Nature Conservation Issues Research Articles

Farmers and nature conservation: What is known about attitudes, context factors and actions affecting conservation?

AbstractFarmers' attitudes towards viability of specific conservation practices or actions strongly impact their decisions on adoption and change. This review of ‘attitude’ information reveals a wide range of perceptions about what conservation means and what the impacts of adoption will mean in economic and environmental terms. Farmers operate in a tight financial situation, and in parts of the world they are highly dependent on government subsidies, and cannot afford to risk losing that support. Use of conservation practices is most effective when these are understood in the context of the individual farm, and decisions are rooted in land and resource stewardship and long-term concerns about health of the farm and the soil. The attitudes of farmers entering agri-environmental schemes decide the quality of the result. A model is developed to show how attitudes of the farmer, the farming context and agri-environmental schemes interact and thus influence how the farming community affects nature and biodiversity. As new agri-environmental schemes are planned, agricultural development specialists need to recognize the complexity of farmer attitudes, the importance of location and individual farmer circumstances, and the multiple factors that influence decisions. We provide these insights and the model to conservation biologists conducting research in farming areas, decision makers who develop future agri-environmental schemes, educators training tomorrow's extension officers and nature conservationists, and researchers dealing with nature conservation issues through a combination of scientific disciplines.

Environmental judgments by the Court of Justice and their duration

AbstractThis article discusses some data concerning the environmental jurisdiction of the EC Court of Justice during 2006 and 2007, and compares them with previous years. During this time, the Court—including the Court of First Instance—issued about one decision per week. The majority of cases concerned nature conservation issues, followed by waste and air-climate change matters. About two thirds of all cases were submitted to the Court by the European Commission. Preliminary cases (Article 234 EC Treaty) took, on average, a time of 19 months, cases under Article 230 21 months, and cases under Article 226 EC Treaty 18 months. However, if one includes in the cases under Article 226 the compulsory pre-judicial period, the average duration of procedures was 47 months, thus almost four years. A closer analysis of the data reveals that this long duration is mainly attributable to the EC Commission.

The problem of spatial scale when studying the human dimensions of a natural resource conflict: humans and wolves in Sweden

Some surveys are performed at a spatial scale that hides the core of the problem. This is not a trivial problem if local members of the public and more distant respondents disagree over a certain issue. We contrast a Swedish national, proportional survey with corresponding regional and local surveys. We use three survey questions about wolves to illustrate the risk of extrapolation from proportional national surveys to areas where human and nature conservation issues are in conflict. As attitudes towards large carnivores generally tend to be favourable amongst the general public, but negative amongst those most likely to be adversely affected, surveys performed at a too large a spatial scale do not capture the problem or reveal disagreements between local and general public. This could lead to a conceptual mismatch between the spatial scales of, first, the natural resource problem and, second human population sampling. Our study in the mountain region of northern Sweden illustrates biases potentially introduced to controversial issues tied to local problems by using proportional national surveys. We suggest over-sampling in problem areas contrasted with proportional regional/national sampling, or proportional sampling matching the scale of problem, to identify the driving mechanisms and related variables.

Auswirkungen des demographischen Wandels auf Umwelt- und Naturschutz


 A detailed study of available literature within a scientific research project revealed that neither in science nor in practice a discussion evolved concerning the impact of demographic changes on environmental and nature conservation issues to date. This is exacerbated by the fact that demographic change is only one factor amongst others that affects environment and nature. Therefore, no direct causal connection between demographic changes and the environmental condition can be drawn.
 Nevertheless, an impact of the demographic changes on environmental and nature conservation issues can yet be expected for the future. In order to evaluate the chances and risks for environment and nature and to respond appropriately to them it is important to integrate environmental and nature conservation issues into today's scientific, planning and political discussion on this topic.

