Transcript BDC332_Chapter 3 Approaches to global conservation

CONSERVATION IS CATCHING ON!
Richard Knight
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WHAT IS CONSERVATION?.
A traditional view was an area put aside for the preservation
of organisms and their environment!
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THIS HAS LEAD TO CONFLICTS BETWEEN LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND PARK BOUNDARIES
Photo South African National Parks
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REFLECTION OF WHAT IS A NATIONAL PARK
“NATIONAL PARKS HAVE NOT DRAWN US INTO
A MORE THOUGHTFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH
OUR HABITAT. THEY HAVE NOT TAUGHT US
THAT LAND IS TO BE USED FRUGALLY AND
WITH GOOD SENSE. THEY HAVE
ENCOURAGED US TO BELIEVE THAT
CONSERVATION IS MERELY A SYSTEM OF
TRADING ENVIRONMENTAL WRITE-OFFS
AGAINST LARGE PROTECTED AREAS. THEY
HAVE MORE THAN FAILED, IN FACT THEY
HAVE BECOME A SYMPTOM OF THE
PROBLEM” (VAN TIGHEM 1986)
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FENCING AND PARK BOUNDARIES HAVE BECOME
MAJOR SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES.
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THE SOLUTION IS TO INVOLVE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND MANAGE
PROTECTED AREAS AS ANOTHER TYPE
OF LANDUSE.
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CRITICAL TO PARK MANAGEMENT IS TO
ESTABLISH OBJECTIVES
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
Ia: The Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness areas
Preserve habitats, ecosystems and species in
Objective: as undisturbed state as possible
Dassen Island and the Prince Edward Islands
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
II: National Park
Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreational
or tourist purposes
West Coast National Park
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
III: Natural Monument: Protected Area
Objective: Based on a specific natural/cultural or unique
representational significance
Kirstenbosch and Tienie Versveld
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
IV: Habitat/Species Management Area
Objective: Maintain a habitat for protection of significant
species/ group of species or special physical
Features Maanschynkop, Hermanus
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
V: Protected Landscape/Seascape
Objective: Protect harmonious interaction of nature and
culture
Abe Bailey Nature Reserve Gauteng (Carletonville)
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
IX: Biosphere Reserve
Core
Buffer
Transitional
Objective: Integrate protected areas within a landscape
of other economic activities
Kogelberg & West Coast
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A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTED
AREAS EXISTS FROM THE IUCN
X: World Heritage Site
www.robben.island.org.za
Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreational
or tourist purposes
Robben Island & Table Mountain
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PEACE PARKS
Richtersveld/
Ai-Ais
Gariep
Kgalagadi
(Kalahari)
Limpopo/Shashe
Kruger/
Banhine-Zinave
Gonarezhou
Maputaland
Maloti/
Drakensberg
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OTHER PROTECTED AREAS
Peace Parks- a Transfrontier conservation area
South African National Parks
Objective: Promote regional co-operation, job creation
and biodiversity conservation
Recently Proclaimed Kalahari Park
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CONTRACTUAL PARKS
A protected area that is co-operatively managed by
Local Communities and a State Organization
South African National Parks - Nigel Dennis
Objective: Protect natural resources and preserve
cultural lifestyles of indigenous people
Richtersveld National Park
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World Heritage Sites South Africa
South Africa's World Heritage Sites: World Heritage Sites recognise and
protect areas of outstanding natural, historical and cultural value. Given
South Africa's diverse culture and history and her spectacular natural
resources and wildlife, it is not surprising that she boasts 7 World Heritage
Sites.
Cultural
» Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and
Environs (1999)
» Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (2003)
» Robben Island (1999)
Mixed
» UKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park (2000)
Natural
» Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (2004)
» Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park (1999)
» Vredefort Dome (2005)
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS
KZN
National
Parks
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CONSERVED AREAS IN THE WESTERN CAPE
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CONSERVED AREAS IN HERMANUS
Maan
Vogelgat schyn
kop
Fernkloof
Cliff paths
Walker
Bay
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WORLD DATABASE PROTECTED AREAS
www.protectedplanet.net/
IUCN RED DATA SPECIES LIST
RED LISTS AND RED DATA BOOKS OF
THREATENED SPECIES
IUCN maintains threatened species lists since 1950s.
“Red Data Books” popularized in 1960s: birds &
mammals.
“Information explosion” in 1990s:
• Europe: 3,562 known red lists.
• South Africa – maintained by SANBI
http://redlist.sanbi.org/
• 100 countries have produced RL for at least
one taxon (www.nationalredlist.org).
• Species assigned to categories on the basis of
quantitative criteria and thresholds.
• Separation of risk assessment (scientific) from
definition of conservation priorities (societal
process).
QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA: CATEGORIES FOR IUCN
RED LISTS
Population decline
Critically
endangered
Small range: fragmented
/ decline / fluctuation
Reproductive population
small and declining
Very small or
restricted population
Quantitative assessment
Thresholds
Endangered
Vulnerable
Extinction Risk
CONSERVATION
PRIORITIES
Distributional Factors
Biological Factors
Societal Values
Weighting
system
Conservation
priorities
Logistical Factors
Economic Factors
Other Factors
(legal, institutional, etc.)
Analysis,
studies, choices,
politics, land use
etc
MOTIVATION FOR A “RED LIST” CATEGORIES
SYSTEM FOR ECOSYSTEMS
Abundant experience with red list categories
for species. Red list “explosion” world-wide
(> 100 countries have applied them).
 Increased capability of geographical
information systems:

 more
powerful and inexpensive computers.
 cheaper and more user-friendly software packages
(Quantum and DIVA GIS– free and WebGIS).

