State Protected Areas Research Articles

The contribution of the Commission for nature protection of the Academy of Sciences of the MSSR (1957–1980) to the establishment of the environmental protection system in the Republic of Moldova

The article analyzes the context of creation and activity of the Commission for Nature Protection of the Academy of Sciences of the MSSR during the years 1957–1980. Being initially authorized to coordinate scientific research in the field and to identify natural objects to be taken under the state protection, it had a much wider spectrum of activities that laid down the basis of the environmental protection system in the country. These activities included not only drafting of the Law on Nature Protection and the Government Decisions on establishment of the State Committee in this field, but also initiation of the network creation of state protected areas and nature monuments, along with preparation of the relevant regulations and of the Red Book. The Commission has also contributed to the protection and expansion of forests, soil conservation and water protection, as well as to the constant promotion of environmental awareness. As a result, the Commission has been instrumental in establishing an environmental management system in the republic that currently broadly meets international standards. Its achievements form the basis for the further development of the environmental protection system in the republic.

Geographic distribution of the rare and endangered Telmatobufo venustus (Philippi, 1899) (Anura, Calyptocephalellidae), with the description of a new locality and comments on the type locality

Telmatobufo venustus was one of the rarest endemic amphibians of Chile until 2020. Prior to that year, this species had been known in four localities, three of them with uncertain location, including the type locality. However, three new precise localities have been reported successively since 2020, all based on a few individuals. In this study, we review the geographic information on the species and, based on literature and other documents, tentatively locate the three localities with uncertain location published before 2020. Furthermore, we describe a new locality near the uncertain southern end of its distribution. Although the number of localities has considerably increased since 2020, the species still has a highly fragmented known distribution, its type locality and southern limit cannot be located with certainty, and it is found in only two state-protected areas. Due to these reasons and because threats to the habitat have been identified in some localities, we suggest keeping the species as Endangered.

Ecosystems conservation and analysis of the representativeness of protected areas of the Kyrgyz Republic in a climate change

The most valuable natural complexes and objects should be represented in the State protected areas (PA) system. In order to preserve biodiversity, it is necessary to expand protected lands to 10% of the total country area and create an ecological network that includes various categories of ecosystems. Each protected area can represent one or a number of ecosystems, depending on the height above sea level, landform, climate and other factors. In a perfect scenario, PA system of Kyrgyz Republic must represent all categories of ecosystems including mountain, steppe, semi-desert and desert. In this research the analysis of the representativeness of protected areas in Kyrgyz Republic was performed for the first time. For this purpose, GIS data sets for PAs and classification of ecosystems were used. According to the results, forest ecosystems have the highest coverage, whereas low mountain meadows and wetlands have the lowest coverage in PA system of Kyrgyz Republic. This research suggests that this type of analysis is an important tool for biodiversity conservation and evaluation of an ecological vulnerability.

The Fergana Valley Is an Isolate of Biodiversity: A Discussion of the Endemic Herpetofauna and Description of Two New Species of Alsophylax (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Eastern Uzbekistan.

The high level of endemism in Fergana Valley has been well documented in numerous studies for various groups of animals and plants. In a relatively small area, there are 45 endemic plant species, five endemic insect species, and five endemic reptile species. In surveying this area for data on distribution, abundance, acoustics, and genetic samples for species of reptiles, we discovered two new species of gecko from the genus Alsophylax. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences indicate the relatives of these new species are the even-fingered gecko, Alsophylax pipiens, and the southern even-fingered gecko, Alsophylax laevis, located hundreds of kilometers to the northwest and southwest of the Fergana Valley. The threats to these new endemic species are significant given the amount of continued agricultural development that involves new territories previously considered "unsuitable" for any species of significance that is leading to the further reduction in, fragmentation of, and degradation of the remaining natural ecosystems in the Fergana Valley. The conservation of these rare and locally endemic species depends directly on the readiness of the state to create areas with IUCN I and II protection. The many studies documenting levels of endemism, along with the data published in this study, are the basis for the justification for state-protected areas in the Fergana Valley.

