Search

Copyright of Nachhaltigkeitsrecht is the property of Verlag Oesterreich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Zooplankton is a fundamental group in aquatic ecosystems representing the base of the food chain. It forms a link between the lower trophic levels with secondary consumers and shows marked fluctuations in populations with environmental change, especially reacting to heating and water acidification. Marine copepods account for approx. 70% of the abundance of zooplankton and are a target of monitoring activities in key areas such as the Southern Ocean. In this study, we have used FAIR-inspired legacy data (dating back to the 1980s) collected in the Ross Sea by the Italian National Antarctic Program at GBIF.org. Together with other open-access GIS data sources and tools, it allows one to generate, for the first time, three-dimensional predictive distribution maps for twenty-six copepod species. These predictive maps were obtained by applying machine learning techniques to grey literature data, which were visualized in open-source GIS platforms. In a Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) framework, we used machine learning with three types of algorithms (TreeNet, RandomForest, and Ensemble) to analyze the presence and absence of copepods in different areas and depth classes as a function of environmental descriptors obtained from the Polar Macroscope Layers present in Quantartica. The models allow, for the first time, to map-predict the food chain per depth class in quantitative terms, showing the relative index of occurrence (RIO) in 3Dimensions and identifying the presence of each copepod species analyzed in the Ross Sea, a globally-relevant wilderness area of conservation concern. Our results show marked geographical preferences that vary with species and trophic strategy. This study demonstrates that machine learning is a successful method in accurately predicting the Antarctic copepod presence, also providing useful data to orient future sampling and the management of wildlife and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, Venter et al. ([4]) visually overlay the 2009 human footprint (HFP) "no pressure" areas (Venter et al., [5]) with HM zero values and notes high incongruence. Areas are in blue where HFP = 0 and HM /= 0; yellow where HM = 0 and HFP /= 0; and red where HFP = 0 and (i) HM = 0; (ii) HM <= 0.0018 (the median value in HFP = 0), (iii) HM <= 0.10 (the median HM value globally and threshold used for "low modified" lands in Kennedy et al., [2]). Despite differences in the spatial distributions between HM and HFP maps at finer scales (Figure map insets), the correlation of land modification patterns remain fairly similar at coarse scales (Kennedy et al., [2]). [Extracted from the article]

Deep sea mining could be a disaster for the marine environment, ocean biodiversity, and the fishing industry, and could promote climate change by disrupting oceanic carbon sinks, warns Greenpeace in its new report I In Deep Water: the emerging threat of deep sea mining i (https://bit.ly/2xoWdn3). Launched in 2010, the game aims to inform players about species, ecosystems, and potential environmental threats such as climate change. Phylo game players also showed more positive emotions and were more likely to donate to prevent negative environmental effects such as oil spills, instead of protecting species or ecosystems directly. The team found significant declines in the number of frost days (when minimum temperatures dip below freezing) and ice days (when maximum temperatures never rise above freezing), and increases in the number of thaw days (when maximum temperatures rise above freezing) and mud days (days when the ground is snow-free and temperatures rise above freezing). [Extracted from the article]

Rewilding, though a young term, already has numerous meanings. We use Q-methodology to investigate understandings and practices of rewilding amongst managers of wildland on 17 estates in the Scottish uplands. The estates, covering 207,200 ha, include all the main land ownership types in Scotland. All respondents value wildness and biodiversity highly, but the Q-study reveals significant divergence in the interpretations and practices of rewilding, especially concerning (i) the value of naturalness, (ii) the use of management interventions, (iii) the value of cultural heritage and traditional land uses, and (iv) the place of people within wildland. A tripartite taxonomy of wildland management approaches is developed, identifying three 'centres of gravity' along the continuum of viewpoints, emphasising, respectively, nature's autonomy, active restoration, and the maintenance of wildness within cultural landscapes. The taxonomy provides an analytic framework for evaluating the diverse and often conflicting aspirations for the management of wild places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is rising concern that increases in visitor numbers could negatively affect natural resources within protected natural areas. This has raised questions regarding the effectiveness of indirect management strategies in reducing depreciative behaviors among visitors across different natural resource settings. Leave No Trace (LNT), which focuses on indirect management tactics, is an educational program adopted by parks and forests for reducing