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Richard Knight U W C. A traditional view was an area put aside for the preservation of organisms and...
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Transcript of Richard Knight U W C. A traditional view was an area put aside for the preservation of organisms and...
Richard Knight
U W C
U W C
A traditional view was an area put aside for the preservation of organisms and their environment!
U W C
Photo South African National Parks
U W C
U W C
U W C
U W C
U W C
Preserve habitats, ecosystems and species in as undisturbed state as possible
Ia: The Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness areas
Objective:
Dassen Island and the Prince Edward Islands
U W C
II: National Park
Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreationalor tourist purposes
West Coast National Park
U W C
III: Natural Monument: Protected Area
Objective: Based on a specific natural/cultural or uniquerepresentational significance
Kirstenbosch and Tienie Versveld
U W C
IV: Habitat/Species Management Area
Objective: Maintain a habitat for protection of significant species/ group of species or special physical Features -
Maanschynkop, Hermanus
U W C
V: Protected Landscape/Seascape
Objective: Protect harmonious interaction of nature andculture
Abe Bailey Nature Reserve Gauteng (Carletonville)
U W C
IX: Biosphere Reserve
Objective: Integrate protected areas within a landscapeof other economic activities
Transitional
Buffer
Core
Kogelberg & West Coast
U W C
X: World Heritage Site
Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreationalor tourist purposes
Robben Island & Table Mountain
www.robben.island.org.za
U W C
Richtersveld/Ai-Ais
Gariep
Kgalagadi (Kalahari)
Limpopo/Shashe
Kruger/Banhine-ZinaveGonarezhou
Maputaland
Maloti/Drakensberg
U W C
Peace Parks- a Transfrontier conservation area
Objective: Promote regional co-operation, job creationand biodiversity conservation
Recently Proclaimed Kalahari Park
South African National Parks
U W C
A protected area that is co-operatively managed by Local Communities and a State Organization
Objective: Protect natural resources and preservecultural lifestyles of indigenous people
Richtersveld National Park
South African National Parks - Nigel Dennis
South Africa's World Heritage Sites: World Heritage Sites recognise and protect areas of outstanding natural, historical and cultural value. Given South Africa's diverse culture and history and her spectacular natural resources and wildlife, it is not surprising that she boasts 7 World Heritage Sites.
Cultural » Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs (1999)» Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (2003) » Robben Island (1999) Mixed » UKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park (2000) Natural» Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (2004) » Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park (1999) » Vredefort Dome (2005)
World Heritage Sites South Africa
U W C
KZN National Parks
U W C
U W C
Fernkloof
Cliff paths
Vogelgat
Maanschynkop
WalkerBay
www.protectedplanet.net/
IUCN maintains threatened species lists since 1950s.“Red Data Books” popularized in 1960s: birds & mammals.“Information explosion” in 1990s:
• Europe: 3,562 known red lists.• South Africa – maintained by SANBI
http://redlist.sanbi.org/• 100 countries have produced RL for at least
one taxon (www.nationalredlist.org). • Species assigned to categories on the basis of
quantitative criteria and thresholds.• Separation of risk assessment (scientific) from
definition of conservation priorities (societal process).
Thresholds
Criticallyendangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Population decline
Small range: fragmented / decline / fluctuation
Very small or restricted population
Quantitative assessment
Reproductive populationsmall and declining
Weighting system
Conservation priorities
Extinction Risk
Logistical Factors
Economic Factors
Societal Values
Distributional Factors
Other Factors
(legal, institutional, etc.)
Biological Factors
Analysis, studies, choices, politics, land use
etc
Abundant experience with red list categories for species. Red list “explosion” world-wide (> 100 countries have applied them).
Increased capability of geographical information systems: more powerful and inexpensive
computers. cheaper and more user-friendly
software packages (Quantum and DIVA GIS– free and WebGIS).
Increased availability of remotely-sensed data, covering 20-40 years.