Stakeholders' Perceptions of the Outcomes of Translocated Eland in Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Namibia

Translocation of wildlife species from one area to another is a conservation tool that contributes to the restoration of depleted populations, augments declining populations, or establishes of new populations. This paper documents one of the first studies examining in detail stakeholders' perceptions of the factors influencing the outcomes of translocations of wildlife into a community conservation area, using the case of eland (Taurotragus oryx) translocations into the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. The translocations took place between 2000 and 2005 as part of the national community-based natural resource management programme and were monitored through annual waterpoint counts. These data on perceptions were collected through a household survey and focused group discussions involving community members and leaders and key informant interviews with external stakeholders. Community members' perceptions could not confirm that the translocated eland decreased or increased, however, reflected that eland individuals moved away from the release site soon after translocation to more distant locations further away from human settlements. The outcomes of the translocations were perceived to be most strongly associated with anthropogenic factors compared to habitat or environmental factors. However, stakeholders exhibited divergent perceptions regarding which of the anthropogenic factors was of most importance, particularly with respect to the roles of the different types of hunting, and to a lesser degree, the role of traditional burning of landscapes on translocation outcomes. The paper illustrates the complexities associated with translocations of wildlife into community conservation areas compared to state protected areas, given the strong influence of human disturbances on translocation success. It highlights the importance of understanding the social factors influencing how and why translocated individuals may adapt well or poorly to their new environment. Building this understanding is essential to improving the outcomes of similar translocations in the future.

Successful nesting by 2 endangered Hawaiian waterbird species in a restored Indigenous wetland agroecosystem

The Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) and Hawaiian Gallinule (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis) are federally endangered waterbirds endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Both species are conservation-reliant; their population persistence is dependent on invasive predator control and removal of invasive plants that degrade habitat. We present observations of successful nesting by one Hawaiian Stilt pair and one Hawaiian Gallinule pair at a site managed within an adaptive Indigenous agroecological framework on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. The Hawaiian Stilt nest, found in February 2019, contained 4 eggs and produced 3 hatchlings, 2 of which were banded and monitored after hatching. The Hawaiian Gallinule nest, found in February 2020, contained 6 eggs and produced 5 hatchlings. Although no individuals were banded from this nest, 2 adults and 2 hatchlings were continuously observed in the nesting area after the eggs hatched. Lo‘i kalo Hawaiian wetland agroecosystems centered around the cultivation of kalo (taro; Colocasia esculenta), have the potential to expand Hawaiian waterbird habitat beyond state and federal protected areas. We are aware of unpublished accounts of Hawaiian waterbirds nesting in commercially farmed lo‘i kalo, but until now, there have been no previously published accounts of native waterbirds breeding in lo‘i kalo managed as Indigenous agroecosystems.

Movements and distribution of hawksbill turtles in the Eastern Indian Ocean

Western Australia (WA) is one of the largest remaining hotspots for hawksbill turtles. Providing data from this region is a total of 42 satellite transmitter deployments on nesting hawksbill turtles at six rookeries (five located in WA and one in Timor-Leste) between 2000 and 2017. We used this data to quantify inter-nesting, migratory and foraging habitat use and overlap with protected areas. Turtles from WA rookeries (n = 40) remained in WA waters during their inter-nesting, migration and foraging phases, whereas those from Timor-Leste (n = 2) migrated to and foraged in WA. While inter-nesting, turtles remained in relatively small areas with an average 50% occupancy core of 39 ± 28 km2. Apart from one rookery, most of their inter-nesting distribution was contained within existing protected areas. Turtles migrating from WA rookeries remained in shallow continental-shelf waters (< 200 m), mainly following the coastline while dispersing in a north-easterly direction, whereas turtles from Timor-Leste crossed international waters. We calculated high overlap of individual turtles (56%) in a migratory corridor along the Pilbara coast, an area previously identified as critical for other migratory megafauna species. Turtles used at least 13 distinct foraging grounds, extending over ~900 km and in waters ranging from 1.5 to 84 m deep. Only 33% of this area was encompassed by either designated Biologically Important Areas for foraging hawksbill turtles (10%), or Australian and State-protected areas (23%). Unusually for this species, 17% of the turtles foraged in relatively deep waters (> 20 m), revealing new foraging habitats in need of further research and management. Our study provides the first quantitative stock-wide distribution maps for WA adult female hawksbill turtles during the different phases of their life cycle. These distributions can be used to directly refine critical areas for this species, particularly for foraging as currently only around a third of the foraging distribution we calculated overlapped with designated protected areas. It appears that Australia-focussed management strategies are appropriate for adult female hawksbill turtles from WA rookeries as they do not leave Australian waters. However, for Timor-Leste adult females, evidence of international migrations, unknown stock affiliation and limited samples sizes show that further investigation is required to understand how domestic and regional management is structured to ensure their future conservation.

