A proposal for practical and effective biological corridors to connect protected areas in northwest Costa Rica

Habitat loss and increases in habitat isolation are causing animal population reductions and extirpations in forested areas of the world. This problem extends to protected areas, which, while often well-conserved, can be too small and isolated to maintain species that exist at low densities and require large contiguous areas of habitat (e.g. some large mammals). Costa Rica has been at the forefront of tropical forest conservation and a large proportion of the country’s land area is currently under some form of protection. One such area is the northwest portion of Costa Rica, which is an extremely biodiverse region with several noteworthy national and privately-owned protected areas. However, each protected area is an isolated island in a sea of deforestation. Within Costa Rica’s existing framework of biological corridors, we propose four sub-corridors as targets for restoration and full protection. These sub-corridors would link five major protected areas in northwest Costa Rica, with all of them linking to larger protected areas in the central portion of the country, while impacting a small number of people who reside within the corridors. After natural or active reforestation of the corridors, the result would be a contiguous protected area of 348,000 ha. The proposed sub-corridors would represent a 3.7% increase in protected area size in the region and only 0.2% of Costa Rica’s total land area. Using the jaguar (Panthera onca) as a model umbrella species, we estimated that each current isolated protected area could support between 8–104 individuals. Assuming lack of dispersal between protected areas (distance between each ranges from 8.1 to 24.9 km), these population sizes are unlikely to be viable in the long term. However, the combined protected areas, connected by biological sub-corridors, could support about 250 jaguars, a population size with a higher probability of surviving. Our study shows that focusing conservation efforts on a relatively small area of Costa Rica could create a large protected area derived from numerous small isolated preserves.

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Implications of heterogeneous impacts of protected areas on deforestation and poverty

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2014.0272 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 370 (1681) ◽

pp. 20140272 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Merlin M. Hanauer ◽

Gustavo Canavire-Bacarreza

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Costa Rica ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Policy Instrument ◽

Indigenous Populations ◽

Poverty Traps ◽

Differential Impact ◽

Practical Information ◽

Non Parametric

Protected areas are a popular policy instrument in the global fight against loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the effectiveness of protected areas in preventing deforestation, and their impacts on poverty, are not well understood. Recent studies have found that Bolivia's protected-area system, on average, reduced deforestation and poverty. We implement several non-parametric and semi-parametric econometric estimators to characterize the heterogeneity in Bolivia's protected-area impacts on joint deforestation and poverty outcomes across a number of socioeconomic and biophysical moderators. Like previous studies from Costa Rica and Thailand, we find that Bolivia's protected areas are not associated with poverty traps. Our results also indicate that protection did not have a differential impact on indigenous populations. However, results from new multidimensional non-parametric estimators provide evidence that the biophysical characteristics associated with the greatest avoided deforestation are the characteristics associated with the potential for poverty exacerbation from protection. We demonstrate that these results would not be identified using the methods implemented in previous studies. Thus, this study provides valuable practical information on the impacts of Bolivia's protected areas for conservation practitioners and demonstrates methods that are likely to be valuable to researchers interested in better understanding the heterogeneity in conservation impacts.

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Identifying and assessing ecotourism visitor impacts at eight protected areas in Costa Rica and Belize

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892901000224 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 215-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Tracy A. Farrell ◽

Jeffrey L. Marion

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Rapid Assessment ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Visitor Impacts ◽

Assessment Procedures ◽

Recreation Site

Protected area visitation is an important component of ecotourism, and as such, must be sustainable. However, protected area visitation may degrade natural resources, particularly in areas of concentrated visitor activities like trails and recreation sites. This is an important concern in ecotourism destinations such as Belize and Costa Rica, because they actively promote ecotourism and emphasize the pristine qualities of their natural resources. Research on visitor impacts to protected areas has many potential applications in protected area management, though it has not been widely applied in Central and South America. This study targeted this deficiency through manager interviews and evaluations of alternative impact assessment procedures at eight protected areas in Belize and Costa Rica. Impact assessment procedures included qualitative condition class systems, ratings systems, and measurement-based systems applied to trails and recreation sites. The resulting data characterize manager perceptions of impact problems, document trail and recreation site impacts, and provide examples of inexpensive, efficient and effective rapid impact assessment procedures. Interview subjects reported a variety of impacts affecting trails, recreation sites, wildlife, water, attraction features and other resources. Standardized assessment procedures were developed and applied to record trail and recreation site impacts. Impacts affecting the study areas included trail proliferation, erosion and widening, muddiness on trails, vegetation cover loss, soil and root exposure, and tree damage on recreation sites. The findings also illustrate the types of assessment data yielded by several alternative methods and demonstrate their utility to protected area managers. The need for additional rapid assessment procedures for wildlife, water, attraction feature and other resource impacts was also identified.