visitor impacts. LNT promotes stewardship using seven guiding principles: (a) plan ahead and prepare, (b) travel and camp on durable surfaces, (c) dispose of waste properly, (d) leave what you find, (e) minimize campfire impacts, (f) respect wildlife, and (g) be considerate of other visitors. These principles were developed for wilderness settings but have been revised to apply to backcountry and frontcountry areas. This article examined the use of LNT practices in three different natural resource settings and attempts to contribute to this knowledge gap. Data for this article were obtained from on-site surveys in a national park (Rocky Mountain National Park), a national forest (Shawnee National Forest) and three state parks in Wyoming (Glendo, Curt Gowdy, Wyoming Territorial Prison Historic Site). Standardized questions were developed to examine the four topics: (a) appropriateness of LNT principles, (b) difficulty to perform LNT, (c) perceived control over LNT behaviors, and (d) behavioral intentions relative to LNT principles. Results revealed that across the three settings visitors' responses within each topic aligned with LNT principles. However, compared to national forest and state park visitors, national park visitors were the least likely to view LNT principles as appropriate yet most likely to indicate that they behave in accordance with LNT guidance. There were no differences among visitors to the three settings regarding perceived difficulty of performing LNT practices. It is unclear if these findings are applicable to other parks and forests--researchers are encouraged to replicate this work in a range of outdoor settings. By understanding differences between visitors to different natural settings, managers and educators can improve the efficacy of LNT messaging to individual natural resource settings, increase the adoption of Leave No Trace practices, and decrease depreciation of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although bear-inflicted (Ursus spp.) human fatalities are rare in North America, human injuries, property damage, and bear mortalities occur wherever bears and humans commingle. We investigated the efficacy of portable electric fencing systems for bear deterrence under a variety of environmental conditions in the lab and field. Our results showed that the bear deterrent systems we evaluated were effective in protecting humans, their food, and property from bears >99% of the time. Herein, we discuss the benefits of using electric fencing, reasons why fences sometimes fail, and provide guidance regarding the most effective implementation of the systems we evaluated. Lastly, we also explore why this deterrent is not yet in widespread use. We encourage the use of electric fencing in bear country for protecting humans, their camping gear and food, and ultimately to promote bear conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture expansion is already the primary cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss globally 1,2 ; yet, to meet the demands of growing human populations, production is expected to have to double by 2050. 3 The challenge of achieving expansion without further detriment to the environment and biodiversity is huge and potentially compounded by climate change, which may necessitate shifting agriculture zones poleward to regions with more suitable climates, 4 threatening species or areas of conservation priority. 5,6,7 However, the possible future overlap between agricultural suitability and wilderness areas, increasingly recognized for significant biodiversity, cultural, and climate regulation values, has not yet been examined. Here, using high-resolution climate data, we model global present and future climate suitability for 1,708 crop varieties. We project, over the next 40 years, that 2.7 million km2 of land within wilderness will become newly suitable for agriculture, equivalent to 7% of the total wilderness area outside Antarctica. The increase in potentially cultivable land in wilderness areas is particularly acute at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, where 76.3% of newly suitable land is currently wilderness, equivalent to 10.2% of the total wilderness area. Our results highlight an important and previously unidentified possible consequence of the disproportionate warming known to be occurring in high northern latitudes. Because we find that, globally, 72.0% of currently cultivable land is predicted to experience a net loss in total crop diversity, agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness. Without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost. • As climate warms, crop production will increasingly shift into wilderness areas • 2.7 million km2 of wilderness will become suitable for agriculture within 40 years • High-latitude wilderness in the northern hemisphere is particularly threatened • Agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness areas Gardner et al. show a stark increase in land within wilderness that will become newly suitable for agriculture within the next 40 years. They draw attention to this major emerging threat to wilderness, highlighting that without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why would a consumer trust that his/her supplier would honor their agreement in illegal transactions? What mechanisms do consumers