Disturbances In Protected Areas Research Articles

Quantifying patch size distributions of forest disturbances in protected areas across the European Alps

AbstractAimNatural disturbances are key drivers of forest ecosystem dynamics and are highly sensitive to global change. Despite their importance, central disturbance characteristics remain unknown for many forests worldwide. Here, we quantified an important component of the forest disturbance regime—the distribution of patch sizes—in strictly protected areas by asking: (i) How are patch sizes of naturally occurring disturbances distributed across the Alps and how can they best be quantified? (ii) Are patch size distributions stochastic or can they be explained by environmental drivers? (iii) What are the return periods of extreme disturbance events?LocationEuropean Alps.MethodsWe analysed satellite‐based disturbance maps for the period 1986–2020 across a network of 12 strictly protected areas, modelling patch sizes of all observed disturbance patches as well as of annual extreme events. We tested the influence of temperature, precipitation, topographic complexity and forest type on patch size distributions.ResultsDisturbance patch sizes across the Alps (median 0.36 ha, 5th percentile 0.18 ha and 95th percentile 1.71 ha) as well as their annual extremes (0.72 ha, 0.18–7.11 ha) are best described by a Fréchet distribution. The size of annual extreme events significantly increased with intra‐annual temperature amplitude (+0.98 ha with a one standard deviation increase) and the share of evergreen trees (+0.63 ha). On average, disturbance patches of 5.5 ha (95% credible interval 2.6–17.5 ha) occur once every 30 years, whereas patches of 2.6 ha (1.2–7.0 ha) occur once every 10 years.Main ConclusionsDisturbances caused by natural agents are generally small and stochastic across the Alps. Extreme events are driven by climate, suggesting sensitivity of disturbance patch sizes to climate change. Our results provide a baseline for monitoring climate‐induced changes in forest disturbance regimes, and provide important information for the management and conservation of forest ecosystems.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Trends on Habitat Disturbance Between 1986 And 2021 In Protected Areas of, Zimbabwe

The main aim of this research is to analyse spatio- temporal trends on habitat disturbance between 1986 and 2021 in protected areas of, Zimbabwe with a focus on anthropogenic activities such as mining which are leading to biodiversity loss, habitat and ecosystem services disturbances. This paper provides an overview of recent studies using Remote Sensing (RS and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques to assess the extent of mining disturbance on plant habitats in protected areas of Zimbabwe. Through a systematic review, literature hotspot analysis was done as well as a trend analysis at regional specific level together with statistical tests in order to come up with an overview of the past studies which were done on habitat disturbance in protected areas of Zimbabwe over a thirty-five-year period. The paper highlights the complex nature of the impacts of mining as well as discuss spatial research methods, data sources and limitations. The results indicated an exponential growth of scientific literature on human-environment interactions in the mining environments at regional scale and a non- monotonic trend at country level. This has prompted a need to synthesize literature to guide future research. Conclusively there is limited research done on habitat disturbance in protected mining environments, hence the need for advanced geospatial scientific studies in the future on spatio-temporal analysis of trends on habitat disturbance

Seasonal habitat use and activity patterns of blood pheasant Ithaginis cruentusbe in the presence of free-ranging livestock

Livestock grazing has become the most prevalent human disturbance in protected areas across the range of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Previous studies have documented the impacts of livestock grazing on habitat and food resources of giant panda, however, little is known about how free-ranging livestock influences other sympatric species. In this study, we investigated the presence of livestock on the habitat use and activity patterns of blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentusbe), a representative species of phasianids in China, of which more than 50% are under threats due to habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal harvest and human disturbance. We combined camera-trap and sign survey data collected within Wanglang National Nature Reserve, where the livestock population has increased by nine-fold in the past decade, and used both an occupancy modeling framework and kernel density estimation to understand blood pheasant’s recent distribution, changes in occurrences, and diel activity patterns in the presence of free-ranging livestock in different seasons (i.e., breeding [April to July], non-breeding [August to October] and winter [November to March]). For diel activity, blood pheasant overlapped highly with livestock regardless of the season, as both are primarily diurnal species. With regards to distribution, we detected a significant positive correlation between the presence of blood pheasants and livestock (P = 0.02) in breeding season which was against our expectation; no significant relationship in non-breeding season; and a significant negative correlation in winter. Besides, livestock had a significant negative correlation with blood pheasant extinction probability, and no significant impact on colonization probability. Aided by results from two-season occupancy modeling, we argued that the spatial co-occurrence in breeding season wasn’t due to causality, but similar habitat preferences between them. Our study confirms that free-ranging livestock do have the potential to impact blood pheasant due to temporal and spatial overlap, but the consequences of this overlap were unclear.

