Monitoring Of Protected Areas Research Articles

Current state and long-term changes in the taxocene of marine polychaetes of the Karadag Nature Reserve (Republic of Crimea, Russian Federation)

Taxonomic and trophic structure and quantitative development of polychaetes are examined in the marine coastal areas of the Karadag Nature Reserve in 2021–2022. 40 species belonging to 30 genera and 15 families are discovered. From 1938 to 2022, 75 species have been recorded in this area. According to the nutritional spectrum, polyphages are the most represented, phytophages are the least represented. The average number of polychaetes in 2021–2022 is 100 ± 53 ind./m2, the average biomass is 3.55 ± 0.023 g/m2; S. papillocercusthe prevails in the total abundance and biomass, 98 and 99%, respectively. The change in the species composition, abundance and biomass of marine polychaetes of the Karadag Nature Reserve, inhabiting hard bottom substrates (1984–2022) and soft soils (1938–2021), is considered. From 1984 to 2021, 29 species of polychaetes have been recorded on soft substrates, and only two species in 2021–2022: Namanereis littoralis and Saccocirrus papillocercus. In underwater rock assemblages, on the contrary, the largest number of species (38) has been found in 2021–2022, and the smallest (14) in 1938–1940 (a total of 65 species found during 1938–2022). A transformation of the species composition and trophic structure of polychaetes occurred in the coastal biotopes of soft and hard bottom substrates in the marine area of the Karadag Nature Reserve from 1938 to 2022, with a decrease in the number of phytophages, as well as a decrease in quantitative characteristics. Presumably, the de crease in the number and diversity of polychaete worms on soft substrates is associated with a decrease in the macrophyte algae biomass. The results obtained, supplemented by data on the structure of phytocenoses and characteristic of bottom substrates, can be used in environmental monitoring of protected water areas of the Black Sea.

Enhancing biodiversity conservation and monitoring in protected areas through efficient data management

A scientifically informed approach to decision-making is key to ensuring the sustainable management of ecosystems, especially in the light of increasing human pressure on habitats and species. Protected areas, with their long-term institutional mandate for biodiversity conservation, play an important role as data providers, for example, through the long-term monitoring of natural resources. However, poor data management often limits the use and reuse of this wealth of information. In this paper, we share lessons learned in managing long-term data from the Italian Alpine national parks. Our analysis and examples focus on specific issues faced by managers of protected areas, which partially differ from those faced by academic researchers, predominantly owing to different mission, governance, and temporal perspectives. Rigorous data quality control, the use of appropriate data management tools, and acquisition of the necessary skills remain the main obstacles. Common protocols for data collection offer great opportunities for the future, and complete recovery and documentation of time series is an urgent priority. Notably, before data can be shared, protected areas should improve their data management systems, a task that can be achieved only with adequate resources and a long-term vision. We suggest strategies that protected areas, funding agencies, and the scientific community can embrace to address these problems. The added value of our work lies in promoting engagement with managers of protected areas and in reporting and analysing their concrete requirements and problems, thereby contributing to the ongoing discussion on data management and sharing through a bottom-up approach.

