scholarly journals Socio-Economic Effects of National Park Governance and Management: Lessons from Post-Socialist Era Estonia

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1257
Author(s):  
Henri Järv ◽  
Raymond D. Ward ◽  
Janar Raet ◽  
Kalev Sepp

Despite the significant increase in protected territory globally, there is a common understanding that the designation of protected areas alone does not guarantee their effectiveness nor halt the loss of biodiversity. In addition to biodiversity conservation, protected areas are expected to perform a number of other functions, such as provide ecosystem services and improve local socio-economic conditions. Therefore, the need to strive towards mixed, decentralized conservation management and stakeholder involvement is increasingly emphasized. Although there is limited research, it has been noted that protected areas have not served wider objectives effectively enough. The current study provides insight concerning socio-economic effects of different governance and management practices of protected areas based on perceptions of residents and stakeholders of five national parks of Estonia. It was found that conservation status has an important impact on local socio-economic conditions largely depending on governance and management practices, resulting in both, positive and negative effects. It was concluded that the centralization of nature conservation and the abolition of protected area administrations have led to a gradual distancing of nature conservation from local conditions and the population, causing concern about the preservation of the living environment.

Koedoe ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
W.S.W. Trollope

Veld management refers to the management of natural vegetation for specific objectives related to different forms of land use. In the wildlife context a wide spectrum of different forms of land use are practised ranging from pure nature conservation in large national parks through to smaller areas used for game farming. Consequently the products useable to society emanating from these areas vary greatly, and therefore the management of veld stocked with wildlife is extremely complex and must be adapted to the particular form of land use that is being practised. A generally accepted principle is that the smaller the area being used for wildlife the more intensively it must be managed, particularly game ranches. A prerequisite for the development of an effective veld management program is a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the veld upon which realistic veld management practices can be formulated. These practices will include stocking the veld with the appropriate species and numbers of animals, grazing and browsing management, veld burning and the provision of watering points. Finally a programme for monitoring veld condition over time is a prerequisite for sound veld management.


1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce D. Rodan ◽  
Adrian C. Newton ◽  
Adalberto Verissimo

Genuine or American mahogany is obtained from trees of the genus Swietenia (S. mahagoni, S. macrophylla, and S. humilis), and is one of the premier timbers of international commerce. The trade in mahogany commenced almost five centuries ago with S. mahagoni from the Caribbean; but following ‘commercial’ extinction of this resource, trade became centred on mahogany populations in South and Central America (S. macrophylla). The trade in mahogany is predominantly from primary forests, and has led to population and genetic resource declines — particularly in the Caribbean and Central America. More recently, there have been an increasing number of ‘commercial’ extinctions in South America. As the resource declines, pressures mount to accelerate the illegal extraction of mahogany from National Parks and lands reserved for indigenous (‘Indian’) peoples. Inability to control this trade threatens mahogany populations and genetic resources throughout its range, at the same time adversely affecting the livelihoods of indigenous peoples in the process.Mahogany often regenerates poorly following logging operations that are conducted using current management practices, and further research is required to determine the optimum biological and economic conditions for in situ silviculture. Attempts to cultivate mahogany in plantations have met with little success in the Americas, due mainly to effects of the shoot-borer (Hypsipyla grandella), a moth larva that damages terminal shoots, so leading to excessive branching and reduced timber value (Figs 3 and 4). The success of mahogany plantations in the neotropics will require the development of an integrated pest-management system, perhaps involving the incorporation of pestresistant genotypes within agro-forestry or mixed plantation systems.It is vital that appropriate silvicultural and trade practices are adopted to ensure sustainable mahogany extraction, while at the same time conserving an adequate population and genetic resource-base. To this end, effective trade monitoring and resource-regulation measures must be introduced to assist in controlling illegal trade and to encourage a scientifically managed, sustainable, utilization of mahogany. Two of the three mahogany species, S. humilis and S. mahagoni, have been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The third and only other recognized species of Swietenia, S. macrophylla, should also be considered for listing in CITES Appendix II, thereby benefiting from the international trade-monitoring and resource regulation requirements consequent upon such listing.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICOLA J. VAN WILGEN ◽  
MELODIE A. MCGEOCH

SUMMARYDespite significant expansion of the global protected area (PA) network, this investment has not commonly been matched by investment in their management. This includes managing trade-offs between social and biodiversity goals, including resource use in PAs. While some resource-use activities receive significant attention, the full suite of resources extracted from PA systems is rarely documented. This paper illustrates the potential risk of resource use to PA ecological performance through a survey of resources harvested in South Africa's national parks. Even for this comparatively well-managed suite of parks, significant data gaps preclude assessments of harvest sustainability. Harvest quantities were known for < 8% of the 341 used resources, while 23% were not identified to species level. International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List conservation status had not been evaluated for 78% of species, and 31% of all species (83% of marine species) had not been evaluated nationally. Protected areas face ongoing pressure to balance people-based and biodiversity outcomes, but whether or not both objectives can be achieved cannot be assessed without adequate data. Managing PAs in future will require consideration of trade-offs between investing in PA expansion, increasing the monitoring and management capacity of PA agencies, and investing in the research needed to support decision making.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 76-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Siwakoti ◽  
Jhamak B Karki