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New data on aphyllophoraceous fungi (Basidiomycota) of the protected areas of the Leningrad Region. X. State Nature Reserve «Kurgalsky»

Novosti sistematiki nizshikh rastenii ◽

10.31111/nsnr/2018.52.1.101 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 101-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V. M. Kotkova

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Protected Area ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Leningrad Region ◽

State Nature Reserve ◽

X State ◽

First Time ◽

Aphyllophoroid Fungi ◽

State Nature

The paper provides the data on aphyllophoroid fungi of the State Nature Reserve «Kurgalsky» situated in the Kingisepp District of the Leningrad Region. The list includes 285 species annotated by data on their habitats, substrates and frequency. In total 25 species protected in the Leningrad Region and 3 species protected in Russian Federation were found in the protected area. Chaetodermella luna, Phlebia subochracea and Trechispora stevensonii are published for the first time for the Leningrad Region. The specimens of selected species are kept in the Mycological Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute RAS (LE).

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Conservation Debates: People’s Perceptions and Values towards a Privately Protected Area in Southern Ecuador

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030233 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 233

Author(s):

Verónica Iñiguez-Gallardo ◽

Fabián Reyes-Bueno ◽

Olga Peñaranda

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Land Tenure ◽

Protected Area ◽

Planning Process ◽

Social Needs ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

Southern Ecuador ◽

Negative Perceptions ◽

Land Tenure System

The perceptions and values that local communities have towards protected areas are of great value for the improvement of these territories’ management. Such perceptions and values are often absent in the conservation planning process, particularly in those privately protected areas that are established in areas where the land tenure system is based not only on ownership but also on customary uses. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and members of communities surrounding a privately protected area in southern Ecuador, we identify that the level of collaboration with the managers, the distance to the protected area, the percentage of untitled land, and the dependence on the resources (customary uses) are among the variables affecting these perceptions and values. Positive perceptions towards protected areas and naturalistic values are developed among those who collaborate with the protected area managers, whereas negative perceptions, and a mix of naturalistic and biospheric values are developed among those who have a sense of a lack of attention to social needs although supporting nature conservation at the same time. The evidence presented shows the importance of matching local peoples’ expectations with conservation goals during the establishment of a protected area.

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Biogeographic Distribution of Cedrela spp. Genus in Peru Using MaxEnt Modeling: A Conservation and Restoration Approach

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13060261 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 261

Author(s):

Alexander Cotrina Sánchez ◽

Nilton B. Rojas Briceño ◽

Subhajit Bandopadhyay ◽

Subhasis Ghosh ◽

Cristóbal Torres Guzmán ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Native Species ◽

Timber Species ◽

National Service ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Entropy Model ◽

Probability Of Occurrence ◽

Bioclimatic Variables ◽

Population Sizes

The increasing demand for tropical timber from natural forests has reduced the population sizes of native species such as Cedrela spp. because of their high economic value. To prevent the decline of population sizes of the species, all Cedrela species have been incorporated into Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The study presents information about the modeled distribution of the genus Cedrela in Peru that aims to identify potential habitat distribution of the genus, its availability in areas protected by national service of protected areas, and highlighted some areas because of their conservation relevance and the potential need for restoration. We modeled the distribution of the genus Cedrela in Peru using 947 occurrence records that included 10 species (C. odorata, C. montana, C. fissilis, C. longipetiolulata, C. angustifolia, C. nebulosa, C. kuelapensis, C. saltensis, C. weberbaueri, and C. molinensis). We aim to identify areas environmentally suitable for the occurrence of Cedrela that are legally protected by the National Service of Protected Areas (PAs) and those that are ideal for research and restoration projects. We used various environmental variables (19 bioclimatic variables, 3 topographic factors, 9 edaphic factors, solar radiation, and relative humidity) and the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to predict the probability of occurrence. We observed that 6.7% (86,916.2 km2) of Peru presents a high distribution probability of occurrence of Cedrela, distributed in 17 departments, with 4.4% (10,171.03 km2) of the area protected by PAs mainly under the category of protection forests. Another 11.65% (21,345.16 km2) of distribution covers areas highly prone to degradation, distributed mainly in the departments Ucayali, Loreto, and Madre de Dios, and needs immediate attention for its protection and restoration. We believe that the study will contribute significantly to conserve Cedrela and other endangered species, as well as to promote the sustainable use and management of timber species as a whole.

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Gap analyses of priority wild relatives of food crop in current ex situ and in situ conservation in Indonesia

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-021-02225-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wiguna Rahman ◽

Joana Magos Brehm ◽

Nigel Maxted ◽

Jade Phillips ◽

Aremi R. Contreras-Toledo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

In Situ Conservation ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Area Network ◽

Complementarity Analysis ◽

Ex Situ Collections ◽

Conservation Actions

AbstractConservation programmes are always limited by available resources. Careful planning is therefore required to increase the efficiency of conservation and gap analysis can be used for this purpose. This method was used to assess the representativeness of current ex situ and in situ conservation actions of 234 priority crop wild relatives (CWR) in Indonesia. This analysis also included species distribution modelling, the creation of an ecogeographical land characterization map, and a complementarity analysis to identify priorities area for in situ conservation and for further collecting of ex situ conservation programmes. The results show that both current ex situ and in situ conservation actions are insufficient. Sixty-six percent of priority CWRs have no recorded ex situ collections. Eighty CWRs with ex situ collections are still under-represented in the national genebanks and 65 CWRs have no presence records within the existing protected area network although 60 are predicted to exist in several protected areas according to their potential distribution models. The complementarity analysis shows that a minimum of 61 complementary grid areas (complementary based on grid cells) are required to conserve all priority taxa and 40 complementary protected areas (complementary based on existing protected areas) are required to conserve those with known populations within the existing in situ protected area network. The top ten of complementary protected areas are proposed as the initial areas for the development of CWR genetic reserves network in Indonesia. It is recommended to enhanced coordination between ex situ and in situ conservation stakeholders for sustaining the long term conservation of CWR in Indonesia. Implementation of the research recommendations will provide for the first time an effective conservation planning of Indonesia’s CWR diversity and will significantly enhance the country’s food and nutritional security.