Developing a GIS-GPS Tracking System to Monitor Wildlife Behavior in Udawalawe National Park: Implications for Sustainable Tourism Development and Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife trips in Sri Lanka are highly sought-after by nature enthusiasts. Udawalawe National Park is a prominent tourist destination known for its diverse habitats and rich wildlife, including water birds and elephants. As the third-most visited park in the country and the sixth-largest animal sanctuary in Sri Lanka, Udawalawe is located at the intersection of the wet and dry zones, characterised by plains dominated by topography despite some hilly terrain. The primary motivation for many visitors to the park is wildlife observation, and understanding animal behaviour and habitats is crucial for responsible and sustainable tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to monitor wildlife behaviour in Udawalawe National Park to identify optimal viewing places. This study used a mixed-methods approach utilising primary and secondary data, including field observations and direct and indirect discussions. This study utilises Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geographic Positioning System (GPS) technologies to create tracks and identify wildlife viewing places that may not be officially designated. The findings revealed that the peak viewing hours occurred during the evening period and that animals tended to congregate near water bodies throughout all seasons and times of the day. About 44% of locations rich in water were identified, and field observations showed that most animals gathered in these water-rich areas, conveniently located near newly discovered tracks. The study also identified hidden and uncommon locations for observing wildlife behaviour, providing new opportunities for tourists to explore and enjoy the park. The results of this study can assist in managing the park's surrounding environment and tourist attractions and contribute to the sustainable management and promotion of wildlife tourism in Udawalawe National Park. The newly discovered tracks and viewing places can enhance the wildlife viewing experience for tourists while minimising negative impacts on the animals and their habitats. This research adds to the knowledge base of wildlife behaviour monitoring and management in protected areas. It can be a valuable resource for future studies and conservation efforts in Udawalawe National Park and other similar ecosystems.

The performance of protected-area expansions in representing tropical Andean species: past trends and climate change prospects

Protected area (PA) extent has increased significantly over the last 150 years globally, but it is yet unclear whether progress in expanding coverage has been accompanied by improved performance in ecological representation. Here, we explore temporal trends in the performance of PA networks in representing > 16,000 vertebrate and plant species in tropical Andean countries based on species bioclimatic niche modelling. We use a randomization analysis to assess whether representation gains over time (1937–2015) are the expected consequence of increasing the overall area of the network or the result of better designed networks. We also explore the impact of climate change on protected-area representation based on projected species distributions in 2070. We found that PAs added in the last three to four decades were better at representing species diversity than random additions overall. Threatened species, amphibians and reptiles are the exception. Species representation is projected to decrease across PAs under climate change, although PA expansions over the last decade (2006–2015) better represented species' future bioclimatic niches than did sites selected at random for most evaluated groups. These findings indicate an unbalanced representation across taxa, and raises concern over under-represented groups, including threatened species, and species’ representation under climate change scenarios. However, they also suggest that decisions related to locating protected areas have become more strategic in recent decades and illustrate that indicators tracking representativeness of networks are crucial in PA monitoring frameworks.

Quantifying nationality bias in social media data on different platforms for visitor monitoring in Nikko National Park, Japan

Geotagged social media data have been used widely for visitor monitoring in protected areas. The data might, however, over or underestimate visitors from specific countries due to nationality bias, i.e., differences between nationality of actual visitors versus those visitors who post on social media. This study aimed to quantify nationality bias in social media data for visitor monitoring. We conducted a questionnaire survey in Nikko National Park, Japan. Questions covered the nationality of visitors and their usage of social media, and other visitor attributes and behavior. Foreign visitors had significantly different attributes and behaviors compared to Japanese. Non-Japanese Asian visitors were overrepresented in Instagram and Facebook data. In comparison, the X platform was more representative of all visitors. Nationality bias in different platforms needs more attention and further study in different areas.

Using the Rao's Q diversity index as an indicator of protected area effectiveness in conserving biodiversity

Developing innovative monitoring systems for biodiversity outcomes in protected areas (PAs) are important to enable effective adaptive management. Here we show how to quantitatively detect and monitor temporal and spatial patterns in environmental heterogeneity, an important indicator of ecological integrity and biodiversity patterns. We used a 28-year time series (1991–2018) generated from freely available Landsat satellite imagery and Rao's quadratic index to calculate relative heterogeneity and trends in heterogeneity for 41 PAs across South Africa. We selected PAs where mega-herbivore assemblages were similar and where management objectives were broadly aligned with South African legislation to protect biodiversity. There was a three-fold difference in heterogeneity among PAs, mainly linked to variation in topography and rainfall. Heterogeneity decreased in 12 (29%), increased in three (7%) and remained stable in 26 (64%) PA's. These trends were not explained by overall heterogeneity, PA size, or rainfall – i.e., PAs that were smaller, drier, and more homogenous were not more likely to show decreasing trends than PAs that were larger, wetter, and generally more heterogenous. Rather trends in heterogeneity are likely the result of interactions between regional process (e.g., rainfall) and local factors such fire regimes, megaherbivore densities, and park management. The framework presented here can be extended to include every PA nationally, or even globally, and the data product fully automated. This presents an opportunity for conservation management to incorporate this important biodiversity indicator in PA monitoring programs as well as other large-scale ecological monitoring initiatives.