Nepal houses only inland freshwater wetlands, ranging from floodplains of snow-melt-fed cold Himalayan rivers, warm rivers originating in the mid hills, high altitudinal glacial lakes to hot springs, ponds, ox-bow lakes, marshes and swamps. These wetlands support several endemic and globally threatened species of flora and fauna. Besides, wetland sites have significant recreational, religio-cultural and spiritual values. There are over 240 wetland sites in Nepal, of which 163 are in the Terai (plain lowland). Wetlands found in Tarai are comparatively more inventoried than the wetlands of mountains and the Himalayan regions of the country. The Terai region (below 300 m) covers about 14% of the country's total area, where half of Nepal's total populations exist. About 11% population of the country is wetland dependent; majority of them are living in the Terai region. The country has nine Ramsar sites, of which, four are in the Tarai region. Among them, two sites (Koshi Tappu wetland, and Beeshazar and associated lakes) lie inside the protected areas and two sites (Ghodaghodi Lake area and Jagadishpur Reservoir) are distributed outside the protected areas. The Koshi Tappu wetland lies along the floodplains of the Sapta Koshi River in the eastern Tarai within the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. It is the first Ramsar site in Nepal. Beeshazar and associated lakes lies in the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park along the inner Tarai of Central Nepal. The Ghodaghodi Lake Area (2500 ha) lies in the far western Nepal, and comprises about 14 large and small ox-bow lakes/ponds with associated marshes, swamps, river/streams, springs, seasonal marshy grasslands and human made wetlands, out of them, Ghodaghodi Lake (138 ha) is the largest natural lake in the Nepal's Tarai. The lake system falls between the Bardia National Park and the Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve of the country and  the surrounding forest functions as an important corridor for the movement of wildlife between these as well as the Tarai and the northern Siwalik hills. Similarly, the Jagadishpur Reservoir (225 ha) which lies in Central Nepal's Tarai is the largest man-made wetland in Nepal for irrigation purpose. It is an important site for migratory and resident birds. In this paper we highlight the status, threats, conservation issues and management practices of these Ramsar sites lying in Nepal Tarai. Key-words: Ghodaghodi Lake; Jagdishpur Reservoir; Nepal Tarai; outside protected area; wetlands.DOI: 10.3126/botor.v6i0.2914 Botanica Orientalis - Journal of Plant Science (2009) 6: 76-84


AMBIO ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1328-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjell Grip ◽  
Sven Blomqvist

AbstractGlobally, conflicts between marine nature conservation and fishery interests are common and increasing, and there is often a glaring lack of dialogue between stakeholders representing these two interests. There is a need for a stronger and enforced coordination between fishing and conservation authorities when establishing marine protected areas for conservation purposes. We propose that an appropriate instrument for such coordination is a broad ecosystem-based marine spatial planning procedure, representing neither nature conservation nor fishery. Strategic environmental assessment for plans and programmes and environmental impact assessment for projects are commonly used tools for assessing the environmental impacts of different human activities, but are seldom used for evaluating the environmental effects of capture fisheries. The diversity of fisheries and the drastic effects of some fisheries on the environment are strong arguments for introducing these procedures as valuable supplements to existing fisheries assessment and management tools and able to provide relevant environmental information for an overall marine spatial planning process. Marine protected areas for nature conservation and for protection of fisheries have different objectives. Therefore, the legal procedure when establishing marine protected areas should depend on whether they are established for nature conservation purposes or as a fisheries resource management tool. Fishing in a marine protected area for conservation purpose should be regulated according to conservation law. Also, we argue that marine protected areas for conservation purposes, in the highest protection category, should primarily be established as fully protected marine national parks and marine reserves.


Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Thiollay

AbstractSince 1970 there has been a dramatic decline of large raptors and terrestrial birds in West African savannahs. Comparative dry season transect counts over 4,697 km of driven transects were performed in 2004–2005 in south-eastern Burkina Faso to assess the abundance of 41 raptor species and large terrestrial species in four National Parks and surrounding hunting zones and cultivated areas. Population sizes were estimated for larger taxa in protected areas using distance sampling and nest searching. Most large vultures and eagles were generally found only in protected areas, with fewer individuals in the surrounding buffer zones and nearly none elsewhere. Conversely, the abundance of most of the smaller species was not different between protected and cultivated areas, and three species were more abundant in cultivated areas. Helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris, Stanley’s bustard Neotis denhami and Abyssinian ground hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus were not found outside protected areas. Within the 1.4 million ha of protected areas in and around south-east Burkina Faso, six species of eagles and vultures have estimated populations of c. 100–200 pairs, five species c. 50–100 pairs, five species have populations of <50 pairs, and the secretary bird Sagittarius serpentarius was not recorded. No specific reason for the collapse of large raptors in non-protected areas (which account for 99% of the area of the countries studied) has been identified, but the consequences of fast human population growth and habitat changes, overhunting, disturbances and poisoning may have played a critical role. Updating information on the conservation status of these species would be an important first step towards their long-term conservation.


Author(s):  
J C Knobel

This contribution is an introductory survey and preliminary evaluation of the conservation status of eagles in South African law. The methodology is primarily an interdisciplinary literature study of legal texts and texts from the natural sciences. Eagles are some of the largest and most powerful avian predators, and the human response to their presence is dualistic and polarised. At the one extreme, many people admire eagles, while at the other extreme they are perceived as a threat to economic and other interests, and may even be actively persecuted in a conviction that they are vermin. This duality in the human perception of eagles is also prevalent in South Africa and complicates their conservation. The mobility of eagles and other birds of prey means that they cannot be restrained by fencing national parks and other protected areas, and this heightens the likelihood of their entering into conflict with human interests. The conservation problems faced by eagles in South Africa can broadly be divided into direct and indirect threats. Direct threats include the intentional killing of eagles, and trade in eagles and their eggs. Indirect threats include non-targeted poisoning (where poisoned bait is used to control other predators, but eagles find the bait, feed on it, and succumb); habitat loss; mortality induced by dangerous structures; and disturbance. The legal status of eagles is influenced by a large body of legislative provisions, ranging from international and regional legal instruments, through national legislation, to provincial legislative measures. An overview of these provisions is given, with concise explanations of how they apply to the legal status of eagles and other birds of prey in South Africa. The conservation status of eagles in South African law is subsequently evaluated by considering the contribution of the applicable laws to three main types of conservation interventions. In respect of the first, habitat preservation, the relevant legal provisions contribute to an impressive array of conserved habitats in national parks and other protected areas. However, the mobility of eagles, and the fact that some species occur mainly outside protected areas, make it imperative for eagles also to be afforded legal protection outside of protected areas. In respect of the second type of intervention, namely management activities to conserve the species in their habitats, an inquiry is made into how the law addresses the threats of the intentional killing of eagles; trade in eagles and their eggs; non-targeted poisoning; mortality induced by dangerous structures; and disturbance. The protection is found to be sound in principle. In respect of the third and most intensive intervention, captive breeding, a regulatory framework is in place, but no such intervention on eagle species is known to be operative in South Africa. In conclusion a number of recommendations are made. The existing laws can be improved by aligning the legal status of species with their Red List status; listing all bird of prey species that are not Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable, as Protected for the purpose of national environmental legislation; and, in the medium rather than the short term, considering the imposition of legal obligations on electricity suppliers to implement measures that will mitigate mortalities on electricity structures. Better application of the existing laws could be achieved by improving compliance and enforcement, and by facilitating the optimal use of Biodiversity Management Plans, environmental research, and environmental education.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Cheyne

Public and stakeholder involvement in nature conservation through conservation boards has been a distinctive feature of New Zealand’s statutory framework for conservation, put in place in 1987. Since their inception, effective boards established for the purpose of ensuring that conservation stakeholders’ voices inform conservation planning have been regarded, at least in official discourse, as a key mechanism for achieving conservation outcomes. They replaced the existing national parks boards and, like their parent body, the New Zealand Conservation Authority, were intended to focus on the entire conservation estate. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asri A. Dwiyahreni ◽  
Habiburrachman A. H. Fuad ◽  
Sunaryo Muhtar ◽  
T. E. Budhi Soesilo ◽  
Chris Margules ◽  
...  

AbstractThe human footprint (HF) was developed to measure of the impact of human activities on the environment. The human footprint has been found to be closely related to the vulnerability of protected areas around the world. In Indonesia, as nature conservation is still seen as hindering economic development, it is especially important to assess the human footprint in order to comprehend the overall pressures resulting from the various human activities on Indonesia’s national parks. This study measured the change in the human footprint in and around 43 terrestrial national parks over 5 years, between 2012 and 2017. As many as 37 out of 43 NPs experienced an increase in the HF, ranging from 0.4 to 77.3%. Tanjung Puting in Kalimantan experienced the greatest increase (77.3%), while Ujung Kulon in Jawa Bali bioregion had the greatest decrease (10.5%). An increase in human population density and improved access to parks from roads, rivers and coastlines are the main drivers of increasing impacts on national parks.


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