Geodiversity conservation in the Cerrado: Representation of geophysical scenarios in the biome's protected areas network

Abstract

Geodiversity is the abiotic variation in Earth's surface and subsoil, the basis for the existence and diversification of biodiversity and environmental and ecosystem services. Furthermore, it is considered important in the context of climate adaptation strategies, with the promotion of microclimatic refugia for species. Currently, geodiversity conservation should be favored initially in regions that are naturally more geodiverse, as these regions tend to be less suitable for other human activities, mainly in historically neglected biomes, such as the Cerrado. Based on this premise, we evaluate the protection of geodiversity in the Cerrado biome by measuring the variation in geodiversity inside and outside protected and non-protected areas. To achieve this, we considered the difference between the average variation in geodiversity of each area (protected and non-protected areas) and the average value of its respective hydrographic microregion. We identify that a priori, the conservation of the Cerrado biome is an important component to achieving the objectives of the conservation strategy of a great and diverse geophysical scenario. Approximately 67 % of the variation in conservation bias in the Cerrado was explained by the distribution of geodiverse areas in this biome. Areas under protection were generally allocated in regions of higher geodiversity than non-protected areas. However, the efficiency of this strategy depends on aspects related to the governance of these areas. Furthermore, this bias neglects ecosystems' differences, which can compromise biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services in less geodiverse areas.