Environmental DNA-Based Methods in Biodiversity Monitoring of Protected Areas: Application Range, Limitations, and Needs

Novel methods for species detection based on collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) are not only important in biodiversity assessment in a scientific context, but are also increasingly being applied in conservation practice. The eDNA-based biodiversity detection methods have significant potential for regular use in biodiversity status assessments and conservation actions in protected areas (PAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) worldwide. Species detection based on DNA from environmental samples, such as water, sediment, soil, air, or organic material, has a broad application scope with precise, comprehensive, and rapid species identification. Here, we provide an overview of the application range of eDNA-based methods for biodiversity monitoring in PAs, evaluate environmental assessments in which this technology has already been implemented for nature conservation, and examine the challenges that can hamper further application in real world practice. Based on the outcomes of two projects, practical experience, and current scientific literature focusing on their application, we conclude that eDNA-based species detection methods provide promising novel approaches that have strong potential as supplement methods, or in some cases even as substitutes for the conventional monitoring methods used for PAs. This advancement is expected to affect decision-making in biodiversity conservation efforts in PAs and OECMs.

基于多类型自然保护地整合优化的国家公园综合监测体系构建

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 基于多类型自然保护地整合优化的国家公园综合监测体系构建 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202108192315 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划（2017YFC0506404）；国家自然科学基金项目（41801204） Establishing a comprehensive monitoring system in national parks based on the integration and optimization of multiple types of protected areas Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:随着我国自然保护事业进入新时代，以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系建设思路得以明确，以国家公园为代表的自然保护地监测工作也被赋予了更高的要求。监测在促进国家公园科学规划与管理中发挥着重要作用，国家公园管理目标的实现离不开可靠的监测数据和信息的支撑。我国的国家公园试点由各类型自然保护地整合设立，因此面临不同监测类型之间的整合，存在缺乏统一的监测指标体系、有效的监测数据管理、健全的监测实施机制等问题。在对各类型自然保护地整合优化的基本思路下，基于国外国家公园监测实践与经验，综合考虑我国自然保护地的监测现状和需求，从顶层设计出发，构建了以自然资源清查为基础、以生态监测为核心、以自然与人为干扰监测为辅助、以管理有效性监测为补充并服务管理有效性评价的国家公园综合监测体系。在此基础上，进一步提出由三级监测网络、监测数据管理、管理有效性评价三部分组成的国家公园监测实施机制。在国家公园监测体系构建方面进行了探索与尝试，以期为我国国家公园监测体系以及监测制度的建立提供有益参考。 Abstract:As the establishment of protected areas in China entered a new development stage, national parks have been recognized as the main body of a new system of protected areas. Realization of management objectives requires a large number of monitoring data and information, so the monitoring of national parks has been given great significance. However, the pilot national parks were established through integration of different types of protected areas, so they were facing the challenge of the integration of different types of monitoring. Specific problems include inconsistent monitoring indicator systems, ineffective monitoring data management, flawed monitoring implementation mechanism, and so on. Firstly, this paper analyzed the monitoring status and needs of protected areas in China and found that such problems existed in the monitoring of protected areas as different monitoring priorities, redundant monitoring data and diverse monitoring departments. Then, this paper sorted out the monitoring practice and experience of foreign national parks and found that most monitoring systems of national parks in other countries took the long-term ecological monitoring as the core, established a top-down monitoring implementation mechanism, designed a monitoring indicator system with both consistency and difference, and emphasized effective data management and utilization. Under the basic idea of integrating and optimizing various types of protected areas, learning from the monitoring practice and experience of foreign national parks, and considering the monitoring status and needs of protected areas in China, this paper constructed a comprehensive monitoring system for national parks in China from the top-level design. The system is based on natural resource inventory, centered on ecological monitoring, assisted by natural and human interference monitoring, and supplemented by management effectiveness monitoring that serves the evaluation of management effectiveness. The natural resource inventory is used to determine the baseline of conservation and management, the ecological monitoring is applied to learn the rules of ecosystem changes, the natural and human interference monitoring helps clarify the correlation mechanism, and the management effectiveness monitoring serves the evaluation of management effectiveness. On this basis, the paper further proposed an implementation mechanism for the national park monitoring, which is composed of three-level monitoring network, monitoring data management, and management effectiveness evaluation. In the "nation-province-national park" implementation mechanism, on the one hand, a unified monitoring database system and management platform should be established to realize the storage, management and analysis of monitoring data; on the other hand, the management effectiveness evaluation system should also be set up, to promote the monitoring data to serve the conservation planning and management of national parks. The paper made an important attempt in the construction of the national park monitoring system, and is expected to provide a useful reference for the establishment of the national park monitoring system and implementation mechanism in China. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