Overview on urban nature conservation: situation in the western-grassland biome of South Africa

Urban nature conservation issues in South Africa are overshadowed by the goal to improve human well-being, which focuses on aspects such as poverty, equity, redistribution of wealth and wealth creation. The growing need for urban employment is closely associated with the increase of squatting and informal settlements along the urban fringe, which contributes to habitat fragmentation and sprawling of cities. This increasing urbanisation is one of the main threats to biodiversity in the Grassland biome as the natural vegetation in and around cities in the North-West Province of South Africa is destroyed at an alarming rate. The lack of detailed ecological data is a major problem in the implementation of conservation-orientated policies in urban planning and management. This paper gives a brief overview of urban nature conservation in the world, the obstacles to implementation in South Africa and the importance of socio-economics and environmental legislation. We focus specifically on projects involving phytosociological studies and biotope mapping in cities in the western Grassland Biome of the North West Province. The visible presence of native vegetation is essential and integral to urban nature conservation. There is a vital need to present urban environmental data in a format that is convincing and useful to decision makers. We propose an integrated approach towards urban ecological studies culminating in effective urban nature conservation.

Making biodiversity meaningful through environmental education

Biodiversity is an emerging theme in science, society and, more recently, education. There is no one single definition of biodiversity that is adequate in all situations. Both the knowledge base and the value base of biodiversity are variable and questionable. Because of these characteristics, biodiversity makes for an interesting vehicle for linking science and society, and the investigation of the normative underpinnings of 'science-in-the making'. Based on a 3-year study, this paper explores the crossroads between science education and environmental education and presents a framework for tapping the environmental education potential of biodiversity. Outlined are a number stepping stones for making biodiversity meaningful to learners. It is argued that, from the perspective of environmental education, the illdefined nature of biodiversity is a useful feature. Biodiversity is renewing the discourse on nature conservation issues by bringing together different groups in society that are searching for a common language to discuss nature conservation issues in relation to sustainability issues. The resulting debate allows the socio-scientific dispute character of 'science-in-the-making' to surface. Participation in such a dispute is an excellent opportunity to learn about a highly relevant, controversial, emotionally charged and debatable topic at the crossroads of science, technology and society

Ecological public functions and fiscal equalisation at the local level in Germany

The concept of sustainability requires the acknowledgement and appropriate financing of ecological, economic and social public functions at all levels of government. Whereas the significance of socio-economic functions has a comparably long tradition in federal systems, the respective consideration of ecological functions is still waiting to be fully realised. The aim of this article is to analyse the roles fiscal federalism and fiscal instruments can play in addressing ecological public functions assigned to decentralised jurisdictions in federal systems. For this purpose, an investigation of intergovernmental fiscal relations and their significance for the local level is carried out by way of example for the Federal Republic of Germany. Based on a status quo analysis of the various German fiscal equalisation laws at the local level, the article presents options for systematically integrating neglected ecological functions and indicators into the existing legal framework. The empirical analysis shows that end-of-the-pipe and infrastructure-related ecological functions are already strongly integrated by way of conditional grants. However, precautionary functions such as nature and resource conservation issues are still largely absent. Therefore, a comprehensive consideration of ecological public functions in Germany calls for the integration of nature conservation issues and respective indicators into the system of intergovernmental fiscal relations.

Shifting Mosaics in Grazed Woodlands Driven by the Alternation of Plant Facilitation and Competition

Abstract: Free‐ranging large grazers, such as cattle and horses, are increasingly reintroduced to former agricultural areas in Western Europe in order to restore natural and diverse habitats. In this review we outline mechanisms by which large grazers induce and maintain structural diversity in the vegetation (mosaics of grasslands, shrub thickets and trees). This variation in vegetation structure is considered to be important for the conservation of biodiversity of various plant and animal groups.The process of spatial association with unpalatable plants (as‐sociational resistance) enables palatable plants to establish in grasslands maintained by large grazers. In this way, short unattractive (thorny, low quality or toxic) species facilitate taller unattractive shrubs, which facilitate palatable trees, which in turn outshade the species that facilitated their recruitment. Established trees can, therefore, not regenerate under their own canopy, leading to cyclic patch dynamics. Since this cyclic dynamic occurs on a local scale, this contributes to shifting mosaics. The mechanisms involved in creating and maintaining the resulting shifting mosaics are described for temperate flood‐plain and heathland ecosystems, including the effects on nutrient transport within grazed landscapes. How grazing leads to shifting mosaics is described in terms of plant functional types, allowing potential generalisation to other ecosystems.The resulting interaction web of grasses, unpalatable forbs and shrubs, palatable light‐demanding trees and shade‐tolerant trees is discussed, and was found to contain various interesting direct and indirect effects. The key process contributing to spatial diversity in vegetation structure is the alternation of positive (facilitation) interactions between plant species at one life cycle stage, and competitive displacement at another stage. Grazing thus causes directional successional sequences to change to shifting mosaics. The implications of this theory for nature conservation are discussed, including the relevant management problems, possible choices and practical solutions.We conclude that the theoretical framework outlined in this review provides helpful insights when coping with nature conservation issues in temperate woodland habitats.