Sustainability of Wildlife Tourism: Tourist Perceptions on Threats to Wildlife Tourism in Two State Protected Areas in Zimbabwe

The study sought to determine tourist perceptions on the threats to the sustainability of wildlife tourism using a case study of two state protected areas in Zimbabwe. Using close-ended questionnaires, we collected data from 128 tourists in December 2015. Results show respondents generally perceived all the seven tested threats as serious, i.e., illegal hunting, destruction of wildlife habitats, human-wildlife conflict, lack of involvement of local people in national park tourism, lack of benefits from the national park to local communities, negative attitudes towards tourism by local residents, and poor local community and national park relationships. Moreover, respondents generally had similar perceptions on the impacts of the threats on the sustainability of wildlife tourism regardless of their gender, age, level of education and income. We conclude tourists are more environmentally conscious and well informed of the threats to wildlife tourism in Zimbabwe, which may indicate willingness to support conservation. It is thus necessary for park management to promote local people participation in ecotourism, enhance innovative law enforcement measures as well as motivate tourists to participate in conservation. Results could help broaden policy decision-makers' knowledge base in response to sustainable wildlife tourism development challenges.

Program Awareness, Social Capital, and Perceptions of Trees Influence Participation in Private Land Conservation Programs in Queensland, Australia.

Voluntary private land conservation (PLC) is becoming an increasingly important complement to state protected areas around the world. PLC programs can serve as valuable strategies to increase biodiversity on agricultural lands, but their effectiveness depends on high participation rates. Amidst growing concerns regarding scalability and effectiveness of conservation strategies like national parks, researchers and practitioners are looking for new strategies to increase adoption of PLC. This study investigates the demographic, social, and psychological factors associated with participation in three classes of voluntary PLC programs-grant payments, land management agreements, and covenants-and how this relates to landholders' attitudes toward tree clearing. We compare participation rates between these programs in Queensland and identify the most frequently cited reasons why land managers have or have not participated. Land managers who are more involved in agricultural organizations and whose tree clearing decisions are more influenced by the aesthetic value of trees are more likely to have participated in one or more of these programs. Participation was highly biased toward once-off grant payments, and participation in covenants was lowest of all programs. Although 58% of land managers have never participated, nearly half expressed interest in one or more programs. A lack of program knowledge and perceived losses of autonomy were the most frequently cited barriers to participation. We conclude with recommendations for increasing participation rates and raise important questions that need to be answered in order to promote a PLC culture that effectively curbs ongoing habitat degradation.

Rapid assessment of the ichthyofauna of the southern Guiana Shield tributaries of the Amazonas River in Pará, Brazil

ABSTRACT The Northern Pará Drainage System encompasses the left-bank tributaries of the Amazonas River in the southern Guiana Shield region of Pará state, Brazil. Five of the region’s state protected areas are considered strategic for the conservation of its biodiversity. In the present study, we assessed the ichthyofauna of the five state protected areas of the Northern Pará Drainage System. Seven expeditions were conducted between January 2008 and January 2009, which surveyed stretches of the Cuminá, Cuminapanema, Curuá, Jari, Mapuera, Nhamundá, and Paru rivers. These surveys yielded 286 species belonging to 38 families and eight orders, including seven new records of fish species for Brazil, six of which are also new records for the Amazon basin. Our results provide a valuable database for future research and conservation programs in the protected areas of the region.