Ongoing forest disturbance in Guatemala's protected areas.

Protected areas in Guatemala provide habitat for diverse tropical ecosystems, contain ancient archeological sites, sequester carbon, and support economic activity through eco‐tourism. However, many of the forests in these protected areas have been converted to other uses or degraded by human activity, and therefore are considered “paper parks”. In this study, we analyzed time series of satellite data to monitor deforestation, degradation, and natural disturbance throughout Guatemala from 2000 to 2017. A recently developed methodology, Continuous Degradation Detection (CODED), was used to detect forest disturbances of varying size and magnitude. Through sample‐based statistical inference, we estimated that 854 137 ha (± 83 133 ha) were deforested and 1 012 947 ha (±139 512 ha) of forest was disturbed but not converted during our study period. Forest disturbance in protected areas ranged from under 1% of a park's area to over 95%. Our estimate of the extent of deforestation is similar to previous studies, however, degradation and natural disturbance affect a larger area. These results suggest that the total amount of forest disturbance can be significantly underestimated if degradation and natural disturbance are not taken into account. As a consequence, we found that the protected areas of Guatemala are more affected by disturbance than previously realized.

Reconciling pest control, nature conservation, and recreation in coniferous forests

AbstractProtected areas are not only crucial for biodiversity and natural processes but also for recreation. Although a benign neglect strategy of dealing with natural disturbances in protected areas is beneficial for nature, public debate on avoiding increased pest population growth has intensified. We evaluated the effect of mechanical pest control measures in decreasing populations of insect pests, maintaining nontarget biodiversity, retaining high recreational value, and keeping economic costs low. Debarking and bark scratching or gouging effectively prevented infestation of felled trees by European spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus) and controlled the beetles in recently infested trees. Bark scratching or gouging retained biodiversity at natural levels, whereas debarking decreased biodiversity by 54% with higher economic costs. The public rated bark‐gouged trees more positively than debarked trees. We thus urge authorities to promote bark scratching or gouging in the control of bark beetles in protected areas instead of salvage logging and debarking.

Patterns and drivers of recent disturbances across the temperate forest biome

Increasing evidence indicates that forest disturbances are changing in response to global change, yet local variability in disturbance remains high. We quantified this considerable variability and analyzed whether recent disturbance episodes around the globe were consistently driven by climate, and if human influence modulates patterns of forest disturbance. We combined remote sensing data on recent (2001–2014) disturbances with in-depth local information for 50 protected landscapes and their surroundings across the temperate biome. Disturbance patterns are highly variable, and shaped by variation in disturbance agents and traits of prevailing tree species. However, high disturbance activity is consistently linked to warmer and drier than average conditions across the globe. Disturbances in protected areas are smaller and more complex in shape compared to their surroundings affected by human land use. This signal disappears in areas with high recent natural disturbance activity, underlining the potential of climate-mediated disturbance to transform forest landscapes.

Detecting early signs of environmental degradation in protected areas: An example of Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, China

Identifying early signs of anthropogenic disturbances in protected areas is critical for determining overuse, safeguarding natural beauty, protecting biodiversity, and sustaining resource use and economy. Assessing disturbances to aquatic systems of such areas is challenging due to the low-dose, diffused, and cumulative nature of disturbances; high risk at iconic sites; and difficulty of linking human activities with degradation. Using Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve as an example study to overcome such challenges, we developed an approach that integrated human activities known to impact aquatic systems to calculate a holistic disturbance index for assessing the extent of human uses at scales of entire reserve and individual sub-watersheds. We linked human disturbance index with benthic algae and macroinvertebrate indicators of individual waterbodies to identify early signs of degradation. We conducted in situ nutrient experiments and intensive sampling of biota at iconic sites with early signs of degradation to provide direct linkage between tourist activities and eutrophication, and to pinpoint mechanisms of how human disturbances have resulted in such degradations. We found that the human disturbance index significantly correlated with benthic algae and macroinvertebrate indicators, and Jiuzhaigou is largely in healthy condition. For the two identified iconic sites with early signs of degradation, intensive tourist activities at observation and rest areas of Five-Color Lake seemed to link to extra amount of nitrogen input into the lake and resulted in overgrowth of phytoplankton and filamentous algae during summer peak tourist months. Extra amount of phosphorus input from tourism activities at Pearl Shoal seemed the cause of changes in substrate colors and of shifts in attached moss and algal communities. Our example study demonstrates that early signs of degradation can be visually observed and should be further assessed by measuring water quality and sensitive biological indicators at high risk areas of a waterbody during summer and peak tourist seasons. Sensitive biological indicators (e.g., intolerant diatom and macroinvertebrates) are better indicators than nutrient concentrations because of rapid assimilation of nutrients by algae and macrophytes. Our assessment approach and findings of studying Jiuzhaigou have broad applications to other protected areas for determining overuse, and hence for making science-based policy and taking adequate management actions to prevent overuses.

