Download Benefits of Conservation Areas

Benefits of
Conservation Areas
What is Conservation?
Conservation: (L: com-=with; servare= to keep)
preservation, especially of the natural environment.
Keeping from harm or damage, especially for later use.
Maintaining a quantity. The management, protection,
and wise use of natural resources, the things that help
support life.
Types of conservation
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soil conservation: soil has become threatened by human cultivation and climate change, resulting in
loss of fertility, erosion and desertification.
water conservation: water is needed for food and industry, but in many nations a severe shortage is
looming as humans use over 50% of fresh water that never reaches the sea.
atmosphere conservation: Clean air is needed by all organisms on Earth. The atmosphere regulates
the Earth's temperature and protects it from harmful radiation. Global warming and ozone depletion
threaten all organisms, including humans.
ecosystem conservation: maintaining natural functions between and among ecosystems on the small
and large scale
natural habitat conservation: wildlife needs natural habitat
wildlife conservation: preventing extinctions, maintaining biodiversity.
mineral conservation: the mining of minerals
energy conservation: energy is the main driving force behind industry and indeed our civilisation. Our
entire standard of living depends on energy to the extent, that people in developed countries use the
equivalent of 50 human slaves each, or more.
urban conservation: in recent times, many cities have grown so rapidly that they have become
unlivable due to overcrowding, traffic jams, inadequate public transportation systems, air and water
pollution, noise, and lack of recreational parks. People flee the cities to live in suburbs, causing urban
areas to sprawl, which exacerbates the transport-related problems. Urban conservation aims to make
cities more livable, while halting urban sprawl.
marine conservation: all species and habitats. Fisheries are a particular concern.
cultural conservation: maintaining cultural ties to land, educational opportunities, historical sites,
recreational opportunities, research needs
Modern history of conservation (US)
1. Natural parks for wildlife and scenery (1870)
2. Hunting and fishing laws (1900)
3. 1930s (Depression): active planting of forests on degraded
lands, and building dams and levees to control flooding.
4. World War II: closed fishing for a while, allowing fish stocks
to recover
5. 1970s: dangers of agrichemicals like DDT.
6. 1980s: disappearing rainforests
7. 1990s: climate change and greenhouse gases
8. Today: all aspects of unnatural human influence
1992: 130 Countries with 8000 protected areas - 3% of land surface
What causes Conservation?
1. Population growth
2. Economic growth
3. Changing material needs ('standard of living')
Conservation efforts are directed at fixing
problems, rather than preventing them.
Types of threats
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Habitat loss, disturbance & fragmentation
Species Disturbance
Exotic species introduction
Soil erosion
Unbalanced overexploitation
Competition for food
Chemical pollution
Nutrient discharge
Chemical pollution
Oil
Global climate change
Nuclear wastes
Debris pollution
Heavy metals
Pathogen discharge
Animals competing with humans for food
Effects of human activities on our main resources
bio
div
ersi
ty
living, working, recreation
construction,
roading
transport, movement
energy & mining
manufacturing, industry
cats and dogs, rats, predation, exotic
development, reclamation,
runoff
fragmentation by roads, pollution, roadkill,
spread of diseases & pests,
poison land, poison rivers,
disturbance,
poisons,
plants, exotic foods,
diseases,
agriculture, forestry
habitat loss, exotic species,
monocultures, diseases,
competition,
hab
itat
loss from cities, suburbs, roads, paving,
debris,
loss from development,
reclamation,
fragmentation, roadkill, debris,
disturbance,
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soil
reclamation, paving.
