Expert consultation has been used to fill the information gaps that hamper conservation planning and nature reserve design. The use of expert knowledge in conservation planning is difficult, however, because it is subjective, biased, and value‐laden. Decision theory provides a systematic and comprehensive means for addressing experts' subjective—and sometimes contradictory—judgments in the design of nature reserves. Thus, the experts can separate the objective criteria from the subjective components of decision making that place value on those criteria. When linked to a geographic information system ( GIS ), these techniques foster consensus among experts by allowing the exploration of alternative designs in an iterative way. We used such a decision‐analysis approach to redesign the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve ( MBBR ) in central Mexico. We examined three reserve scenarios to identify the optimal overwintering habitats considering ( 1 ) an area equivalent to the previously defined boundaries of the core zone of the MBBR ( 4500 ha ); ( 2 ) an area equivalent to the previously defined boundaries of the whole MBBR ( 16,000 ha ); and ( 3 ) the maximum possible extent for a new core zone. This last scenario produced an area of 21,727 ha. These results were transferred to the GIS to create the respective nominal maps that were presented to the environmental authorities, who selected the third scenario for the core zone of the new MBBR. Our results allowed us to locate the prime overwintering habitats precisely and to delimit a core area for the reserve that would minimize the inclusion of forest stands valuable to local loggers.
Se presenta un análisis de las trayectorias, retos y oportunidades de los Estudios de biodiversidad estatal que son promovidos por la Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, en el marco de la iniciativa de las Estrategias Estatales de Biodiversidad. Tras 20 años de esta iniciativa, se han publicado 24 Estudios de Estado con un perfil técnico-científico y biologicista a través de procesos que han involucrado a los distintos actores federales, estatales y académicos de la conservación en México. Su incidencia en el desarrollo de políticas y estrategias de conservación ha tenido un papel relevante para escalar el discurso conservacionista internacional desde los lineamientos del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, pasando por la Estrategia Nacional sobre Biodiversidad de México, hasta las Estrategias para la Conservación y el Uso Sustentable de la Biodiversidad de los Estados y la conformación de corredores de conservación. Aunque los Estudios de Estado han contribuido a desarrollar herramientas de planificación a largo plazo, aún hay áreas de oportunidad para superar la brecha entre ciencia y su aplicación en la toma delas decisiones y acciones para la gestión y conservación de la biodiversidad en México.
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