Sustainable Management Of Protected Areas Research Articles

Using remote sensing data within an optimal spatiotemporal model for invasive plant management: the case of Ailanthus altissima in the Alta Murgia National Park

We tackle the problem of coupling a spatiotemporal model for simulating the spread and control of an invasive alien species with data coming from image processing and expert knowledge. In this study, we implement a spatially explicit optimal control model based on a reaction–diffusion equation which includes an Holling II type functional response term for modeling the density control rate. The model takes into account the budget constraint related to the control program and searches for the optimal effort allocation for the minimization of the invasive alien species density. Remote sensing and expert knowledge have been assimilated in the model to estimate the initial species distribution and its habitat suitability, empirically extracted by a land cover map of the study area. The approach has been applied to the plant species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle within the Alta Murgia National Park. This area is one of the Natura 2000 sites under the study of the ongoing National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and pilot site of the finished H2020 project ECOPOTENTIAL, which aimed at the integration of modeling tools and Earth Observations for a sustainable management of protected areas. Both the initial density map and the land cover map have been generated by using very high resolution satellite images and validated by means of ground truth data provided by the EU Life Alta Murgia Project (LIFE12 BIO/IT/000213), a project aimed at the eradication of A. altissima in the Alta Murgia National Park.

Spatial assessment of nighttime anthropization in the Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoira (West Africa)

Abstract Protected areas play a crucial role in preserving biological diversity, providing ecosystem services, and regulating hydroclimatic processes. However, the environmental balance of these areas is increasingly under threat due to rapid population growth, high demand for natural resources, and the effects of global warming. To address this, sustainable management of protected areas is essential. This study aims to develop a methodology for monitoring and assessing levels of nocturnal anthropogenic aggression in the Comoé National Park (CNP) in Côte d’Ivoire. By using geospatial data from the Day/Night Band of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS/DNB), the study characterizes the nocturnal anthropization of CNP through the use of several indices. First, light reflectance density is used to identify nighttime light emission foci. Second, the lighted area density index (LADI) is employed to understand the nature of nocturnal activities taking place within CNP, as indicated by artificial light at night (ALAN). Finally, the light intensity index (LII) is used to evaluate the degree of influence of nocturnal anthropogenic activities on biodiversity. The study also found important activities through LADI and observed a high level of light pollution in CNP. Ultimately, the findings of this study indicate that there is a significant level of nocturnal anthropization within CNP, highlighting the need for effective management and conservation efforts in the area.

Sustainable management of Special Nature Reserves of Public Enterprise "Vojvodinasume"

Since that 65% of the surface managed by the Public Enterprise (PE) ?Vojvodinasume? are in some degree of protection, protected areas management is one of the key elements in the company?s business policy. The management of protected areas, especially in the current circumstances of the evident climate change effects, has become a challenge for nature protection and other sectors, and therefore also for PE ?Vojvodinasume?. Protected areas are drivers of the rural economy and a key element in the development of rural area strategies. The aim of the work is to present examples of cooperation with stakeholders from the public, private and civil sectors, on the planning and implementation of activities that contribute to the sustainable protected areas management. The activities of PE ?Vojvodinasume? protected areas management include: sustainable management of resources, protection of biodiversity, conflict resolution, provision of benefits for society, and especially for the local community, promotion of natural values, etc. Sustainable management of protected areas in PE ?Vojvodinasume? implies multifunctional and long-term management that is adapted to local, i.e. regional conditions.

Four dimensions of sustainable governance for National Scenic Trails

Sustainable management of protected areas requires attention to the structures, processes, institutions, and funding mechanisms that support them. When protected areas transcend multiple jurisdictions and landownerships, effective governance requires engagement of multiple institutions. In the United States, 11 National Scenic Trails (NSTs) extend across multiple states, landownerships, and jurisdictions, with regional and national partnerships enhancing management capacity. Trail governance requires a systems approach – coordinating among governmental and nongovernmental partners at multiple scales. We conducted 17 interviews with NST administrators and partners and gathered secondary data about trail characteristics and governance to explore existing trail capacities. Here, we explore NSTs along four dimensions of governance that shape trail management: structural and foundational elements, landownership regimes, trail funding, and partnerships. Understanding these dimensions can inform managers of NSTs and other protected areas crossing multiple jurisdictions, helping them recognize strengths and gaps in institutional form and capacity, and strategies for effective governance.

