Creation Of New Protected Areas Research Articles

Consistency and use of information about threats in the participatory process for identification of priority conservation areas in the Brazilian Amazon

Despite the increasing number of scientific papers on the subject, conservation planning has failed to actively prioritise the creation of new protected areas. Strategies proposed to increase the creation of new protected areas based on conservation plans include broad stakeholder participation in decision-making processes in order to include their concerns and facilitate social acceptance of proposed actions. However, there are controversial views about the effectiveness of stakeholder participation. The quality of the decision depends both on the information used by stakeholders and on how it is used, so it is necessary to evaluate both these aspects of a decision-making process. Threats are intrinsically related to conservation decisions because they are more easily understood by people than biodiversity values, and they can affect both decisions and outcomes of conservation actions. This article analyses how information about threats was used in the decision-making process conducted by the Brazilian Government in 2006 to indicate priority areas for the conservation of the Amazon biome. We first verified the consistency of the information on threats attributed by stakeholders to these new priority areas, and then assessed whether the existence, levels and types of threats influenced the choice of areas for conservation. The results showed that there were some successes in recognising threats, but also many inconsistencies, especially in assigning levels of intensity for some types of threats such as fishing. The decision-making process also did not fully use available information to indicate areas for conservation. The lack of understanding on the motivation behind these inconsistencies could suggest the presence of political opportunism. A more quantitative approach to assigning priorities is needed: one that is less dependent on the individual input of stakeholders and more accurately reflects the actual emergency status of proposed areas. This indicates that greater effort should be allocated to combining a participatory approach with a robust decision support system.

Diversity of Myrtaceae in the southeastern Atlantic forest of Brazil as a tool for conservation

Herbarium data sources are often the only available information on plant species. In this paper, the potential use of herbarium data is highlighted in a case study of the family Myrtaceae in the Atlantic forest of the Brazilian State of Espirito Santo, focusing on areas of conservation priority and assessment of species diversity. Occurrence records were obtained from published texts, personal records, and information from herbarium collections available on the SpeciesLink website. Authoritatively, determined herbarium collections were used to clarify doubts related to species identifications. A total of 4,296 records were examined, corresponding to 292 accepted species names and 106 synonyms. The variables species richness and number of collections were highly correlated. Many areas have been poorly sampled, especially in the northern and northwestern regions of Espirito Santo. Areas with high endemism and diversity rates were those most collected, suggesting that a large information potential in richness and endemicity parameters remains unsampled in poorly known areas. Eighteen endemic species were reported, of which Campomanesia espiritosantensis, Myrcia follii, M. limae, and M. riodocensis are those most vulnerable to extinction. In order to improve Myrtaceae conservation status, effective government support in implementing conservation policy is required, as well as expansion and creation of new protected areas. We suggest that Priority Areas for Conservation should be used as suitable sites for implementation of some kind of further protection.

СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ РЕСУРСОВ ОХОТНИЧЬЕ-ПРОМЫСЛОВЫХ МЛЕКОПИТАЮЩИХ ШЕЛКОВСКОГО РАЙОНА ЧЕЧЕНСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ И ПУТИ ИХ ОПТИМИЗАЦИИ

Aim. The goal of the research is that: to identify the taxonomic composition of game species and make full list of species to assess the current state of populations and resources to carry out eco-faunistic analysis of the distribution of game mammals habiting Shelkovskiy district of Chechnya. Methods. We used mapping techniques, various methods of census forms and scientific processing of the collected material, systematic and bioecological analysis. Results. As a result, we have identified 5 ecological complexes and characterized them by distribution on the identified and described natural habitats. We have made an inventory of species, identified conditions of rare species and determined their status. Biometric data has been obtained for a number of species; their biological and ecological features have been described. We also identified the species composition of game mammals and their spatial distribution of habitats. The differentiation of species in ecological groups has been carried out. Data has been obtained on the number of nine major types for the period of 2012-2013, and their characteristics. We have made an estimation of ecological and economic potential of resources of game mammals of the study area. Conclusions . Based on the analysis of the results we can make a judgment about the level of biodiversity of species of game mammals of the studied area, the current state of their number and possible use for commercial, sports and recreational purposes. We propose specific measures such as the use of existing biological resources i.e. species of mammals, as well as the creation of new protected areas as a form of preserving and increasing the number of mammals in the area. The research results can be useful for monitoring and creating specially protected natural reservations, protection of endangered species. The findings have implications for the organization of hunting economy to increase the number of game animals.

