From green lungs to guardians of territory: Protected Natural Areas as axes of ecological connectivity in the urban-rural gradient

Abstract

Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) are legally established territories designated to conserve biodiversity, ecological processes, and the cultural values associated with ecosystems. In Mexico and globally, they play a strategic role as species refuges, regulators of local climate, protectors of water sources, and key spaces for recreation, environmental education, and human well-being. Their diverse categories and management schemes reflects the ecological and social heterogeneity of the landscapes in which they embedded, as well as specific conservation objectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences and complementarities of PNAs along the urban-rural gradient, highlighting how, despite facing specific pressures such as fragmentation, urban expansion, and land-use change, they contribute in an integrated manner to biodiversity conservation, the provision of ecosystem services, and territorial resilience. In urban environments, PNAs function as essential green infrastructure by mitigating air pollution, regulating temperature, and providing opportunities for direct contact with nature in contexts dominated by gray infrastructure, with immediate benefits for the physical and emotional health of the population. In peri-urban and rural areas, PNAs sustain larger-scale ecological processes, such as biological corridor connectivity, the conservation of endemic species, and the provision of ecosystem services that support community life and productive activities. Although their everyday recreational use is often more limited, their importance lies in their role as long-term strategic reserves.