Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop efficient ecological infrastructure plans to support sustainable development goals, particularly in highly biodiverse and economically developing regions, such as the Tropical Andes (TA). One challenge that must be addressed is the methodology behind scaling down international conservation goals into effective conservation plans at the subnational level, a task made difficult by the uneven distribution of biodiversity, ecosystems, and threats. Chapter 1 provides a review of protected areas, conservation planning best practices, and a brief history of conservation in each country associated with the Tropical Andes. In Chapter 2, I examine the existing conservation plans based in the Tropical Andes region to assess the current status of data and methods being used, and the best strategies for creating an updated set of priorities. Using the findings from Chapter 2, I develop a conservation plan for the Tropical Andes in Chapter 3 that incorporates improved species distribution models, climate change, human impact, and carbon storage. Results from Chapter 3 include an updated set of species range maps and conservation assessments for 775 endemic, vertebrate species, and a set of priority areas for conservation. Chapter 4 examines the sustainable development of sub-national political units within the TA by simultaneously assessing the gaps in ecological infrastructure and socio-economic infrastructure. Then, using a novel sustainable development indicator, I construct a determinants model that uncovers characteristics of departments at various levels of sustainability. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes the findings of the research and provides a set of recommendations for future research and policy to improve sustainable development and conservation outcomes.