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Roque FDO, Bellón B, Guerra A, Valente-Neto F, Santos CC, Melo I, Nobre Arcos A, de Oliveira AG, Valle Nunes A, de Araujo Martins C, Souza FL, Herrera H, Tavares LER, Almeida-Gomes M, Pays O, Renaud PC, Gomes Barrios SP, Yon L, Bowsher G, Sullivan R, Johnson M, Grelle CEV, Ochoa-Quintero JM. Incorporating biodiversity responses to land use change scenarios for preventing emerging zoonotic diseases in areas of unknown host-pathogen interactions. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1229676. [PMID: 38026639 PMCID: PMC10665965 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1229676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to reconcile food production, the safeguarding of nature, and the protection of public health is imperative in a world of continuing global change, particularly in the context of risks of emerging zoonotic disease (EZD). In this paper, we explored potential land use strategies to reduce EZD risks using a landscape approach. We focused on strategies for cases where the dynamics of pathogen transmission among species were poorly known and the ideas of "land-use induced spillover" and "landscape immunity" could be used very broadly. We first modeled three different land-use change scenarios in a region of transition between the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspots. The land-use strategies used to build our scenarios reflected different proportions of native vegetation cover, as a proxy of habitat availability. We then evaluated the effects of the proportion of native vegetation cover on the occupancy probability of a group of mammal species and analyzed how the different land-use scenarios might affect the distribution of species in the landscape and thus the risk of EZD. We demonstrate that these approaches can help identify potential future EZD risks, and can thus be used as decision-making tools by stakeholders, with direct implications for improving both environmental and socio-economic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio de Oliveira Roque
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Beatriz Bellón
- BIODIVAG, Univ Angers, Angers, France
- Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Angélica Guerra
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Francisco Valente-Neto
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Cyntia C. Santos
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
- BIODIVAG, Univ Angers, Angers, France
- Wetlands International Brazil, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Isabel Melo
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriano Nobre Arcos
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | | | - André Valle Nunes
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa do Pantanal, Programa de Capacitação Institucional, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Clarissa de Araujo Martins
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
- BIODIVAG, Univ Angers, Angers, France
- Wetlands International Brazil, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Franco L. Souza
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Heitor Herrera
- Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais e Sustentabilidade Agropecuária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luiz Eduardo R. Tavares
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Almeida-Gomes
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Olivier Pays
- BIODIVAG, Univ Angers, Angers, France
- REHABS International Research Laboratory, CNRS-Université Lyon 1-Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
| | | | | | - Lisa Yon
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Bowsher
- Centre for Conflict and Health, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Sullivan
- Centre for Conflict and Health, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Johnson
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos E. V. Grelle
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Jose Manuel Ochoa-Quintero
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia
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Huang A, Tian L, Li Q, Li Y, Yu J, Gao Y, Xia J. Land-Use Planning Serves as a Critical Tool for Improving Resources and Environmental Carrying Capacity: A Review of Evaluation Methods and Application. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:2370. [PMID: 36767737 PMCID: PMC9915074 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Research on resources and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) has been expanding since the early 20th century, and RECC has become a global concern and criterion for measuring regional sustainable development. Land-use planning (LUP) serves as a key tool of socioeconomic-ecological coordinated development and is deeply associated with RECC. In China, the newly established spatial planning system of 2019 identifies RECC assessment as the basis for spatial planning. However, after systematically reviewing the research history, conceptual evolution, and evaluation methods of RECC, we found that the existing approach of RECC has not addressed the impacts of stakeholders' behavior on RECC, in other words, the governance perspective has not been sufficiently discussed. Further, research on the interaction between RECC and LUP has been far from sufficient, hampering our deep understanding of the roles of LUP in improving RECC. In order to fill this gap, a new framework is proposed to explain the formation mechanism of RECC combining the governance considerations based on the social-ecological system (SES) framework, which has made contributions to enrich the research perspective of RECC and its theoretical and methods system. In addition, the interaction path between RECC and LUP is constructed according to the new RECC framework and a policy toolbox for improving RECC, which will provide a comprehensive and systematic practical application path for improving RECC and promoting regional socioeconomic-ecological coordinated sustainable development. The conclusion part discusses the future research topics and limitations for RECC and LUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Huang
- School of Public Administration, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
- School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li Tian
- School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Innovation Center for Smart Human Settlements and Spatial Planning & Governance, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qing Li
- College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yongfu Li
- Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Jianghao Yu
- School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jing Xia
- College of Architecture & Art, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
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3
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Lechner C, Kirisits C. The Effect of Land-Use Categories on Traffic Noise Annoyance. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:15444. [PMID: 36497515 PMCID: PMC9736418 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Land-use categories are often used to define the exposure limits of national environmental noise policies. Often different guideline values for noise are applied for purely residential areas versus residential areas with mixed-use. Mixed-use includes living plus limited activities through crafts, commerce, trade, agriculture, and forestry activities. This differentiation especially when rating noise from road, railway, and air traffic might be argued by different expectations and therefore noise annoyance in those two categories while scientific evidence is missing. It should be tested on empirically derived data. Surveys from two studies in the state of Tyrol in urban and rural areas were retrospectively matched with spatial data to analyze the potential different influences on noise effects. Using non-parametric tests, the correlation between land-use category on self-reported noise sensitivity and noise annoyance was investigated. Exposure-response for the two analyzed land-use categories showed no significant impact on noise sensitivity and exposure-response relationships for the three traffic noise sources. Including only noise annoyance, there is not sufficient evidence to define different noise policies for those two land-use categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Lechner
