Landscape-scale Conservation Flashcards
What are the public more familiar with?
species-level conservation
Conserving what can protect more biodiversity?
entire communities or ecosystems - greater success and lower cost
What is a protected area? (primary tool)
clearly defined geographical space, dedicated and managed to achieve L-T conservation of nature & associated ecosystem services
Examples of protected areas (primary tool)
- not new
e.g. - scared fengshui forests established (960-1279 CE) in China
- Bogd Khan Mountain nature reserve in Mongolia (1783)
- Yellowstone in the USA (1872)
Why were protected areas started?
religious value or scenic beauty
What are protected areas used for now?
conservation
What are the 6 different types of protected areas and their level of protection
World Commission on Protected Areas (part of IUCN) is responsible for classification
1. Strict nature reserves & wilderness areas
2. National park
3. Natural monument or feature
4. Habitat/species management area
5. Protected landscape/seascape
6. Protected areas with sustainable use of resources
What type of protected area is the majority of protected areas?
IUCN Category 5 ‘landscape’ designations
What percent of the UK is effectively protected for nature?
5%
Are protected areas monitored well?
condition monitoring is inconsistent/lacking
What must future targets emphasise in protected areas?
quality as well as quantity
What are the global legislations related to protected areas?
- United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 2010 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
- 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets
- Target 11: project
- 10% marine area
- 17% terrestrial area
- Achieved:
- 8% marine area
- 15% terrestrial area
- not one single Aichi target was fully met - progress was made
Where should protected areas be?
Biodiversity hotspots - high biodiversity & under threat
e.g. Birdlife International identified 15,000 important bird areas (IBAs) covering 7% land surface
Cost of conservation = $1 B per year
Biome/ecoregion perspective
- WWF identified 867 terrestrial ecoregions
- target those w/ high species richness, endemism & rarity
- Dinerstein et al. (2017) measured protection for each ecoregion
- difficult - country boundaries important
Ecosystem services - rarely used but has potential
- aim for areas w/ high biodiversity and preserve ecosystem services
- might not match well
- mammal and bird diversity don’t match ecosystem services well in China, but amphibians and reptile diversity does
Cultural Importance - e.g. UNESCO Biosphere Reserves & World Heritage Sites
- e.g. 8000 km2 Dja Biosphere Reserve in Congo basin - 4000 indigenous occupants hunt using traditional methods, but no commercial hunting allowed
- e.g. Galapagos Islands - 97% land is protected - 3% = used for human habitation
- need well maintained to keep status e.g. Great Barrier Reef may be downgraded to ‘in danger’
What are the desirable properties of individual protected areas? (protected areas - design)
- larger
- high interior:edge ratio
- unique community or ecosystem
- facing immediate threat
- ecosystem completely protected
- buffer zones present
- coupled natural human systems
What are the desirable properties of protected area networks? (protected areas - design)
- more
- closer
- joined by corridors or stepping stones
- more habitat types
- areas managed collectively
Behavioural consideration
Differing barriers and corridors
differ between species
e.g. small mammals don’t use same type of road crossing points as large mammals e.g. bears (often too open)
Behavioural considerations
Animal state
e.g. those in poor conditions/diseased or at particular ages/sexes may be more or less likely to move or approach human features
Behavioural considerations
Ecological traps
more flexible animals = more likely to suffer mortality via ecological traps
e.g. coyotes that are more diurnal and more willing to cross roads are more likely to be involved in accidents
ecological traps = rapid environmental change leads to organisms to prefer poor quality environments
How well do protected areas work?
- reduce habitat loss
- increase species richness & abundance
- marine protected areas have similar benefits
- benefit people through tourism, jobs, healthy/wellbeing etc
- e.g. USA protected areas
- 250 million visitors PA
- generate $1 trillion PA
- protect 9 million jobs
- Protected Area -> more tourism -> more income and better health
more income -> increased wealth and better health - protected area -> improved ecosystem condition -> more income and better health
more income -> increased wealth and better health
What must be insured for indigenous communities?
they aren’t evicted from their lands
When do conditions improve for protected areas?
when local people are close to protected areas that allows them to use it
What do protected areas need?
- adequate infrastructure/facilities & administration
- protection activities & law enforcement
- communication & community involvement
- monitoring & research
What land is good at preventing deforestation?
indigenous lands seem to be particularly good at preventing deforestation
Strict protection
= not much better than allowing sustainable use
Development
= not always at odds w/ biodiversity conservation
What is sustainable development?
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
- social
- environmental
- economic
Sustainable development: International
United Nations (UN)
Earth Summit (Brazil, 1992)
- need to protect environment and alleviate poverty
Sustainable development: International
What are the three legally binding agreements resulting from United Nations (UN) and Earth Summit (Brazil, 1992)?
- Conservation on Biological diversity - includes Aichi biodiversity targets
- UN framework convention to climate change - e.g. Led to 2015 Paris agreement to limit warming to well under 2°C
- Convention to combat desertification
Sustainable development: International
World Bank (est 1944)
- funds large scale development projects (rarely direct conservation)
- recipients of funds must comply w/ certain environmental and social standards
- interest free or low interest loans
- raises money from financial markets & governments
Sustainable development: International
Global Environment Facility (resulting from 1992 Earth Summit)
- International partnership of countries, international institutions & private sector
- funds protected areas, emissions reductions, protecting water resources etc
Sustainable development: Governmental
- Individual Governments also fund sustainable development initiatives
- UK aid budget cut by 1/3rd in 2020
- £25-£30 billion drop in UK development spend over the next 5 years
Sustainable development: NGOs
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
- non-profit; mission-driven; less bureaucratic + more nimble than governments or UN
- funding from donations, membership, sponsorship and grants
e.g.
- World Wildlife Fund
- The Nature Conservancy
- Conservation International
- The Wildlife Conservation Society
- Birdlife International
Sustainable development: Business
Social enterprise & green entrepreneurship - applying commercial strategies to maximise improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being
- e.g. SuperBox - meal body delivery
- workforce redirected from catering industry during Covid
- largely Welsh produce
- little/no plastic
- no food waste
- organic & high animal welfare
- 50% vegan & vegetarian meals
Ecotourism
responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people
e.g. Costa Rica
- 0.03% Earth’s land surface, 5% Global biodiversity
- previous extensive deforestation & debt
- investments in conservation & ecotourism
- in 2017, 2.3 million tourists & 12.9% GDP
- supports 1 in 8 jobs
