Urgent need for a systematic expansion of freshwater protected areas in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard T. Kingsford ◽  
Jon Nevill
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Hydrologic Connectivity ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Systematic Expansion ◽  
Effective Conservation

Freshwater ecosystems (including inland saline wetlands and mound springs) are among the more imperilled ecosystems in the world. Australia is no exception, but their protection has lagged behind programmes of terrestrial protection. Freshwater protected areas are an essential component of biodiversity conservation programmes, but a systematic approach to their development in Australia has been slow, and hindered by incomplete ecosystem inventories at State and national levels. We examine this problem and suggest avenues for action. Further, while there is no shortage of relevant legislation and policy for protecting freshwater aquatic systems in Australia, some protective mechanisms have not yet been used, many years after their development. In some places "protection" has been only partially applied without regard to important issues of hydrologic connectivity ? with species extinction as a direct consequence. The most urgent priority is to identify those aquatic ecosystems most at risk. A comprehensive national assessment of the conservation status of freshwater ecosystems should be undertaken immediately. Such an assessment would provide both a platform and an impetus for the systematic expansion of the nation's freshwater protected areas. Political will is then essential for effective conservation, utilizing the plethora of conservation and management tools available.

scholarly journals Identifying priority core habitats and corridors for effective conservation of brown bears in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mohammadi ◽  
K. Almasieh ◽  
D. Nayeri ◽  
F. Ataei ◽  
A. Khani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Zagros Mountains ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractIran lies at the southernmost range limit of brown bears globally. Therefore, understanding the habitat associations and patterns of population connectivity for brown bears in Iran is relevant for the species’ conservation. We applied species distribution modeling to predict habitat suitability and connectivity modeling to identify population core areas and corridors. Our results showed that forest density, topographical roughness, NDVI and human footprint were the most influential variables in predicting brown bear distribution. The most crucial core areas and corridor networks for brown bear are concentrated in the Alborz and Zagros Mountains. These two core areas were predicted to be fragmented into a total of fifteen isolated patches if dispersal of brown bear across the landscape is limited to 50,000 cost units, and aggregates into two isolated habitat patches if the species is capable of dispersing 400,000 cost units. We found low overlap between corridors, and core habitats with protected areas, suggesting that the existing protected area network may not be adequate for the conservation of brown bear in Iran. Our results suggest that effective conservation of brown bears in Iran requires protection of both core habitats and the corridors between them, especially outside Iran’s network of protected areas.

scholarly journals How to Protect Free Flowing Rivers: The Bita River Ramsar Site as an Example of Science and Management Tools Working Together

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1775
Author(s):  
Cesar Freddy Suárez ◽  
Monica Paez-Vasquez ◽  
Fernando Trujillo ◽  
Jose Saulo Usma ◽  
Michele Thieme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Ramsar Site ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Local Stakeholder

The Orinoco river basin is the third largest river in the world by volume. Its catchment encompasses 27 major sub-basins including the Bita with a catchment area of about 825,000 ha, which originates in the Colombian high plains in the Llanos ecoregion. It has been recognized as a priority area for conservation through different gap analyses and overall determined to have good health according to the Orinoco report card 2016. The natural climate and hydrologic processes, and their synergies with flooded forests, savannas, wetlands, species diversity and local economic activities, are part of a dynamic and sensitive system. With the purpose of conserving the ecological, social and cultural benefits that it brings, the Colombian Government, with the support of regional and local civil society organizations, promoted the designation of a conservation area. Technical exercises were carried out including biological and socioeconomic surveys, local stakeholder consultations and future scenario modeling. In June 2018, the Bita River basin was designated as the largest Ramsar site in Colombia, providing a worldwide example of explicit protection of riverine systems. In order to maintain this free-flowing river, land use and fisheries management, in conjunction with other conservation actions, are being implemented and provide a model of protection for freshwater ecosystems that could be replicated elsewhere.

