Many protected areas around the world are effectively “paper reserves” because (5)
- subsistence agriculture
- illegal hunting / poaching
- mining
- logging
- armed conflict
Protected Areas (Definition)
Area of land or sea managed for the persistence of biodiversity or cultural heritage, through constraints on incompatible land use
Goals of Protected Areas (3)
- Protect individual species of importance
- Protect focus areas of high species richness and / or endemism
- Protect landscapes, functioning ecosystems and their services
Protected Areas Objectives (9)
- Conserving biodiversity
- Mitigating habitat loss
- Halting resource extraction
- Halting exploitation
- Protect water supply
- Protect from extreme events
- Protect cultural values
- Sustain indigenous livelihoods
- Contact with nature
Considerations of Reserve Design
- Disturbance Regime
- Reserve Development
- Goals of Reserves
Corridor (Definition)
natural or artificial connections between habitats
Corridors Provide (3) Important for (4)
- Passage for immigration & emigration
- Decrease local extinction events
- Facilitate gene flow
Important For:
- daily movement
- seasonal migrations
- dispersal
- range shifts (climate change, etc)
Gap Analysis (Definition)
Approach used to identify areas of under-representation in existing reserve systems by comparing the distribution of protected areas with the distribution of biodiversity (identify gaps)
US Gap Analysis Program (5)
- REPRESENTATION of full array of biodiversity across scales
- REDUNDANCY - sufficient examples of species and ecosystems in protected areas
- RESILIENCE - use GAP information to design protected areas that can withstand stressors
- PARTICIPATORY - use GAP information to concert with key stakeholders to design protected areas
- ITERATIVE - GAP analysis as an ongoing loop that informs / adapts
Examples of Sustainable Development
- Indigenous Peoples
- Ecotourism
- Futuristic Urban Farming
Ecotourism (History)
- Tourism came into being during the 19th century by European colonial powers, namely England and France
- Starting in 1950s tourism has become one of the largest worldwide industries
- 700 + million travelers
- 1 out of 12.3 jobs
Ecotourism (Definition)
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local peoples
Principles of Ecotourism (4)
- Contribute to conservation of natural and cultural heritage
- Include local and indigenous communities in its planning, development, and operation, contributing to their well-being
- Interpret natural and cultural heritage of destinations to visitors
- Lends itself to independent travelers, small size groups
Population Regulation (Definition)
• Factors influencing population size through changes in birth and death rates directly tied to population regulation
- population responses to environmental factors
Minimum Viable Population (MVP)
Number of individuals having a 99% probability of population persistence for 100 years
Estimating MVP Size (5)
- Experimental
- Biogeographic patterns (% range occupied)
- Theoretical models (applicability?)
- Simulation models (lack of generality)
- Genetic considerations (variability and breeding structure)
Recovery Analysis (6)
- Population Trends
- Contraction of Geographic Range
- Natural History Studies
- Harvest
- Habitat Changes
- Other Causes of Decline
Treatment of Deadlines (3)
- Managing breeding sites
- Habitat & species restoration
3 shelter supplementation
Reasons for Translocation (4)
- Rescue individuals who would otherwise be lost
- Restoring community or ecosystem processes or increase populations in protected habitats
- Research to develop new approaches and techniques
- Genetic aspects of translocation
Objectives of Reintroduction (5)
- Enhance long term survival of species
- Reestablish a keystone species
- Restore natural biodiversity
- Provide long term economic benefits
- Promote conservation awareness
Types of Releases
- Soft Release - shelter, food, other resources provided
2. Hard Release - animals released without shelter, food, etc
