minimum network of connections between these areas was generated as well as a cost matrix from wich were identified the minimum costs among the HVCA. Results indicate that 77% of the nucleus zones are forests and 6% are anthropized areas. Fourteen biological corridors were designed to define a network that guarantees the connectivity between them. Of this network, 53% is in Argentina, 27% in Paraguay and 15% in Bolivia.

Keywords : biological corridors; connectivity; fragmentation; Gran Chaco; least-cost corridors; Pilcomayo River.

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