scholarly journals Description of two new species of Avicularia Lamarck 1818 and redescription of Avicularia diversipes (C. L. Koch 1842) (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae)—three possibly threatened Brazilian species

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2223 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROGÉRIO BERTANI ◽  
CAROLINE SAYURI FUKUSHIMA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Southern State ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Specimen Identification ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest

Avicularia diversipes (C. L. Koch 1842) known previously only from its original description is redescribed along with Avicularia sooretama sp. nov. and Avicularia gamba sp. nov. The three species are endemic to Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. With other Avicularia species, they share a procurved anterior eye row, slender embolus and medially folded spermathecae, whereas they have unusual characters, such as a very long and spiraled embolus (A. diversipes) and spermathecae with multilobular apex (A. sooretama sp. nov.). Furthermore, the three species lack a tibial apophysis in males and share a distinctive color pattern ontogeny that is not known in any other Avicularia species. The conservation status of the three species is discussed, especially with respect to endemism, illegal trafficking and habitat destruction. The creation of protected areas in southern State of Bahia, Brazil, is recommended, as well as the inclusion of these species in IUCN and CITES lists. Appendices with figures and species information are presented to facilitate correct specimen identification by custom officers, in order to limit illegal traffic.

scholarly journals Metodyka waloryzacji przyrodniczej. Część II: Zastosowania w praktyce ocen oddziaływania przedsięwzięć na środowisko

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-96
Author(s):  
Piotr Matyjasiak
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Proper Time ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Ecological Connectivity ◽  
Resource Service

The aim of this paper is (i) to review the method of valorization of natural resources as applied in the environmental impact assessment, and (ii) to develop recommendations on how valorization expertise should be prepared in order to be comprehensive and transparent. Valorization is the proper time to carry out identi>cation of the possible negative environmental impacts and damages of a planned project. It is recommended to perform valorization due to the state (numbers) and functions (quality) of natural resources. This approach is related to the concept of environmental damage, which is defined as a measurable adverse change in a natural resource or measurable impairment of a natural resource service (which means the functions performed by a natural resource for the benefit of another natural resource or the public). Valorization of natural resources should include an assessment of potential environmental damage, including an impact on the local biodiversity, the ecological connectivity, the N2000 network, and the legally protected areas. The valorization of natural resources should be performed at the following thematic levels focusing on the role of the area under consideration due to: (1) the implementation of the objectives of protection of Nature 2000 network and its overall coherence, (2) the implementation of the objectives of protection of legally protected areas other than N2000, (3) the maintenance of the ecological connectivity in a context other than the coherence of Nature 2000 network, (4) the maintenance of species and natural habitats with favorable conservation status, (5) the conservation of species and natural habitat types that are not legally protected.

scholarly journals Congruence between breeding and wintering biodiversity hotspots: A case study in farmlands of Western Poland

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Federico Morelli ◽  
Zbigniew Kwieciński ◽  
Piotr Indykiewicz ◽  
Łukasz Jankowiak ◽  
Paweł Szymański ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Complete Representation ◽  
Evolutionary Distinctiveness

Abstract Farmland landscapes are recognized as important ecosystems, not only for their rich biodiversity but equally so for the human beings who live and work in these places. However, biodiversity varies among sites (spatial change) and among seasons (temporal change). In this work, we tested the hypothesis that bird diversity hotspots distribution for breeding is congruent with bird diversity hotspots for wintering season, focusing also the representation of protected areas for the conservation of local hotspots. We proposed a framework based on the use of species richness, functional diversity, and evolutionary distinctiveness to characterize avian communities. Although our findings show that the spatial distribution of local bird hotspots differed slightly between seasons, the protected areas’ representation was similar in both seasons. Protected areas covered 65% of the most important zones for breeding and 71% for the wintering season in the farmland studied. Functional diversity showed similar patterns as did bird species richness, but this measure can be most effective for highlighting differences on bird community composition. Evolutionary distinctiveness was less congruent with species richness and functional diversity, among seasons. Our findings suggest that inter-seasonal spatial congruence of local hotspots can be considered as suitable areas upon which to concentrate greater conservation efforts. However, even considering the relative congruence of avian diversity metrics at a local spatial scale, simultaneous analysis of protected areas while inter-seasonally considering hotspots, can provide a more complete representation of ecosystems for assessing the conservation status and designating priority areas.

