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Globally, forest covers and many strategic ecosystems face significant threats from human activities. The middle basin of the Dagua River in Colombia, ranging from 500 to 1850 m above sea level, includes diverse ecosystems such as grasslands, cloud forests, and tropical dry forests, all of which are highly vulnerable and understudied. These forests in Colombia are critically fragmented and degraded due to historical land-use changes. In this basin, maintaining connectivity between dry and cloud forests is essential for biodiversity, species migration, climate change resilience, ecosystem preservation, and local community reliance on crucial ecosystem services. By 2018, rapid transformation in the middle basin had led to 48% of the area being converted to productive systems, reflecting a significant loss of natural cover. Fortunately, this impact was mitigated by the establishment of two Socio-Ecological Productive Landscapes (SEPLs) in the region. Since 2007, Atuncela has been promoting forest conservation and sustainable production through effective area management and the establishment of the Integrated Management Regional District (IMRD). In 2015, El Chilcal joined these efforts with its own IMRD declaration, thus safeguarding these two SEPLs. These initiatives have successfully countered the broader conversion trend. Before SEPL implementation, deforestation rates were similar inside and outside the SEPL areas. However, post-implementation, deforestation rates significantly decreased within the SEPLs, demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing deforestation. Moreover, a higher proportion of productive systems within SEPLs supports forest species connectivity compared to areas outside. The SEPLs have maintained elevational and longitudinal connectivity across the basin, aided by low deforestation rates (0% since 2018) and effective management of productive systems. These outcomes highlight how community empowerment supports sustainable production while ensuring ecosystem connectivity and biodiversity conservation.

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Significance of SEPLs in Ecological Connectivity and Conservation of the Tropical Dry Forest: An Experience in the Dry Enclave of the Dagua River in Colombia

  • 章节

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Andrés Quintero-Ángel,
  • Sebastian Orjuela-Salazar,
  • Mauricio Quintero-Ángel,
  • Leonor Valenzuela,
  • Diana Saavedra- Zúñiga,
  • Daniel Osorio-Domínguez

摘要

Globally, forest covers and many strategic ecosystems face significant threats from human activities. The middle basin of the Dagua River in Colombia, ranging from 500 to 1850 m above sea level, includes diverse ecosystems such as grasslands, cloud forests, and tropical dry forests, all of which are highly vulnerable and understudied. These forests in Colombia are critically fragmented and degraded due to historical land-use changes. In this basin, maintaining connectivity between dry and cloud forests is essential for biodiversity, species migration, climate change resilience, ecosystem preservation, and local community reliance on crucial ecosystem services. By 2018, rapid transformation in the middle basin had led to 48% of the area being converted to productive systems, reflecting a significant loss of natural cover. Fortunately, this impact was mitigated by the establishment of two Socio-Ecological Productive Landscapes (SEPLs) in the region. Since 2007, Atuncela has been promoting forest conservation and sustainable production through effective area management and the establishment of the Integrated Management Regional District (IMRD). In 2015, El Chilcal joined these efforts with its own IMRD declaration, thus safeguarding these two SEPLs. These initiatives have successfully countered the broader conversion trend. Before SEPL implementation, deforestation rates were similar inside and outside the SEPL areas. However, post-implementation, deforestation rates significantly decreased within the SEPLs, demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing deforestation. Moreover, a higher proportion of productive systems within SEPLs supports forest species connectivity compared to areas outside. The SEPLs have maintained elevational and longitudinal connectivity across the basin, aided by low deforestation rates (0% since 2018) and effective management of productive systems. These outcomes highlight how community empowerment supports sustainable production while ensuring ecosystem connectivity and biodiversity conservation.