Increased availability of remotely-sensed data,
covering 20-40 years.
WHY FOCUS ON ECOSYSTEM STATUS?
May more effectively represent biodiversity as a
whole than individual species.
 Ecosystem loss more apparent than species
loss: clean water, food, fuel – service losses
 More time-efficient than species-by-species
assessments (<3% species evaluated by IUCN).
 Ecosystem loss and degradation might precede
species declines (e.g. extinction debt).
 Combined with species Red List, more powerful
assessment of biodiversity status.

OFFICIAL LISTING OF THREATENED ECOSYSTEMS
IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE
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



Gov. of W. Australia: quantitative categories & criteria for
threatened ecosystems, also Victoria.
S. African National Environmental Management:
Biodiversity Act: identification of over 200 threatened
ecosystems. (Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecosystem
Support Areas
Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway & partially in other EU
states (based on NATURA 2000, EUNIS). Venezuela,
Senegal (draft); and
Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru in
process
EC tender for Red List of Habitats for Europe process
MANDATES FROM THE IUCN WORLD
CONSERVATION CONGRESSES (BARCELONA
2008, JEJU 2012)

Consolidation of the IUCN Red List of
Ecosystems:
 Formal
adoption of RLE categories and
criteria.
 Formal allocation of funds/staff.
 Global assessment of ecosystems.
 Provision of support to national assessments.
 View RLS and RLE as an integrated tool (also
with other IUCN key Knowledge Products).
MAJOR SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGES
I.
What is an ecosystem?
II. When is an ecosystem
“extinct”?
– Disappearance, transformation or
collapse?
III. How to assess ecosystem
change?
– distribution
– function
I. DEFINING ECOSYSTEMS
No global classification (but maybe getting nearer),
ecosystems may be defined at various scales
(raindrop to biosphere) ~WWF EcoRegions, GLC2000
Approach:
i)
Adopt widey accepted conceptual definition
(Tansley 1935, Odum)
ii)
Develop a risk assessment method applicable to
any classification (national, regional)
iii) Promote development of a global ecosystem
classification
iv) Require documented ecosystem descriptions as
part of each risk assessment
DESCRIBING ECOSYSTEMS FOR ASSESSMENT
Conceptual definition
Description template
(operational)
(4 key elements, Tansley 1935)
1.
2.
3.
characteristic assemblage
of biota
associated physical
environment
processes & interactions
between components


4.
Classification (IUCN habitats, etc)
1. List defining biotic features
2. Identify defining abiotic
features
3. Describe key ecosystem drivers
among biota
between biota &
environment
Spatial extent
4. Maps (time series, projections)
– past, present, future
DEFINING ECOSYSTEMS: OPERATIONAL
BASIS
Specific set of ecosystems that can be nested
(local, national, global) use of different schemes –
c.f. NatureServe (Classification & Description of
World Formation Types); EUNIS
 Nesting into administrative & other means of
dividing – e.g. overall major ecosystem types in a
country, or a district, or land/water use
 Trade-offs between conceptual definitions &
practical reality!
 We respect & will use national ecosystem
classifications, but will seek to nest them

DATA INTEGRATION, NESTING & ACCESS
DATA INTEGRATION, NESTING &
ACCESS
NatureServe
Coming to Global consensus on Ecosystems –
but not there yet!
II. THE CONCEPT OF ‘RISK’
RISK – the probability of a bad outcome over a
specified time frame
Define the bad outcome
An endpoint to ecosystem decline
 Ecosystems rarely disappear or go “extinct” ( cf.
species) Exception Maldives
 “Collapse”: transformation of identity, loss of
defining features (characteristic biota &
function), replacement by a novel ecosystem
(e.g. invasives, agriculture, plantation)
II. The concept of risk
• RISK – the probability of a bad outcome over a
specified time frame
• Specify the time frame for assessing change
long enough to
detect trends,
short enough to
inform action,
long enough to
consider lags &
debts
– past, present,
future
III. Assessing ecosystem change
Guiding principles for design of a protocol
• Evidence-based risk assessment using all available
data & information
• Transparent derivation from relevant ecological
theories
• Generic concepts and methods adaptable across a
range of organisational & spatial scales and all
ecological domains
– terrestrial, freshwater, marine, subterranean
• Logically consistent with IUCN Red List criteria for
species
III. ASSESSING
ECOSYSTEM CHANGE
Threatening processes
Ecosystem
distribution
Ecosystem
function
C Environmt’l
degradation
A Declining
distribution
Risk model for
ecosystems:
•
•
Risk of loss
of characteristic
native biota
•
D Altered biotic
processes
B Small
distribution
E Quantitative
risk analysis
Threatening processes
•
threats to defining
features (distribution,
biota & function)
multiple mechanisms
(causes of threat)
4 symptoms (of
decline) = 4 criteria
plus one overarching
criterion (probability of
collapse)
CATEGORIES
CO
Collapse
CR
Critically Endangered
EN
Endangered
VU
Vulnerable
NT
Near Threatened
LC
Least Concern
DD
Data Deficient
NE
Not Evaluated
Threatened