Sustainable Development Of Natural Resources Research Articles

Biodiversity loss and the taxonomic bottleneck: emerging biodiversity science

AbstractHuman domination of the Earth has resulted in dramatic changes to global and local patterns of biodiversity. Biodiversity is critical to human sustainability because it drives the ecosystem services that provide the core of our life‐support system. As we, the human species, are the primary factor leading to the decline in biodiversity, we need detailed information about the biodiversity and species composition of specific locations in order to understand how different species contribute to ecosystem services and how humans can sustainably conserve and manage biodiversity. Taxonomy and ecology, two fundamental sciences that generate the knowledge about biodiversity, are associated with a number of limitations that prevent them from providing the information needed to fully understand the relevance of biodiversity in its entirety for human sustainability: (1) biodiversity conservation strategies that tend to be overly focused on research and policy on a global scale with little impact on local biodiversity; (2) the small knowledge base of extant global biodiversity; (3) a lack of much‐needed site‐specific data on the species composition of communities in human‐dominated landscapes, which hinders ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation; (4) biodiversity studies with a lack of taxonomic precision; (5) a lack of taxonomic expertise and trained taxonomists; (6) a taxonomic bottleneck in biodiversity inventory and assessment; and (7) neglect of taxonomic resources and a lack of taxonomic service infrastructure for biodiversity science. These limitations are directly related to contemporary trends in research, conservation strategies, environmental stewardship, environmental education, sustainable development, and local site‐specific conservation. Today's biological knowledge is built on the known global biodiversity, which represents barely 20% of what is currently extant (commonly accepted estimate of 10 million species) on planet Earth. Much remains unexplored and unknown, particularly in hotspots regions of Africa, South Eastern Asia, and South and Central America, including many developing or underdeveloped countries, where localized biodiversity is scarcely studied or described. “Backyard biodiversity”, defined as local biodiversity near human habitation, refers to the natural resources and capital for ecosystem services at the grassroots level, which urgently needs to be explored, documented, and conserved as it is the backbone of sustainable economic development in these countries. Beginning with early identification and documentation of local flora and fauna, taxonomy has documented global biodiversity and natural history based on the collection of “backyard biodiversity” specimens worldwide. However, this branch of science suffered a continuous decline in the latter half of the twentieth century, and has now reached a point of potential demise. At present there are very few professional taxonomists and trained local parataxonomists worldwide, while the need for, and demands on, taxonomic services by conservation and resource management communities are rapidly increasing. Systematic collections, the material basis of biodiversity information, have been neglected and abandoned, particularly at institutions of higher learning. Considering the rapid increase in the human population and urbanization, human sustainability requires new conceptual and practical approaches to refocusing and energizing the study of the biodiversity that is the core of natural resources for sustainable development and biotic capital for sustaining our life‐support system. In this paper we aim to document and extrapolate the essence of biodiversity, discuss the state and nature of taxonomic demise, the trends of recent biodiversity studies, and suggest reasonable approaches to a biodiversity science to facilitate the expansion of global biodiversity knowledge and to create useful data on backyard biodiversity worldwide towards human sustainability.

Application of biotechnology in waste management for sustainable development

PurposeThe purpose of this paper covers a perspective as related to sustainable development of natural resources with a focus on application of biotechnology in waste management.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an overall view of industrial waste management practices as pertaining to substantiality of resources with emphasis on biodegradation of industrial pollutants. Methodologies employing biotechnology and striving towards the goal of sustainable development/production are discussed in this regard and particular attention is given to: regulatory consideration and trends; characterization of toxics for resource reuse; ecotoxicological assessment evaluations; treatment trends and innovative techniques, residual management.FindingsBiotechnology is an important component needed to successfully achieve the goal of sustainability. “Value‐added” products from by‐products/waste and novel technologies employing biotechnical principles represent areas where significant opportunities exist.Practical implicationsThe approach described here not only applies to water resource management but also includes multi‐media and multi‐disciplinary consideration.Originality/valueThe information presented herein hopefully will stimulate discussion and act as a catalyst for future direction. It perhaps may also serve as a point of reference for future evaluations of accomplishment.

