Protected Areas Flashcards
What is a protected area?
A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values
Describe category 1a
Strict nature reserve, managed mainly for science/biodiversity
Maintaining genetic variation
E.g. Seychelles
Describe category 1b
Wilderness area
Protected area managed for wilderness protection
E.g. Sawtooth wilderness Idaho
Category II
National Park
Managed for Ecosystem and recreation - large areas of outstanding scenic and natural beauty
e.g. rocky mountain national park, colorado
Category III
Natural Monuments and Landmarks
e.g. machu picchu peru
Category IV
Habitat/Species management area
Managed through management intervention
e.g. Skomer, Wales
What is the Lawton Report?
Protected areas form the core of England’s wildlife sites and ecological network
Category V
Protected landscapes/seascapes
Including recreation
E.g. 15 UK national parks
Category VI
Managed Resource Protected area
Promoting sustainable use of natural ecosystems and resources
e.g. great barrier reef
Describe the UN convention o Biological Diversity
Treaty signed at UN Conference on Environment & Development, Rio 1992
Objectives Article 1: “the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising …”
42 Articles of Treaty
Describe article 8
Establish protected areas, or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity
Develop guidelines for selection, establishment and management of protected areas.
What are the ecological criteria/considerations
Threatened or declining species and habitats/biotopes
Important species and habitats/biotopes
Ecological significance
High natural biological diversity
Representativity
Sensitivity
Naturalness
What are the limitations of protected areas?
- Too small for wide ranging species, extinction risk increased with PA size for some species.
- Competing land-uses: PAs not representative of range of best habitats Parks poorly managed or protected: “paper” parks
- Too little overall area protected
- Not well connected
What were the targets of the 2002 Rio +10 Summit
- At least 10% of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved.
- Areas of particular importance to biodiversity protected.
Describe the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Protected area coverage
≥17% terrestrial and inland water
≥10% coastal and marine areas
Describe the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Protect 30% of the planet by 2030 under the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD)
Additional 4 goals for biodiversity in 2050
A – Protect and Restore
B – Prosper with Nature
C – Share benefits fairly
D – Invest and collaborate
What is an ecoregion?
WWF definition ‘Large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities that,
(a) share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics;
b) share similar environmental conditions, and;
(c) interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence.’
Describe Olsen’s study
“Global 200 Ecoregions” – analysed patterns in biodiversity to identify the most biologically distinct terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecoregions
How to select protected areas?
Representative / complementary diversity
Intact / pristine areas (proactive)
Vulnerable to human activity (reactive)
High / unique biodiversity (irreplaceable)
Politically / economically feasible
What areas do we prioritise?
“Reactive” High vulnerability
Threatened areas
High human impact
How to classify crisis ecoregions?
Slide 32
What approaches are there focused on irreplaceability?
Centres of Plant Diversity
Endemic Bird Areas
Describe countries with ‘megadiversity’
Australia Brazil
China DR Congo
Colombia Ecuador
India Indonesia
Madagascar Mexico
Peru USA
Large, mostly tropical countries. Based on few taxa; omits uniqueness and endemicity
Describe marine protected areas
Lagging behind terrestrial
Less data for prioritisation/design
Species ranges unlimited/boundaries less distinct
Ocean governance fragmented and unclear ownership
Describe article 8 In Situ conservation
c-e) Protection, management, regulation & sustainable development of resources, populations & ecosystems within & outside PAs
f) Restoration of degraded ecosystems
g-h) Control & regulation of alien species
i-j) Sustainable use
k-m) Regulation & legislation
