Implementation Of Conservation Projects Research Articles

Assessing diverse evidence to improve conservation decision‐making

AbstractMeeting the urgent need to protect and restore ecosystems requires effective decision‐making through wisely considering a range of evidence. However, weighing and assessing evidence to make complex decisions is challenging, particularly when evidence is of diverse types, subjects, and sources, and varies greatly in its quality and relevance. To tackle these challenges, we present the Balance Evidence Assessment Method (BEAM), an intuitive way to weigh and assess the evidence relating to the core assumptions underpinning the planning and implementation of conservation projects, strategies, and actions. Our method directly tackles the question of how to bring together diverse evidence whilst assessing its relevance, reliability, and strength of support for a given assumption, which can be mapped, for example to a Theory of Change. We consider how simple principles and safeguards in applying this method could help to respectfully, and equitably, include more local forms of knowledge when assessing assumptions, such as by ensuring diverse groups of individuals contribute and assess evidence. The method can be flexibly applied within existing decision‐making tools, platforms, and frameworks whenever assumptions (i.e., claims and hypotheses) are made. This method could greatly facilitate and improve the weighing of diverse evidence to make decisions in a range of situations, from local projects to global policy platforms.

Pathways of REDD+ Piloting in Enhancing Sustainable Forest Management: The Case of Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem, Western Tanzania.

In Tanzania, the piloting phase for the Reduced Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation lasted for almost 8 years, between 2008 and 2016. REDD+ pilot projects were implemented to document critical lessons that would inform the development of REDD policy in the country, including the development of REDD strategy and Action Plan that the government endorsed in March 2013. Major thematic areas for piloting were to understand the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, community engagement approaches, alternative livelihoods in the context of REDD+, measurement, reporting and verification of carbon issues in the context of REDD+ and financing questions. In western Tanzania, REDD+ was implemented in the same vein, with several activities employed with the involvement of state and non-state actors. This study evaluated the success and failure of the REDD+ mechanism in the Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem to draw lessons for future REDD+ implementation. This study employed a cross-sectional design that applied a mixed methods approach in collecting primary and secondary data, including 528 questionnaires, eight focus group discussions and data from direct observations. Before the REDD+ pilot, results indicate the existence of different forms of forest management, both traditional and modern, with traditional approaches being stricter than conventional and whose strength lost over time. The rise of conventional approaches was to alleviate deforestation that started in the aftermath that necessitated the development and implementation of conservation projects, whereby the REDD+ pilot is credited for stakeholder involvement and awareness creation programmes. However, it was challenging to balance conservation under REDD+ and community socio-economic development to achieve sustainable forest management targets, including alleviating shifting cultivation. The lack of completion of REDD+ activities such as the sale of carbon credits due to its short lifespan was an indication of REDD+ failure to achieve its milestones. Results illustrate further that transparency in planning for benefits distribution among actors, community empowerment, equity and equality and community responsiveness are necessary to foster community participation in SFM processes. Unless the transfer of tenure rights from the government (especially in JFM) to communities surrounding forests, it will be hard for local communities to effectively participate in future SFM activities. Findings highlight the need to clearly define how local communities surrounding forests can sustainably be engaged in management and conservation and benefit from their engagement in such processes.

Adapting participatory processes to fine-tune conservation approaches in multiactor decision settings.

Conservation decisions are typically made in complex, dynamic, and uncertain settings, where multiple actors raise diverse and potentially conflicting claims, champion different and sometimes contradictory values, and enjoy varying degrees of freedom and power to act and influence collective decisions. Therefore, effective conservation actions require conservation scientists and practitioners to take into account the complexity of multiactor settings. We devised a framework to help conservation biologists and practitioners in this task. Institutional economic theories, which are insufficiently cited in the conservation literature, contain useful insights for conservation. Among these theories, the economies of worth can significantly contribute to conservation because it can be used to classify the types of values peoples or groups refer to when they interact during the elaboration and implementation of conservation projects. Refining this approach, we designed a framework to help conservation professionals grasp the relevant differences among settings in which decisions related to conservation actions are to be made, so that they can adapt their approaches to the features of the settings they encounter. This framework distinguishes 6 types of agreements and disagreements that can occur between actors involved in a conservation project (harmony, stricto sensu arrangement, deliberated arrangement, unilateral and reciprocal compromise, and locked‐in), depending on whether they disagree on values or on their applications and on whether they can converge toward common values by working together. We identified key questions that conservationists should answer to adapt their strategy to the disagreements they encounter and identified relevant participatory processes to complete the adaptation.