landscaping, disturbance,
paving, lead,
spoils, scars, relocation,
paving,
wat
er
sewage, using water, fast runoff, rapid
streamflow, pathogens,
disturbs hydrology, mud
runoff,
oil, heavy metals, chemicals, fast runoff,
heavy use of water, poisoned
rivers, nuclear wastes,
heavy use of water, pollution, poisons,
air
methane, CO2,
heavy equipment, exhaust,
exhaust gases, nitric oxides, ozone, soot,
exhaust gases,
poisons, exhaust gases,
methane, CO2, nitric oxides,
fish
food, fishing, overexploitation, debris,
pollution, sediment,
exotic species, ballast water, antifouling paint,
oil spills, debris,
poisons, nuclear wastes,
poisons,
runoff/erosion, fertiliser, biocides,
,
sea
habitat loss, exotic habitats,
erosion, unfertility,
salinisation,
aquifer depletion, eutrophication,
biocides, pathogens,
fast runoff,
eutrophication,
plankton blooms,
ene
rgy
electricity, heating, cooking, refrigerating,
airconditioning, plastics,
use of oil, bitumen,
use of oil, plastics,
heavy use, oil, coal, electricity,
heavy use of energy,
use of energy, chemicals, fertiliser,
min
eral
s
various minerals, timber, concrete, glass,
various minerals, timber,
concrete, glass, stone,
various minerals, steel, aluminium, rubber,
produces minerals,
heavy use of minerals,
fertiliser,
urb
provides culture, crowding, loss of time,
hindrance,
creates new habitat &
facilities, noise,
space for roads & parking, exhaust gases,
noise, hindrance, traffic jams,
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provides jobs & income, pollutes,
exhaust gases, uses space,
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an,
hu
ma
n
hab
itat
What does Conservation Biology Study?
•vulnerability: of species, communities and populations.
•viable populations: populations must be able to maintain their numbers.
•inbreeding: small populations may lead to inbreeding, resulting in unsustainably poor genetic
variability.
•conservation value: politicians like to work with simple figures for conservation value.
•sizing nature reserves: the size of a nature reserve is critical to its success, relating to both the
number of species saved, and their viability.
•reducing fragmentation: fragmentation reduces the effectiveness of a natural area considerably.
•reducing boundary effects: wherever a habitat change is made, a boundary effect is created,
making the change felt deep into the natural area, and upsetting the natural balance.
•connecting corridors: some believe that having many small reserves, equals that of a single large
one, but they are mistaken in this, due to a large boundary effect, low viability and resilience.
•shelter & refuges: in any habitat, shelters and refuges are very important against predation and
adverse conditions. They are critical for niche species.
•re-introduction: critically endangered species can be saved by ex-situ (out of place) breeding (see
below), and then releasing into island enclaves where adverse effects such as predation have been
eliminated.
•Before and after
Benefits of Conservation Areas
Biodiversity Conservation
Ecosystem services
Refuge
Nursing ground or spawning area or feeding areas
Fisheries Management
Economic
Research
Education
Social
Recreation and community quality of life
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Biodiversity Conservation
•biodiversity at all levels: as food species become more numerous, so do the ones
dependent on them, at all levels from the deep to the shallows, and from simple to
complex organisms.
•genetic diversity: saving genetic diversity to ensure future stability
•an endangered species: the most acute form of conservation is to attempt to save a
species on its own.
•a unique spot: without being able to say why, people are able to recognise unique spots.
Because of their uniqueness alone, these deserve to be saved. Saving is easy if people
agree.
•a sample habitat: by saving a habitat, a large number of interrelating species is saved as
well. It requires a certain amount of knowledge to do so.
•genetic refuge: the diversity of species embodies undiscovered genetic qualities such as
medical compounds, biocides and more.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
Ecosystem services
•Ecosystem functioning and integrity: in case a reserve returns to a more natural
state, with balanced communities, it will also function more naturally, and therefore
more optimally too. Sea urchins are found grazing seaweeds and this provides food
for their predators like snapper and crayfish. Sea otters rebound in a similar fashion,
feeding on sea urchins that feed on the macrocystis seaweed in the USA.
•Ecosystem services: the world's ecosystems provide many services to mankind, like
regulating energy flow (photosynthesis and respiration), regulating the temperature of
the planet (climate), recycling our wastes (sewage, water, CO2, nitrogen, clean or
polluted air) and so on. The idea is that protected areas in their more natural state help
maintain these global cycles.
•Protect watersheds and steep slopes, thereby protecting nearby environments. Also
includes regulation of water flow and quality. Biophysical functions.
•Human needs – protection during storms or traumatic events
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Refuge
•A refuge for all kinds of organisms, large and small.
•Especially important for hunted or exploited species.