The valuation of ecosystem services of the Khangain nuruu national park

The state protected areas (PAs) lack with financial resource, which weakens the PA management including lack of human resource and their skill development, transparent cooperations, and of equipments and vehicles for ecosystem conservation and rehabilitation activities of the PAs. Thus, research on analysing the economic value of the PAs is vital important for the decision makers and policy planners, because they have lack of understanding of benefits of investing to the PAs. In 2013, United Nations Development Programme published a book that reflects the approach of “Targeted Scenario Analysis”, which is used in our study. The Khangain Nuruu National Park (KNPA) locates in 11 soums of three provinces, namely Arkhangai, Bayankhongor and Uvurkhangai, and we analyzed economic value of the KNPA for six economic sectors (livestock husbandry, crop farming, forestry, tourism, mining and industry), and two non-economic but consumption based sectors (carbon sequestration from larch trees, and drinkable water). The economic value or the contribution to the economy of Mongolia from KNPA was about MNT 165.4 billion in 2014, and it summed up to MNT 1 trillion between 2002 and 2014. Livestock husbandry, mining and tourism sectors benefitted about two third of this value. In case of “Business As Usual-BAU” scenario takes, continuesly, in place the total economic loss would reach to MNT 1.4 trillion between 2015 and 2040, compared to “Investing in Natural Capital-INC” scenario. Hence, implementing INC in the KNPA management would save this loss. We recommend to increase the financial resources for the KNPA management, therefore the economic sectors will not diminish due to lack of ecosystem services of the PA, which would then develop the sectors in the long run sustainably.

Stavovi zaposlenih o konfliktima u sektoru šumarstva

The paper presents the research results on conflicts in the forestry sector. The theoretical framework of the research is based on the belief that conflicts are a universal phenomenon. The basic constituents of conflicts are elements and aspects. The elements of conflicts are the substance, processes and relations between participants, which affect the social, cultural, institutional and economic aspects. They also include the aspect of natural resources, which is a feature of the forestry sector. Such a theoretical framework gave grounds for the analysis of employees' opinions about the type and significance and the stage in which the observed conflicts were. The opinions of the people employed in enterprises and organizations benefiting from state forests, protected areas and administrative state bodies in the forestry sector were collected through a survey. The data collected were processed using descriptive statistics. A lot of conflicting situations were identified and they were classified into 10 groups. The most serious one is the conflict between regular measures and works in the forest of nature protection. Nine participants were identified in these conflicts. It was found that some conflicts had been resolved, while some were in the latent phase, with the possibility to escalate.

ЭКОТУРИЗМ В РОССИИ: ГЛАВНЫЕ ДЕСТИНАЦИИ И ТУРИСТСКИЕ ПРИБЫТИЯ

The concept of “ecological tourism” both in the world and in Russia has appeared in the second half of the twentieth century, although people traveled with natural-focused purposes, including around the protected areas, much earlier. The article presents several definitions of ecotourism, including the two given by the authors. The authors note that ecotourism can be developed in two ways: as a journey on any remaining natural areas or as tour, excursion exclusively within specially protected natural areas (SPNA). The second option is successfully developed in many Englishspeaking countries. The article confirms this fact using the original modern data on the dynamics of visits to the most famous national parks in the USA. Based on the analysis of literature and Internet sources it is concluded that the governance of the Russian Federation considers it necessary to develop eco-tourism in our country according to the second “North American” concept. In this case, the people attending the state protected areas – national parks and reserves with educational and recreational goals should be considered as eco-tourists. Based on this assumption the authors of the article give modern official data concerning the number of specially protected areas of different types in Russia as main destinations of ecotourism. The article presents the diagrams showing the quantitative characteristics of the infrastructure for ecotourists in specially protected areas: visitor centers, museums, ecological paths and routes. The dynamics of tourist arrivals in the reserves and national parks of Russia for the period 2001-2016 years is analyzed. In the final part of the article the main problems of eco-tourists recording are identified.

