Do we protect biological originality in protected areas? A new index and an application to the Bonifacio Strait Natural Reserve

Abstract

Changes in biodiversity may disrupt the ecological functions performed by species assemblages. Hence, we urgently need to examine the implications of biodiversity loss not only in terms of species conservation but also in terms of sustainability of ecosystem services. The ability of protected areas to maintain local species richness has been clearly demonstrated. However, preserving goods and services provided by ecosystems requires not only the conservation of species richness but also the conservation of the most 'original' species, i.e. the ones with the highest average rarity of their attributes which are likely to perform some unique functions in ecosystems. We proposed a new conservation of biological originality (CBO) index as well as associated randomization tests to quantify the ability of protected areas to maintain viable populations for the most original species. As an application, we used long-term fisheries data collected in the Bonifacio Strait Natural Reserve (BSNR) to determine the species which benefited from the protection reinforcement in 1999. We also estimated a set of 14 ecomorphological functional traits on the 37 fish species caught in the BSNR and we obtained a functional originality value for each species. As a result, we found that functional originality was significantly protected in the fish assemblage of the BSNR: species with the most original functional trait combinations became more abundant after 1999. Our finding suggests that protecting most original species is an insurance against functional diversity erosion in the BSNR. More generally, our new index can be used to test whether protected areas may protect preferentially the most original species and whether restorative management promotes the reestablishment of the most original species with particular habitat requirements.

Simulation of the combined effects of artisanal and recreational fisheries on a Mediterranean MPA ecosystem using a trophic model

“…In the BSNR, a restrictive policy has been enforced on fishing activities since the creation of the MPA (in 1999): the number of professional licenses and the minimum mesh size were controlled and various protected perimeters were delimited. These restrictions tend to decrease the fishing pressure on the protected parts and to increase catches in terms of capture per unit of effort (CPUE) as demonstrated in Mouillot et al (2008). Pauly et al (1998a) established that, with an increasing fishing pressure, the mean TL of catches decreases since fishes with high TLs are primarily targeted (generally benthic and demersal piscivorous).…”

“…The BSNR artisanal fleet is composed of small boats (average length 7.7 m) fishing on the continental shelf (Mouillot et al 2008). Generally, trammel nets are set for 24 h at depths ranging from 20 to 60 m. The minimum mesh size used for fish is 62.5 mm.…”

“…Moreover, the BSNR has a high touristic value, and attracts a large number of recreational anglers, particularly in the summer. This pressure, combined with the local small-scale artisanal fishery, may cause intense fishing effort on the unprotected parts of this ecosystem (Mouillot et al 2008). Given the declining artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean (Gomez et al 2006), it is crucial to study interactions between commercial and recreational fishing in order to promote conservation measures that are (1) beneficial to the artisanal activity and (2) able to sustain the function of coastal ecosystems.…”

An overview of the applicability of functional diversity in Biological Conservation

“…Overall, authors recommend the inclusion of other facets of biodiversity beyond traditional indices on conservation strategies, with emphasis on functional diversity. However, the number of papers that operationalise such inclusion by developing models and systems that encompass functional diversity is still low (Robinson et al, 2014;Perry, 2010;Mouillot et al, 2008;Kadoya et al, 2011;Maire et al, 2013).…”

The Effects of Isolation and Natural Park Coverage for Landrace In situ Conservation: An Approach from the Montseny Mountains (NE Spain)

“…With approximately 12% of the world's land surface and 1% of the marine environment [18], protected areas are usually focused on species and habitat management, rather than considerations on the functioning of ecological systems [19]. In fact, in most protected areas, biodiversity is almost exclusively focused on species richness and the amount of the species living inside the boundaries, yet it should be taken into account that biodiversity includes various aspects of the diversity of life [20], such as in situ crop protection.…”