Response of the Endangered red panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens to anthropogenic disturbances, and its distribution in Phrumsengla National Park, Bhutan

AbstractAcross much of Asia protected areas have a dual objective of conserving biodiversity and supporting rural and indigenous livelihoods. For the red panda Ailurus fulgens and other sensitive species of concern, even limited anthropogenic disturbance may influence their use of protected areas. We quantified the prevalence of timber collection and livestock grazing, and their impacts on red panda habitat use, in Phrumsengla National Park, Bhutan. Red pandas used sites with at least 20% bamboo cover, as evidenced by presence of their faecal pellets. They avoided sites disturbed by livestock, regardless of bamboo availability. Timber collection itself was not an important predictor of red panda presence but bamboo may be harvested opportunistically from sites where timber is collected. Conservation efforts for the red panda should not rely on protected areas alone but should explicitly consider and mitigate impacts of anthropogenic disturbances in protected areas.

Temporal and spatial variability of zoobenthos recruitment in a north-east Atlantic marine reserve

Submerged artificial surface imitates newly available habitat for settlement of marine fauna. It also enables study of the timing of benthic larval settlement. Such knowledge is important if the model of possible recovery after disturbance in protected areas is to be assessed. During this study recruitment of sessile benthic invertebrate fauna at spatial and temporal scales was investigated using artificial panels submerged in the Skomer Marine Nature Reserve (Wales, UK). Panels were exchanged monthly between May 2009 and September 2011 (with the exclusion of winter time). Recruitment was highly variable with regard to time and distribution; abundance and number of recruiting species varied significantly between sites (about 2 km apart from each other), depths (6 and 12 m), position on panels (top or underside) and years without any obvious trends. The highest number of individuals and highest values of species richness were at Bernies Rocks, at the greater depth and on the underside surface of panels. Bryozoans were the dominant taxon on panels in each studied year and month. Most macrofaunal species noted on panels exhibit a colonial life strategy with short-lived, non-feeding larval stage. Although many species settle all year round, levels of settlement usually peak in summer months, showing a seasonal recruitment pattern (Bugula fulva, Spirobranchus triqueter, Chorizopora brongniartiandEscharoides coccinea). Some species had a pronounced settlement peak in spring (e.g.Electra pilosaandBalanus crenatus).

Introducing a framework for good and adaptive governance: An application to fire management planning in Canada’s boreal forest

Planning for and managing disturbances in protected areas requires governance arrangements that are both adaptive to changing conditions and effective in dealing with multiple challenges. This paper presents a framework composed of principles and criteria of good and adaptive governance that pays attention to inclusiveness, responsibility, fairness, strategic vision, performance orientation, and adaptiveness. The framework was empirically tested on fire management planning in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, involving interactions between Parks Canada and Saskatchewan Environment. Our results suggest that while the principle of performance orientation was upheld, principles such as inclusiveness and adaptiveness were only partially supported. Additional testing beyond fire management planning can help determine the utility of the framework for other environmental management situations.

Remote sensing for conservation monitoring: Assessing protected areas, habitat extent, habitat condition, species diversity, and threats

Monitoring protected areas and their surrounds at local to regional scales is essential given their vulnerability to anthropogenic pressures, including those associated with climatic fluctuation, and important for management and fulfilment of national and international directives and agreements. Whilst monitoring has commonly revolved around field data, remote sensing can play a key role in establishing baselines of the extent and condition of habitats and associated species diversity as well as quantifying losses, degradation or recovery associated with specific events or processes. Landsat images constitute a major data source for habitat monitoring, capturing broad scale information on changes in habitat extent and spatial patterns of fragmentation that allow disturbances in protected areas to be identified. These data are, however, less able to provide information on changes in habitat quality, species distribution and fine-scale disturbances, and hence data from other spaceborne optical sensors are increasingly being considered. Very High Resolution (VHR) optical datasets have been exploited to a lesser extent, partly because of the relative recency of spaceborne observations and challenges associated with obtaining and routinely extracting information from airborne multi-spectral and hyperspectral datasets. The lack of a shortwave infrared band in many VHR datasets and provision of too much detail (e.g., shadows within and from landscape objects) also present challenges in some cases. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, particularly when used synergistically with optical data, have benefited the detection of changes in the three-dimensional structure of habitats. This review shows that remote sensing has a strong, yet underexploited potential to assist in the monitoring of protected areas. However, the data generated need to be utilized more effectively to enable better management of the condition of protected areas and their surrounds, prepare for climate change, and assist planning for future landscape management.

