scholarly journals Winter Habitat Use by Wolves, Canis lupus, in Relation to Forest Harvesting in West-central Alberta

2004 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald W. Kuzyk ◽  
Jeff Kneteman ◽  
Fiona K. A. Schmiegelow
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
West Central

Forested landscapes in west-central Alberta are facing increased pressures from forest harvesting and other land-use activities, which may alter the movements and distribution of Wolves and ungulates. Information on habitat use by Wolves in logged forests is scarce, potentially limiting effective land-use planning in the boreal forest. Nine Wolves, from four Wolf packs, were fitted with GPS radiocollars in the Rocky Mountain foothills, near Grande Cache, Alberta (2000-2001). We found Wolves did not use the landscape randomly, but rather exhibited a significant preference for non-forested natural habitats (shrubs, water), relative to their availability. Within forest habitats, Wolves used cutblocks proportionately more than unharvested forest and non-forested anthropogenic habitats (pipelines, clearings); however, selection of forest cutblocks was not statistically significant. We found no evidence that Wolves preferred or avoided forest cutblock edges. Wolf pack territories contained various levels of timber harvesting, but most areas were still in the early stages of harvest. Nevertheless, these areas have been allocated for large-scale harvesting. Understanding the potential responses of Wolves to rapidly changing landscape mosaics poses a significant challenge to researchers and managers, but such information is important to informing future land-management and conservation strategies for boreal forest Wolf-prey systems.

scholarly journals An integrated assessment of Porcupine caribou seasonal distribution, movements, and habitat preferences for regional land use planning in northern Yukon Territory, Canada

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Ryder ◽  
Philippa McNeil ◽  
Jeff Hamm ◽  
Wendy A. Nixon ◽  
Don Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Land Use Plan ◽  
Regional Land

This study was undertaken to improve understanding of Porcupine caribou herd distribution, movements, and habitat preferences to assist with developing a regional land use plan for the North Yukon Planning Region, Yukon Territory. Three different methods were used to identify current and historical patterns of caribou distribution and habitat preferences within the region to prioritize conservation areas. Two of the approaches focused on incorporating information on caribou distribution and migrations from scientific and local knowledge, while the third focused on identifying and mapping habitats suitable for supporting caribou. Local knowledge dating back to the 1930s and two decades of satellite telemetry data confirmed that most of the planning region is used by the Porcupine caribou herd and highlighted areas of concentrated use. Maps of suitable winter habitat derived from expert opinion ratings of habitat use did not agree with the other information sources. The local knowledge and satellite telemetry analyses were used to identify spatially explicit priority areas for caribou conservation and the results were applied to develop conservation recommendations for a draft regional land use plan. The plan will be submitted to government approval bodies for review in the spring of 2007. The success in implementing conservation strategies for the Porcupine caribou herd will be reviewed and evaluated following adoption of a final approved plan.

scholarly journals Conserving predators across agricultural landscapes in Colombia: habitat use and space partitioning by jaguars, pumas, ocelots and jaguarundis

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Boron ◽  
Panteleimon Xofis ◽  
Andres Link ◽  
Esteban Payan ◽  
Joseph Tzanopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Space Partitioning ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Felid Species

AbstractLoss and degradation of natural habitats continue to increase across the tropics as a result of agricultural expansion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand their effects, and the distribution and habitat requirements of wildlife within human-modified landscapes, to support the conservation of threatened species, such as felids. We combined camera trapping and land cover data into occupancy models to study the habitat use and space partitioning by four sympatric felid species in an agricultural landscape in Colombia. Land use in the area includes cattle ranching and oil palm cultivation, the latter being an emerging land use type in the Neotropics. Factors determining species occupancy were the presence of wetlands for jaguars (positive effect); water proximity for pumas (positive effect); and presence of pastures for ocelots and jaguarundis (negative effect). Only ocelots were occasionally recorded in oil palm areas. Our results suggest that to align development with the conservation of top predators it is crucial to maintain areas of forest and wetland across agricultural landscapes and to restrict agricultural and oil palm expansion to modified areas such as pastures, which are of limited conservation value. Because there is no spatial segregation between the felid species we studied, conservation strategies that benefit all of them are possible even in modified landscapes.

scholarly journals GIS-Based Assessment of Habitat Networks for Conservation Planning in Kas-Kekova Protected Area (Turkey)

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Dilek Tezel ◽  
Saban Inam ◽  
Sultan Kocaman
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Habitat Networks ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sustainable Conservation

The determination of protected area (PA) boundaries and the level of restrictions is very important for sustainable conservation, and such decisions must involve biodiversity data and assessment. In a PA, the consensus of the government and the locals is crucial to ensure protection–use balance. The PA restrictions constrain legal human activities, and the boundary determination and the restrictions should be based on various scientific analyses to achieve consensus. In this study, a GIS-based approach is proposed to utilize the biodiversity data for efficient conservation and land use planning in Kas-Kekova PA, which is among the most important PAs in Turkey. Spatial analysis methods, i.e., kernel density estimation, natural breaks classification and integrated density index, were performed for the assessment of the habitat networks using georeferenced biodiversity datasets, and the results were evaluated with respect to the actual land use data and the land ownership pattern. The developed spatial analysis approach is efficient to produce the conservation base maps required for regional land use planning, for defining sustainable conservation strategies, and to provide a widely accepted base for land use planning and biodiversity monitoring in the PA; although careful investigations and expert opinions are still required for data deficient areas.

