Protected Areas Flashcards
Approaches to Conserva1on
What are our op1ons?
1) Proteconism
2) Parcipatory Conservaon
3) Regulatory/Legislave Approaches
1) Protec*onism
Species?
Biological Surrogates/Indicators?
Biodiversity hotspots
Communi1es? Ecoregions?
2) Parcipatory Conservaon
Community-based Conserva1on
Sustainable Development
Conven*on on Biological Diversity
UN Earth
Summit 1992. Noted that “the fundamental
requirement for the conserva1on of biological
diversity is the in situ conserva1on of ecosystems
and natural habitats and the maintenance and
recovery of viable popula1ons of species in their
natural surroundings.”
IUCN System of Classifica*on
system of classifying
protected areas based on the degree of human
ac1vity.
Biosphere Reserves
Core area focus
Biosphere Reserve Effec1veness
• Medium.
• Biosphere reserves cri1cized.
• Challenging interna1onal
situa1on.
Idenfy Priories for Protec*ng Biodiversity
-Dis1nc1veness.
– Endangerment.
– U1lity.
-Dis1nc1veness.
Biological communi1es with rare
endemics; taxonomically dis1nct species; popula1ons with
unusual gene1c characteris1cs.
– Endangerment.
. Species in danger of ex1nc1on;
communi1es threatened with destruc1on.
– U1lity
Species with present or poten1al value to humans;
communi1es with high economic value/use to humans
(coastal wetlands).
Indicator species –
provide impetus to
protect an area or community; species
associated with endangered community
or ecosystem.
Flagship species
Megafauna protected by
na1onal parks – pandas, elephants; crucial
to tourism.
Umbrella species –
Flagship or indicator
species whose protec1on automa1cally
extends protec1on to other species and
the community - Tigers.
Biodiversity Indicator Approach
Presence of certain organisms are used to
predict occurrence of high biodiversity. Eg.
Important Plant Areas and Important Bird
Areas.
Hotspots Approach
– Coined by Myers 1988 – defined as areas featuring great biodiversity, high concentra1ons of endemics and high loss of habitat. • Adopted by Conserva1on Interna1onal 1989
Benefits of Hotspots Approach
- Focuses efforts
- Umbrella approach
- Cost-effec1ve measures
- Poli1cal tool ?
- “Silver-bullet” strategy?
Cri1cisms of Hotspots Approach
-Lack of overlap in hotspots using the 3 indices:
species richness, high endemism, # threatened
species.
Iden1fying hotspots based on 3 indices not
perfect
• Focus is on tropics. Are we missing anything
else?
– What about unique
• Habitats?
• Ecosystems?
Ecoregion and Community Approach
Ecoregions selected based on species
richness, endemism, taxonomic uniqueness,
unusual ecological or evolu1onary
phenomenon, and global rarity.
• Protec1ng ecosystems probably more cri1cal to local
human popula1ons.
Ecoregion and Community Approach
• Enables scien1sts to
set targets for representa1ve
sites – ones that include species and environmental
condi1ons characteris1c of unique biological
communi1es.
Alliance for Zero Ex1nc1on
global
ini1a1ve of biodiversity conserva1on organiza1ons,
aims to prevent ex1nc1ons by iden1fying and
safeguarding key sites where species are in
imminent danger of disappearing. The goal of the
Alliance is to create a front line of defense against
ex1nc1on by elimina1ng threats and restoring
habitat to allow species popula1ons to rebound
AZE uses the following criteria to iden1fy priority sites:
- Endangerment:
•2. Irreplaceability:
• 3. Discreteness:
- Endangerment
: Must contain at least one Endangered (EN)
or Cri1cally Endangered (CR) species, as listed by the IUCN
Red List.
• 2. Irreplaceability:
Should only be designated if it is the sole
area where an EN or CR species occurs, or contains the
overwhelmingly significant known resident popula1on of the
EN or CR species, or contains the overwhelmingly significant
known popula1on for one life history segment (e.g., breeding
or wintering) of the EN or CR species.
- Discreteness:
Must have a definable boundary within
which the character of habitats, biological communi1es, and/
or management issues have more in common with each other
than they do with those in adjacent areas.
Shortcomings of Protected Areas
- Parks are rarely large enough to protect en1re ecosystems
- Parks, especially in developing countries, are not always “protected.” Paper parks – no enforcement in terms of
boundary patrols to keep seDlers and poachers out; lack of
funding (na1onal and local levels). - Parks do not always target sites of high biodiversity.
- Lack of poli1cal and social will to protect parks can cause backlash – when local popula1ons are excluded from using
resources they have tradi1onally used, local popula1ons see no
economic benefit – experience opportunity costs – giving up
u1lity.
5. Parks raise ethical issues about human reloca1on or evic1on, forcible removal (Gir Lion Sanctuary Project).
Need for Reserve Systems
formed by linking newly
protected areas to exis1ng protected areas to create
a network.
Gap Analysis
- Approach used to iden1fy gaps of
under-representa1on in an exis1ng reserve system
by comparing distribu1on of protected areas with
distribu1on of species, vegeta1on types, physical
features, human pop. density.
Gap Analysis
• Analy1cal tool
• Iden1fies species/communi1es that are not
adequately protected
• Uses GIS/spa1al data layers
• Gap informa1on used in part by MDC to
develop COA’s
• We will talk about COA’s in more detail next
week
Principles of Systema1c Conserva1on Planning
- Comprehensiveness
- Representa1veness
- Adequacy
- Efficiency
- Flexibility
- Irreplaceability
- Connec1vity
- Protected area shape
- Minimize fragmenta1on