rely on to enhance the credibility of their agreements? In this article, these questions are examined in the light of illegal transactions of protected wildlife in China for consumption as a delicacy. Based on interviews with actors involved in this illegal market and open sources, this article shows that consumers rely on the supplier’s reputation to access protected wildlife, along with their reputation of having the culinary skills necessary to cook the wildlife in order to enhance the credibility of their agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural Wildlife Development Area is a protection status declared in accordance with the Land Hunting Act No. 4915. Within this scope, there are 80 Wildlife Development Areas in our country. The aim of this study was to observe possible threats in the Elekdag wildlife development area and to suggest solutions for the area. Elekdag Wildlife Development Area is located in Kastamonu province within the boundaries of Tasköprü county. The administrative responsibility of Elekdag Wildlife Development Area belongs to the General Directorate of National Parks and Nature Conservation, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kastamonu Provincial Environment and Forestry Directorate. As a result of the study, it was found that the wildlife habitats for deer populations (target species) and water resources in the area at risk. The identification of the risks on habitats and biological resources and proposed solutions have great importance on ecosystem integrity of the protected area. Therefore, we proposed some solutions to eliminate these risks. The most important factor is the arranging on-site management to ensure sustainable protection-use balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Alpine ski recreation is one of the most popular outdoor winter sports globally but often involves habitat modification and dense human activity, both of which can harm wildlife. We investigated the effects of ski area development and winter recreation activities on movement, occupancy, and density of Pacific martens ( Martes caurina) in the Lake Tahoe region of California and Nevada, USA by comparing 3 ski and 3 control study areas. We systematically surveyed martens using live traps and hair snares during spring-summer and winter seasons from 2009 through 2011 to identify how martens responded to the year-round effects of habitat fragmentation from ski area development and the seasonal effects of winter recreation activities. Martens selectively moved between remnant forest patches with the shortest crossing distances across open, non-forested ski runs in both seasons, with the effect more pronounced in females. Overall, habitat connectivity was reduced by 41% in ski areas compared to habitat not fragmented by ski runs. During spring-summer, occupancy rates were not different between habitat within or outside of ski operations areas. During winter, however, occupancy was significantly lower inside (52%) ski area boundaries than outside (88%) them. Reduced detection probability in ski areas indicated martens also reduced the frequency of use of operations areas in winter. Using spatially explicit capture-recapture models, we found that marten density did not differ between ski areas and controls during spring, but during winter female density declined at ski areas by 63% compared to spring-summer and was <50% of female density compared to controls. This suggests that females seasonally avoid habitat in ski areas by shifting their habitat use to areas outside ski operations boundaries during winter. Although male marten density did not differ, the lack of resident males >3 years old coupled with higher annual turnover rates suggests male densities at ski areas may be reliant on annual male immigration. In winter, martens avoided using habitat in ski operations areas when recreation activity was greatest. Winter ski recreation may not be incompatible with marten use of habitat in ski areas, but habitat fragmentation from ski areas affects marten movement and recreation activities affect seasonal habitat occupancy and female density. Maintaining functional habitat connectivity, via networks of short ski run crossings that link habitat in and out of ski areas, will be important for maintaining or improving marten use of remnant habitat in developed ski areas. © 2017 The Wildlife Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining wild places increasingly involves intensive human interventions. Several recent projects use semi-automated mediating technologies to enact conservation and restoration actions, including re-seeding and invasive species eradication. Could a deep-learning system sustain the autonomy of nonhuman ecological processes at designated sites without direct human interventions? We explore here the prospects for automated curation of wild places, as well as the technical and ethical questions that such co-creation poses for ecologists, conservationists, and designers. Our goal is to foster innovative approaches to creating and maintaining the autonomy of evolving ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As everyone recognizes in varying degrees, the idea of managing wilderness is inherently contradictory. The definition of true wilderness is that nobody controls it; it answers to no purpose, human [...]

