Transcript 1091-Lec23(Reserves3)

RESERVE DESIGN
Review
Case Studies in Reserve Design
Cape Floristic Region, South Africa
Marine Protected Areas, Bohol Island,
Phillipines
RESERVE DESIGN
The Goal:
A reserve system that includes and sustains
all biodiversity and ecosystem processes of
the region
We don’t have time to count everything
so
How do we assess “all” biodiversity quickly
What can we use as surrogates for overall
biodiversity?
Flagship Species
No –charismatic but don’t capture other species
Umbrella Species
No
Biodiversity Indicators –
birds(lots info); dung beetles(easy to collect info)
No – hotspots for one taxa≠hotspots for others\
Land types land systems or vegetation classes
What can we use as surrogates for overall
biodiversity?
Flagship Species
No –charismatic but don’t capture other species
Umbrella Species
No
Biodiversity Indicators –
birds(lots info); dung beetles(easy to collect info)
No – hotspots for one taxa≠hotspots for others\
Land types land systems or vegetation classes
eg 1 South Africa - YES
Evaluating use of landtypes in reserve design
Cape Floristic Region, SA
122,000 km2 - > 6000 endemic plant species
UNESCO World heritage site
Evaluating use of landtypes in reserve design
Cape Floristic Region, SA
122,000 km2
102 broad habitat units (untransformed land)
vegetation
climate
geology
topography
Reserve selection current reserve selected
+ minimum set to achieve conservation
target (%) by BHU
Evaluating use of landtypes in reserve design
Cape Floristic Region, SA
How representative are the reserves?
Plants - proteas
Vertebrates - fish, amphibians, reptiles
BHU minimum set represented
79% of unreserved proteas
35% of unreserved vertebrates
BHUs are a good surrogate for SOME Species
Summary
Surrogates for overall biodiversity?
Flagships
Biodiversity Indicators
Landtypes
NO
NO
not always
So what features should be used?
Combine inexpensive land type info
with other surrogates
CASE STUDY 1
Cape Floristic Region, SA
UNESCO World heritage site
Smallest of world’s
floristic regions
Highest density of
plant species in the
world
Biodiversity Hotspot
Cape Floristic Region, SA
Fynbos - “fine bush”
Fire-prone shrub
80% of area
>7000 plant spp
Cape Floristic Region, SA
Renosterveld - “rhinoceros scrub”
lowlands
Shrub +
Coastal dunes
dominated by
members of
daisy family
Cape Floristic Region, SA
bontebok
Mammals
90 spp
4 endemics
Reptiles
100 spp.
10 endemics
Cape Floristic Region, SA
Birds 324 spp., 6 endemics
Endemic Bird Area (IBA) Birdlife International
Amphibians
51 spp. 16 endemics
STATUS of BIODIVERSITY
IUCN RED LIST
FLORA - 1406 Endangered
- 300 Critically endangered
- 29 Extinct in wild
FAUNA - Threatened=CR, EN or VU
- 21 mammals, 12 birds
- 15 fish, 5 reptiles, 5 amphibians
- 6 butterflies, 6 dragonflies
THREATS to BIODIVERSITY
Habitat loss - lowland fynbos 83% of original
- lowland renosterveld 48% original
- matrix = agriculture/urban development
- remnants fragmented/isolated/degraded
Invasive species - upland/lowland fynbos
- 70% invaded by
- fire adapted tree spp.
33% CFR transformed
20% pristine
CAPE ACTION PLAN for the ENVIRONMENT
Initiated 1998
Govt, academia, NGOs, local community
AIM
Identify and establish a representative reserve system
Ensure sustainable yields from biodiversity resources
Improve conservation policies and legislation and
strengthen capacity to implement them
SYSTEMATIC CONSERVATION PLANNING
Stage 2: Conservation goals
Identify elements to protect
Land classes
102 BHUs
varies with heterogeneity, vulnerability, original extent
Proteacae
Target
10-100%
locality records for 364 spp.
Varies with threat
Selected lower vertebrates
1-15 records
345 spp.
Varies with threat
1-2 records
Large and medium sized mammals
Varies with endemism, range
41 spp.