- LMU University Hospital Munich, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Office of the Tyrolean Regional Government, Department for Emission, Safety and Sites, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Kirisits
- Kirisits Consulting Engineers, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Der Sarkissian R, Al Sayah MJ, Abdallah C, Zaninetti JM, Nedjai R. Land Use Planning to Reduce Flood Risk: Opportunities, Challenges and Uncertainties in Developing Countries. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:6957. [PMID: 36146302 PMCID: PMC9501127 DOI: 10.3390/s22186957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Land use planning for flood risk reduction has been significantly addressed in literature. However, a clear methodology for flood mitigation oriented land-use planning and its implementation, particularly in developing countries like Lebanon, is still missing. Knowledge on land use planning is still in its earliest stages in Lebanon. A lack of hazard-informed land use planning coupled to random land cover pattern evolution characterize the country. In response, this study focuses on the opportunities, challenges and uncertainties resulting from the integration of land use planning into efficient Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). For this purpose, GIS-based analyses were first conducted on the current land use/land cover (LU/LC) of the Assi floodplain. Then, the areas land cover was retraced and its evolution after several flood occurrences was assessed. Subsequently, a flood hazard-informed LU/LC plan was proposed. The latter is mainly based on the spatial allocation of land-uses with respect to different flood hazard levels. This approach resulted in the production of a land use planning matrix for flood risk reduction. The matrix approach can serve as a tool for designing sustainable and resilient land cover patterns in other similar contexts while simultaneously providing robust contributions to decision-making and risk communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Der Sarkissian
- University of Gustave Eiffel, University of Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris (EIVP), LAB’URBA, F-77454 Marne-la-Vallée, France
- National Council for Scientific Research, Remote Sensing Center, Natural Hazard, Beirut 11-8281, Lebanon
| | - Mario J. Al Sayah
- National Council for Scientific Research, Remote Sensing Center, Natural Hazard, Beirut 11-8281, Lebanon
| | - Chadi Abdallah
- National Council for Scientific Research, Remote Sensing Center, Natural Hazard, Beirut 11-8281, Lebanon
| | - Jean-Marc Zaninetti
- Centre D’études et de Développement des Territoires et de l’Environnement, Université d’Orléans, 45100 Orléans, France
| | - Rachid Nedjai
- Centre D’études et de Développement des Territoires et de l’Environnement, Université d’Orléans, 45100 Orléans, France
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Crawford CL, Estes LD, Searchinger TD, Wilcove DS. Consequences of underexplored variation in biodiversity indices used for land-use prioritization. Ecol Appl 2021; 31:e02396. [PMID: 34180111 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
For biodiversity protection to play a persuasive role in land-use planning, conservationists must be able to offer objective systems for ranking which natural areas to protect or convert. Representing biodiversity in spatially explicit indices is challenging because it entails numerous judgments regarding what variables to measure, how to measure them, and how to combine them. Surprisingly few studies have explored this variation. Here, we explore how this variation affects which areas are selected for agricultural conversion by a land-use prioritization model designed to reduce the biodiversity losses associated with agricultural expansion in Zambia. We first explore the similarity between model recommendations generated by three recently published composite indices and a commonly used rarity-weighted species richness metric. We then explore four underlying sources of ecological and methodological variation within these and other approaches, including different terrestrial vertebrate taxonomic groups, different species-richness metrics, different mathematical methods for combining layers, and different spatial resolutions of inputs. The results generated using different biodiversity approaches show very low spatial agreement regarding which areas to convert to agriculture. There is little overlap in areas identified for conversion using previously published indices (mean Jaccard similarity, Jw , between 0.3 and 3.7%), different taxonomic groups (5.0% < mean Jw < 13.5%), or different measures of species richness (15.6% < mean Jw < 33.7%). Even with shared conservation goals, different methods for combining layers and different input spatial resolutions still produce meaningful, though smaller, differences among areas selected for conversion (40.9% < mean Jw < 67.5%). The choice of taxonomic group had the largest effect on conservation priorities, followed by the choice of species richness metric, the choice of combination method, and finally the choice of spatial resolution. These disagreements highlight the challenge of objectively representing biodiversity in land-use planning tools, and present a credibility challenge for conservation scientists seeking to inform policy making. Our results suggest an urgent need for a more consistent and transparent framework for designing the biodiversity indices used in land-use planning, which we propose here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Crawford
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton,, New Jersey, USA
| | - Lyndon D Estes
- Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Timothy D Searchinger
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton,, New Jersey, USA
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton,, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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6
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Musetsho KD, Chitakira M, Nel W. Mapping Land-Use/Land-Cover Change in a Critical Biodiversity Area of South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:10164. [PMID: 34639467 PMCID: PMC8507928 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes have implications for the long-term outlook of environmental processes, especially in the face of factors such as climate change. These changes can have serious consequences for humans. In this study, remote sensing and geographic information system methods were used to investigate LULC changes in a critical biodiversity area (CBA) in the northern sections of Limpopo Province in South Africa from 1990 to 2018 using data obtained from the South African National Land Cover project. In 1990, the dominant land cover comprised thickets and dense bush, followed by woodland and built-up areas, covering proportions of 40, 24 and 18% of the total land-cover area, respectively. Bare and forest areas were the least dominant classes during this time. In 2018, the dominant land cover was woodland, followed by built-up areas, comprising 71 and 20% of the total area, respectively. Subsistence agriculture is a land-cover class with a relatively higher area compared to water bodies, wetlands and other classes. Between 1990 and 2018, significant changes in land-cover were noted for thickets and dense bush, woodland, water bodies, subsistence agriculture and built-up areas. Woodland increased by over 1000 hectares (ha) per year, while thickets decreased by over 900 ha per year. Interviews were conducted with local residents to determine what they thought were the drivers behind the observed changes. According to these interviews, the drivers included deforestation, agricultural activities in wetlands, sand and gravel mining, among others. The study's outcomes are critical for future land-use planning exercises and the long-term conservation of this CBA, an area rich in biodiversity and a strategic water source for the communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khangwelo Desmond Musetsho
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa; (M.C.); (W.N.)