Land Cover and Use Changes in Relation to the Institutional Framework and Tenure of Land and Resources in Eastern Tanzania Miombo Woodlands

In Tanzania, well-defined land tenure and resource protection apply in forest reserves which account for 30% of forested land, while the remaining 70% (mostly miombo woodlands) are village and general lands with very limited protection. The aim of this study was to determine local people’s ownership rights, knowledge and institutional capacity for sustainable management of resources in forest reserves and general lands. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisal, structured and semi-structured interviews, as well as aerial photographs and landsat images. In general lands, woodlands declined by 50% between 1964 and 1996, bushlands and croplands increased by 599%, and settlements and homegardens increased by 277%. These land use and vegetation structure changes are attributed to harvesting for charcoal production and shifting cultivation. The continued decline in aerial woodland cover in the general lands suggests that common property regimes do not function in the area. Local institutional capacities are weak in enforcing control mechanisms to check the overuse of resources, which tends to approximate open access conditions. The issues of land tenure and village empowerment are not only institutional, but also political in nature. Government institutions should provide and motivate for an enabling environment, including acknowledgement of traditional knowledge, well-defined property rights and operational village by-laws. In order to ensure equity and sustainable development of natural resources, the paradigm shift in management is important whereby communal goods are to be managed for the benefit of the local society.

Strategies for restoration of forest ecosystems degraded by forest fire in Kangwon Ecoregion of Korea

Ecosystem management is a key strategy for sustainable development of natural resources. A workable definition of ecosystem is necessary to manage ecosystems successfully. Hierarchical grouping of ecosystem division in spatial scale is also needed to define concrete forest ecosystems. South Korean landscape is divided into five ecoprovinces, 16 ecoregions and 120 ecodistricts. The Kangwon Ecoregion is located in the centre of the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. It is characterized as dry and very windy in spring, and is very susceptible to forest fires. In 1996, this ecoregion experienced the largest forest fire ever recorded to that time; 3762 ha of forestland were burned. The Korea Forest Research Institute has studied the burnt areas extensively, using data on regional climate and vegetation, landform and geology, forest soils, plant communities, hydrology, pests, wildlife and pine mushrooms. Basic principles of restoration were established and long-term ecological research has been initiated. A forest fire, six times bigger than that of 1996, occurred in Kangwon Ecoregion in 2000. A comprehensive and integrated investigation group, including representatives from the Forest Service, Ministry of Environment and local and non-governmental organizations has been formed. The group, composed of 176 specialists including professors and researchers from various disciplines, has proposed concrete principles and future management strategies for restoration of degraded forest areas based on integration of the ecological, social and economic sectors.

Performance of GIS interfaces in Watershed Delineation and Stream Network Generation from DEM

The Geographic Information System (GIS) tool is efficient in delineating drainage area and generating surface drainage network. Watershed delineation and natural drainage network generation from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are the preliminary steps for watershed prioritization, integrated watershed management (lWM) and sustainable development of natural resources within the watershed. In the present study, recently developed GIS supported interfaces within ArcGIS 8.x and Arc View 3.0 software were applied to accomplish these tasks. The DEM of Cowansvile region, Quebec, Canada was used in the present study for delineation of watersheds. The interfaces performed a sequence of activities such as filling the sinks, estimating the flow direction, flow accumulation and stream links to arrive at delineation of watershed from DEMs and generation of drainage networks. In the present study, the interfaces viz. Watershed and Stream Delineation Tool (WSDT), Terrain analysis using DEMs (TauDEM), Watershed Morphology Estimation Tool (WMET) used within ArcGIS 8.x environment and Centre for Research in Water Resources Pre-Processor (CRWR Pre-Pro) interfaces within ArcView 3.x environment were used. It was reveled that the interfaces within the ArcGIS 8.x performed better than that with the Arc View 3.x environment in terms of processing time and accuracy;

