Part 3: Management Flashcards
international convention
Generally used for formal multilateral treaties with many parties; normally open for participation by the international community as a whole, or by a large number of states. A convention becomes legally binding on the states that sign up and ratify it.
legally binding but no enforcement
- if it could be enforced nobody would sign it
- there is a common goal
declaration
Usually used to declare aspirations rather than to create binding obligations. Are usually not legally binding. (e.g. Stockholm declaration, UN declaration on Human rights, SDGs)
ramsar convention
succesfull convention
-> Preserving wetlands (conservation & wise use), Ramsar site list & effective management.
The only habitat where the number of bird species increased (remember figure)
UNESCO World Heritage Convention
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
Mission: to identify and protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value
- protection is the duty of the international community as a whole
- World Heritage list (large number of sites, conservation gets promoted; prestigious, increases tourism but costly & long process to get site on the list)
CBD
Convention on Biological diversity
focus on biodiversity in general, and on sustainable use (governed by COP)
3 main goals but not very specific
- conservation of biodiversity
- sustainable use of biodiversity
- fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity
2002: setting the 2010 biodiversity target
- reducing biodiversity loss
2010: international year of Biodiversity
- goals were not met
- strategic plan for 2011-2020 Aichi Biodiversity targets
2012: IPBES
2019: IPBES Global assessment report
2021-2023:
by 2050, harmony with nature
by 2030, specific goals (almost the same as earlier) but more concrete 30-30 rules or goals, more ambitious
UNFCC
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNCCD
UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Aichi Biodiversity Targets
20 targets set over the 5 goals
IPBES
Intergovernmental Science-policy platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services
Monitoring progress in implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011- 2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Provide scientific basis for future biodiversity policy
2019: 1in 8/9 species is endangered with extinction
5 strategic goals
Goal A:
Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society
Goal B:
Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use
Goal C:
Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
Goal D:
Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ES
Goal E
Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building
SDG
Sustainable Development goals (2015), this is a declaration
Blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
Goals about Biosphere, society and economy.
Birds directive
European policy:
Aims to protect all the 500 wild bird species naturally occurring in the EU.
These species are listed in 5 categories
-> SPA for annex 1
SPA
Special Protection Areas
These are areas that must be designated by the member states for 194 threatened bird species.
Habitats directive
European policy:
Aims to protect more than 1000 threatened animal and plant species and 220 threatened
habitat types in the European Union.
-> SAC
SAC
Special Areas of Conservation
These are areas that must be designated by the member states for the survival of threatened habitats and species.
Natura 2000
A network of protected areas that combines the SACs and SPAs.
Largest network of protected areas in the world. (18% of the EU’s land area)
They aren’t strictly protected areas. Human activities are allowed as long as they don’t have a negative impact on the species or habitats.
exception: imperative reasons of overriding public interest’ and there is no alternative.
directive
Legally binding law that is practically enforceable. This are EU laws that must be implemented/translated in national laws. There is no direct implementation in the law of the nation.
Legal enforcement is possible in national courts and European court of justice. The Government decisions can be challenged in court.
A time of signing member states didn’t know the full consequences of the laws.
Member states cannot allow any actions that will have a negative impact. The member states are responsible.
ex. Naura 2000, Habitats & birds directive
EU restoration law
Restoring 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030.
- This is about the total area and not only about degraded are
- this law is more ambitious then IPBES 30% rule.
in situ conservation
Conservation of species in their natural habitats
-> should always be the first choice, most appropriate way
Protected areas or nature reserves
WDPA
ex situ conservation
Preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats.
These should support the in-situ conservations.
Active: zoos (contribute to conservation through breeding programs, active), botanical gardens
Passive: seed or gene banks
Millenium seed bank
- to provide an insurance policy against the extinction of plants in the wild.
- to conserve 25% of the world’s plant species by 2020 (now 39k of 75k species)
Svalbard global seed vault (Norway)
The world’s largest collection of crop diversity (>1.3M samples)
Protecting crop diversity and making sure the genetic heritage preserved in seed banks is shared among nations.
WDPA
World Database on Protected Areas
protected areas
Not every area is the same their is a wide range: from no to limited human use
First the main focus was on iconic, later more on biodiversity and ES
GBF
Global biodiversity framework
target 3: by 2030
* 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas (30x30 target)
- effectively conserved and managed
Management is difficult due to lack of resources - equitable governed
mostly not in collaboration with local people (but is slowly changing)
Biodiversity hotspot
Areas that have a high irreplaceability and high vulnerability.
It’s not feasible to protect all threatened species and areas. This makes it possible to support biodiversity at a lower cost. These locations should be the priority.
35 hotspots identified, 17.3% of earths land (excluding Antarctica)
problem: The situation can change in the future. If the focus is only put here what about the other areas.
endemic areas
Areas that experience a high irreplaceability.
They have a lot of endemic species; not threatened perse.
Threatened Species areas
Areas that experience a high vulnerability. Based on IUCN red lists.
endemic species
Species that exists only in one geographic region, or only in a small region.
land sparing
Concentrate high-yield food production on small areas to spare other land for biodiversity conservation.
Better option if the species are sensitive to all agriculture
problem
- there can be external effects of high yield farming
- edge effects
- Paradox of Jevons
- loss of ES: is it sustainable? degradation, pollinator loss, erosion, salinization, ..
land sharing
Integrating biodiversity conservation and food production on the same land, using biodiversity friendly farming methods
Agri-environment schemes, Organic farming or Low intensity farming
species can copes with low intensity farming
The lower yield can lead to a higher land footprint, more land is needed.
Agri-environment
subsidies to stimulate environmental practices in agriculture (e.g. flower strips, hedgerows, …)
These off-field measures are twice as effective as organic farming.
organic farming
Farming without use of synthetic pesticides or synthetic fertilizer.
better? almost all increases are due to synthetic fertilizers, organic pesticides are sometimes more harmful
Biodiversity gains are overestimated
