Transcript International Union for Conservation of Nature

Lecture 10
Designing Protected Areas
Beaver Lake, Yellowstone National Park, 1964
Lecture 3: Outline
I.
Species of the Day
II. IUCN Classifications
III. IUCN Mammalian Extinction
IV. The Three R’s of Reserve Design
V.
Issues of Reserve Design
VI. Conservation Networks
A.
Reserves with Corridors
B.
South Coast Wildlands Project
Species of the Day
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA -1972)
Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
Impacts:
• Unsustainable harvesting
• Reduction of food resources
• Pollution
• Noise
Conservation Plan:
• Improve our understanding of CIBW biology and
factors limiting population growth
• Stop direct loses
• Protect valuable habitat
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the current
conservation strategies
IUCN
International Union for Conservation of Nature
IUCN
International Union for Conservation of Nature
• What is the overall status of biodiversity,
and how is it changing over time?
• How does the status of biodiversity vary
between regions, countries and subnational areas?
• What is the rate at which biodiversity is
being lost?
• Where is biodiversity being lost most
• rapidly?
• What are the main drivers of the decline
• and loss of biodiversity?
• What is the effectiveness and impact of
conservation activities?
An example of a regional biodiversity analysis:
Threatened terrestrial mammal species richness
in Europe.
IUCN
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Mammalian Extinction:
• The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat
category of Critically Endangered
• Nearly 450 mammals have been listed as Endangered
• Habitat loss and degradation affect 40 percent of the world’s
mammals. It is most extreme in Central and South America,
West, East and Central Africa, Madagascar, and in South and
Southeast Asia.
• Overall, the IUCN Red List now includes 44,838 species, of
which 16,928 are threatened with extinction (38%). Of these,
3,246 are in the highest category of threat, Critically
Endangered, 4,770 are Endangered and 8,912 are Vulnerable to
extinction.
Reserve Design Issues
The Three “R’s” of Reserve Design:
1.
Representation: All conservation units must
be represented in the reserve.
2. Resiliency: Reserves must be sufficiently large
and well-protected to maintain all of the
conservation units in a healthy condition for the
foreseeable future.
3. Redundancy: Reserves must protect enough
examples of each conservation unit to ensure the
long-term existence of the unit in the face of
uncertainty.
Reserve Design Issues
Critical Concepts:
•
Is it better to have a single large reserve or many smaller
reserves?
•
How large must a nature reserve be to protect species?
•
How many individuals of endangered species must be
protected in a reserve to prevent extinction?
•
What is the best shape for a nature reserve?
•
When several reserves are created, should they be close
together or far apart and should they be isolated from one
another or connected by corridors?
Reserve Design Issues
Single Large or Several Small (SLOSS):
Reserve Design Issues
Practical Applications:
1. When a new park is established, it should
be made as large as possible.
2. Whenever possible, land adjacent to
protected areas should be acquired in
order to reduce external threats to existing
parks.
3. If there is a choice between creating a new
small park or a new large park in similar
habitat types, the large park should be
created.
Reserve Design Issues
The Wildlands Network:
http://wildlandsproject.org/
• Core wild areas, truly wild areas where
natural processes are allowed to function
normally
• Wildlife linkages, areas of shared use by
humans and wildlife that allow wide- ranging
species and others the room they need to find
food, woo a mate, and travel safely across the
land
• Stewardship lands, areas that surround and
buffer core wild areas and wildlife linkages, in
which sustainable economic activities help to
promote thriving local communities.
Reserve Design Issues
South Coast Wildlands:
http://www.scwildlands.org/