An assessment of forest loss and its drivers in protected areas on the Copperbelt province of Zambia: 1972–2016

In sub-Saharan Africa, protected areas provide a platform for conserving biodiversity. However, these areas are facing massive pressure due to deforestation, and information on forest dynamics and factors driving the changes in protected areas is generally lacking. This study has two objectives: (1) to assess forest cover changes that have occurred between 1972 and 2016 in Copperbelt Province’s protected areas, and (2) understand the drivers of forest cover changes. The study used thematic land cover maps for six selected years, which were classified using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. We also applied a Classification Tree (CT) approach to assess the drivers of forest cover changes using R statistical software. The findings showed that forest cover in protected areas has been characterised by massive deforestation due to various factors. Between 1972 and 2016, primary and secondary forests showed a decrease of 2,226.43 km2 (11.06%) and an increase of 1,082.93 km2 (4.05%), respectively. The major factors driving forest changes include the levels of precipitation, human population density, elevation, distance from roads, towns and rivers. This study presents consistent information for long-term forest monitoring in protected areas, and informs decision-makers on the levels of deforestation and their drivers for effective forest management.

Monitoring and management of high-end tourism in protected areas based on 3D sensor image collection

The expansion of tourism demand and the rapid growth of tourism industry objectively promote the tourism development and utilization of nature reserves. At present, there are various difficulties in the practical application of tourism environmental capacity assessment technology in nature reserves. This article attempts to carry out tourism monitoring and management in protected areas by combining 3D sensor image acquisition and environmental capacity assessment technology. First of all, this paper proposes a dynamic monitoring plan for the ecological environment of the reserve using 3D sensor image acquisition technology, and realizes the monitoring of tourists in the reserve and the collection of natural environment data. Secondly, this article proposes a new natural reserve tourism environment capacity assessment and pricing plan, and takes the Changtang National Park high-end tourism project as an example, and discusses its application in the form of a case study. This program provides a new solution for balancing the economic and environmental benefits of the reserve. Through simulation tests and questionnaire surveys, we found that the program can effectively improve the nature protection and tourism inspection work in the reserve.

VISITOR MONITORING IN PROTECTED AREAS: CONCEPTS, METHODS AND TRENDS

The objective of this paper is to present a systematic overview on methods used for visitor monitoring in recreational areas. Emphasis is given on quantitative methods such as direct observation, video observation, counting devices and registration books. The various approaches are discussed with regard to practical, legal and organisational aspects, such as costs, maintenance requirements, dependence on infrastructure, risk of vandalism or suitability for remote and ecologically sensitive locations. As visitor monitoring can also be regarded as an interference with the privacy of the persons being monitored, ethical aspects of the application of the various methods must also be addressed. This article reviews the possibilities of using visitor monitoring in the management of a protected area using the example of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (PLA). The Moravian Karst is the largest and most significant Karst area in the Czech Republic. The disadvantages of visitor monitoring in protected areas are analysed in the discussion part.