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Muscatello A, Elith J, Kujala H. How decisions about fitting species distribution models affect conservation outcomes. Conserv Biol 2021; 35:1309-1320. [PMID: 33236808 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used in conservation and land-use planning as inputs to describe biodiversity patterns. These models can be built in different ways, and decisions about data preparation, selection of predictor variables, model fitting, and evaluation all alter the resulting predictions. Commonly, the true distribution of species is unknown and independent data to verify which SDM variant to choose are lacking. Such model uncertainty is of concern to planners. We analyzed how 11 routine decisions about model complexity, predictors, bias treatment, and setting thresholds for predicted values altered conservation priority patterns across 25 species. Models were created with MaxEnt and run through Zonation to determine the priority rank of sites. Although all SDM variants performed well (area under the curve >0.7), they produced spatially different predictions for species and different conservation priority solutions. Priorities were most strongly altered by decisions to not address bias or to apply binary thresholds to predicted values; on average 40% and 35%, respectively, of all grid cells received an opposite priority ranking. Forcing high model complexity altered conservation solutions less than forcing simplicity (14% and 24% of cells with opposite rank values, respectively). Use of fewer species records to build models or choosing alternative bias treatments had intermediate effects (25% and 23%, respectively). Depending on modeling choices, priority areas overlapped as little as 10-20% with the baseline solution, affecting top and bottom priorities differently. Our results demonstrate the extent of model-based uncertainty and quantify the relative impacts of SDM building decisions. When it is uncertain what the best SDM approach and conservation plan is, solving uncertainty or considering alterative options is most important for those decisions that change plans the most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Muscatello
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jane Elith
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Heini Kujala
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00140, Finland
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Gómez-Creutzberg C, Lagisz M, Nakagawa S, Brockerhoff EG, Tylianakis JM. Consistent trade-offs in ecosystem services between land covers with different production intensities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1989-2008. [PMID: 34031979 PMCID: PMC8519091 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Sustaining multiple ecosystem services across a landscape requires an understanding of how consistently services are shaped by different categories of land uses. Yet, this understanding is generally constrained by the availability of fine‐resolution data for multiple services across large areas and the spatial variability of land‐use effects on services. We systematically surveyed published literature for New Zealand (1970–2015) to quantify the supply of 17 non‐production services across 25 land covers (as a proxy for land use). We found a consistent trade‐off in the services supplied by anthropogenic land covers with a high production intensity (e.g. cropping) versus those with extensive or no production. By contrast, forest cover was not associated with any distinct patterns of service supply. By drawing on existing research findings, we reveal complementarity and redundancy (potentially influencing resilience) in service supply from different land covers. This will guide practitioners in shaping land systems that sustainably support human well‐being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Gómez-Creutzberg
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Eckehard G Brockerhoff
- Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), Christchurch, 8440, New Zealand.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
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Soley FG, Perfecto I. A way forward for biodiversity conservation: high-quality landscapes. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:770-773. [PMID: 34024623 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We are losing biodiversity quickly, not simply because of development but due to poor spatial planning. Recent findings propose thoughtful configurations and management of human-modified landscapes to protect biodiversity while allowing food production. This opens up a range of feasible actions in the conservation agenda, which overlap with food sovereignty initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando G Soley
- Organization for Tropical Studies, Apartado 676-2050, San José, Costa Rica; Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria,11501-2060, San Pedro, Costa Rica.
| | - Ivette Perfecto
- James E. Crowfoot Professor of Environmental Justice, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Banks-Leite C, Larrosa C, Carrasco LR, Tambosi LR, Milner-Gulland EJ. The suggestion that landscapes should contain 40% of forest cover lacks evidence and is problematic. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1112-1113. [PMID: 33522670 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A recent review suggests that forest cover needs to be restored or maintained on at least 40% of land area. In the absence of empirical evidence to support this threshold, we discuss how this suggestion is unhelpful and potentially dangerous. We advocate for regionally defined thresholds to inform conservation and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Banks-Leite
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Cecilia Larrosa
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Luis R Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Leandro R Tambosi
- Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Avenida dos Estados, 5001, Santo André, SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - E J Milner-Gulland
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
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11
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Stahl AT, Fremier AK, Cosens BA. Mapping legal authority for terrestrial conservation corridors along streams. Conserv Biol 2020; 34:943-955. [PMID: 32056252 PMCID: PMC7497071 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife corridors aim to promote species' persistence by connecting habitat patches across fragmented landscapes. Their implementation is limited by patterns of land ownership and complicated by differences in the jurisdictional and regulatory authorities under which lands are managed. Terrestrial corridor conservation requires coordination across jurisdictions and sectors subject to site-specific overlapping sources of legal authority. Mapping spatial patterns of legal authority concurrent with habitat condition can illustrate opportunities to build or leverage capacity for connectivity conservation. Streamside areas provide pragmatic opportunities to leverage existing policy mechanisms for riverine and terrestrial habitat connectivity across boundaries. Conservation planners and practitioners can make use of these opportunities by harmonizing actions for multiple conservation outcomes. We formulated an integrative, data-driven method for mapping multiple sources of legal authority weighted by capacity for coordinating terrestrial habitat conservation along streams. We generated a map of capacity to coordinate streamside corridor protections across a wildlife habitat gap to demonstrate this approach. We combined values representing coordination capacity and naturalness to generate an integrated legal-ecological resistance map for connectivity modeling. We then computed least-cost corridors across the integrated map, masking the terrestrial landscape to focus on streamside areas. Streamside least-cost corridors in the integrated, local-scale model diverged (∼25 km) from national-scale least-cost corridors based on naturalness. Spatial categories comparing legal- and naturalness-based resistance values by stream reach highlighted potential locations for building or leveraging existing capacity through spatial coordination of policy mechanisms or restoration actions. Agencies or nongovernmental organizations intending to restore or maintain habitat connectivity across fragmented landscapes can use this approach to inform spatial prioritization and build coordination capacity. Article impact statement: Combined mapping of legal authority and habitat condition reveals capacity to coordinate actions along streams for clean water and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda T. Stahl
- School of the EnvironmentWashington State UniversityP.O. Box 642812PullmanWA99164‐2812U.S.A.
| | - Alexander K. Fremier
- School of the EnvironmentWashington State UniversityP.O. Box 642812PullmanWA99164‐2812U.S.A.
| | - Barbara A. Cosens
- College of LawUniversity of Idaho875 Perimeter Dr. MS 2321MoscowID83844‐2321U.S.A.