Conservation conflict following a management shift in Pendjari National Park (Benin)

A common strategy to counteract global biodiversity loss is sustainable management of protected areas. However, as protection of nature sometimes conflicts with human livelihoods and involves stakeholders with different interests, conservation conflict is globally on the rise. These conflicts can hamper sustainable development, social equity and effective biodiversity conservation. Understanding perceptions of different stakeholders and mapping discourses is key in this respect. In this study, we investigated conservation conflict in the Pendjari National Park in Benin, West Africa. The conservation conflict was fueled in part by a shift from state-led collaborative management to a public-private partnership. Pendjari is the largest remaining savannah ecosystem in West Africa and home to several threatened megafauna species. Using Q methodology, we identified two distinct discourses among stakeholders. The first discourse, supported mainly by formally educated people with non-agricultural jobs, focuses on the limitation of anthropogenic activities in favor of biodiversity conservation. The second discourse is mostly supported by people with a lower education level and a direct dependency on the land. They agree there is a need for conservation but even more so for viable alternatives to ensure people's livelihoods. The identification of these discourses and their underlying drivers can be included into future decision-making processes and management of the Pendjari National Park.

Reprint of: Four dimensions of sustainable governance for National Scenic Trails

Sustainable management of protected areas requires attention to the structures, processes, institutions, and funding mechanisms that support them. When protected areas transcend multiple jurisdictions and landownerships, effective governance requires engagement of multiple institutions. In the United States, 11 National Scenic Trails (NSTs) extend across multiple states, landownerships, and jurisdictions, with regional and national partnerships enhancing management capacity. Trail governance requires a systems approach – coordinating among governmental and nongovernmental partners at multiple scales. We conducted 17 interviews with NST administrators and partners and gathered secondary data about trail characteristics and governance to explore existing trail capacities. Here, we explore NSTs along four dimensions of governance that shape trail management: structural and foundational elements, landownership regimes, trail funding, and partnerships. Understanding these dimensions can inform managers of NSTs and other protected areas crossing multiple jurisdictions, helping them recognize strengths and gaps in institutional form and capacity, and strategies for effective governance.

Linking livelihood and biodiversity conservation in protected areas: Community based tourism development perspective from developing country

Balancing biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods is a major challenge for sustainable management of protected areas (PAs) in developing countries. Researchers and practitioners are looking at ways to resolve this challenge by connecting the livelihoods of people living near protected areas with conservation efforts. This study aims to assess community-based tourism development as a tool to link local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in protected areas in developing county context. The study employs a mixed research approach with a descriptive research design. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews are used to collect data from local communities residing inside and adjacent areas of Nech Sar National Park in Ethiopia. The results reveal that the local communities around the national park are exposed to various shocks and vulnerability contexts such as poverty, food insecurity, and resource use conflict. Consumptive resource usage, recurring fire catastrophes, agricultural encroachment, and illegal fishing are all threatening the park’s biodiversity conservation efforts. Despite the impact of tourism on their livelihoods is marginal, local grassroots have a positive attitude towards the development of community-based tourism. Community-based tourism development which provides alternative livelihood options to local grassroots around protected areas can play significant role in the conservation of biodiversity and alleviating poverty.

A multilevel analysis of ''Leave No Litter" (LNL) intention of Hong Kong hikers.

Along the line that "Leave No Litter" (LNL) in protected areas is promoted globally, Hong Kong launched its LNL campaign in 2016. The success of the campaign is critically dependent on the compliance of the park visitors. Because behavioral intention is influenced by determinants of different domains, this study adopted a multilevel perspective to examine how demographic, psychological, and situational variables affected LNL intention using a voluntary response sample of 374 hikers in Hong Kong. The results indicated that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and preparedness were significant predictors of LNL intention, indicating the direct associations between them. Furthermore, preparedness mediated the effects of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on LNL intention. The findings of this paper may contribute to the body of knowledge on pro-environmental behavior of recreationists by providing a novel understanding of LNL intention of Hong Kong hikers. Furthermore, this study may cast light on the sustainable management of protected areas in Hong Kong as well as cities around the world.