A camera trap appraisal of species richness and community composition of medium and large mammals in a Miombo woodland reserve

AbstractBiological monitoring in protected areas is essential for making management decisions, especially in small (<1000 km2), fenced reserves which require intensive intervention to maintain core habitat characteristics. Estimates of species richness and community structure provide important information for planning and evaluating conservation strategies. Majete Wildlife Reserve (MWR) is a small (691 km2), isolated reserve in southern Malawi in the Miombo Woodland Ecoregion. We investigated species richness and community structure of the terrestrial medium and large mammals at MWR through a standardised camera trap survey. During the 2018 dry season, 140 camera locations were sampled for 40 days each. Thirty‐five mammal species were detected and Chao 2, ICE and Jackknife 1 and 2 richness estimators indicated between 36–41 species present which aligns closely with historic accounts. Non‐detection of some species is attributed to species specialised habitat requirements not catered for in the systematic camera trap survey design. Mammal community structure, calculated from the camera detected species’ relative abundance indices (RAI), was atypical for Miombo woodland, with an underrepresentation of elephants. Camera trap‐derived RAI was positively related with 2018 aerial census species encounter data. These results can assist management in refining survey techniques and act as a baseline to monitor conservation efforts.

Pollution Biomarkers in the Framework of Marine Biodiversity Conservation: State of Art and Perspectives

Marine biodiversity is threatened by several anthropogenic pressures. Pollution deriving from the discharge of chemical contaminants in the sea represents one of the main threats to the marine environment, influencing the health of organisms, their ability to recover their homeostatic status, and in turn endangering biodiversity. Molecular and cellular responses to chemical pollutants, known as biomarkers, are effect-based methodologies useful for detecting exposure and for assessing the effects of pollutants on biota in environmental monitoring. The present review analyzes and discusses the recent literature on the use of biomarkers in the framework of biodiversity conservation. The study shows that pollution biomarkers can be useful tools for monitoring and assessment of pollution threat to marine biodiversity, both in the environmental quality monitoring of protected areas and the assessment of the health status of species at risk. Moreover, key areas of the research that need further development are suggested, such as the development of omics-based biomarkers specifically addressed to conservation purposes and their validation in the field, the extension of the biomarker study to a wider number of endangered species, and the development of organic guidelines for the application of the biomarker approach in support to conservation policies and management.

The Implication of Land Use Land Cover Change on Biodiversity Conservation: An Overview from Protected Areas in Ethiopia

Conversion of natural habitat to other forms of land use is the main threat to protected areas and biodiversity globally. The continued trend of land use land cover change in protected areas resulted in loss of a large portion of biodiversity, overexploitation by humans, transformation of natural land to human settlement, etc. In Ethiopia, the causes for land use land cover change in many protected areas are farmland expansion, deforestation, unsustainable grazing and settlement expansion, and are leading to loss of biodiversity and negative impacts of ecosystem services. In addition, Ethiopia’s protected areas entertain escalating threats and land cover changes due to human population growth, competing claims from the surrounding communities, incompatible investment, lack of environmental law enforcement, absence of complete plan and timely update for protected areas, etc. These have affected protected areas in the country namely the Bale Mountains National Park, Chocke Mountains, Babile Elephant sanctuary, Abijata Shalla Lakes National Park, Awash National Park and others. The continued land use land cover changes are aggravating ecosystem, soil and water resources degradation in mountainous protected areas while they are leading to biodiversity destruction and loss of forest cover in lowland protected areas. In order to halt and reduce the impact of land cover change on biodiversity conservation, undertaking complete land use planning and continuous monitoring of protected areas was found to be important. Similarly, integrating protected areas into the surrounding landscapes and a broader framework of national plans, promoting income generation means for communities surrounding protected areas, promoting biodiversity conservation directly linked to poverty alleviation, involving local communities and stakeholders in land use planning and sustainable management of protected areas, enhancing sound management in vulnerable mountain protected areas and restoring abandoned lands located in and around protected areas are crucial in the proper land use planning and management of protected areas. In addition, enhancing awareness creation and promoting natural resource information of protected areas and enhancing scientific study on land use land cover change pattern of protected areas are vital to undertake effective land use planning and management of protected areas in Ethiopia.