scholarly journals Cave-dwelling bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and conservation concerns in South central Mindanao, Philippines

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (15) ◽  
pp. 8185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krizler C. Tanalgo ◽  
John Aries G. Tabora
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Local Disturbance ◽  
South Central ◽  
Bush Meat ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
The Town ◽  
Effective Conservation

<p>The stable microclimate in caves provides a relatively constant habitat for many bat species in the Philippines, but human encroachment continues to disrupt this habitat and imperil many of the species roosting in the caves.  In South central Mindanao, the diversity and conservation status of cave bats remain undocumented and unexplored.  We employed mist-netting to capture bats from five different caves within the town of Kabacan, northern Cotabato, Philippines.  A total of 14 bat species were identified including the Philippine endemics <em>Hipposideros pygmaeus </em>and <em>Ptenochirus jagori </em>and the threatened <em>Megaerops wetmorei. </em>However, despite the declining conservation status of the bats, local disturbance such as bat hunting for bush meat and unregulated tourism are currently taking place in the caves.  Large species such as <em>Eonycteris spelaea </em>and <em>Rousettus amplexicaudatus </em>are killed almost every day for food and trade.  Therefore, the high species richness, and the presence of endemic and threatened species coupled with the occurrence of anthropogenic disturbances in caves suggests the need for an urgent and effective conservation intervention involving the local government and public community.</p><div> </div>

Freshwater ecosystems in protected areas

2018 ◽  
pp. 256-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Finlayson ◽  
A.H. Arthington ◽  
J. Pittock
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems

scholarly journals Regional Management of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction in the Western Indian Ocean: State of Play and Possible Ways Forward

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Wright ◽  
Julien Rochette
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Regional Management ◽  
National Jurisdiction ◽  
Regional Organisations

Abstract In recent years, the international community has become increasingly aware of the growing threats to marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (abnj), and international discussions on a new international legally binding are underway. In parallel, some States, through regional organisations, have progressively extended their activities into abnj, particularly through the development of area-based management tools (abmts). In this article, we consider how actors in the Western Indian Ocean (wio) might engage in abnj governance. In particular, we develop some possible scenarios for developing abmts in the wio, including through the development of fisheries closures, the establishment of marine protected areas (mpas), and the adoption of abmts under the auspices of relevant international organisations. We conclude that while the wio is currently not the most advanced region in terms of ongoing efforts to improve the governance of abnj, there are already some positive signals and promising options for the future.

scholarly journals Estimating the global conservation status of more than 15,000 Amazonian tree species

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. e1500936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans ter Steege ◽  
Nigel C. A. Pitman ◽  
Timothy J. Killeen ◽  
William F. Laurance ◽  
Carlos A. Peres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Threatened Plant Species ◽  
The Tropics

Estimates of extinction risk for Amazonian plant and animal species are rare and not often incorporated into land-use policy and conservation planning. We overlay spatial distribution models with historical and projected deforestation to show that at least 36% and up to 57% of all Amazonian tree species are likely to qualify as globally threatened under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. If confirmed, these results would increase the number of threatened plant species on Earth by 22%. We show that the trends observed in Amazonia apply to trees throughout the tropics, and we predict that most of the world’s >40,000 tropical tree species now qualify as globally threatened. A gap analysis suggests that existing Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories will protect viable populations of most threatened species if these areas suffer no further degradation, highlighting the key roles that protected areas, indigenous peoples, and improved governance can play in preventing large-scale extinctions in the tropics in this century.

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