Change Detection Analysis and Deforestation Rates in Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria

Land use and land cover (LULC) intensified by the conversion of natural resources for food purpose, urbanization, and other socioeconomic benefits as affected forest reserves and made them undergo rapid, wide-ranging changes. This study examined the use of GIS and remote sensing techniques to gain a quantitative understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of LULC. Maximum likelihood classifier approach was used to detect LULC changes in the study area of 1989 to 2019 using three Landsat images from 1989, 2004 and 2019. The observed changes were indicative of a decrease in the expanse of the forested area of (1989 to 2004), with 1989 having (89.2%) and 2004 (74.1%) with a differential range loss of (-15.1%), and a differential annual rates of deforestation of (-1.236436715). During the following 15 years (2004 to 2019) the annual rate of deforestation has increased to (1.303364215) with year 2019 recording (90.1%). The overall annual deforestation rate in the forested area of the studied period (1989-2019) is 0.033464, which implies that there is a percentage gain in forest. It is observed in this study that the highest deforestation rate was registered between 1989 and 2004. Non-forest occupied 10.8% in 1989 increasing in year 2004 by25.9% with a positive annual rate of change (5.831312231) and negative annual rate of change (-6.411388077) between 2004 to 2019, meaning there was loss in nonforest cover. The overall annual deforestation rate in the non - forested area of the studied period (1989-2019) is -0.29004. According to this evolution, the annual rate of deforestation was estimated to be (0.033464%) for the three defined periods in the forested area. So therefore to avoid drivers leading to changes in land use land cover stressing the complexity that is related to sustainable management of protected areas, urgent action is necessary to reduce loss of biodiversity due to deforestation and land degradation.

Identification of Areas for Sustainable Settlements in Highly Conflicted Protected Areas Using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst: A Case of Chobe District, Botswana

The increasing human settlements around protected areas is a significant cause of the shrinking size of conservation areas globally. This is an alarming situation, especially in countries where protected areas significantly contribute to the National economy. The use of new tools to solve Land use conflicts that exist around protected areas is needed. This study employed the weighted overlay analysis using ecological, social and economic factors to model suitability for developing settlements in Chobe District, an international tourist destination in Northern Botswana, using ArcGIS spatial analyst. The majority of the land (83.4%) in Chobe is not suitable for settlement, while suitable areas that could for settlement remain relatively small (0.3% of the land). This study suggests that more land for settling the increasing population be created out of Chobe District to avoid encroachment on the conservation areas. The study demonstrated that ArcGIS spatial analyst model builder could be integrated into the land resource planning process of protected areas, making it a handy tool for the analysis and the identification of ecological, economic and social factors, thus establishing an excellent area for further research, especially for sustainable management of protected areas.

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.

A multiple importance–satisfaction analysis framework for the sustainable management of protected areas: Integrating ecosystem services and basic needs

Management tools based on ecosystem services for protected areas have garnered widespread attention. However, since existing policies tend to focus more on the protection of natural resources, how to better use ecosystem services in a sustainable way to promote the development of local communities remains generally understudied. To fill this knowledge gap, here we introduce a multiple importance–satisfaction framework, consisting of a two-dimensional matrix with four quadrants. By mapping empirical perception scores to this matrix, we can derive a mental map of the respondents, which could be used to gauge whether a protected area currently meets the requirements of sustainable development. We applied this framework to a national park pilot in China. Our results show this pilot has not yet achieved sustainable development: although its residents do have a high awareness of environmental protection, their material and social needs are not yet fully satisfied. The pilot’s local managers should explore ways to use regulating and cultural services to meet the people’s outstanding basic needs. Our framework emphasizes that considering both ecosystem services and basic needs is conducive to improving the sustainability of protected areas’ management policies.

Using GIS-based multicriteria decision support system for planning road networks with visual quality constraints: a case study of protected areas in Ankara, Turkey.

Protected areas are important zones due to their natural and cultural assets and their biodiversity preservation functions. Ecotourism activities in these areas have gained great importance for visitors in recent decades. Road networks established in protected areas have ecotourism-related functions, such as providing visitors with continuous access to/within these areas and offering visual richness to visitors while cruising on the roads. Road network planning that prioritizes visual quality is one of the scientific issues discussed today regarding the sustainable management of protected areas. This study focuses on planning new road networks that prioritize visual quality in protected areas and determining the optimum route that maximizes the visual quality experience of visitors. The study area was selected from the protected areas between the Kızılcahamam and Çamlıdere Districts of Ankara, Turkey, and their surroundings. In the model application, a road network was planned using the multicriteria decision support system (MDSS) method by considering visual quality parameters. In this stage, the road network that prioritized visual quality during spring and autumn seasons was investigated. Hence, weighted linear combination (WLC) was used as a geographic information system (GIS)-based MDSS method. Then, the GIS-based network analysis method was used to determine the optimum route that provided access to the scenic viewpoints (existing and proposed viewpoints) in the study area and maximized the visual quality during both seasons. In the new road network planned by considering the visual quality parameters, the total road length was calculated as 121.21km for the spring and 129.47km for the autumn. The lengths of the optimum routes that allowed visitors to reach the scenic viewpoints and ensured the maximum visual quality were 30.91km and 30.70km on the new road network for the spring and autumn seasons, respectively. This study introduced a new methodology that utilized GIS-based decision support systems to plan a road network that prioritized visual quality and determined the optimum route with the maximum visual quality. It is anticipated that this methodology can be used for sustainable management and effective planning of protected areas to reach and protect resources with high visual quality.

