Evaluation of biotope’s importance for biotic resource protection by the Bonner Approach

Abstract

In this article we present the Bonner Approach to evaluate a biotope's importance for biotic resource protection from the criteria naturalness, rarity and endangerment, substitutability, intactness and importance for the ecosystem structure. Each criterion is evaluated separately from 0 to 5 points which are summed up to the biotic value. According to this biotic value the biotope is classified in six categories from very low or no to international importance for the biotic resource protection. Furthermore, the Bonner Approach is applied in two case studies evaluating different biotopes from a Central European landscape, Nettersheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and from a Neotropical region within the Atlantic Rain Forest, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These outcomes are compared to evaluations from the IUCN schemata to identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) and the index of naturalness. Case studies show that biotope's ranking differs between frameworks because each approach is based on different evaluation criteria. Compared to the other frameworks, the Bonner Approach outmatches because this framework considers the influence of evaluated biotopes for biotic resources of surrounding biotopes or landscapes. Furthermore, classification in six categories is wide enough to identify areas of low importance where inevitable impacts might be carried out as well as areas of medium, high, very high or even international importance to elaborate their conservation activities. As the biotic value is of numeric character, the findings can be used to outline compensatory measures. The necessity to consider zoological data given by the Bonner Approach is lacking in other frameworks. The Bonner Approach is transferable to other biogeographical regions due to abstract formulation of criteria. High reproducibility and easy and fast application underline the universal character of the Bonner Approach encouraging its adoption in landscaping and planning conservation activities.