Land sharing – sparing strategies in the land use planning of the Saltinho river watershed-Imbaú/PR

Abstract

Land sharing (Lsh) and land sparing (Lsp) are land use strategies that present different potentials for achieving multiple objectives in the land use planning, such as biodiversity conservation and provision of ecosystem services. Through a case study in the Saltinho Watershed in Imbaú/PR, we evaluated the extent to which the application of each of these strategies in landscape planning can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of water quality. The analysis was performed based on the comparison between three scenarios: native vegetation cover in 2008, compliance with the law nº. 12,651/12 and watershed-scale vegetation planning, in accordance with the precepts of the Lsh and Lsp. For each scenario, landscape metrics and sediment production were calculated, using a vector-based analysis tool (V-LATE) and an ecosystem service management tool (InVEST). In the studied models, the results indicate that the application of Lsh and Lsp contributed to the improvement of landscape metrics and to the reduction of the quantity of sediments exported to water courses, which could represent positive effects for biodiversity and water quality in the watershed. However, these effects were not directly proportional, according to the transition of the analyzed scenarios. Therefore, the exploration of different land use configurations and proportions between these strategies can contribute to identify potential thresholds for biodiversity conservation and provision of ecosystem services, and, in addition, assist in land use planning for sustainable agricultural landscapes.