Documentation of traditional knowledge about wild medicinal plants of moist temperate Himalayas in Pakistan

The moist temperate Himalayas, as one of the major ecological zone of Pakistan, deserve specific attention to the conservation of environment and the sustainable development of natural resources. During the last hundred years, the area has been subjected to major structural changes leading to a decrease of about fifty per cent of the potential forest area. The decrease in forest cover, combined with major changes in community structure has been responsible for the decline of indigenous medicinal plants resources and their traditional knowledge also. Ayubia National Park has been identified as one of the priority area to be focused for medicinal plant conservation. The study was aimed to analyze traditional knowledge including local names, general distribution, flowering period, part used, medicinal and other uses, market values and taxonomic diversity of the medicinal plant of the area The field surveys were conducted by adopting predefined questionnaires through guided and transect walks. The market oriented indigenous species have been subjected through IUCN criterion for evaluation of their conservation status. Traditional knowledge about 117 indigenous medicinal plants (including 8 cultivated ones) have been collected from 140 informants. Women followed by children have been identified as the principle gatherers of medicinal plants. About 44 species were found to be market oriented. According to this criterion, eleven species including two trees (Juglans regia, Taxus wallichiana), one shrub (Berberis lycium) and eight herbaceous species (Asparagus adscendens, Atropa acuminata, Colchicum luteum, Dioscorea deltoidea, Podophyllum hexandrum, Rheum australe, Saussurea costus and Valeriana jatamansi) have been found as endangered. It has been concluded that Traditional knowledge in Moist Temperate Himalayas of Pakistan is under threat of being lost. Availability of cultivated land is quite less, the establishment of botanical gardens, home gardens or kitchen gardens may be the best ex situ conservation strategy, which can be adopted for sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. While clearly defined land tenure system and community participation in park management will be the best in situ conservation measure for adoptation.

Co-management regimes: An approach to the sustainable development of natural resources in the Arctic

Co-management regimes: An approach to the sustainable development of natural resources in the Arctic

Sustainable Development of Natural Resources Implications for Mining of Minerals

The issues of sustainable development of natural resources are being more and more accepted as second to none in the corporate objectives of profit, technology, cost of operations and, customer goodwill etc. This is because the constituency of the stakeholders in sustainable development is more than that of the shareholders of a company. The changes associated with the policies of sustainable mineral development will have seen metamorphosis of the greatest order for the industry hitherto unseen. It is thus necessary to understand the substantive development in the concepts and practices in sustainable development as well as to attempt for a framework of strategies for the mineral industry.

Public image: Does it matter?

Beginning with the end in mind: Yes, of course, public image matters, very much! It matters so much that we should all, as professional practitioners of the science, set it as one of our major priorities. This may go against our scientific grain, but we must, as scientists who deal with hard data, recognize the fact that how we are perceived by ourselves and others is of major importance in such areas as protecting the environment, addressing government intervention, operating safely, and advancing the science. How the public views geophysics and the oil and gas industry that has historically supported our science determines how we will be regulated or even preempted from doing geophysics altogether. It also determines whether young people will seek or shun geophysics as a career. The young are drawn to careers that make them feel they are contributing to the well being of the public as well as opening opportunities for themselves (Table 1). View this table: Table 1. The public defined A great deal has changed in this respect since geophysics became a factor in our culture. In the 1800s, seismology emerged from a black art to a respected science that was able to explain some phenomena that regularly spread fear among the population in times past. Around the turn of the past century, the ideas of sustainable development of natural resources were first promulgated by a …

Management plans for natural protected areas in Mexico: La Sierra de la Laguna case study

Summary Mexican Natural Protected Areas main goals are to protect biodiversity in the core areas and to achieve sustainable development of natural resources in their influence zone. According to Mexican legislation, all newly established biosphere reserves must have a Management Plan (MP). This MP must regulate all activities in the area, and guarantee that the short-and long-term objectives of the reserve will be achieved satisfactorily. In this paper, we outline the required information and topics to be included in all MPs. We describe the main recommendations offered in the MP for a new Natural Protected Area in Mexico: the La Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. The document provides the Federal authorities with all the basic information, scientificallysupported, for sustainable management of the natural resources of the reserve. The main goal of this MP was to promote the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region, its resources, and its inhabitants.The information provided should be useful to compare with other countries the differences and similarities in official guidelines of MPs, to enhance sustainable use of resources in Natural Protected Areas.

