Reconciling biodiversity conservation, people, protected areas, and agricultural suitability in Mexico

Methods are needed to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation that minimize conflict with agricultural productivity. Analysis of georeferenced datasets for breeding birds. mammals, and amphibians in Mexico indicates that only 94 of 3,040 areas are needed to include all unprotected species within a reserve system. An examination of socioeconomic data reveals that in most of these 94 areas, opportunities exist to develop reserve networks that conserve biodiversity without adversely affecting existing human settlement, land use, or agricultural productivity. Planning that simultaneously considers infrastructure development, agricultural suitability, and protected areas can conserve biodiversity, increase agricultural production, and support rural livelihoods. Key words--Latin America, Mexico, biodiversity conservation, agricultural productivity, protected areas, locational modeling