Sustainable Use and Conservation of the Environmental Resources of the Etna Park (UNESCO Heritage): Evaluation Model Supporting Sustainable Local Development Strategies

Rural areas are recognized as multifunctional spaces, where traditional agro-silvo-pastoral and other human activities (unrelated rural tourism, ecotourism, processing industries of agricultural and or extractive products, land maintenance, trade in local products, etc.) take place alongside each other. The integrated endogenous development model, established to mitigate the effects of human activity in protected areas, relies on the enhancement of specific resources of individual territories through the active participation of the community to promote local development. This model is intrinsically connected with the model of sustainable development, based on three cornerstones: environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The difficulty in achieving a reasonable balance among these values relates primarily to areas subject to protection (i.e., Parks and Natural Reserves). Ultimately, the environmental culture emphasizes the sustainability of natural resources, obviously in relation to these values and to the vulnerability of these areas. This paper outlines some relationships between environmental protection and the exercise of agricultural activities and other human activities in protected areas by using the theory of “rough sets”. The study aims to show that in the complex context of Etna Park (recognized World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013), the model developed by the “rough sets” could provide useful guidance to policy makers to formulate local development strategies according to a model of the sustainable management of protected areas.

VISUALISATION WITH G.I.S OF AGIA EIRINI GORGE AT THE SOUTHERN MARGINS OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS, SW CRETE

Sustainable management of protected areas requires good knowledge of the entire system. Complicated natural systems require for their management the use of digital information systems, that would allow the integration of all the available information on the studied natural system as well as the elements of new researches. Among the natural systems the gorges constitute mainly geological structrures. The aim of the present study is the development of a 3D digital morphotectonic model for the Agia Eirini Gorge, crossing the southern limbs of mountain Lefka Ori in South-Western Crete. The work is divided in two parts, on one side in the creation of suitable backgrounds that is reqi ired for the creation of a 3D model and on the other hand the placement of the spatial data into the model. For the creation of the digital terrain model (DTM) of the gorge area, maps at a 1:5.000 scale, obtained from the Army Geographic Service were digitised using CAD Overlay 2000i software. The data obtained were transferred into SURPAC 2000 supplemented with orthophotomaps of the region with the method of superimposition. The initial data drawn from the existing geological map of the region were evaluated by data obtained from field work. This methodology allows integration of all available information for the system under study, including newly acquired data

Coupling Conservation and Livelihoods for Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in East Africa

Strengthening research efforts to understand the combined impacts of conservation and livelihoods in protected areas (PAs) will increase the collective contribution that PAs can make towards meeting global goals for sustainable development in the next decade. As an example of such efforts, in 2014 the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) jointly initiated the “Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in East Africa” project. This paper provides a brief overview of the project’s research background, goals and research tasks. The study is based on a look at the PA management system in East Africa and a review of the literature on the impact of PAs in the region. Results show that East African nations have expanded the coverage of PAs and established a complex set of PA management systems over the past century. The mandate for PAs in East African nations has changed recently from protecting biodiversity to alleviating poverty and supporting livelihoods. However, a combination of human activities and ecological processes inside and outside of PAs may not only impact biodiversity and ecosystem function over the long term, but also pose a threat to the capacity of PAs to maintain livelihoods and alleviate poverty in the local communities around them. The state of existing research in the field suggests there is an enormous need for additional research, the purpose of which is to help PA managers and policy-makers in East Africa understand how to achieve win-win outcomes for both ecosystems and human well-being. Against this background, the CAS-KWS-UN Environment joint research project aims to understand the dynamic interactions between ecosystems and human well-being around PAs in East Africa and identify good practices for PA management to reconcile conservation targets with the livelihood demands of local communities. It is intended that this research be shared with interested parties throughout the developing world. Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the project, in terms of data collection, exchanges of researchers, and the completion of case studies. In the coming year, success stories and examples of failures of PA management in the region will be systematically summarized and shared among scientists, managers and decision makers worldwide. Given its blueprint for building a “Beautiful China”, China can both supplement and benefit from East African knowledge and experience of PA management. This joint research effort promotes Sino-African cooperation on PA research and management.

