Abstract

(Introduction):  One of the strategies to promote the maintenance of biodiversity at the landscape level is the establishment of structural connectivity routes between the core areas of ecological conservation. However, the design of protected areas in Cuba has lacked the establishment of connectivity networks that serve as links between those areas. (Objective): This research proposes a theoretical design of connectivity routes between the 19 most stringent conservation protected areas of the Sierra Maestra. (Methodology): Based on terrain slope, land cover, water network, road network, and density of population settlement, friction or resistance to displacement map is computed. (Results): The Cost-distance model, from ArcGIS, identifies the total amount of 186 structural connectivity routes. (Conclusions): Altitudinal connectivity routes, allowing the connection between protected areas to different altitudinal floors, include 114 routes, while longitudinal connectivity, allowing the connection between protected areas to the same altitudinal level, includes 72 routes. Route density allows the identification of 53 areas of interest for biodiversity.

Keywords: Cost-distance model; friction map; geographic information system; protect areas; structural connectivity routes