'Police boys' and poachers: Africans, wildlife protection and national parks, the Transvaal 1902 to 1950

The concentration on pure scientific research in the Kruger National Park has resulted in a neglect of a humanistic approach to nature conservation issues. The lack of human and political dimensions in important scientific contributions are serious short-comings in the light of present politico-environmental concerns. The impact of race and class on wildlife protection needs to be integrated. Scientifically sound but culturally chauvinistic protectionist strategies have been imposed upon disadvantaged African communities unable to articulate or formulate alternatives. African participation has usually either been ignored or relegated to patronizing and oversimplified accounts of Africans in the roles of 'native rangers' or 'poachers'. This police-poacher view is countered by an over-simplified African perception of national parks as being of benefit only to elitist white recreation. These divergent perceptions have important implications for the future of nature protection in South Africa.

Nature Reserves, National Parks, and Post-war Reconstruction, in Britain

An historical reconstruction of how key decisions were taken on Nature-conservation issues provides a context for appraising contemporary initiatives, both on a national and an international basis. This paper has been focused on one of the most important landmarks in the development of Nature conservation in Britain, namely the establishment of the Nature Conservancy in 1949. It recounts how the advocacy of pressure-groups, and the appointment of ad hoc inquiries, ensured that Nature conservation had a place in the Government's post-war reconstruction programme, and how it came to be regarded primarily as a scientific rather than a planning issue.There was nothing inevitable about the steps that were taken in the 1940s. They owed much to the way in which key personalities perceived shifts in public opinion towards the role of central government, and exploited the opportunities thrown up by the national parks movement. Despite the projection of the Nature Conservancy as a body that was modest in status and resources, its potential proved to be enormous. It had the responsibility not only for acquiring and managing Nature reserves, and for disseminating advice on wildlife conservation generally, but also for carrying out the research which was and always will be relevant to those functions. It is, however, doubtful whether the personnel who were responsible for the main initiatives in the 1940s fully appreciated the implications of what they were striving to achieve.

The Lithuanian SSR students' practical activity and knowledge of the field of environmental protection

Lithuanian SSR school students do plenty to preserve national wildlife. Many schools organize various extracurricular and after school actives for this purpose. An increasing number of students takes part in the national Natural Care competition and achieves better results.
 Materials analysis showed that the 7th grade students' knowledge of nature conservation issues is shallow, fragmented, and not linked to their practical activities. Only 2.4% of students answered the question about what kind of institutions and organizations contribute to wildlife protection in our republic correctly and completely; 87.4% answered correctly, but incompletely, giving just one agency or organization. Only 6% of students answered the question about how birds are useful for farms correctly and completely; 94% answered correctly, but incompletely. Only a few students reported that birds catch mice, voles, and ground squirrels (11 questionnaires of 400) that they distribute seeds (4 questionnaires), and that the birds eat a significant amount of weeds (1 questionnaire).
 Students are only introduced to a little of the republic's fauna and its protection. In response to the question about industrial fish, not a single student could name inland industrial fish like roach, bleak, vendace. Only 6% of students identified bream as an industrial fishing of the republic, 4% vimba vimba, and so on.
 The students are ignorant of the republic's rules on reserves, sanctuaries, hunting, and fishing.
 Therefore, biology teachers aren't using enough lesson time as a basis for instruction on the topic of environmentalism. The students' practical activity is directed to theoretical knowledge; students are insufficiently introduced to local fauna.