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Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Fahrig L, Tabarelli M, Watling JI, Tischendorf L, Benchimol M, Cazetta E, Faria D, Leal IR, Melo FPL, Morante-Filho JC, Santos BA, Arasa-Gisbert R, Arce-Peña N, Cervantes-López MJ, Cudney-Valenzuela S, Galán-Acedo C, San-José M, Vieira ICG, Slik JWF, Nowakowski AJ, Tscharntke T. Designing optimal human-modified landscapes for forest biodiversity conservation. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1404-1420. [PMID: 32537896 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Agriculture and development transform forest ecosystems to human-modified landscapes. Decades of research in ecology have generated myriad concepts for the appropriate management of these landscapes. Yet, these concepts are often contradictory and apply at different spatial scales, making the design of biodiversity-friendly landscapes challenging. Here, we combine concepts with empirical support to design optimal landscape scenarios for forest-dwelling species. The supported concepts indicate that appropriately sized landscapes should contain ≥ 40% forest cover, although higher percentages are likely needed in the tropics. Forest cover should be configured with c. 10% in a very large forest patch, and the remaining 30% in many evenly dispersed smaller patches and semi-natural treed elements (e.g. vegetation corridors). Importantly, the patches should be embedded in a high-quality matrix. The proposed landscape scenarios represent an optimal compromise between delivery of goods and services to humans and preserving most forest wildlife, and can therefore guide forest preservation and restoration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Marcelo Tabarelli
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | | | - Lutz Tischendorf
- ELUTIS Modelling and Consulting Inc, Ottawa, ON, K2A 1X4, Canada
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Deborah Faria
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Felipe P L Melo
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Jose C Morante-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Bráulio A Santos
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Campus I, João Pessoa, Paraiba, 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Ricard Arasa-Gisbert
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Norma Arce-Peña
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Martín J Cervantes-López
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Sabine Cudney-Valenzuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Carmen Galán-Acedo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Miriam San-José
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Ima C G Vieira
- Coordenação de Botânica, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, CP 399, Belém, Pará, 66040-170, Brazil
| | - J W Ferry Slik
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei, Darussalam
| | - A Justin Nowakowski
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Working Land and Seascapes, Conservation Commons, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Dept. of Crop Sciences, Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Metcalf AL, Phelan CN, Pallai C, Norton M, Yuhas B, Finley JC, Muth A. Microtargeting for conservation. Conserv Biol 2019; 33:1141-1150. [PMID: 30887584 PMCID: PMC6849751 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Widespread human action and behavior change is needed to achieve many conservation goals. Doing so at the requisite scale and pace will require the efficient delivery of outreach campaigns. Conservation gains will be greatest when efforts are directed toward places of high conservation value (or need) and tailored to critical actors. Recent strategic conservation planning has relied primarily on spatial assessments of biophysical attributes, largely ignoring the human dimensions. Elsewhere, marketers, political campaigns, and others use microtargeting-predictive analytics of big data-to identify people most likely to respond positively to particular messages or interventions. Conservationists have not yet widely capitalized on these techniques. To investigate the effectiveness of microtargeting to improve conservation, we developed a propensity model to predict restoration behavior among 203,645 private landowners in a 5,200,000 ha study area in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (U.S.A.). To isolate the additional value microtargeting may offer beyond geospatial prioritization, we analyzed a new high-resolution land-cover data set and cadastral data to identify private owners of riparian areas needing restoration. Subsequently, we developed and evaluated a restoration propensity model based on a database of landowners who had conducted restoration in the past and those who had not (n = 4978). Model validation in a parallel database (n = 4989) showed owners with the highest scorers for propensity to conduct restoration (i.e., top decile) were over twice as likely as average landowners to have conducted restoration (135%). These results demonstrate that microtargeting techniques can dramatically increase the efficiency and efficacy of conservation programs, above and beyond the advances offered by biophysical prioritizations alone, as well as facilitate more robust research of many social-ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L. Metcalf
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of Montana440 CHCB, 32 Campus DriveMissoulaMT59812U.S.A.
| | - Conor N. Phelan
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of Montana440 CHCB, 32 Campus DriveMissoulaMT59812U.S.A.
| | | | - Michael Norton
- Chesapeake Conservancy716 Giddings AvenueAnnapolisMD21403U.S.A.
| | - Ben Yuhas
- Yuhas Consulting Group, LLC121 Hawthorne RoadBaltimoreMD21210U.S.A.
| | - James C. Finley
- Ecosystem Science and ManagementThe Center for Private Forests Pennsylvania State UniversityPenn State 333 Forest Resources BuildingUniversity ParkPA16802U.S.A.
| | - Allyson Muth
- Ecosystem Science and ManagementThe Center for Private Forests Pennsylvania State UniversityPenn State 333 Forest Resources BuildingUniversity ParkPA16802U.S.A.
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14
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Carlson DB, Dale PER, Kurucz N, Dwyer PG, Knight JM, Whelan PI, Richards DD. Mosquito Control and Coastal Development: How they Have Coexisted and Matured in Florida and Australia. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 2019; 35:123-134. [PMID: 31442134 DOI: 10.2987/18-6807.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this review were to compare planning for both mosquito control and land use in east-central Florida, USA, and in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, Australia. Saltwater mosquito production in mangroves and salt marsh is the predominant mosquito control concern in all the areas. Urban encroachment towards saltwater mosquito habitats is a problem in both Florida and Australia. In east-central Florida and the Northern Territory, mosquito control is supported by comprehensive source reduction programs, whereas in Queensland and New South Wales, larviciding is the main method of control. The long-term control by source reduction programs reduces vulnerability to mosquito issues as population encroaches towards wetlands, whereas larviciding programs have to respond repeatedly as problems arise. Problems from urban encroachment are exacerbated if mosquito control and land-use planning are not integrated. Further, urban planning that is not informed by mosquito management can lead to increased mosquito problems by inadvertent design or allowing residential development close to mosquito habitats. This increases the need for mosquito control and related resourcing. At the regional level of governance, Florida and the Northern Territory generally have greater integration between planning for development and mosquito control than at the local government level in New South Wales and Queensland, where there is a lack of integration between mosquito agencies and planners. It is concluded that coordination of planning and mosquito control is more effective at higher government levels than at local levels, which have less connectivity between management areas and/or insufficient resources. The lesson is that collaboration can assist in avoiding or resolving conflicts.