Wildlife diseases management: a case study from Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India

Article Details: Received: 2020-03-24 | Accepted: 2020-08-24 | Available online: 2021-03-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.01.44-46 Wildlife diseases management and wildlife health monitoring in protected areas is a preclude to the management of mega fauna in the protected areas. A case study from Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), Kerala, India in free ranges animals’ revels that two important diseases like amphistomiasis in Sambar and anthrax in Elephant. They were controlled by effective management interventions by extensive survey to detect the diseased animals. The diagnosis was based on field observations and treatment was done not only for the affected animals but also localizing and treating the source of the pathogens. An elaborate health monitoring protocol was developed in PTRfor management of wildlife diseases. The present study gives a base line data in the wildlife health monitoring in South India . Keywords: Periyar Tiger Reserve, anthrax, amphistomiasis, sambar, wildlife diseases References ARYA, S.N. and BHATIA, D.K. (1992). Incidence of some livestock diseases in Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 26, 41–43. GORTAZER, C., DELGADO, I.D., BARASONA, J.A., VICENTE, J., FUENTE, J.D. and BOADELLA, M. (2014). The wild side of disease control at the wildlife-livestock-human interface: a review. Frontier of Veterinary Science, 1(27). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2014.00027 MAHANTI, P., PANDA, S.M. and PANDAV, B. (2016). Community based protection oriented eco-tourism: A tool for conservation of tigers in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerela, India. International Research Journal of Environment Sciences, 5(7), 64–69. MARCHESE, C. (2015). Biodiversity hotspots: a shortcut for a more complicated concept. Global Ecology and Conservation, 3, 297–309. MONDAL, S.P. and YAMAGE, M. (2014). A retrospective study on the epidemiology of anthrax, food and mouth disease, haemorrhagic septicemia, peste des petits ruminants and rabies in Bangladesh, 2010–2012. PLos One, 9(8), e104435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0104435 R ADHAKRISHNAN, K.V. and KURUP, M.B. (2010). Ichthyodiversity of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerela, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 2(10), 1192–1198. RAWAT, M., SHARMA, K.N. and JATICAR, P.R. (1990). Presumed anthrax in a camel. Veterinary Record, 127, 411–411. SHARMA, M., JOSHI, V.B., BATTAMK, KATOCH, R.C., SHARMA, A.K. and NAGAL, K.B. (1996). Anthrax in buffaloes in Shivalik Valleys of Himachal Pradesh in India. Buffalo Journal, 12, 109–113. SHARMA, S.K., SINGH, G.R. and PATHAK, R.C. (1992). Epidemiological pattern of livestock diseases affecting pigs in Uttar Pradesh: anthrax and black quarters. Veterinary Research Journal, 6, 17–19. SINHA, S.K. (2012). Indian Bison Bos gaurus in the shiwalik hills-gangetic plains landscapes in India. Current Science, 103(5), 466–467. WOBESER. (1996). Forensic (Medico-legal) necropsy of wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 32(2), 240–249.

Exploring human-nature interactions in national parks with social media photographs and computer vision.