Travel motivation and tourist satisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences in Gonarezhou and Matusadona National Parks, Zimbabwe

We investigated tourist motivation for visiting two African state protected areas, tourists’ wildlife tourism experiences, predictors of wildlife tourism experiences and overall satisfaction with the entire holiday or trip experience. Data were collected in Gonarezhou and Matusadona National Parks, Zimbabwe, in December 2015 using 128 questionnaire surveys. Tourists’ push factors for visiting national parks were ‘recreation and knowledge seeking’, ‘appreciating wildlife’ and ‘feeling close to nature’. Pull factors for the two parks were largely similar with common factors being abundance of wildlife, availability of different animal species, availability of different plant species, wilderness, beautiful landscape and peaceful/quiet environment. We established that different motivation factors had different influences on wildlife tourism experiences. Satisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences was predicted by experiences with wildlife interaction and satisfaction with prices charged in the parks, while overall satisfaction with the entire holiday/trip experiences was predicted by satisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences, enhanced by interpretation and interaction with wild animals. The study highlights that while understanding tourist motivations is important, it is also beneficial for park planning and management to understand the predictors of good wildlife tourism experiences. We recommend that marketing for the two parks need to consider the tourist heterogeneity and demographic-based needs in the development of different travel products and promotional programs. Management implicationsWhile marketing for national parks needs to emphasise more on factors that motivate tourists to visit the parks, it is important to factor in the heterogeneity that exists among park tourists. Hence, in predicting variation in tourist motivation to travel, their demographic profiles should be considered. To enhance wildlife tourism experiences, park management can provide more opportunities for tourists to learn about nature and ensure the availability of wildlife species through enforcing mechanism to reduce poaching and habitat destruction. Park management also need to enhance tourists’ opportunities to learn more about nature. This is necessary to increase the level of tourist satisfaction.

Vascular flora of the Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú and Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil

We present a list of vascular plants found in Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, a private reserve having an area of approximately 35,000 ha that spans the municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú, and Juquiá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The reserve is part of a complex of state-protected areas including Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park, Intervales State Park , Carlos Botelho State Park, Jurupará State Park, and Serra do Mar State Park. Together, these form an important and large area of continuous and well-preserved forest. Our study, which involved two main floristic surveys in March/April 2013 and April 2014, recorded 768 species, representing 131 families and 432 genera. The majority of species were angiosperms (619) representing 106 families and 370 genera. There were also two species of gymnosperms belonging to two genera in separate families; 147 species of ferns and lycophytes belonging to 23 families and 60 genera. In demonstrating the presence of almost 800 species of plants, of which 16 are threatened, our study highlights the importance of floristic surveys and the critical role of private protected areas in managing and preserving native flora.

Missing the Boat on Freshwater Fish Conservation in California

AbstractPopulation growth and increasing water‐use pressures threaten California's freshwater ecosystems and have led many native fishes to the brink of extinction. To guide fish conservation efforts, we provide the first systematic prioritization of river catchments and identify those that disproportionately contribute to fish taxonomic diversity. Using high‐resolution range maps of exceptional quality, we also assess the representation of fish taxa within the state's protected areas and examine the concordance of high‐priority catchments with existing reserves and among distinct taxonomic groups. Although most of the state's native fishes are found within protected areas, only a small proportion of their ranges are represented. Few high‐priority catchments occur within protected areas, suggesting that fish conservation will require active management and targeted river restoration outside of reserves. These results provide the foundation for systematic freshwater conservation planning in California and for prioritizing where limited resources are allocated for fish recovery and protection.