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Cannon PG, Gilroy JJ, Tobias JA, Anderson A, Haugaasen T, Edwards DP. Land-sparing agriculture sustains higher levels of avian functional diversity than land sharing. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:1576-1590. [PMID: 30793430 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The ecological impacts of meeting rising demands for food production can potentially be mitigated by two competing land-use strategies: off-setting natural habitats through intensification of existing farmland (land sparing), or elevating biodiversity within the agricultural matrix via the integration of "wildlife-friendly" habitat features (land sharing). However, a key unanswered question is whether sparing or sharing farming would best conserve functional diversity, which can promote ecosystem stability and resilience to future land-use change. Focusing on bird communities in tropical cloud forests of the Colombian Andes, we test the performance of each strategy in conserving functional diversity. We show that multiple components of avian functional diversity in farmland are positively related to the proximity and extent of natural forest. Using landscape and community simulations, we also show that land-sparing agriculture conserves greater functional diversity and predicts higher abundance of species supplying key ecological functions than land sharing, with sharing becoming progressively inferior with increasing isolation from remnant forest. These results suggest low-intensity agriculture is likely to conserve little functional diversity unless large blocks of adjacent natural habitat are protected, consistent with land sparing. To ensure the retention of functionally diverse ecosystems, we urgently need to implement mechanisms for increasing farmland productivity whilst protecting spared land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick G Cannon
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Alex Anderson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Torbjørn Haugaasen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Chigbu UE, Ntihinyurwa PD, de Vries WT, Ngenzi EI. Why Tenure Responsive Land-Use Planning Matters: Insights for Land Use Consolidation for Food Security in Rwanda. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:E1354. [PMID: 30991735 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16081354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Land use consolidation aims to address food insecurity challenges in Rwanda. However, there is contradictory evidence on whether this tool has met food security objectives or not. This study addresses two questions: How has the land use consolidation improved (or not improved) food security at the local level? How can food security challenges be addressed using a renewed approach to land use consolidation that adopts a tenure responsive land use planning procedure? We investigate these questions in Nyange Sector (in the Musanze District) of Rwanda using mixed research methods. The study generates theoretical and policy relevant outcomes. Theoretically, it links the concept of tenure responsive land-use planning to food security improvements. Policy wise, it provides an operational framework for implementing land use consolidation to make it more responsive to food security (based on tenure responsive land-use planning measures) in Rwanda.
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Chen L, Li L, Yang X, Zhang Y, Chen L, Ma X. Assessing the Impact of Land-Use Planning on the Atmospheric Environment through Predicting the Spatial Variability of Airborne Pollutants. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16020172. [PMID: 30634496 PMCID: PMC6351908 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16020172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As an important contributor to pollutant emissions to the atmosphere, land use can degrade environmental quality. In order to assess the impact of land-use planning on the atmosphere, we propose a methodology combining the land-use-based emission inventories of airborne pollutants and the long-term air pollution multi-source dispersion (LAPMD) model in this study. Through a case study of the eastern Chinese city of Lianyungang, we conclude that (1) land-use-based emission inventorying is a more economical way to assess the overall pollutant emissions compared with the industry-based method, and the LAPMD model can map the spatial variability of airborne pollutant concentrations that directly reflects how the implementation of the land-use planning (LUP) scheme impacts on the atmosphere; (2) the environmental friendliness of the LUP scheme can be assessed by an overlay analysis based on the pollution concentration maps and land-use planning maps; (3) decreases in the emissions of SO2 and PM10 within Lianyungang indicate the overall positive impact of land-use planning implementation, while increases in these emissions from certain land-use types (i.e., urban residential and transportation lands) suggest the aggravation of airborne pollutants from these land parcels; and (4) the city center, where most urban population resides, and areas around key plots would be affected by high pollution concentrations. Our methodology is applicable to study areas for which meteorological data are accessible, and is, therefore, useful for decision making if land-use planning schemes specify the objects of airborne pollutant concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longgao Chen
- School of Geography, Geomatics and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China.
| | - Long Li
- School of Environmental Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
- Department of Geography, Earth System Science, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels 1050, Belgium.
| | - Xiaoyan Yang
- School of Geography, Geomatics and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Geography, Geomatics and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China.
| | - Longqian Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
| | - Xiaodong Ma
- School of Geography, Geomatics and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China.
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18
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Allende-Prieto C, Méndez-Fernández BI, Sañudo-Fontaneda LA, Charlesworth SM. Development of a Geospatial Data-Based Methodology for Stormwater Management in Urban Areas Using Freely-Available Software. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018; 15:E1703. [PMID: 30096916 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15081703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Intense urbanisation, combined with climate change impacts such as increased rainfall intensity, is overloading conventional drainage systems, increasing the number of combined sewer overflow events and making treatment plants outdated. There is a need for better urban planning, incorporating stormwater and flood management design in order to accurately design urban drainage networks. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools are capable of identifying and delineating the runoff flow direction, as well as accurately defining small-sized urban catchments using geospatial data. This study explores the synergies between GIS and stormwater management design tools for better land-use planning, providing a new methodology which has the potential to incorporate hydraulic and hydrological calculations into the design of urban areas. From data collection to final results, only freely available software and open platforms have been used: the U.S. EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), QGis, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, SagaGIS, and GrassGIS. Each of these tools alone cannot provide all the necessary functionalities for large-scale projects, but once linked to GISWATER, a unique, fast, efficient, and accurate work methodology results. A case study of a newly urbanised area in the city of Gijón (northern Spain) has been utilised to apply this new methodology.
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19
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Sawyer H, Korfanta NM, Nielson RM, Monteith KL, Strickland D. Mule deer and energy development-Long-term trends of habituation and abundance. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:4521-4529. [PMID: 28375581 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
As the extent and intensity of energy development in North America increases, so do disturbances to wildlife and the habitats they rely upon. Impacts to mule deer are of particular concern because some of the largest gas fields in the USA overlap critical winter ranges. Short-term studies of 2-3 years have shown that mule deer and other ungulates avoid energy infrastructure; however, there remains a common perception that ungulates habituate to energy development, and thus, the potential for a demographic effect is low. We used telemetry data from 187 individual deer across a 17-year period, including 2 years predevelopment and 15 years during development, to determine whether mule deer habituated to natural gas development and if their response to disturbance varied with winter severity. Concurrently, we measured abundance of mule deer to indirectly link behavior with demography. Mule deer consistently avoided energy infrastructure through the 15-year period of development and used habitats that were an average of 913 m further from well pads compared with predevelopment patterns of habitat use. Even during the last 3 years of study, when most wells were in production and reclamation efforts underway, mule deer remained >1 km away from well pads. The magnitude of avoidance behavior, however, was mediated by winter severity, where aversion to well pads decreased as winter severity increased. Mule deer abundance declined by 36% during the development period, despite aggressive onsite mitigation efforts (e.g. directional drilling and liquid gathering systems) and a 45% reduction in deer harvest. Our results indicate behavioral effects of energy development on mule deer are long term and may affect population abundance by displacing animals and thereby functionally reducing the amount of available habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Nicole M Korfanta
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Ryan M Nielson
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, WY, USA
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Fort Collins, Colarado, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Dale Strickland
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, WY, USA
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Fort Collins, Colarado, USA
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Breuer T, Maisels F, Fishlock V. The consequences of poaching and anthropogenic change for forest elephants. Conserv Biol 2016; 30:1019-1026. [PMID: 26801000 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Poaching has devastated forest elephant populations (Loxodonta cyclotis), and their habitat is dramatically changing. The long-term effects of poaching and other anthropogenic threats have been well studied in savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana), but the impacts of these changes for Central Africa's forest elephants have not been discussed. We examined potential repercussions of these threats and the related consequences for forest elephants in Central Africa by summarizing the lessons learned from savannah elephants and small forest elephant populations in West Africa. Forest elephant social organization is less known than the social organization of savannah elephants, but the close evolutionary history of these species suggests that they will respond to anthropogenic threats in broadly similar ways. The loss of older, experienced individuals in an elephant population disrupts ecological, social, and population parameters. Severe reduction of elephant abundance within Central Africa's forests can alter plant communities and ecosystem functions. Poaching, habitat alterations, and human population increase are probably compressing forest elephants into protected areas and increasing human-elephant conflict, which negatively affects their conservation. We encourage conservationists to look beyond documenting forest elephant population decline and address the causes of these declines when developing conversation strategies. We suggest assessing the effectiveness of the existing protected-area networks for landscape connectivity in light of current industrial and infrastructure development. Longitudinal assessments of the effects of landscape changes on forest elephant sociality and behavior are also needed. Finally, lessons learned from West African elephant population loss and habitat fragmentation should be used to inform strategies for land-use planning and managing human-elephant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Breuer
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10460, U.S.A..