Toward a New Protection Paradigm

Last Stand ◽  
1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carel P. van Schaik ◽  
Randall A. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Full Diversity ◽  
External Forces

During the past century, the standard measure for safeguarding the maintenance of biodiversity has been the establishment of protected areas in which consumptive uses by humans are minimized. Over the years, the design of protected areas has evolved from the creation of small refuges for particular species to the protection of entire ecosystems that are large enough to maintain most if not all their component species and that are mutually interconnected wherever possible. While many other, equally important, measures are now being contemplated and implemented (e.g., comprehensive land-use planning, sustainable development), protected areas remain the cornerstone of all conservation strategies aimed at limiting the inevitable reduction of this planet’s biodiversity (e.g., World Conservation Strategy, Caring for the Earth, Global Biodiversity Strategy). Existing protected rain forest areas suffer from an array of problems that reduce their effectiveness in a broad conservation strategy. They cover a scant 5 percent of tropical rain forest habitats (WCMC, 1992)— arguably not enough to forestall species extinction, especially since the proportions of areas protected vary appreciably from region to region. Protected areas are often not sited appropriately, and they are often too small to maintain the full diversity of their communities. They will in future be affected by external forces (Neumann and Machlis, 1989), such as changes in local climates caused by extensive deforestation, pollution, or fires emanating from outside; introduced exotic species; and global climate change, which in parts of the tropics will likely manifest itself as an increase in the frequency of long droughts. Fortunately, these existing and anticipated threats are being addressed in some countries and regions by measures such as integrated land-use planning, redesigning parks, and establishing corridors, although ecologists are concerned that not enough is being done (see chapter 3). These shortcomings of protected area networks are significant and need to be redressed, but human activities currently pose far more serious threats to protected areas.

Review of the effects of non-point nutrient loading on coastal ecosystems

1993 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Gabric ◽  
PRF Bell
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Nutrient Load ◽  
Northern Adriatic

In many coastal regions (e.g. parts of the North Sea, northern Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, Great Barrier Reef lagoon, wider Caribbean, coastal areas of the USA) there is large-scale, and in some cases chronic, eutrophication. In some regions, the link between eutrophication and the destruction of an ecosystem is obvious, with excessive algal growth and water-column anoxia. In other cases, particularly in more fragile ecosystems such as coral-reef and seagrass areas, the links are not so obvious, yet the impacts of eutrophication in such regions can be devastating. Eutrophication can have more insidious effects such as contributing directly to the mortality of fish, marine mammals and sea birds and indirectly to disease or death in humans owing to the accumulation of biotoxins in seafoods. Increased development and changes in land-use patterns in the coastal zone have increased the loading of diffuse or non-point nutrients. In areas subject to runoff and soil erosion, most of the nutrient load is transported in particulate form. In such cases, the loads of nutrients discharged from cropping lands are typically an order of magnitude greater than those discharged from pristine forested areas. Nutrient export from pasture lands, whether these are fertilized or not, is also significantly greater than that from pristine areas, and in many cases the total loads from such areas are far higher than those from intensively farmed areas. A reduction in nutrient discharges to coastal waters will require careful land-use planning. The importance of the particulate fraction in the nutrient load necessitates effective control of soil erosion. The hydrological and nutrient linkage between terrestrial and marine ecosystems must be emphasized. Collective management of hinterland and coastal-zone resources could initiate remediation of a serious and growing problem.

scholarly journals Mountain pine beetles and emerging issues in the management of woodland caribou in Westcentral British Columbia

Rangifer ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Cichowski ◽  
Patrick Williston
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetles ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Pine Beetles

The Tweedsmuir—Entiako caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) herd summers in mountainous terrain in the North Tweedsmuir Park area and winters mainly in low elevation forests in the Entiako area of Westcentral British Columbia. During winter, caribou select mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests on poor sites and forage primarily by cratering through snow to obtain terrestrial lichens. These forests are subject to frequent large-scale natural disturbance by fire and forest insects. Fire suppression has been effective in reducing large-scale fires in the Entiako area for the last 40—50 years, resulting in a landscape consisting primarily of older lodgepole pine forests, which are susceptible to mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) attack. In 1994, mountain pine beetles were detected in northern Tweedsmuir Park and adjacent managed forests. To date, mountain pine beetles have attacked several hundred thousand hectares of caribou summer and winter range in the vicinity of Tweedsmuir Park, and Entiako Park and Protected Area. Because an attack of this scale is unprecedented on woodland caribou ranges, there is no information available on the effects of mountain pine beetles on caribou movements, habitat use or terrestrial forage lichen abundance. Implications of the mountain pine beetle epidemic to the Tweedsmuir—Entiako woodland caribou population include effects on terrestrial lichen abundance, effects on caribou movement (reduced snow interception, blowdown), and increased forest harvesting outside protected areas for mountain pine beetle salvage. In 2001 we initiated a study to investigate the effects of mountain pine beetles and forest harvesting on terrestrial caribou forage lichens. Preliminary results suggest that the abundance of Cladina spp. has decreased with a corresponding increase in kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and other herbaceous plants. Additional studies are required to determine caribou movement and habitat use responses to the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