Long-term persistence of conservation-reliant species: Challenges and opportunities

“Conservation-reliant species” – those fully dependent on continued management actions – are booming and, with limited conservation budgets, securing funds to sustain their long-term viability is becoming overwhelming. This study assesses the degree of dependence on conservation actions of two obligatory cavity-nesters, the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni and the European Roller Coracias garrulus, whose populations in Europe were recently recovered through artificial nest-site provisioning. Using long-term monitoring data and population surveys conducted in their main Portuguese stronghold, we examined temporal changes in the availability and use of semi-natural (cavities in rural abandoned buildings) and artificial nest-sites. We further assessed the financial costs of nest-site provisioning and evaluated the potential use of tourism revenues as a conservation funding source. Following the implementation of conservation projects, the Lesser Kestrel and Roller populations have been increasing but >65% of all breeding pairs currently nest in artificial nest-sites. Semi-natural nest-sites remain suitable for approximately 30 years and are expected to disappear by the end of this century. Lesser Kestrels and Rollers will thus become fully dependent on artificial nest-sites and sustaining their current population sizes is estimated to cost 4500€ per year. This represents <1% of the region's lodging income, largely supported by nature-based tourism. Our findings suggest that reactive conservation measures can be very effective at recovering endangered populations but can make them fully reliant on the perpetuation of those measures. This demands long-term funding, which can be alleviated by tourism revenues in areas with high nature capital values.

Tacit working models of human behavioural change I: Implementation of conservation projects.

The "human dimension" of conservation is increasingly recognised as critical for success. Most conservation research involving people is based not on explicit "theories of change", but tacit local knowledge or folk theories guiding programme design.In this study, I propose a schematization of the local socioecological knowledge and folk theories about the "human dimension" of conservation into tacit working models, comprised of individual factors and systemic factors influencing human behaviour in conservation contexts. These are called the Persuasion, Normative, Involvement and Uniformity tacit working models. I review a set of conservation interventions and programmes, in order to assess which of the implicit working models inform their design. I argue that in order to better understand how a project may arrive at different outcomes, the underlying assumptions about human behaviour and the implicit "theory of change" that went into programme design need to be made explicit. This schema does not evaluate different approaches to conservation, but it can help point out the underlying assumptions that structure interventions and that may be more or less suited to particular situations. This can allow researchers to recognise their own assumptions and test them explicitly, leading to the formulation of more reflective and explicit theories, and improving the quality of both discourse and practice in conservation.

Dégradation environnementale et dragage dans la baie de La Havane (1820-1850)

The revitalization of the Cuban economy since the last decades of the 18th century marked an important milestone in the economic, social, and environmental evolution of the Havana Bay. Important facets of an integrated urban history, such as waste management, population growth, and their role in the environmental degradation of the bay have been the subject of little research. This chapter analyses the progressive environmental degradation of the Havana bay and the implementation of conservation projects during the first half of the 19th century. Reconstructing the environmental history of Havana enables us to reevaluate the political history. In this case, we observe how the socio-environmental transformations influenced the construction of the colonial state. The search for solutions to the environmental problems; developed important connections among political, economic, and scientific institutions. Accordingly, this article examines how these connections among colonial institutions contributed to create new forms of state administration.

Assessing the conservation effects of nature reserve networks under climate variability over the northeastern Tibetan plateau

To evaluate the effectiveness of China’s largest nature reserve network in providing and protecting habitats, we performed a series of studies consisting of field investigation, model simulation, remote sensing and GIS analysis by using a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. Data from the non-protected areas (non-PAs) surrounding the nature reserve network served as a baseline for comparison. We found that some indexes of ecological restoration in the nature reserve network were superior to those in the non-PAs, such as average annual vegetation coverage and net primary production. After the establishment of the nature reserve network, ecosystem water retention service increased by 72% compared to those in the non-PAs. In the non-PAs, intensified or new degradation occurred due to overgrazing and over-exploitation. In recent years, the wetting and warming climate has been the main driver of ecological restoration in the region. The establishment of the nature reserve networks and the implementation of conservation projects both promote the improvement of local ecosystems. Therefore, for alpine regions under climate variability, we should protect entire regions rather than specific areas, and management efforts should focus on long-term sustainable conservation rather than emergency rescue.