Water and cattle shape habitat selection by wild herbivores at the edge of a protected area

AbstractUnderstanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of human‐wildlife interfaces is important for the sustainable management of protected areas and wildlife conservation. We investigated the drivers of domestic and wild herbivore habitat selection at the edge of an unfenced protected area adjacent to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. We used GPS data to quantify the movement patterns of elephant bulls, buffalo and cattle at multiple scales and according to seasonal changes of surface water availability. Cattle, elephant and buffalo prefer open grassland habitats found close to water but elephant and buffalo avoid cattle differently. During the rainy season, cattle enter the protected area daily; buffalo avoid cattle completely at the home range scale, whereas elephant bulls avoid cattle at finer scales by favoring temporal niche shift. Elephant bulls avoid direct encounters with cattle (or people) during the day but come closer to the boundary and to water at night when cattle are kept in enclosures close to the homesteads. During the dry season, when cattle range further into the protected area in search of forage, buffalo and cattle spatial overlap increases as water dependence takes precedence over avoidance. Elephant bulls range closer to the boundary at night and increase the number of excursions into the Communal Area. Cattle herding creates a buffer zone between wildlife areas and human settlements because wild herbivores strongly avoid livestock and people. However, avoidance only lasts as long as resources are abundant. Our study suggests that long‐term planning of both artificial water provisioning and traditional cattle herding practices could help maintaining spatial segregation and thus mitigate conservation conflicts such as pathogen transmission, crop raiding or livestock depredation.

Design principles for protected area certificates: a case study on strategic investor groups

Biological capacity of earth is limited. While it is obvious at first glance, it has been ignored for decades. Policy makers attempt to overcome the persistent depletion of the human livelihood base through the establishment of protected areas. However, the financial means to sustainably manage a representative network of protected areas on a global scale do not yet exist, and particularly, private sector investment is extremely modest. One option for increasing private investment flows is the development of a market place for protected area certificates (PACs) issued for geographical areas managed according to social and environmental best practices. This paper utilizes semi-structured expert interviews with 39 German companies to analyze major product and market requirements for the sound implementation of an international certification scheme for PACs. Based on a triangulation approach that combines quantitative and qualitative evaluations with the two-step clustering procedure for strategic investor groups, seven design principles are determined that might encourage voluntary investment funds from the private sector, and thus support the sustainable management of protected areas. Having a look at existing markets for protected areas, one scheme provides a good foundation for the defined design principles: the LifeWeb initiative—an online clearing house for protected area developers and potential investors.

The agenda setting power of news media in framing the future role of tourism in protected areas

This exploratory paper examines the agenda-setting and framing role of news media in the ongoing development of the Draft Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Master Plan. The paper will argue that the publication of the Masterplan and ensuing public commentary has drawn into stark focus future challenges in juxtaposing the frames of public use, commercial tourism and scientific/cultural values in the sustainable management of protected areas. Agenda setting and framing theory provides the theoretical foundation for the paper. Guided by critical discourse analysis, the analysis of the paper is supported through the use of Leximancer and Gephi software for visually illustrating the relationship between different framing perspectives. This paper contributes to a fresh understanding of the complex nature of the sustainable management of protected areas in urban spaces.

Effects of payments for ecosystem services on wildlife habitat recovery.

Conflicts between local people's livelihoods and conservation have led to many unsuccessful conservation efforts and have stimulated debates on policies that might simultaneously promote sustainable management of protected areas and improve the living conditions of local people. Many government-sponsored payments-for-ecosystem-services (PES) schemes have been implemented around the world. However, few empirical assessments of their effectiveness have been conducted, and even fewer assessments have directly measured their effects on ecosystem services. We conducted an empirical and spatially explicit assessment of the conservation effectiveness of one of the world's largest PES programs through the use of a long-term empirical data set, a satellite-based habitat model, and spatial autoregressive analyses on direct measures of change in an ecosystem service (i.e., the provision of wildlife species habitat). Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat improved in Wolong Nature Reserve of China after the implementation of the Natural Forest Conservation Program. The improvement was more pronounced in areas monitored by local residents than those monitored by the local government, but only when a higher payment was provided. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of a PES program depends on who receives the payment and on whether the payment provides sufficient incentives. As engagement of local residents has not been incorporated in many conservation strategies elsewhere in China or around the world, our results also suggest that using an incentive-based strategy as a complement to command-and-control, community- and norm-based strategies may help achieve greater conservation effectiveness and provide a potential solution for the park versus people conflict.