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Assessing the Impacts of Agriculture and Its Trade on Philippine Biodiversity

Peer-reviewed publication
October, 2020
Philippines

Many Philippine species are at risk of extinction because of habitat loss and degradation driven by agricultural land use and land-use change. The Philippines is one of the world’s primary banana and pineapple producers. The input-intensive style of plantation agriculture for these typically exported crops has many adverse effects on the environment. While global studies have attempted to understand the biodiversity impacts of agricultural goods, there are few studies that have investigated the Philippines specifically.

Aboveground Biomass Distribution in a Multi-Use Savannah Landscape in Southeastern Kenya: Impact of Land Use and Fences

Peer-reviewed publication
September, 2020
Kenya
Norway

Savannahs provide valuable ecosystem services and contribute to continental and global carbon budgets. In addition, savannahs exhibit multiple land uses, e.g., wildlife conservation, pastoralism, and crop farming. Despite their importance, the effect of land use on woody aboveground biomass (AGB) in savannahs is understudied. Furthermore, fences used to reduce human–wildlife conflicts may affect AGB patterns. We assessed AGB densities and patterns, and the effect of land use and fences on AGB in a multi-use savannah landscape in southeastern Kenya.

Informing Protected Area Decision Making through Academic-Practitioner Collaborations

Peer-reviewed publication
September, 2020
United States of America
Australia

This study examined knowledge mobilization and collaboration practices of practitioners in a Canadian provincial park agency, BC Parks. Data was collected through four focus groups, an on line survey (N = 125), and a follow up workshop. Results showed that the most important information sources used by the agency were “internal” (e.g., policy and management guidelines), while “external sources” such as academic researchers or journals were rated lower.

Quantifying Climate-Wise Connectivity across a Topographically Diverse Landscape

Peer-reviewed publication
September, 2020
Global

Climate-wise connectivity is essential to provide species access to suitable habitats in the future, yet we lack a consistent means of quantifying climate adaptation benefits of habitat linkages. Species range shifts to cooler climates have been widely observed, suggesting we should protect pathways providing access to cooler locations. However, in topographically diverse regions, the effects of elevation, seasonality, and proximity to large water bodies are complex drivers of biologically relevant temperature gradients.

Protected Area Governance and Its Influence on Local Perceptions, Attitudes and Collaboration

Peer-reviewed publication
September, 2020
Global

Globally, protected areas are faced with a myriad of threats emanating principally from anthropogenic drivers, which underpins the importance of the human element in protected area management. Delving into the “exclusive” and “inclusive” approaches to nature conservation discourse, this study explored the extent to which local communities collaborate in the management of protected areas and how the governance regime of these areas influences local perceptions and attitudes.

Beyond Calendars and Maps: Rethinking Time and Space for Effective Knowledge Governance in Protected Areas

Peer-reviewed publication
September, 2020
Colombia
South Africa
Southern Africa

Protected area managers rely on relevant, credible, and legitimate knowledge. However, an increase in the rate, extent, severity, and magnitude of the impacts of drivers of change (e.g., climate change, altered land use, and demand for natural resources) is affecting the response capacity of managers and their agencies. We address temporal aspects of knowledge governance by exploring time-related characteristics of information and decision-making processes in protected areas.

Perceived importance of ecosystem services in the Białowieża Forest for local communities – Does proximity matter?

Peer-reviewed publication
August, 2020
Global

Effective protection of biodiversity in areas of high conservation value requires trade-offs between local use of natural resources and conservation restrictions. The compromise is often difficult to reach, which causes conflicts over the management priorities of existing and potential protected areas. Ecosystem services (ES) perspective offers a promising avenue for diagnosing and reconciling contrasting interests concerning the use of benefits from ecosystems.

Connectivity of Protected Areas: Effect of Human Pressure and Subnational Contributions in the Ecoregions of Tropical Andean Countries

Peer-reviewed publication
August, 2020
Bolivia
Colombia
Ecuador
United States of America
Venezuela
Global

Conservationists recognize the value of protected area (PA) systems, with adequate coverage, ecological representation, connection, and management to deliver conservation benefits. Yet, governments primarily focus on coverage, disregarding quantification of the other criteria.

Quantification of Soil Losses along the Coastal Protected Areas in Kenya

Peer-reviewed publication
May, 2020
Kenya

Monitoring of improper soil erosion empowered by water is constantly adding more risk to the natural resource mitigation scenarios, especially in developing countries. The demographical pattern and the rate of growth, in addition to the impairments of the rainfall pattern, are consequently disposed to adverse environmental disturbances. The current research goal is to evaluate soil erosion triggered by water in the coastal area of Kenya on the district level, and also in protected areas.

Influence of Logos on Social Attitudes toward the Landscape of Protected Areas: The Case of National and Natural Parks in Spain

Peer-reviewed publication
April, 2020
Spain

This study is the first analysis of the influence of the design of the logos of the National and Natural Parks of Spain on social attitudes toward these protected areas (PAs). The effect of certain elements in the logo of a PA on its attractiveness and on support for its conservation was explored through a questionnaire survey of groups of university students. The respondents were asked to choose between different park logos, using three main criteria: tourist interest, conservation priority, and willingness to pay for conservation.

Sistema de Monitoramento da Exploração Madeireira (Simex): Estado do Pará 2017-2018

Reports & Research
March, 2020
América Latina e Caribe
América do Sul
Brasil
Neste relatório avaliamos a situação da exploração madeireira no estado do Pará entre agosto de 2017 e julho 2018. Para tanto, comparamos inicialmente as informações das Autorizações para Exploração Florestal (Autefs) operacionais no período, emitidas pela Semas-PA (Secretaria Estadual de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade), com imagens de satélite processadas para verificar a consistência e execução dessas autorizações.

Hunting Tourism as a Possible Development Tool in Protected Areas of Extremadura, Spain

Peer-reviewed publication
March, 2020
Spain

The constant declaration of new protected natural spaces that has taken place on a world scale in recent decades has caused changes in rural areas, where these spaces are often host to traditional activities that have acted over time as the area’s main sources of wealth. Among these activities, hunting has been one of the most affected. For this reason, the following study analyzes the incidence of one of the economic sectors linked to venatoria, hunting tourism, in two protected areas with an established hunting tradition: Sierra de San Pedro and Monfragüe.