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10460, U.S.A
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Vicki Fishlock
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Langata 00509, Nairobi, P.O. Box 15135, Kenya
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21
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Kennedy CM, Miteva DA, Baumgarten L, Hawthorne PL, Sochi K, Polasky S, Oakleaf JR, Uhlhorn EM, Kiesecker J. Bigger is better: Improved nature conservation and economic returns from landscape-level mitigation. Sci Adv 2016; 2:e1501021. [PMID: 27419225 PMCID: PMC4942327 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Impact mitigation is a primary mechanism on which countries rely to reduce environmental externalities and balance development with conservation. Mitigation policies are transitioning from traditional project-by-project planning to landscape-level planning. Although this larger-scale approach is expected to provide greater conservation benefits at the lowest cost, empirical justification is still scarce. Using commercial sugarcane expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado as a case study, we apply economic and biophysical steady-state models to quantify the benefits of the Brazilian Forest Code (FC) under landscape- and property-level planning. We find that FC compliance imposes small costs to business but can generate significant long-term benefits to nature: supporting 32 (±37) additional species (largely habitat specialists), storing 593,000 to 2,280,000 additional tons of carbon worth $69 million to $265 million ($ pertains to U.S. dollars), and marginally improving surface water quality. Relative to property-level compliance, we find that landscape-level compliance reduces total business costs by $19 million to $35 million per 6-year sugarcane growing cycle while often supporting more species and storing more carbon. Our results demonstrate that landscape-level mitigation provides cost-effective conservation and can be used to promote sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Kennedy
- Global Conservation Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
| | - Daniela A. Miteva
- Global Conservation Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - Leandro Baumgarten
- Brazil Program, The Nature Conservancy, SIG Qd. 01, Lt. 985-1005, Sala 206, Brasília/DF 70610-410, Brazil
| | - Peter L. Hawthorne
- Natural Capital Project and Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, 325 Learning and Environmental Sciences, 1954 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Kei Sochi
- Global Conservation Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
| | - Stephen Polasky
- Natural Capital Project and Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, 325 Learning and Environmental Sciences, 1954 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55112, USA
| | - James R. Oakleaf
- Global Conservation Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
| | | | - Joseph Kiesecker
- Global Conservation Lands Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA
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22
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Azam C, Kerbiriou C, Vernet A, Julien JF, Bas Y, Plichard L, Maratrat J, Le Viol I. Is part-night lighting an effective measure to limit the impacts of artificial lighting on bats? Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:4333-4341. [PMID: 26179558 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
As light pollution is currently considered to be a major threat to biodiversity, different lighting management options are being explored to mitigate the impact of artificial lighting on wildlife. Although part-night lighting schemes have been adopted by many local authorities across Europe to reduce the carbon footprint and save energy, their effects on biodiversity are unknown. Through a paired, in situ experiment, we compared the activity levels of 8 bat species under unlit, part-night, and full-night lighting treatments in a rural area located 60 km south of Paris, France. We selected 36 study locations composed of 1 lit site and a paired unlit control site; 24 of these sites were located in areas subject to part-night lighting schemes, and 12 sites were in areas under standard, full-night lighting. There was significantly more activity on part-night lighting sites compared to full-night lighting sites for the late-emerging, light-sensitive Plecotus spp., and a similar pattern was observable for Myotis spp., although not significant. In contrast, part-night lighting did not influence the activity of early emerging bat species around streetlights, except for Pipistrellus pipistrellus for which there was significantly less activity on part-night lighting sites than on full-night lighting sites. Overall, no significant difference in activity between part- and full-night lighting sites were observed in 5 of the 8 species studied, suggesting that current part-night lighting schemes fail to encompass the range of activity of most bat species. We recommend that such schemes start earlier at night to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of artificial lighting on light-sensitive species, particularly along ecological corridors that are especially important to the persistence of biodiversity in urban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Azam
- National Museum of Natural History, 55 rue Buffon, Center for Ecology and Conservation Science, UMR7204-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- National Museum of Natural History, 55 rue Buffon, Center for Ecology and Conservation Science, UMR7204-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Arthur Vernet
- Parc Naturel Régional du Gâtinais Français, Maison du Parc 20 boulevard du Maréchal Lyautey, 91490, Milly-la-Forêt, France
| | - Jean-François Julien
- National Museum of Natural History, 55 rue Buffon, Center for Ecology and Conservation Science, UMR7204-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Yves Bas
- National Museum of Natural History, 55 rue Buffon, Center for Ecology and Conservation Science, UMR7204-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Laura Plichard
- Parc Naturel Régional du Gâtinais Français, Maison du Parc 20 boulevard du Maréchal Lyautey, 91490, Milly-la-Forêt, France
| | - Julie Maratrat
- Parc Naturel Régional du Gâtinais Français, Maison du Parc 20 boulevard du Maréchal Lyautey, 91490, Milly-la-Forêt, France
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- National Museum of Natural History, 55 rue Buffon, Center for Ecology and Conservation Science, UMR7204-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 75005, Paris, France
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23