Farmland abandonment takes place across the world due to socio-economic and ecological drivers. In Europe agricultural and environmental policies aim to prevent abandonment and halt ecological succession. Ecological rewilding has been recently proposed as an alternative strategy. We developed a framework to assess opportunities for rewilding across different dimensions of wilderness in Europe. We mapped artificial light, human accessibility based on transport infrastructure, proportion of harvested primary productivity (i.e., ecosystem productivity appropriated by humans through agriculture or forestry), and deviation from potential natural vegetation in areas projected to be abandoned by 2040. At the continental level, the levels of artificial light were low and the deviation from potential natural vegetation was high in areas of abandonment. The relative importance of wilderness metrics differed regionally and was strongly connected to local environmental and socio-economic contexts. Large areas of projected abandonment were often located in or around Natura 2000 sites. Based on these results, we argue that management should be tailored to restore the aspects of wilderness that are lacking in each region. There are many remaining challenges regarding biodiversity in Europe, but megafauna species are already recovering. To further potentiate large-scale rewilding, Natura 2000 management would need to incorporate rewilding approaches. Our framework can be applied to assessing rewilding opportunities and challenges in other world regions, and our results could guide redirection of subsidies to manage social-ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation of species requires accurate population estimates. We used genetic markers from feces to determine bighorn sheep abundance for a herd that was hypothesized to be declining and in need of population status monitoring. We sampled from a small but accessible portion of the population's range where animals naturally congregate at a natural mineral lick to test whether we could accurately estimate population size by sampling from an area where animals concentrate. We used mark-recapture analysis to derive population estimates, and compared estimates from this smaller spatial sampling to estimates from sampling of the entire bighorn sheep range. We found that estimates were somewhat comparable; in 2009, the mineral lick sample and entire range sample differed by 20 individuals, and in 2010 they differed by only one individual. However, we captured 13 individuals in the entire range sample that were not captured at the mineral lick, and thus violated a model assumption that all individuals had an equal opportunity of being captured. This eliminated the possibility of inferring a total population estimate from just animals visiting the mineral lick, but because estimates were relatively similar, monitoring at the mineral lick can provide a useful index for management and conservation. We compared our results to a radio-collar study conducted in 2003-2004 and confirmed that the population remained stable since 2004. Our population estimates were 78 (CI 62-114) in 2009 and 95 (CI 77-131) in 2010. Between 7 and 11 sampling dates were needed to achieve a CV of 20% for population estimates, assuming a capture probability between 0.09 and 0.13. We relied on citizen science volunteers to maximize data collection and reduce costs; 71% of all fecal samples were collected by volunteers, compared to 29% collected by paid staff. We conclude that our technique provides a useful monitoring tool for managers. The technique could be tested and applied in similar populations where animals congregate with high fidelity at a mineral lick or other area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01490.x Byline: VALERIE HICKEY ([dagger]*) Keywords: conservation mandate; Dreissena rostriformis bugensis; invasive species; land-use zoning; non-native; national park; protected area; quagga mussels Abstract: Abstract: Parks are cornerstones of conservation; and non-native invasive species drive extensive changes to biological diversity in parks. Knowing this, national park staff at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in the southwestern United States had a program in place for early detection of the non-native, invasive quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). Upon finding the mussel in January 2007, managers moved quickly to access funding and the best available science to implement a response. Managers considered four options-doing nothing, closing the park, restricting movement on the lakes, and educating and enforcing park visitors-and decided to focus on education and enforcing existing laws. Nonetheless, quagga spread throughout the park and soon began to appear throughout the western United States. I examined why efforts to control the expansion failed and determined the general lessons to be learned from this case. Concentrating human visitation on the lakes through land-use zoning opened a pathway for invasion, reduced management options, and led to the rapid spread of quagga. To reconcile competing mandates to protect nature and provide recreation, zoning in parks has become a common practice worldwide. It reduces stress on some areas of a park by restricting and thus concentrating human activity in particular areas. Concentrating the human activity in one area does three things: cements pathways that repeatedly import