•Allows degraded areas or exploited species to return to
sustainable levels.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Nursing ground or spawning area or feeding areas
•Inside the reserve, animals can reproduce and their young
can spill over to areas around the protected area
•Protect animals when they are particularly vulnerable
•Protect limited feeding sources in order to protect a certain
target species
•Protect overall food webs or food chains
Benefits of Conservation Areas
Fisheries Management
•Ecosystem management easier than species management (easier to monitor and enforce)
•Ecosystem management can help reduce impacts of over-fishing (which can changes community structure, damage
habitats and remove some of the large target species such as groupers)
•Studies in Belize have shown that the weight of fish per unit area (particularly for snappers and grunts) was far greater
than other sites. Furthermore, fish were more abundant, and there were more commercial species present than in fished
areas. Other studies carried out have also shown that the population of lobster and conch within reserves have increased
significantly, demonstrating that the area has recovered from over-fishing.
•Protect age composition: the fate of slow growing fish is that they usually get caught before maturity. Often these fish
are born female, only to change into males at a later age (protogynous). Where fishing is intensive, such males become
rare. Fully protected marine reserves have shown to produce not only more fish, but over time, also older fish. For some
species this means a decisive difference in the amount of spawn produced. But reserves must be large to achieve
sustainable populations that do not migrate out.
•Protect spawning fish stocks: reserves can be placed over spawning grounds, thereby effectively protecting fish during
the entire mating season.
Spillover Effect
•By protecting reef fish stock within marine reserves, fish can live longer and grow larger. These are the ones that will
produce the most eggs. As the larvae develop, they are carried by currents, out of the protected area and thus help
replenish the surrounding fishing grounds.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Economic
•Eco-tourism
•The existence of more, larger and many different types of fish makes
marine reserves very attractive for diving and snorkeling, and thus enhances
the tourism industry.
•Employment (Park rangers are required)
•Harvesting or collecting resources provided by a protected area (either
indirectly or directly)
The City of New York has invested $US 1.8 billion in the protection of the Catskills watershed
which supplies the city with drinking water, instead of spending $US 6-8 billion on a proposed new
water filtration plant (Postel, 2002). Investing in catchment rehabilitation also saves the city
government $US 300 million per year in operating costs which would have been be incurred if the
water filtration plant had been constructed (Stroud Water Research Center, 2000).
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Research
•Research benefits because the scientific experiments are not disturbed.
Scientists can study a truly natural environment.
•Determining baseline levels. Without disturbance, the area would eventually
stabilise at near-constant and maximum stocking levels, with a balance between
populations. Other areas can be compared with this 'baseline'. An area excluded
from exploitation, also enables scientists to study the (side-) effect of
exploitation, by comparing the situation inside the reserve with that of locations
outside.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Education
•People from all walks of life, and particularly school
children can visit the reserve to observe wildlife and to
become inspired by the conservation concept. Whereas
elsewhere the environment has deteriorated, one can at least
find natural life inside protected areas.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Social
•Rights: over time, people have given themselves all kinds of rights to land or to uses on
land
•Tradition/History: people have been doing what they do for many generations, often
passed down in families from father to son. Villages have a tradition, and so do areas.
•Culture: every ethnic group has a different culture. Within a culture, specific rights and
beliefs are held dearly and may be tied to an area or a species
•Spiritual: persons and groups may have spiritual values, arising from beliefs and
superstitions tied to land or species
•Emotional value: people often value a place or a species emotionally. Such values
cannot be measured but are real to the beholders. A large range of emotional values can
be held.
•Protect a unique spot. Some places are hot spots of biodiversity, a treasure to enjoy.
Many of these are unique and irreplaceable. A reserve is able to protect such treasures for
future generations, provided that there are no other threats.
Benefits of Conservation Areas
•Recreation and community quality of life
•As long as people do not disturb the life there, they are welcome for eco-tourism,
recreation, diving, fish watching, photography and so on.
•Enabling public access to “green space” (especially in high-density cities, with little green
environment and high costs of other forms of recreation);
•Providing opportunities for activities (e.g., organized and informal sport and exercise, and
educational activities);
•Providing opportunities for socializing (e.g., picnics, family gatherings, and club outings);
•Providing opportunities for spiritual connection with nature and a sense of place;
•Developing personal and community identity (e.g., rehabilitation and development of
self-esteem and identity after life crises);
•Providing opportunities for productive open space (e.g., for school programs, and
demonstration projects in wetland management and sustainable land management);
•Strengthening the community (e.g., increasing contact with other community members,
contributing to local knowledge and pride of place and heritage, and providing
opportunities for contribution to community action through volunteer work in parks on
environmental improvement schemes).