Horticultural Production for Sustainability of Small Scale Farms in Thailand.

The modern production systems for sustainability of horticultural crops in Thailand are featured on an ecology and resource dynamics with the emphasis on long term productivity and environmental compatibility. The land use systems as illustrated by diversified cropping patterns would attempt to mimic key characteristics of the natural ecosystem as they become more complex and well integrated. In practice, sustainable horticulture would advocate the lower use of inputs of energy and chemicals. "New Theory" proposed by His Majesty the King of Thailand in 1993, brought about an excellent concept in land use and management of crop production for sustainable development of small scale farming in rural areas of Thailand. The principles of this "New Theory" have been followed by many rice farmers. These farmers diversified their monocropping system by growing only rice crop to a multiple cropping of various horticultural crops sometimes including rice and aquaculture or animal production. The incomes and lifestyles of these farmers rose tremendously, with the maintenance of environmental stability. In this paper various systems in sustainable development of natural resources for horticulture production of small scale farming in Thailand as well as the concept of "New Theory" is discussed.

When community is not enough : Institutions and values in community-based forest management in southern Indiana

Community-based management is increasingly viewed as the most appropriate arrangement for promoting sustainable development of natural resources. A common assumption is that the values of community members, often assumed to be homogeneous, foster successful outcomes. However, analysts often treat these values and their homogeneity as exogenous factors, ignoring the community's potential role in managing members' values. This study of community-based forest management in two southern Indiana sites examines how the members of the two communities created institutions to screen, maintain, and defend their values. Analysis reveals that different institutions shaped members' preferences and led to different levels of community stability, conflict management, and natural resource condition. We argue that understanding community-based management processes and outcomes requires careful attention to how institutions facilitate or hamper the construction of community members' values.

Land-use planning for sustainable resource development in Kumaon Lesser Himalaya—a study of the Gomti watershed

SUMMARY The Lesser Himalaya, as the most densely populated part of the tectonically active and ecologically sensitive Himalayan mountain ranges, deserves specific attention to the conservation of the environment and the sustainable development of natural resources. Rapid growth of the human population during recent years, and the absence of any viable means of livelihood other than uneconomic crop farming have led to the uncontrolled exploitation of land areas and the consequent degradation and depletion of critical biophysical resources in the region. The need for sustainable development in Himalaya, therefore, makes it imperative to adopt a comprehensive land-use policy based on land capacity analysis that is scientific and practical. The main objective of this paper is to evolve an optimal land-use framework for the Gomti Watershed, situated in Kumaon, Lesser Himalaya. A detailed study of the traditional land use, regional agricultural system and the areas prone to environmental hazards was made throug...

