Exam 3 Flashcards
Strategies to reduce loss of biodiversity in Canada and internationally
mitigating against climate change
informing people of effect of their actions on the environment
system planning
Divides Canada into 39 physiographic regions that represent Canada’s natural heritage
Provinces have similar system plan = 486 natural regions
Reduces uncertainty in distribution of protected areas
protected areas
“A clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature values”
Areas are restricted from development to protect the environment
what do protected areas include
Ecological reserves, national parks, provincial parks, wilderness areas, marine conservation areas, wildlife sanctuaries, private reserves, tribal parks
strict nature reserve
Protected area managed to protect biodiversity. Human use is strictly controlled and limited
wilderness areas
Large, unchanged or slightly modified areas with natural character. No humans living there. Preservation of natural condition
national park
Large natural or almost natural area to protect ecological processes and species/ecosystems that are characteristic of the area. Used for scientific study, education, recreation and visitors
natural monument or feature
Areas that protect a landform, sea mount or submarine cavern, geological feature (e.g. a cave)
habitat/species management area
Protection of a particular species or habitat; often requires direct management to ensure species thrives
protected landscape or seascape
Area where people and nature over time has produced a distinct ecological or cultural area
protected areas with sustainable use of natural resources
Areas with conservation of ecosystem and habitats with cultural value and traditional natural resources management. Some low-level use of natural resources
Why are we seeing rapid growth of protected areas?
- Realization that rate of biodiversity loss is a problem: E.g endangered wildlife in Canada in 1990 was 194 species at risk; in 2014, it is over 700
- Awareness of links between environmental and social health: Ecosystem collapse = economic collapse
- Realization of the value of ecosystem services:
e.g. Constanza et al. 1997 estimate $33 trillion per year - Evidence for the effectiveness of protected areas to reduce environmental degradation
What do protected areas give us?
maintenance
repopulation
environmental processes
retaining undisturbed land
ecological integrity
“A condition that is determined to be characteristic of its natural region and likely to persist, including abiotic components and the composition and abundance of native species and biological communities, rates of change and supporting processes”
external stresses
Residential development, resource extraction, ecosystem fragmentation, invasive species, climate change
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Ecosystem Approach to Management.
What is management based on 3 functions?
- Conservation – Provides contribution to conservation of land surfaces, ecosystems, species, and genetic variations
- Development – Fosters economic development that benefits people but is also ecologically sustainable
- Logistic – Support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Ecosystem Approach to Management.
What are the 3 functions of conservation across zones?
- Core Zone: Strict protection, little human impact; used for monitoring and biodiversity.
- Buffer Zone: Areas surrounding core – low impact activities only, e.g. research, education, recreation
- Transition Zone: Outer zone with sustainable resource use by local communities
What are 6 aspects of parks management?
tourism
vehicles and travel
wildlife
pollution and trash
ideas about wild spaces
increased awareness
parks management: tourism
- Impacts on fish and wildlife populations through hunting and fishing
- Careful management through licensing required
- Indirect impacts can be unexpected if change predator-prey dynamics
- 1988 protection of ecology became top priority
parks management: vehicles and travel
- Impacts to habitat due to mechanized and non- mechanized recreation
- Some habitats are much more sensitive than others (Deserts? Streams? Lakes?)
- all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and off-road vehicles, but also mountain biking, hiking, etc.