Natural Products Discovery at the Missouri Botanical Garden: Supporting Discovery Programs with Botany, Ethnobotany and Conservation

The Missouri Botanical Garden has participated in several major domestic and international natural products discovery programs. Involvement of botanists in land plant collections is necessary for sample identification, and ethnobotanical data may inform collection strategies or provide additional perspectives on research results. In addition, conservation-related work can contribute materially to developing-country collection programs both by preserving natural vegetation for future access and by providing a return of benefits to local communities, which is ethically and often legally required. MBG's participation in the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group program in Madagascar serves as a useful example. Results of antimalarial assays performed by the Centre National d'Application des Recherches Pharmaceutiques, a participating Malagasy research institution, can be compared to ethnobotanical data. MBG's onsite conservation facilitators work with communities near collection sites to set up conservation and sustainable development programs designed to respond to local needs and preferences. Those projects are not only responsible for the creation of new protected areas and land-use rules, but for meaningful improvements in local communities' welfare, which, among other things, increases the likelihood that future collections will be permitted.

First Nations Values in Protected Area Governance: Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Over the past few decades there has been increasing attention paid to ‘shared’ forms of governance and to the creation of new protected areas (PAs) that are designed to address ‘non-biological’ goals and values. The rationale for these initiatives has, in part, been based on the belief that well-designed systems of protected area governance will help to deliver desired outcomes and meet linked sociocultural, economic and environmental objectives. Addressing these questions has become increasingly important in British Columbia, where a number of First Nations are asserting increasing control over existing state-run protected areas, as well as establishing new protected areas and designing governance systems for them that deliver outcomes consonant with cultural beliefs, values and goals. This paper reports on an in-depth case study of the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, with a focus on comparing how these physically adjacent protected areas with different objectives each attempt to meaningfully engage the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in PA governance.

Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat

Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are one of the most widely recognized endangered species globally. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats, and climate change could significantly impact giant panda survival. We integrated giant panda habitat information with general climate models (GCMs) to predict future geographic distribution and fragmentation of giant panda habitat. Results support a major general prediction of climate change—a shift of habitats towards higher elevation and higher latitudes. Our models predict climate change could reduce giant panda habitat by nearly 60% over 70 years. New areas may become suitable outside the current geographic range but much of these areas is far from the current giant panda range and only 15% fall within the current protected area system. Long-term survival of giant pandas will require the creation of new protected areas that are likely to support suitable habitat even if the climate changes.

Biodiversity Offsets and Infrastructure

Biodiversity Offsets and Infrastructure

Targeting research to underpin climate change adaptation for birds

Targeting research to underpin climate change adaptation for birds J. W. PEARCE-HIGGINS,* R. B. BRADBURY, D. E. CHAMBERLAIN, A. DREWITT, R. H. W. LANGSTON & S. G. WILLIS BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Universita di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, UK Institute of Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK

Conservation Priorities for the Peruvian Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey (Oreonax flavicauda): A GIS Risk Assessment and Gap Analysis

An inductive GIS (Geographical Information System) process was used to create a realistic Habitat Suitability Model (HSM) for the current distributional range of the Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) to aid current conservation initiatives and to help set future conservation priorities for the species. In combination with this, we produced an ecological risk assessment model of the study region to assist in site selection for priority areas for conservation actions, which included the expansion of the existing protected area system and the creation of new reserves in areas forming natural biological corridors in the northeastern Peruvian departments of Amazonas and San Martin. This study incorporates information regarding the threat of hunting and other anthropogenic pressures on the species into the site selection process. Oreonax flavicauda, currently on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered, was once thought to be extinct. Since its rediscovery in 1974, however, there has been little research on this species due to its small population size, restricted distribution, and the difficulty of access to its mountainous habitat. A gap analysis showed that the current protected area network was inadequate to conserve the yellow-tailed woolly monkey's current suitable habitat. This finding underlines the urgency of upgrading the protected area network as well as implementing other conservation initiatives. The selection of sites suitable for the creation of new protected areas was based on habitat composition, altitudinal and geographical limits, and proximity to human influences, using an inductive process of extracting information from locations where O. flavicauda is known to occur, from existing demographic information on human populations, and by qualitative judgments. We recommend urgent action to protect this species before population numbers decrease further.