and export vectors of non-native invasive species; creates the disturbed area necessary to enable non-native invasive species to gain a foothold; and, establishes a source of invasions that, without appropriate controls, can quickly spread to a park's wilderness areas. Abstract (Spanish): La Crisis de Mejillones Quagga en el Area de Nacional de Recreacion Lago Mead, Nevada (EUA) Resumen: Los parques son piedras angulares de la conservacion, y las especies exoticas invasoras provocan cambios extensivos a la diversidad biologica de los parques. Sabiendo esto, el personal del Area Nacional de Recreacion Lago Mead en el suroeste de Estados Unidos desarrollo un programa para la deteccion temprana del mejillon quagga, exotico e invasor (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). Ante el hallazgo del mejillon en enero de 2007, los gestores se movilizaron para obtener financiamiento y la mejor ciencia disponible para implementar una respuesta. Los manejadores consideraron 4 opciones - hacer nada, cerrar el parque, restringir el movimiento en las lagunas y educacion y cumplimiento de la ley a visitantes - y decidieron concentrarse en la educacion y observancia de las leyes existentes. Sin embargo, los mejillones se dispersaron por el parque y pronto comenzaron a aparecer en el occidente de Estados Unidos. Examine porque fracasaron los esfuerzos para controlar la expansion y determine las lecciones generales de este caso. La concentracion de visitantes humanos a los lagos mediante la zonificacion del uso de suelo abrio un camino para la invasion, redujo las opciones de manejo y condujo a la rapida expansion de mejillones. Para reconciliar mandatos opuestos para proteger la naturaleza y proporcionar recreacion, la zonificacion de parques se ha vuelto una practica comun en todo el mundo. Reduce el estres sobre algunas areas de un parque al restringir, y por lo tanto concentrar la actividad humana en areas particulares. La concentracion de la actividad humana en un area hace tres cosas: consolida senderos que repetidamente importan y exportan vectores de especies exoticas invasoras, crea el area perturbada necesaria que facilita que las especies exoticas invasoras ganen terreno; y establece una fuente de invasiones que, sin los controles apropiados, se pueden extender rapidamente hacia el resto del parque. Author Affiliation: ([dagger])Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A. Article History: Paper submitted August 1, 2009; revised manuscript accepted January 1, 2010. Article note: (*) Current address: P.O. Box 1923, Blowing Rock, NC 28605-1923, U.S.A, email valerie.hickey@duke.edu

Aim New conservation approaches that account for broad-scale ecological processes must underpin decisions about conservation planning in the world's remaining wilderness areas. Our goal is to make the relevant tools and methods that have been developed by conservation scientists accessible to conservation practitioners working towards wilderness preservation. Location Wilderness areas, in particular the North American boreal region. Methods We describe prominent spatial tools from natural resource management, landscape ecology and conservation biology for incorporating natural disturbance dynamics into systematic conservation planning. Then, we identify emerging methods that combine and customize these types of tools to account for interacting ecological processes in wilderness conservation plans with a specific focus on conserving natural disturbances in the North American boreal region. Results Two classes of tools are well suited to the task of conservation planning in dynamic landscapes: site-selection tools (e.g. Marxan and Zonation) and process-based modelling tools (e.g. CONSERV and LANDIS- II). Four methods for explicitly including natural disturbance dynamics into conservation plans emerge from the combination of these tools: spatial catalysts combined with site-selection tools, probability theory combined with site-selection tools, spatial simulation models and spatial simulation models combined with site-selection tools. Main conclusions Globally, there are few wilderness areas remaining; therefore, there is increasing impetus to effectively protect the world's remaining intact areas. Careful combinations of probabilistic models, such as Markov chain models, or spatial simulation tools, such as CONSERV and Spatially Explicit Landscape Event Simulator, with site-selection tools, such as Benchmark Builder and Marxan, are promising approaches for accounting for natural disturbance dynamics when land use planning in wilderness areas such as the North American boreal region. The protection of natural disturbance dynamics will play an increasingly important role in the long-term persistence of biodiversity in earth's remaining wilderness areas as ongoing anthropogenic disturbances and climate change imperil broad-scale ecological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoos and aquariums play a powerful role in saving species in the wild while educating the public about wildlife and wild places through our ambassador animals. Employees are an integral part in bringing their institution's conservation efforts to the forefront, educating guests and inspiring them to take action to save animals. Recent research has shown that connections to field conservation projects by employees significantly impacts institutional conservation messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]