May more effectively represent biodiversity as a whole than individual species.
Ecosystem loss more apparent than species loss: clean water, food, fuel – service losses
More time-efficient than species-by-species assessments (<3% species evaluated by IUCN).
Ecosystem loss and degradation might precede species declines (e.g. extinction debt).
Combined with species Red List, more powerful assessment of biodiversity status.
Gov. of W. Australia: quantitative categories & criteria for threatened ecosystems, also Victoria.
S. African National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act: identification of over 200 threatened ecosystems. (Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecosystem Support Areas
Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway & partially in other EU states (based on NATURA 2000, EUNIS). Venezuela, Senegal (draft); and
Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru in process
EC tender for Red List of Habitats for Europe process
Consolidation of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Formal adoption of RLE
categories and criteria. Formal allocation of funds/staff. Global assessment of
ecosystems. Provision of support to national
assessments. View RLS and RLE as an
integrated tool (also with other IUCN key Knowledge Products).
I. What is an ecosystem?
II. When is an ecosystem “extinct”?
– Disappearance, transformation or collapse?
III. How to assess ecosystem change?
– distribution– function
No global classification (but maybe getting nearer), ecosystems may be defined at various scales (raindrop to biosphere) ~WWF EcoRegions, GLC2000
Approach: i) Adopt widey accepted conceptual
definition (Tansley 1935, Odum)ii) Develop a risk assessment method
applicable to any classification (national, regional)
iii) Promote development of a global ecosystem classification
iv) Require documented ecosystem descriptions as part of each risk assessment
Conceptual definition
(4 key elements, Tansley 1935)
1. characteristic assemblage of biota
2. associated physical environment
3. processes & interactions between components among biota between biota &
environment
4. Spatial extent
Description template (operational)
Classification (IUCN habitats, etc)
1. List defining biotic features
2. Identify defining abiotic features
3. Describe key ecosystem drivers
4. Maps (time series, projections)– past, present, future
Specific set of ecosystems that can be nested (local, national, global) use of different schemes – c.f. NatureServe (Classification & Description of World Formation Types); EUNIS
Nesting into administrative & other means of dividing – e.g. overall major ecosystem types in a country, or a district, or land/water use
Trade-offs between conceptual definitions & practical reality!
We respect & will use national ecosystem classifications, but will seek to nest them
NatureServe
Coming to Global consensus on Ecosystems – but not there yet!
RISK – the probability of a bad outcome over a specified time frame
Define the bad outcomeAn endpoint to ecosystem decline
Ecosystems rarely disappear or go “extinct” (cf. species) Exception Maldives
“Collapse”: transformation of identity, loss of defining features (characteristic biota & function), replacement by a novel ecosystem (e.g. invasives, agriculture, plantation)
• RISK – the probability of a bad outcome over a specified time frame
• Specify the time frame for assessing change
II. The concept of risk
• long enough to detect trends,
• short enough to inform action,
• long enough to consider lags & debts
– past, present, future
III. Assessing ecosystem change
Guiding principles for design of a protocol•Evidence-based risk assessment using all available data & information•Transparent derivation from relevant ecological theories•Generic concepts and methods adaptable across a range of organisational & spatial scales and all ecological domains
– terrestrial, freshwater, marine, subterranean
•Logically consistent with IUCN Red List criteria for species
Risk model for ecosystems:
• threats to defining features (distribution, biota & function)
• multiple mechanisms (causes of threat)
• 4 symptoms (of decline) = 4 criteria
• plus one overarching criterion (probability of collapse)
Threatening processes
Threatening processes
Risk of loss of characteristic
native biota
A Declining distribution
C Environmt’l degradation
D Altered biotic processes
Ecosystem distribution
Ecosystem function
B Small distribution
E Quantitative risk analysis
Collapse
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Data Deficient
Not EvaluatedNE
CO
CR
EN
VU
NT
LC
DD
Threatened