Collapse of protected ecosystems: Breakdown of the City-Nature link in contexts of Urban Pressure: Bávaro Lagoon.

Abstract

The relationship between cities and natural ecosystems has progressively weakened in territories subjected to urban and tourism pressure, leading to ecological fragmentation in protected areas such as Laguna Bávaro in the Dominican Republic. This study aims to analyze how urban-tourism dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and social perceptions contribute to the disruption of ecological continuity within the ecosystem. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating document review, spatial analysis, fieldwork, interviews, surveys, and comparative mapping, enabling a multiscale understanding of the territory. The results reveal increasing occupation of buffer zones, habitat fragmentation, mangrove loss, and deterioration of ecosystem services, associated with governance weaknesses, regulatory gaps, and limited institutional coordination. Additionally, a growing disconnection between the community and the ecosystem was identified, despite a high willingness to engage in restoration processes. The study concludes that ecosystem collapse results from the interaction between urban pressure, inefficient management, and lack of territorial integration. The originality of the research lies in the integration of spatial analysis, social perception, and governance in a coastal wetland under tourism pressure. The findings are applicable to other protected ecosystems in Latin America facing similar urban pressures. Limitations include the focus on a single case study and reliance on time-specific data.