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McNamara J, Kusimi JM, Rowcliffe JM, Cowlishaw G, Brenyah A, Milner-Gulland EJ. Long-term spatio-temporal changes in a West African bushmeat trade system. Conserv Biol 2015; 29:1446-1457. [PMID: 26104770 PMCID: PMC4745032 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Landscapes in many developing countries consist of a heterogeneous matrix of mixed agriculture and forest. Many of the generalist species in this matrix are increasingly traded in the bushmeat markets of West and Central Africa. However, to date there has been little quantification of how the spatial configuration of the landscape influences the urban bushmeat trade over time. As anthropogenic landscapes become the face of rural West Africa, understanding the dynamics of these systems has important implications for conservation and landscape management. The bushmeat production of an area is likely to be defined by landscape characteristics such as habitat disturbance, hunting pressure, level of protection, and distance to market. We explored (SSG, tense) the role of these four characteristics in the spatio-temporal dynamics of the commercial bushmeat trade around the city of Kumasi, Ghana, over 27 years (1978 to 2004). We used geographic information system methods to generate maps delineating the spatial characteristics of the landscapes. These data were combined with spatially explicit market data collected in the main fresh bushmeat market in Kumasi to explore the relationship between trade volume (measured in terms of number of carcasses) and landscape characteristics. Over time, rodents, specifically cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus), became more abundant in the trade relative to ungulates and the catchment area of the bushmeat market expanded. Areas of intermediate disturbance supplied more bushmeat, but protected areas had no effect. Heavily hunted areas showed significant declines in bushmeat supply over time. Our results highlight the role that low intensity, heterogeneous agricultural landscapes can play in providing ecosystem services, such as bushmeat, and therefore the importance of incorporating bushmeat into ecosystem service mapping exercises. Our results also indicate that even where high bushmeat production is possible, current harvest levels may cause wildlife depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J McNamara
- Imperial College London, Division of Biology, Silwood Park Campus, Manor House, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - J M Kusimi
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | | | - G Cowlishaw
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
| | - A Brenyah
- Ghana Wildlife Division, Forestry Commission, Accra, Ghana
| | - E J Milner-Gulland
- Imperial College London, Division of Biology, Silwood Park Campus, Manor House, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berks, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
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Ma S, Zhang S, Yu C, Zheng H, Song G, Semakula HM, Chai Y. Assessing Major Accident Risks to Support Land-Use Planning Using a Severity-Vulnerability Combination Method: A Case Study in Dagushan Peninsula, China. Risk Anal 2015; 35:1503-1519. [PMID: 25808743 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Major accident risks posed by chemical hazards have raised major social concerns in today's China. Land-use planning has been adopted by many countries as one of the essential elements for accident prevention. This article aims at proposing a method to assess major accident risks to support land-use planning in the vicinity of chemical installations. This method is based on the definition of risk by the Accidental Risk Assessment Methodology for IndustrieS (ARAMIS) project and it is an expansion application of severity and vulnerability assessment tools. The severity and vulnerability indexes from the ARAMIS methodology are employed to assess both the severity and vulnerability levels, respectively. A risk matrix is devised to support risk ranking and compatibility checking. The method consists of four main steps and is presented in geographical information-system-based maps. As an illustration, the proposed method is applied in Dagushan Peninsula, China. The case study indicated that the method could not only aid risk regulations on existing land-use planning, but also support future land-use planning by offering alternatives or influencing the plans at the development stage, and thus further enhance the roles and influence of land-use planning in the accident prevention activities in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Ma
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Shushen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Chen Yu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Hongbo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Guobao Song
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Henry Musoke Semakula
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, China
| | - Yingying Chai
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, China
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25
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Reed SE, Hilty JA, Theobald DM. Guidelines and incentives for conservation development in local land-use regulations. Conserv Biol 2014; 28:258-68. [PMID: 24001140 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Effective conservation of biological diversity on private lands will require changes in land-use policy and development practice. Conservation development (CD) is an alternative form of residential development in which homes are built on smaller lots and clustered together and the remainder of the property is permanently protected for conservation purposes. We assessed the degree to which CD is permitted and encouraged by local land-use regulations in 414 counties in the western United States. Thirty-two percent of local planning jurisdictions have adopted CD ordinances, mostly within the past 10 years. CD ordinances were adopted in counties with human population densities that were 3.0 times greater and in counties with 2.5 times more land use at urban, suburban, and exurban densities than counties without CD ordinances. Despite strong economic incentives for CD (e.g., density bonuses, which allow for a mean of 66% more homes to be built per subdivision area), several issues may limit the effectiveness of CD for biological diversity conservation. Although most CD ordinances required a greater proportion of the site area be protected than in a typical residential development, just 13% (n = 17) of the ordinances required an ecological site analysis to identify and map features that should be protected. Few CD ordinances provided guidelines regarding the design and configuration of the protected lands, including specifying a minimum size for protected land parcels or encouraging contiguity with other protected lands within or near to the site. Eight percent (n =11) of CD ordinances encouraged consultation with a biological expert or compliance with a conservation plan. We recommend that conservation scientists help to improve the effectiveness of CD by educating planning staff and government officials regarding biological diversity conservation, volunteering for their local planning boards, or consulting on development reviews.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Reed
- North America Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 301 N. Willson Avenue, Bozeman, MT, 59715, U.S.A.; Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1474, U.S.A..