Understanding the activities and preferences of visitors is crucial for managing protected areas and planning conservation strategies. Conservation culturomics promotes the use of user-generated online content in conservation science. Geotagged social media content is a unique source of in situ information on human presence and activities in nature. Photographs posted on social media platforms are a promising source of information, but analyzing large volumes of photographs manually remains laborious. We examined the application of state-of-the-art computer-vision methods to studying human-nature interactions. We used semantic clustering, scene classification, and object detection to automatically analyze photographs taken in Finnish national parks by domestic and international visitors. Our results showed that human-nature interactions can be extracted from user-generated photographs with computer vision. The different methods complemented each other by revealing broad visual themes related to level of the data set, landscape photogeneity, and human activities. Geotagged photographs revealed distinct regional profiles for national parks (e.g., preferences in landscapes and activities), which are potentially useful in park management. Photographic content differed between domestic and international visitors, which indicates differences in activities and preferences. Information extracted automatically from photographs can help identify preferences among diverse visitor groups, which can be used to create profiles of national parks for conservation marketing and to support conservation strategies that rely on public acceptance. The application of computer-vision methods to automatic content analysis of photographs should be explored further in conservation culturomics, particularly in combination with rich metadata available on social media platforms.

A Place for Volunteers in Field Sciences

A Place for Volunteers in Field Sciences

Carrying capacity and impact indicators: analysis and suggestions for sustainable tourism in protected areas – Brazil

ABSTRACT Protected Areas (PA) are widely studied, especially related to effectiveness strategies for environmental conservation and ecotourism management. Research on tourism planning and management in natural environments is fundamental. Several methodologies have been created to obtain data for indicating guidelines for the management and planning of PA. This paper analyzes, discusses and makes complementary suggestions to the carrying capacity methodology developed by Cifuentes et al. (1999). Our aim was to lower the subjectivity content of Carrying Capacity (Cifuentes et al. 1999), and to incorporate several impact indicators in the monitoring process. Data were collected on Ibitipoca State Park trails in August 2018 and April 2019. Results demonstrated that flooding, soil surface degradation, exposed tree roots and canopy layer are core for carrying capacity visitors, totaling 959 tourists per day. Water quality was altered through the parameters: Specific Conductivity (966 mS/cm) and Total Dissolved Solids (624 mg/L) and Conductivity (173 mS/cm) and pH (3.69). The discussions and results highlight the need for a broader approach to the physical parameters, the adoption of qualitative variables, the increase of biological and ecological factors. Therefore, the analysis of the carrying capacity methodology aims to assist more comprehensive strategies integrated with planning and monitoring of PA.

System of indicators for monitoring specially protected natural areas

In the context of the aggravation of environmental problems, in particular those related to the use of forest resources, mineral and fuel and energy resources, the violation and degradation of natural ecosystems in large areas, it became necessary to preserve unique areas of the earth’s surface. Monitoring of protected areas is an effective tool for maintaining unique natural complexes in a high-quality condition, reducing the level of degradation of the components of the natural environment. Currently, specially protected natural areas of the Tyumen region are experiencing high anthropogenic loads associated with industrial, tourism, and investment activities. To develop a methodology for monitoring the lands of unique natural complexes and objects of the Tyumen region, the main factors that have a negative impact on natural complexes are identified.

Political making of more-than-fishers through their involvement in ecological monitoring of protected areas

One strategy for ecological monitoring of protected areas involves data collection by local resource users instead of external scientists. Growing support for such programs comes from their potential to both reduce costs and influence how resource users perceive and support protected areas, but their effects on participants are only beginning to be understood. We contribute to this growing research area through an in-depth study of how participants, their close kin, and their peers perceived the individual and community-wide effects of an ecological monitoring program. We examined the case of fishers’ involvement in ecological monitoring of a marine protected area network in Baja California Sur, Mexico, organized since 2012 by the Mexican non-governmental organization Niparaja. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation in 2016 and 2017, we found that the most salient effect of the program was personal growth. Participants described becoming “more than a fisher” through newly gained civic and environmental awareness, ecological knowledge, and self-confidence in public speaking skills. Respondents also identified health risks from diving and emotional burdens on participants’ families. Overall, other resource users in their communities seem to be supportive through reputational benefits of participants. These effects overlap with but seem more extensive than those documented in other citizen science programs. Environmentality provides a suitable explanation of the processes at play, where the act of monitoring is far more than data collection, intertwining participants’ fortunes (for better or worse) with the political fate of the protected area network itself.