Concentration of fecal cortisol metabolites in chamois in relation to tourist pressure in Tatra National Park (South Poland)

In protected areas, outdoor recreation, and nature-based tourism can act as potential stressors for wildlife. Given the growing demand for nature recreation, the consequences of high tourist visitation on wildlife need to be assessed in order to avoid incompatibilities between public use and species protection goals. The Tatra National Park (Poland), in the Carpathian Mountains, is a unique alpine ecosystem visited by three million tourists per year. It hosts the only native population of an endemic subspecies of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica). We investigated the effects of tourist disturbance, the number of visitors, and the season on the concentration of fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) in Tatra chamois in 2009. FCM levels of chamois were significantly higher and showed higher variation at high tourist disturbance (mean ± SD, 46.2 ± 31.53 ng/g, n = 56) than at low disturbance sites (mean ± SD, 17.2 ± 8.05 ng/g, n = 38). Stress levels increased with the number of visitors and therefore showed a peak in summer, coinciding with the highest number of visitation to the national park. A large portion of chamois habitat in Tatra National Park is within the area of influence of the touristic trail network. The temporal or permanent creation of areas free of disturbance in protected areas should be considered, especially in the periods of high tourist visitation. This study highlights the need to monitor the effects of tourist activities on wildlife and to implement new policies in the management of protected areas.

Assessment and impact of anthropogenic disturbances in protected areas of northern Togo

These days, human activities in the savanna and the remaining dry and riparian forests of the Sudanian ecoregions continue to have their impact. These anthropogenic practices are still the main cause of disturbances in these areas. In order to investigate and assess the importance of these disturbances, caused by people bordering on protected areas and to determine the relation between these activities and the environment in which they are carried out, 220 samples were selected in the three main protected areas of northern Togo. The investigation was mainly qualitative, considering the floristic sampling of this drought area; any anthropogenic activities observed were recorded. A simple investigative questionnaire about the activities of rural people in the reserved areas was distributed to individuals encountered in the study area. Each sample in the investigation ended with a site description of its ecological characterization, i.e., soil features, topography, fauna footprints, dominant plant species and GPS position; we also took photographs of the site. Data processing was entirely based on descriptive statistics and a factor analysis. The results show that eight kinds of human activities, i.e., the use of pastures, tree cutting, bush fires, charcoal production, harvesting of plant material, farming, honey harvesting and hunting, were noted to be serious disturbances to the integrity of the ecosystems. Among these disturbances, three are recurrent in all the sampled areas of which the use of pastures accounts for 31.88%, tree cutting for 30.35% and bush fires for 30.13%. Fire and pasture disturbances are closely linked and are responsible for the current features of the savanna area of the region. Tree cutting is more a direct function of the need for the production of wood fuel, generally used by city populations. Hunting, farming and honey production are of lesser importance in the area and therefore, do not pose a significantly negative effect on the growth of fauna and flora. Knowledge of these disturbances in the context of requalification and a renewed demarcation of protected areas in Togo is essential for their sustainable management.

Managing natural disturbance in protected areas: Tourists’ attitude towards the bark beetle in a German national park

Tourists represent important stakeholders in the management of natural disturbance in protected areas. This study examines tourists’ attitude towards large-scale bark beetle infestation in the case of Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany. Three alternative conceptual models for predicting attitude are specified and compared using structural equation modelling (SEM) and a post-hoc modified model is derived. We find that tourists overall have a neutral attitude towards the bark beetle and are slightly against controlling the insect in the park. Tourists with higher affinity for the national park, better knowledge about the bark beetle and who expect a recovery of the affected areas have a significantly more positive attitude. Our results support a policy of selective non-intervention in the case of natural disturbance. This should be combined with educational measures aimed at raising awareness of the ecological mandate of protected areas and increasing tourists’ knowledge of the specific disturbance.

Conservation of large avian frugivores and the management of Neotropical protected areas

Large frugivorous forest birds are among the most endangered avian groups in the Neotropics. Despite this fact, there has been little field work on members of these groups or on other large Neotropical forest birds. While current studies of Neotropical forests are beginning to provide data for reserve management at the ecosystem level, we lack information for management of particular species or habitats. Throughout Latin America, large forest frugivores are economically important as food, as pets or in local crafts. They can also be important seed dispersers and can be used as indicator species of habitat disturbance in protected areas. The conservation status of these birds demands more attention and commitment from conservation organizations and the scientific community in general. Further field research should focus on the basic ecology and natural history of endangered and non-endangered species. These studies will aid in developing badly needed long-term management and monitoring plans both for populations of large forest frugivores and their habitats.