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26
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Edwards DP, Gilroy JJ, Woodcock P, Edwards FA, Larsen TH, Andrews DJR, Derhé MA, Docherty TDS, Hsu WW, Mitchell SL, Ota T, Williams LJ, Laurance WF, Hamer KC, Wilcove DS. Land-sharing versus land-sparing logging: reconciling timber extraction with biodiversity conservation. Glob Chang Biol 2014; 20:183-191. [PMID: 23955803 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging is a major driver of rainforest degradation across the tropics. Two competing logging strategies are proposed to meet timber demands with the least impact on biodiversity: land sharing, which combines timber extraction with biodiversity protection across the concession; and land sparing, in which higher intensity logging is combined with the protection of intact primary forest reserves. We evaluate these strategies by comparing the abundances and species richness of birds, dung beetles and ants in Borneo, using a protocol that allows us to control for both timber yield and net profit across strategies. Within each taxonomic group, more species had higher abundances with land-sparing than land-sharing logging, and this translated into significantly higher species richness within land-sparing concessions. Our results are similar when focusing only on species found in primary forest and restricted in range to Sundaland, and they are independent of the scale of sampling. For each taxonomic group, land-sparing logging was the most promising strategy for maximizing the biological value of logging operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Edwards
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Tropical and Marine Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, Australia; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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27
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Kareksela S, Moilanen A, Tuominen S, Kotiaho JS. Use of inverse spatial conservation prioritization to avoid biological diversity loss outside protected areas. Conserv Biol 2013; 27:1294-1303. [PMID: 24033397 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Globally expanding human land use sets constantly increasing pressure for maintenance of biological diversity and functioning ecosystems. To fight the decline of biological diversity, conservation science has broken ground with methods such as the operational model of systematic conservation planning (SCP), which focuses on design and on-the-ground implementation of conservation areas. The most commonly used method in SCP is reserve selection that focuses on the spatial design of reserve networks and their expansion. We expanded these methods by introducing another form of spatial allocation of conservation effort relevant for land-use zoning at the landscape scale that avoids negative ecological effects of human land use outside protected areas. We call our method inverse spatial conservation prioritization. It can be used to identify areas suitable for economic development while simultaneously limiting total ecological and environmental effects of that development at the landscape level by identifying areas with highest economic but lowest ecological value. Our method is not based on a priori targets, and as such it is applicable to cases where the effects of land use on, for example, individual species or ecosystem types are relatively small and would not lead to violation of regional or national conservation targets. We applied our method to land-use allocation to peat mining. Our method identified a combination of profitable production areas that provides the needed area for peat production while retaining most of the landscape-level ecological value of the ecosystem. The results of this inverse spatial conservation prioritization are being used in land-use zoning in the province of Central Finland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santtu Kareksela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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28
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Habib TJ, Farr DR, Schneider RR, Boutin S. Economic and ecological outcomes of flexible biodiversity offset systems. Conserv Biol 2013; 27:1313-1323. [PMID: 23869724 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The commonly expressed goal of biodiversity offsets is to achieve no net loss of specific biological features affected by development. However, strict equivalency requirements may complicate trading of offset credits, increase costs due to restricted offset placement options, and force offset activities to focus on features that may not represent regional conservation priorities. Using the oil sands industry of Alberta, Canada, as a case study, we evaluated the economic and ecological performance of alternative offset systems targeting either ecologically equivalent areas (vegetation types) or regional conservation priorities (caribou and the Dry Mixedwood natural subregion). Exchanging dissimilar biodiversity elements requires assessment via a generalized metric; we used an empirically derived index of biodiversity intactness to link offsets with losses incurred by development. We considered 2 offset activities: land protection, with costs estimated as the net present value of profits of petroleum and timber resources to be paid as compensation to resource tenure holders, and restoration of anthropogenic footprint, with costs estimated from existing restoration projects. We used the spatial optimization tool MARXAN to develop hypothetical offset networks that met either the equivalent-vegetation or conservation-priority targets. Networks that required offsetting equivalent vegetation cost 2-17 times more than priority-focused networks. This finding calls into question the prudence of equivalency-based systems, particularly in relatively undeveloped jurisdictions, where conservation focuses on limiting and directing future losses. Priority-focused offsets may offer benefits to industry and environmental stakeholders by allowing for lower-cost conservation of valued ecological features and may invite discussion on what land-use trade-offs are acceptable when trading biodiversity via offsets. Resultados Económicos y Ecológicos de Sistemas de Compensación de Biodiversidad Flexible Habib et al.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Habib
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
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29
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Stickler CM, Coe MT, Costa MH, Nepstad DC, McGrath DG, Dias LC, Rodrigues HO, Soares-Filho BS. Dependence of hydropower energy generation on forests in the Amazon Basin at local and regional scales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:9601-6. [PMID: 23671098 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1215331110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical rainforest regions have large hydropower generation potential that figures prominently in many nations' energy growth strategies. Feasibility studies of hydropower plants typically ignore the effect of future deforestation or assume that deforestation will have a positive effect on river discharge and energy generation resulting from declines in evapotranspiration (ET) associated with forest conversion. Forest loss can also reduce river discharge, however, by inhibiting rainfall. We used land use, hydrological, and climate models to examine the local "direct" effects (through changes in ET within the watershed) and the potential regional "indirect" effects (through changes in rainfall) of deforestation on river discharge and energy generation potential for the Belo Monte energy complex, one of the world's largest hydropower plants that is currently under construction on the Xingu River in the eastern Amazon. In the absence of indirect effects of deforestation, simulated deforestation of 20% and 40% within the Xingu River basin increased discharge by 4-8% and 10-12%, with similar increases in energy generation. When indirect effects were considered, deforestation of the Amazon region inhibited rainfall within the Xingu Basin, counterbalancing declines in ET and decreasing discharge by 6-36%. Under business-as-usual projections of forest loss for 2050 (40%), simulated power generation declined to only 25% of maximum plant output and 60% of the industry's own projections. Like other energy sources, hydropower plants present large social and environmental costs. Their reliability as energy sources, however, must take into account their dependence on forests.
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Abstract
Robust ways to meet objectives of environmental conservation and social and economic development remain elusive. This struggle may in part be related to insufficient understanding of the feedbacks between conservation initiatives and social-ecological systems, specifically, the ways in which conservation initiatives result in social changes that have secondary effects on the environments targeted by conservation. To explore this idea, we sampled peer-reviewed articles addressing the social and environmental dimensions of conservation and coded each paper according to its research focus and characterization of these feedbacks. The majority of articles in our sample focused either on the effect of conservation initiatives on people (e.g., relocation, employment) or the effect of people on the environment (e.g., fragmentation, conservation efficacy of traditional management systems). Few studies in our sample empirically addressed both the social dynamics resulting from conservation initiatives and subsequent environmental effects. In many cases, one was measured and the other was discussed anecdotally. Among the studies that describe feedbacks between social and environmental variables, there was more evidence of positive (amplifying) feedbacks between social and environmental outcomes (i.e., undesirable social outcomes yielded undesirable environmental effects and desirable social outcomes yielded desirable environmental effects). The major themes within the sampled literature include conflict between humans and wild animals, social movements, adaptive comanagement, loss of traditional management systems, traditional ecological knowledge, human displacement and risks to livelihoods, and conservation and development. The narratives associated with each theme can serve as hypotheses for facilitating further discussion about conservation issues and for catalyzing future studies of the feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Miller
- Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 3275, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3135, USA.
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