parks management: wildlife
- Wildlife Disturbance
- More use = more direct disturbance
- Sights, odors, noise
- Affect nesting / breeding / feeding animals, affects population
parks management: pollution and trash
- Pollution
- Pollutants to aquatic environments can be important in otherwise pristine ecosystems (especially with small streams)
- Dish soap, greywater, nutrients, pathogens, exhaust from boats
parks management: ideas about wild spaces
- Increased access to wild spaces
- Growing networks of access roads and recreational trails can increase visitation to previously undisturbed areas
parks management: increased awareness
- Increased Awareness
- More knowledge of plants, animals, and ecosystems
- People are interested, engaged
- More interested in management
- More aware of challenges facing management
visiting “natural areas”, parks and outdoors is critical for management (3)
Visitors learn about environment
Visitors finance environmental management,
protection
Visitors provide local economic benefits
visitors management
regulation of visitor behavior, civic action through community support, creating awareness about desirable and undesirable activities
1988 amendment to 1930 National Park Act
ecological integrity is first priority over park zoning, visitor use; strengthening accountability of park
1995 revised National Park Policy
Policy = direction to govern but not enforceable by law; revised policy to emphasize ecosystem-based management, creation of different zones (Zone I – Special preservation; Zone II – Wilderness)
1998 Parks Canada Agency Act
Increased fiscal responsibility of Feds→reduced public funding for Parks, layoffs, privatization = 25% decline in Parks revenue from 1995-2000
Ecological Integrity Panel→look at development pressures in Canada’s national parks
2000 National Parks Act
Also included greater detail of management plans: Long-term ecological vision & integrity indicators, reduced dev’t…
2002 National Marine Conservation Areas Act
Developed system of NMCAs (National Marine Conservation Areas), focus on ecologically sustainable use
1994 – Grumbine: presented ‘ecological view of ecosystem-based management’
“Ecosystem management integrates scientific knowledge of ecological relationships within a complex socio-political and values framework toward the general goal of protecting native ecosystem integrity over the long term”
Used a boundary thinking approach: First half of 20th C, parks had boundaries→No consideration of flow of animals, plants, and other influencing factors (e.g. pollution)
Later, the idea that parks didn’t really have boundaries but spheres of influence that had variable influence on parks and ecosystem boundaries, health
Island biogeography: Small protected ‘islands’ not able to support as many species
water resources
Water is critical for life on earth
All biological processes take place in a fluid medium
Demand for freshwater is greater now than any previous time due to growth of global population
water governance
The processes and institutions that allow societies to organise themselves to make decisions about water and to take actions that will affect water.
Responsibility for water shared by Federal Government and 10 provinces (Territories also include Aboriginal governments). identify federal, provincial, and municipal responsibilities.
Federal: Fisheries, navigation, water pollution, cross-boundary water, Aboriginal peoples, water on federal lands
Provincial: Water management within province; Feds and province share agricultural water use.
Municipal: Local water use, land use planning, supply, wastewater
runoff
highly variable each year and is considered
to be renewable
we have a lot of water because:
- A few big lakes, many small lakes
- A cool climate
- Low evaporation of water (PET<P)
renewable supply
Proportion of precipitation that provides excess runoff and replenishment of groundwater
world resource institute definition
“Salt-free water that is fully replaced every year through rain and snow that falls on continents and islands and flows through rivers and streams to the sea”
water supply
is a better indicator of how much water we can use vs. simply the volume of water
precipitation and runoff vary: (space-time continuum)
Temporally, between years and within years (e.g. seasons→snow accumulation, melt)
Spatially
Type of precipitation
Ecosystems are well adapted to variability… Human civilizations are not well adapted
stationarity
Based on statistics: Planners assume that the future will be similar to the past.
death of stationarity
Past will no longer be reliable predictor of the future. Increased uncertainty, more difficult water management.
given that water is not at the right place at the right time:
significant modifications: store, divert, modify flows
water is diverted to:
a) Increase supply for a community/region→St Mary Irrigation District
b) Protection from floods OR to drain lands
c) Enhance river for movement of ships, other materials
d) Combine flow for hydroelectric power generation→Major use in Canada
water export to drier places?
US Southwest→significant development, but also significant water scarcity.
We have pipelines, but why not move/sell our water? What are the pros and cons?
Pros:
* Water is just another resources with value?→Make a lot of money from water
* Many jobs, substantial income, movement of water to drier parts of Canada
Cons:
* Scale and magnitude would be massive = risk and uncertainty
* Once available, no stopping water movement to US→dependence
* Irreversible environmental damage
eutrophication
Input of phosphorous and other nutrients from point sources, runoff.
what happens because of eutrophication?
Increases algae and other plants, reduces oxygen and sunlight, reduces dissolved oxygen
Degrades habitat for fish and other organisms
Also a problem for humans: Groundwater contaminants, especially in rural environments
Climate change and reduced water supply also reducing water quality with increased pollution
water quality
Measured based on an index of ability of water to protect life
biggest detriments of water quality include:
- Poorly treated municipal waste
- Industrial effluent
- Agricultural fertilizer runoff
Nitrogen and Phosphorus
for a given area, drainage basins are the source of:
- water
- aquatic organisms
- sediment
- pollutants
- pathogens
watershed management
Study of watersheds and the distribution of the resources they contain