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Economic value of protected areas via visitor mental health

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-019-12631-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ralf Buckley ◽

Paula Brough ◽

Leah Hague ◽

Alienor Chauvenet ◽

Chris Fleming ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Economic Value ◽

Future Research ◽

Global Estimate ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Life Years ◽

Order Of Magnitude ◽

Individual Scale

Abstract We evaluate methods to calculate the economic value of protected areas derived from the improved mental health of visitors. A conservative global estimate using quality-adjusted life years, a standard measure in health economics, is US$6 trillion p.a. This is an order of magnitude greater than the global value of protected area tourism, and two to three orders greater than global aggregate protected area management agency budgets. Future research should: refine this estimate using more precise methods; consider interactions between health and conservation policies and budgets at national scales; and examine links between personalities and protected area experiences at individual scale.

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Protected Areas: offering security to whom, when and where?

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892915000375 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 172-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

ALICE B. KELLY ◽

A. CLARE GUPTA

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Protected Area ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Local Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Economic Context ◽

Term Management ◽

Over Time

SUMMARYThis study considers the issue of security in the context of protected areas in Cameroon and Botswana. Though the literature on issues of security and well-being in relation to protected areas is extensive, there has been less discussion of how and in what ways these impacts and relationships can change over time, vary with space and differ across spatial scales. Looking at two very different historical trajectories, this study considers the heterogeneity of the security landscapes created by Waza and Chobe protected areas over time and space. This study finds that conservation measures that various subsets of the local population once considered to be ‘bad’ (e.g. violent, exclusionary protected area creation) may be construed as ‘good’ at different historical moments and geographical areas. Similarly, complacency or resignation to the presence of a park can be reversed by changing environmental conditions. Changes in the ways security (material and otherwise) has fluctuated within these two protected areas has implications for the long-term management and funding strategies of newly created and already existing protected areas today. This study suggests that parks must be adaptively managed not only for changing ecological conditions, but also for shifts in a protected area's social, political and economic context.

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Areas of endemism of Cactaceae and the effectiveness of the protected area network in the Chihuahuan Desert

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605310001079 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 191-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Héctor M. Hernández ◽

Carlos Gómez-Hinostrosa

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Chihuahuan Desert ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Area Network ◽

Protected Area Network ◽

Complementarity Analysis ◽

Areas Of Endemism ◽

The Rich ◽

Narrow Endemism

AbstractWe used distribution data of 121 cactus species endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert to test the effectiveness of the region’s protected area network. The analysis of species distribution using a 30′ latitude × 30′ longitude grid facilitated the identification and categorization of areas of endemism. We found a low degree of coincidence between protected areas and the areas of cactus endemism, and only 63.6% of the 121 species occur in protected areas. A complementarity analysis showed that 10 of the protected areas contain the 77 species that occur in protected areas. The four top priority areas protect 65 (84.4%) of these 77 species The 44 unprotected species are mainly micro-endemic and taxonomically distinctive taxa widely scattered in the region. The complementarity analysis applied to these species showed that all of them can be contained in a minimum of 24 grid squares, representing 32.9% of the total area occupied. Their strong spatial dispersion, along with their narrow endemism, is a major conservation challenge. We conclude that the current protected area network is insufficient to protect the rich assemblage of cacti endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert. Conservation efforts in this region should be enhanced by increasing the effectiveness of the already existing protected areas and by the creation of additional protected areas, specifically micro-reserves, to provide refuge for the unprotected species.

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Through what mechanisms do protected areas affect environmental and social outcomes?

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2014.0267 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 370 (1681) ◽

pp. 20140267 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Paul J. Ferraro ◽

Merlin M. Hanauer

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Empirical Evidence ◽

Strong Evidence ◽

Protected Area ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Social Outcomes ◽

Causal Effects ◽

The Past ◽

Made In

To develop effective protected area policies, scholars and practitioners must better understand the mechanisms through which protected areas affect social and environmental outcomes. With strong evidence about mechanisms, the key elements of success can be strengthened, and the key elements of failure can be eliminated or repaired. Unfortunately, empirical evidence about these mechanisms is limited, and little guidance for quantifying them exists. This essay assesses what mechanisms have been hypothesized, what empirical evidence exists for their relative contributions and what advances have been made in the past decade for estimating mechanism causal effects from non-experimental data. The essay concludes with a proposed agenda for building an evidence base about protected area mechanisms.

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