A gap analysis of Southeast Asian mammals based on habitat suitability models

Southeast Asia is one of the richest reservoirs of biodiversity on earth and home to one of the highest concentrations of endemic species. Many protected areas (PA) have been established across the region, but to date no systematic evaluation of their efficacy has been published because no comprehensive dataset was available which could be fed into an analysis of conservation gaps. We collected the geographic range for 1086 mammal species of Southeast Asia and we built species-specific habitat suitability models for 901 of them. We performed two gap analyses (one based on a combination of distribution models and distribution ranges and one based on distribution ranges only) for each mammalian species, to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing network of PA and to identify priority regions and priority species for expanding and consolidating the network. Our results indicate that 7.5–8.2% of species are not covered by any PA, and 51.6–59.1% are covered only partially. These species are distributed throughout the entire study area and their conservation requires the creation of new PA that can help fill this existing conservation gap. This would be particularly important for species which are endemic of small islands, where species survival is often threatened by the presence of introduced species and habitat conversion. Yet PAs cannot be considered as the ending point of a conservation strategy, because overall, 34% of the species we analyzed (many of which already covered by existing PAs) were at risk of extinction when considering the IUCN red-list criteria. PAs should therefore be considered in a broader framework of all local ecological and socio-economic trends, including the growing human population, growing economy and infrastructure development.

Conservation challenge at the agricultural frontier: deforestation, fire, and land use dynamics in Mato Grosso

Achieving conservation objectives within the rapidly changing agricultural frontier in Mato Grosso State requires tradeoffs between production and preservation. We provide a description of deforestation, fire, and land use dynamics during 2000-2005 to consider a range of strategies for conservation planning. Long-term conservation of Cerrado, transition forest, and Amazon biomes in the state can benefit from direct consideration of landscape structure, duration of post-clearing land use, and the mosaic of land uses surrounding potential conservation corridors or reserve areas. Although the creation of new protected areas may not be feasible, since few large, uninterrupted forest areas exist within the state, some conservation objectives can be met through greater coordination of the legal reserve system among property owners. We present three examples of landscape-level prioritization based on existing Forest Code regulations stipulating 80% forest reserves on private property. Through a state-mediated system, property owners could augment existing reserve areas on their property through purchase of lands in: 1) buffers surrounding existing conservation units and indigenous reserves; 2) small watersheds with little or no deforestation; 3) forest patches with high connectivity within specified mosaics of different land uses. Any final approach for property-level coordination will depend on the specific conservation goals (e.g., river corridors, bird habitat, or plant biodiversity), but we provide a framework for developing and implementing a conservation plan at the agricultural frontier. Tradeoffs in both conservation value and productive use are required to achieve coordinated conservation at scale.

Protected areas: a prism for a changing world

The centrality of protected areas in biodiversity conservation has not changed over the past three decades, but we now know that biodiversity conservation represents a much more complex and dynamic picture than was once thought. In contrast to the earlier primarily aesthetic motivation (and still valid in its own right), the role of protected areas in biodiversity conservation is now widely accepted. Internationally, their importance has been recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity and by the creation of intergovernmental funding agencies such as the Global Environmental Facility. As I discuss here, the rate of creation of new protected areas has increased rapidly to meet the need for a protected representative set of the ecosystems of the world. But that is only the start of the task.

Spotlight on Brazil

Spotlight on Brazil

Paradoxes of conservation and development in postsocialist Bulgaria: recent controversies

AbstractBased on extensive primary research in the 1990s a number of contemporary Bulgarian environmental controversies are examined, which highlight some of the paradoxes of sustainable development in a postsocialist context. Water sector controversies such as the Djerman‐Skakavitsa diversion project forest and national park and other protected area management controversies in the Rila and Pirin National Parks and the Rhodope mountains are sketched. Extension and creation of new protected areas presents both challenges and opportunities to local residents and conservation agencies alike but creative solutions are at least being considered within a framework of sustainable regional development. It is found that dependence on natural resource hinterlands for commodity and non‐commodity uses provides for new, complex and contested regulation between stakeholders and the postsocialist state at a variety of scales from the local to the global, with nested though mutable, scale‐dependent relations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.