scholarly journals Changing Landscapes Forest: Implications for its Conservation

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
James Rodríguez-Echeverry ◽  
Rodrigo Fuentes ◽  
Margareth Leiton ◽  
Edilia Jaque
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Landscape ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe forest landscape of southern Chile, which includes Chilean temperate forest ecosystem, has been designated as a hotspot for biodiversity conservation. However, this landscape has been transformed by land-use change. A proper knowledge about how land-use change impact this ecosystem would provide crucial information for planning conservation strategies. At the commune of Arauco – Chile, the impact of the land-use change on the spatial pattern of native forest ecosystem from 1990 to 2010 was evaluated at the landscape level. This evaluation was carried out using satellite images, landscape metrics and spatially explicit models. The loss of native forest ecosystem was of 40.7% (loss rate of 4.39% per year). Conversely, the exotic species plantations increased more than 150%. The number patches of native forest ecosystem increased more than 130%. The size distribution of patches (<100 ha) increased more than 22%. The aggregation index of native forest ecosystem decreased from 62.5 to 40.1. The loss of native forest ecosystem was caused by the expansion of exotic species plantations, which was associated with substantial changes in the spatial pattern of the forest landscape. As a strategy for conservation of the native forest ecosystem we suggest a landscape approach, using the corridor–patch–matrix model. We recommend that this strategy be complemented with land-use planning. Moreover, this strategy must be supported by a framework of environmental policies. We also recommend strengthening the existing ecological restoration programmes and developing new programmes to restore the native forest ecosystem.

scholarly journals Agricultural land use and the sustainability of social-ecological systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Bengochea Paz ◽  
Kirsten Henderson ◽  
Michel Loreau
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Land Conversion ◽  
Conversion Rates

AbstractAgricultural land expansion and intensification, driven by human consumption of agricultural goods, are among the major threats to environmental degradation and biodiversity conservation. Land degradation can ultimately hamper agricultural production through a decrease in ecosystem services. Thus, designing viable land use strategies is a key sustainability challenge. We develop a model describing the coupled dynamics of human demography and landscape composition, while imposing a trade-off between agricultural expansion and intensification. We model land use strategies spanning from low-intensity agriculture and high land conversion rates per person to high-intensity agriculture and low land conversion rates per person; and explore their consequences on the long-term dynamics of the coupled human-land system. We seek to characterise the strategies’ viability in the long run; and understand the mechanisms that potentially lead to large-scale land degradation and population collapse due to resource scarcity. We show that the viability of land use strategies strongly depends on the land’s intrinsic recovery rate. We also find that socio-ecological collapses occur when agricultural intensification is not accompanied by a sufficient decrease in land conversion. Based on these findings we stress the dangers of naive land use planning and the importance of precautionary behaviour for land use management.

scholarly journals Biodiversity Loss: Threats and Conservation Strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reeta Kumari ◽  
Deepali A ◽  
Sonal Bhatnagar
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Global Population

The global population is expanding day by day, the increase in food demand by the growing population poses serious environmental challenges. To satisfy the increasing food supply, a shift in conventional agriculture was observed that lead to expanded agricultural land uses with reduced wildlife and biodiversity. Deterioration of agricultural land has caused overexploitation of forest land by converting natural habitats into managed systems. Life has originated billions of years ago. Since then, there is a continual extinction of over 90% of the species due to various factors such as increased human population, unsustainable resource consumption, habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, alien species invasion, pollution, monoculture practices, climate change, loss of forest cover etc. Food, fodder, fuel, medicines, wood, crop plants are some of the natural resources received from the environment. Biodiversity also provides an ecosystem, social, and spiritual services to mankind. We must realize the significance of biodiversity on earth as a valuable resource that can help in developing new products for generations. A consensus has been developed to adopt a holistic view of biodiversity for its conservation and sustainable utilization. Numerous techniques have been proposed and implemented for the conservation of biodiversity and its genetic resources. Since we are dependent on nature for our livelihood, this review paper aims to address the biodiversity and its threats along with some conservation strategies which are not adopted on a large scale.

Land-Use Planning and the Housing Market in Britain: The Impact on Housebuilding and House Prices

1993 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1021-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Bramley
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Housing Market ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
House Prices ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Variable Function ◽  
Planning Function ◽  
Private Housing ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the British style of land-use planning upon the outcomes of private housing development and the housing market is examined. A unique cross-sectional database is constructed, and the medium-term elasticity of new housebuilding supply is estimated as a locally variable function of prices, costs, and land supply, with an explicit planning function. The model developed enables quantified projections to be made of the effect of specified changes in planning policy. The policy changes examined include large-scale increases in the volume of land released, changes in the mix of land released, and the use of planning agreements to pay for infrastructure or social housing.

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