Conservation is Catching on!

Richard Knight

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A traditional view was an area put aside for the preservation of organisms and their environment!

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Photo South African National Parks

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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

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II: National Park

Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreationalor tourist purposes

West Coast National Park

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III: Natural Monument: Protected Area

Objective: Based on a specific natural/cultural or uniquerepresentational significance

Kirstenbosch and Tienie Versveld

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IV: Habitat/Species Management Area

Objective: Maintain a habitat for protection of significant species/ group of species or special physical Features -

Maanschynkop, Hermanus

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V: Protected Landscape/Seascape

Objective: Protect harmonious interaction of nature andculture

Abe Bailey Nature Reserve Gauteng (Carletonville)

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IX: Biosphere Reserve

Objective: Integrate protected areas within a landscapeof other economic activities

TransitionalBuffer

Core

Kogelberg & West Coast

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X: World Heritage Site

Objective: Protect for scientific, educational, recreationalor tourist purposes

Robben Island & Table Mountain

www.robben.island.org.za

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Richtersveld/Ai-AisGariepKgalagadi (Kalahari)

Limpopo/ShasheKruger/Banhine-ZinaveGonarezhou

Maputaland

Maloti/Drakensberg

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Peace Parks- a Transfrontier conservation area

Objective: Promote regional co-operation, job creationand biodiversity conservation

Recently Proclaimed Kalahari Park

South African National Parks

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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

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KZN National Parks

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Fernkloof

Cliff paths

VogelgatMaanschynkop

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 &

environment4. 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

CollapseCritically EndangeredEndangeredVulnerableNear ThreatenedLeast Concern Data DeficientNot EvaluatedNE

CO

CR

EN

VU

NT

LC

DD

Threatened