Conservation and restoration in peopled landscapes in Oceania: opportunities and challenges

While the role of humans in causing high rates of species extinctions worldwide is well established, philosophies and opinions as to how to mitigate the current biodiversity loss are once again hotly debated topics. At the centre of the debate are differences in opinions regarding the value and the best methods of conserving and restoring biodiversity in peopled landscapes. Here we synthesise information from different case studies from Oceania that demonstrate how biodiversity conservation in peopled landscapes will require different, and often novel, socio-ecological approaches. We draw special attention to the importance of prioritising human dimensions in the conservation of different ecosystems, ranging from highly modified urban areas to largely intact wilderness areas. Particularly, we explore the importance of understanding motivations to conserve biodiversity, implementing well designed conservation actions, both socially and ecologically, and involving different stakeholders in the design and implementation of conservation projects. On the basis of our synthesis, we suggest that conservation in peopled landscapes in Oceania offers great opportunities for community involvement, including traditional landowners, in all aspects of conservation planning and implementation. Where uncertainties regarding the suitability of established management strategies exist, novel guidelines should be based on the best available ecological and social evidence to avoid potential negative outcomes.

An Appropriate Guideline for Participatory GIS: A Result from the Experience of Joint Management of Protected Area Project in Thailand

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) process as implemented through the Joint Management of Protected Areas (JoMPA) project. This article analyzes the process of local land use planning using PGIS through demarcation of special use zones. This was demonstrated to be a crucial process in the implemen-tation of conservation projects. Implementation of PGIS involves several operational steps, broughttogether in this study using the method of action research. It is based on collaborative partici-pation by stakeholders in the local area, leading all stakeholders to effective co-management of resources. The means of PGIS is also discussed here as a set of key tools, comprising geo-information acquisition and analysis tools. They are used mainly as participatory and interactive tools for communication and decision-making in collaborative planning or public meetings. The results of this implementation indicated that villagers could clearly understand the boundaries of land use areas, and the community regulations to facilitate practical co-management of land use by all local stakeholders. In addition, this study evaluates intensities of participation in 3 dimensions: facilitation, mediation and empowerment. This integrated approach including participatory local land use planning with PGIS is useful to identify problems in protected areas and also to develop strategies and solutions in partnership with local communities and external stake-holders, that together lead to a co-management approach for protected areas.

How Programs Like chance.natur Can Foster Success Factors for Nature Conservation Erfolgsfaktoren im Naturschutz und ihre Förderung durch Programme am Beispiel chance.natur

The successful implementation of conservation projects depends on both effective ecological solutions and favorable political factors. The question is, whether programs like chance.natur, the German national program on large-scale conservation, foster such success factors within projects. In analyzing 13 success factors, this paper identifies ten that are strengthened by the program, and three that are not yet activated. Main success factors are strong actors, professional networks, advocates, active management of a project's political environment, and financial and labor resources. Analyzing success factors indicates not only how a program effects the implemen tation of projects, it can also be used for the future optimization of nature conservation programs and their design. The research results prove the relevance of the transdisciplinary exchange between science and practice, which has been going on for the last 14 years.

A fuzzy model for classifying mechanical properties of vesicular basalt used in prehistoric buildings

Severe restrictions are placed on the removal of samples of material from scheduled ancient monuments. This often makes it impossible to statistically determine the main characteristics of the building stones, such as mineralogical composition, microstructure and physical and mechanical properties, for archaeometric purposes and for the design and implementation of conservation projects. In this context, the use of fuzzy techniques for processing available data (quantitative values but even subjective appraisals) may prove useful. Here we present an example of application of fuzzy modelling procedures using the data (porosimetric, mineralogical and mechanical) determined for a series of vesicular basalt stones from three archaeological areas riches in remains of prehistoric megalithic buildings in Sardinia (western Mediterranean Sea).

The Stream and Its Altered Valley: Integrating Landscape Ecology into Environmental Assessments of Agro-Ecosystems

Little is known about the importance of landscape and land cover to the implementation and performance of agricultural conservation projects designed to improve stream quality. In our study, we addressed the potential importance of landscape and land cover to conservation projects by measuring variation across 191 mu-basins (100-2400 ha) and integrating the observed variation into a study design aimed at determining the effectiveness of conservation projects. Our findings indicate that there are strong gradients across which landscape and land cover attributes vary. Land cover varied along a gradient of agricultural intensity, basin morphometry across gradients of stream closure and basin size, basin substrate was described by variation in drumlin formation, glacial landform type, and soil drainage, while agricultural conservation projects varied according to the level of project implementation. Correlation of these gradients found several associations between landscape and land cover, indicating that agricultural intensity was being constrained predominantly by drumlin formation and glacial landform type. Landscape and land cover did not appear to be determining factors in the implementation of conservation projects by land owners. Based on these findings we chose 32 mu-basins which represented the variability along each of the defined gradients for further study. We conclude that landscape scale variables demonstrate important variation and covariation that can and should be integrated into study designs for the assessment of streams and human activities affecting streams.