COMPASS AND GYROSCOPE : INTEGRATING SCIENCE AND POLITICS

Review by James M. Peek, Ph.D. Professor of Wildlife Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA. TEL: 208-885-7120. Lee, Kai N. COMPASS AND GYROSCOPE : INTEGRATING SCIENCE AND POLITICS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1993. 243 pp. US$16.95 cloth ISBN: 1-55963-197-X. Recycled, acid-free paper. In today's world, scientific advances and social problems seem to exist in ignorance of each other. With COMPASS AND GYROSCOPE, Kai Lee illustrates a way to make a connection. He has the temerity to address the conundrum by using the Columbia River Basin of the Pacific Northwest as a case study. The compass of the title refers to adaptive management. The point is made that as we seek to manage and sustain the world's major ecosystems, we face uncertainty and must acknowledge it. Politically, this is risky because leadership must identify the costs of information gathering and acknowledge failures. The word gyroscope describes negotiation and bounded conflict, which is our disagreement within prescribed limits as we seek agreement. Adaptive management, bounded conflict, and negotiation all seem to encourage the notion of progress. Such discussions are especially relevant today as salmon stocks decline, fishing is curtailed, and land uses are modified. Meanwhile, controversy increases. Even the Northwest Power Planning Council, established to recommend and develop equable solutions to the Pacific Northwest's water-related problems, has come under fire and is targeted for elimination. Lee aptly compares the situation to other large-scale ecosystem experiences, including: the Queensland Tropical Forest of Australia, which was heavily and controversially logged; the state of Washington's attempt to coordinate resource management through the legislatively mandated Timber, Fish, and Wildlife Program; and the Canadian Salmon Enhancement Program. An alternative to adaptive management called cybernetic learning is also examined, as is an organization's institutional barriers to using available information. There are extensive notes appended, including a section called Notes on Sources. A very useful bibliography rounds out the volume. Resource scientists and others who are interested in the sustainable development of natural resources will find this work an essential aid to better understanding. It requires close study, and is not light reading. While it seems self-evident to many that we must find a solution to what our natural resources can sustain in the way of their use and perpetuation, COMPASS AND GYROSCOPE discusses such difficult issues in an objective and scholarly fashion. The author's insights as a member of the Planning Council and other experiences provide invaluable material as well. This volume can serve as a reference to a variety of resource management courses. It is a highly objective treatment of a pressing issue in today's world, most especially in the Pacific Northwest.

Impediments and solutions to natural resources for sustainable development in China

The paper introduces the situation of studies on sustainable development in the world and China’s response to the topic. The impediments of natural resources to realize sustainable development in China are analyzed. And seven strategies to accomplish this arduous task are suggested.

95/01996 Environmental policy for sustainable development of natural resources. Mechanisms for implementation and enforcement

95/01996 Environmental policy for sustainable development of natural resources. Mechanisms for implementation and enforcement

Environmental policy for sustainable development of natural resources

This paper describes new environmental policies and expanded administrative agencies which in recent years have been adopted by many governments faced with a continuing decline in the quality of their environments. In a number of developed and developing countries, devising a far reaching environmental policy for sustainable development of the natural resources sector is a national priority. Specific environmental policies may be classified according to objectives, timeframe, mechanisms for implementation, whether or not they are binding, and the nature of sanction. This paper provides some generalizations about certain features common to most environmental policies. In the first section an examination is made of some of the most pressing problems which environmental policies relating to natural resources seek to address. The second section discusses environmental policies themselves. The third section, which makes up the main body of the paper, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of mechanisms available for implementing environmental policies to promote sustainable development in the natural resources sector.

Commentary: Sustainable Utilization Of The Arctic's Natural Resources

... The most common rationale underlying present-day approaches to sustainable development is the perceived need to balance economic growth with protection of the environment. Its appeal for industrial enterprise is obvious: capital accumulation requires continual growth. For governments, sustainable economic growth is equally attractive. In addition to providing an obvious bulwark for the maintenance of national power, it also reduces the pressure to reallocate national income to combat social deprivation. As expressed by the economist Herman Daly: "It offers the prospect of more for all with sacrifice for none." Given these and similar attractions, it is hardly surprising that balanced sustainable development has been actively endorsed by international organizations, including those in Canada, the United States, Scandinavia, and Russia; and regional, national, and multinational energy corporations. On the other hand, critics of the balanced view of sustainable development sharply challenge the idea that this process must always be equated with economic growth. ... Another more culturally oriented approach to the sustainable utilization of the Arctic's natural resources can be found in the efforts of northern indigenous organizations such as the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. ... This latter emphasis on the spiritual, social, and cultural interjects a new human ecological perspective to environmental issues often lacking in other approaches associated with sustainability. Underlying each of these approaches to sustainable natural resource development in the Arctic are questions of political power, global economy, and social equity.