10-2000 individuals
Ecological and evolutionary processes
Stage 2: Conservation goals ctd
Ecological and evolutionary processes
Diversification across edaphic interfaces
----> 1 km wide interface between soil types
Diversification across upland/lowland interface
Faunal seasonal migration
Response to climate change
----> 1 km wide paths across gradients
eg coastal lowland --> interior mountain
Migration and diversification between inland
and coastal biotas
---> whole inter-basin riverine corridors
500m wide, all untransformed lengths
+ restorable sections
Stage 3: Review existing conservation areas
GIS based GAP analysis
22% of CFR has some level of protection
189 sites
49% secure statutary conservation areas
51% less secure (state/municipal/private)
BUT Unrepresentative
50% Mountain Fynbos Complex (>target)
9% Lowland BHUs
Spatial components of ecological process not
captured
Stage 4. Selection of additional areas
Planning units
- grids of 3900 ha
3014
- current protected areas 1032
- process planning units 2993
Minimum set problem
Order - current reserves
- riverine/sand corridors
- irreplaceable BHUs, plants, vertebrates
- large mammals
- climatic, upland-lowland gradients
- outstanding objectives
(minimize vulnerable areas)
----> PLAN requiring 52% of extant habitat
Stage 5 - Implementation
Expansion of protected areas in intact habitat
Cape Peninsula and Cape Agulhas NP
Funds for 3 mega-reserves (> 500,000 ha)
and fragmented areas
assist conservation of irreplaceable lowlands
Promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity
investment in ecotourism
Promotion of conservation-minded governance
adoption of CAPE guidelines in assessing
development proposals
Lessons learnt
Progress in implementation slow
municipal-level decision makers not identified as
key stakeholders
scale was necessarily coarse- but additional fine
scale planning therefore required
Limited success at integrating biodiversity issues
into land use planning of some sectors
municipal level development
biodiversity-based enterprises
Coral reefs
Incredible biodiversity - 25% of marine spp.
And economically valuable
8% world lives within 100 km of a reef
10% of worlds fishing harvest
generate billions of dollars in tourism and
provide opportunities for local
development
Very vulnerable
Philippines - 56% reefs close to being lost
Project Seahorse
Director Dr Amanda Vincent, Fisheries, UBC
“committed to conservation and sustainable use of
the world’s coastal marine ecosystems”
Project Seahorse - Philippines
Danajon bank - 145 km
one of only six double-barrier
reefs in the world
Bohol Island
652 km of coastline
70,000 ha of coral reef
29 coastal municipalities; 1 city of 1.2 million
80,00 full or part-time fishers
Fishing is main employer and main supplier of
animal protein
1999 - 55% villagers noted use of dynamite
and/or poison on fishing areas
Issues
Population growth - family size
Poverty
Overexploitation of marine resource
--->Degradation and loss of coral reef
Project Seahorse - approach
Educate school scholarships/apprenticeships
visits to other ‘no-take reserves’
Empower local fishers - KAMADA alliance,
Develop alternative employment
Research effectiveness of MPAs
Project Seahorse
Marine protected areas in Bohol
First MPA initiated 1996
Where?
How large?
Project Seahorse
Community survey one year later
vast majority felt reserve was “working”
Area expanded to 50 ha
Greater focus on enforcement
MPA Guardhouse
KAMADA member paid by
community
Project Seahorse
Currently
20 MPAs in northern Bohol
KAMADA expanded to 4 islands in Danajon Bank
700+ members
20 independent villages
members act as fish wardens
play a role in Coastal Law Enforcement
provide active link between villages
and local and national government
MPAs have support of local gov’t as a
biodiversity conservation and
fisheries management tool
Project Seahorse
Science
Populaton recovery in no-take zones
cf before / after after/control
size distributions have changed
abundance harvested families up
some other families down
Spillover effects
- evidence of recovery outside MPA ltd BUT
- fishers harvest from just outside buffer zones
- extraction rate data coming
Lessons learnt
Degraded habitat can make good reserves
any improvement is easily detected
Devolution of power to local governments in
1991 facilitated community empowerment
Paired community liaison officer + local
biologist teams linked biodiversity and
sustainable development
Community support generated momentum for
further conservation initiatives
Project Seahorse takes volunteers
Philipines
Deadline May 15
Portugal
Deadline April 1
Source for most CFR material
- text Ch 14 and Biol Conservation 112 (Vol 1+2)