Tourism-conservation enterprises for community livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in Kenya

Tourism-conservation enterprises (TCEs), such as eco-lodges, are a relatively new strategy of the African Wildlife Foundation for enhancing community livelihoods and wildlife conservation in wildlife-rich areas outside state-protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigates the extent to which TCEs succeed in meeting these objectives by focusing on two enterprises in Kenya: the Sanctuary at Ol Lentille and the Koija Starbeds. Empirical data were gathered between October 2010 and March 2013 through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, literature review and document analysis. Both TCEs demonstrated significant contributions to employment, education, healthcare and security. Compared with the Starbeds, the Sanctuary realised a much larger conservation area and more pronounced biodiversity recovery. The analysis showed that the contribution of TCEs to livelihoods and biodiversity conservation depends on the nature of the partnership arrangement, as well as the local, national and international contexts in which they operate.

Collateral benefits from public and private conservation lands: a comparison of ecosystem service capacities

SUMMARYProtected areas remain the most commonly used tool forin situconservation; however growth in the USA's system of public lands has stagnated while private land conservation continues to expand. Easements can provide a range of ecosystem services (ESs), but it is unknown whether conservation easements maintain ES capacities equivalent to public protected areas. Evaluation of the capacity of seven ESs on federal and state protected areas and conservation easements in the USA using spatially-explicit ES models and publicly available data indicated that ES capacities in easements were equal to or greater than capacities within state or federal protected areas for six of seven services and, when bundled together, conservation easements protected greater focal ES capacity than other conservation areas. Economic incentive programmes and regulatory mechanisms may be used to stimulate capacity improvements for surface water regulation, riparian filtration, erosion control, and carbon storage on conservation easements, and landscape-level conservation efforts should (1) continue to protect natural and uninhabited areas that provide ecosystem and biological diversity, (2) expand private conservation efforts close to human population centres, and (3) limit future development to areas with high regulating service capacity that can sustain new population growth.

Greater than the sum of their parts: Exploring the environmental complementarity of state, private and community protected areas

In a context of unprecedented environmental crisis, protected areas are expected to play a central role. Although considerable work has been done to understand the effectiveness of different types of protected area, there has been limited investigation of how a combination of different types of protected area within a system affects its overall environmental outcomes. Defining and using the concept of environmental complementarity, the paper explores whether or not the presence of private, state and community protected areas in a landscape has a positive effect on biodiversity conservation outcomes. Based on a Kenyan case study, it emphasizes the important and currently undervalued role of state protected areas and shows that other types of protected area can be analyzed as being a support. It suggests there is a complex array of complementarities between community, state and private protected areas. Differences in management capacity, staff skills, social acceptability, access to financial resources, tourism products, ecological resources, etc. between types of protected area were found to drive additionality and synergistic complementarities that undeniably contribute to strengthening the overall protected area system and increasing its resilience, as well as its capacity to generate environmental outcomes.

The emergence of institutional innovations in tourism: the evolution of the African Wildlife Foundation's tourism conservation enterprises

This paper examines the evolving and innovatory role of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an NGO with charitable status, in dealing with the challenge of protecting wildlife outside state-protected areas. Drawing on the theoretical framework of institutional entrepreneurship, we historically trace AWF's engagement in conservation tourism, describing the complexities of how its actions evolved into the new organizational form of tourism conservation enterprises. We identify four key mechanisms – its “glocal” scope of action, awareness of policy and market voids, experimentation and hiring business professionals – that explain why AWF became aware, motivated and open to developing this organizational form. Lessons emerging from this process include that conservation NGOs should act as “opportunity seekers”, focus on incremental rather than radical innovations, note voids and ambiguities in governmental policies that provide opportunities for non-state actors to assume the role of institutional entrepreneur, and hire staff skilled in business, tourism and strategic management besides staff with the more conventional conservation skills in order to effectively engage in conservation tourism. Overall, the paper notes the importance of commercial conservation tourism approaches for the work of protected areas worldwide, and in using tourism as a poverty alleviation tool in less developed countries.