Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered some the main threats to biodiversity. Original forests have suffered an accentuated fragmentation and agricultural homogenization, leaving only some areas of natural vegetation, relegated to strongly anthropized disconnected patches (island forests, IFs) in a hostile matrix. These patches of original vegetation could be the key for the design and management of ecological corridors to promote species migration, an essential strategy for meeting the consequences of Global Change. This study proposes a comparative analysis of the fragmentation and connectivity of IFs of Quercus in two typically Mediterranean areas of predominantly agricultural use: the Guadalquivir valley (Spain) and the Apulia region (Italy). A retrospective comparison is also carried out in the Guadalquivir valley. The aim is to develop an objective new methodology to locate the patches of most interest using quantitative and qualitative data. Reference cartography of current island forests of Quercus species was developed from several digital sources and validated with orthoimages and field observations. Fragmentation analysis was based on graph structures using the software Conefor 2.6, a reliable tool for assessment of the role of patches in the landscape. Area and distance were used as node and connector values. Dispersion distance was established as 500 m, based on the maximum dispersion of acorns. Results indicate that the Guadalquivir valley has suffered an intensive fragmentation in recent decades. Both the Guadalquivir and Apulia regions host some IFs with the relevant potential to contribute as core habitats in the creation of connections to other natural protected sites. Many residual IFs in the landscape could contribute as stepping stones in the design and management of ecological corridors. Our methodology highlights the value of IFs to develop assessment strategies using homogenized available digital cartography and common criteria for the dispersion distances in graph theory analysis. The application of this new methodology could help in the management of protected sites using highly fragmented areas to allow the species movement through inhospitable landscapes in a unique opportunity to connect the different protected areas.

ABSTRACT:Water is an essential resource for agriculture. Its management goes through good practices to determine the available amount for several users, such as industry and human consumption. The water content used for irrigation should go through an optimization process, evaluating the necessary variables to maximize productivity and expenses control. The environment monitoring and climate conditions enable to forecast the hydrological period and the irrigation water consumption according to crop needs and available water inventory. In 2010 was installed by Hydraulic and Irrigation Area at UNESP Ilha Solteira the São Paulo Northwestern Weather Network and the UNESP CLIMA Channel (http://clima.feis.unesp.br), where is provided the real time historical data bank and the internet user can follow weather changes and estimated evapotranspiration with a five minutes refresh delay. The suitable monitoring of soil water content becomes an irrigation good practice, which enables crops high productivity and collaborates to conscious water application, apart from affording positive financial yield, in productivity growth as well as in sparing energy on water pumps, besides conservation of the environment and water resources. The irrigated agriculture expansion is an important social and economic growth vector, and could be called the driver for a region and therefore, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how UNESP operates its Sao Paulo Northwest Irrigant Support Service, optimization of data bank handling, supporting and encouraging rational and sustainable application on irrigated agriculture, as well as the results achieved on this paper. se constitui em uma boa prática na irrigação que garante alta produtividade das lavouras e colabora com o uso consciente da água, além de proporcionar resultados financeiros positivos, tanto no aumento da produtividade, como na economia de energia usada no bombeamento da água, além da preservação ambiental e dos recursos hídricos. A expansão da agricultura irrigada é um importante vetor de crescimento social e econômico, podendo ser a locomotiva para um futuro sustentável de uma região e assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é mostrar como a UNESP opera seu Serviço de Apoio ao Irrigante na região Noroeste Paulista, otimizando o tratamento de sua de sua base de dados e apoiando e incentivando o uso racional e sustentável da irrigação na agricultura, bem como os resultados aferidos com este trabalho. KEY-WORDS: