Analysis of the coastal fox (Lycalopex sechurae) habitat in Lambayeque region and a proposal of ecological corridors using GIS tools

• Main Author: María Alejandra Cuentas Romero
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú 2016-07-01
• Series: Espacio y Desarrollo
• Subjects: Zorro costeño; aptitud de hábitat; corredor ecológico; conectividad; Corridor Designer; fragmentación; ecología del paisaje; parches; matriz
• Online Access: http://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/espacioydesarrollo/article/view/15008

The coastal fox or Sechura’s fox, whose scientific name is Lycalopex sechurae, is distributed among the areas of Ecuador’s northwest and the central coast of Peru. There is still little information about the biology of coastal fox and its role in ecosystems that are part of its habitat. Today the coastal fox habitat is under a state of fragmentation by human intervention. In this research, synthesized information about biological, ecological and geographical distribution of coastal fox is presented; with the status of threat and persecution, so conservation strategies are required, and this research focused on propose ecological corridors. The Corridor Designer, an extension of ArcGIS tools, could standardize the resolution of natural, anthropogenic, trophic and protective variables, and with those variables an habitat suitability between the ACP Chaparrí and the ACR Huacrupe La Calera was obtained, which are connected from the design of two different ecological corridors, concluding that both are functional, although the first result of corridor would become more efficient and potential to put into the practice and reality.