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Coastal wetlands, such as salt marshes, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and mud flats, are highly productive and valuable for sustainable development. Commonly referred to as “blue carbon” ecosystems because of their relevance in the global carbon (C) cycle, they provide climate mitigation benefits and a wide range of ecological services, such as erosion control, biodiversity support, water quality protection, and C sequestration (Lovelock and Duarte, 2019 and Macreadie et al., 2021). Despite covering a relatively small area, coastal wetlands are estimated to sequester nearly 54 Tg C yr−1, thereby serving as an efficient and natural “C sink” (Wang et al., 2021)

One of the aims of environmental management is to achieve good ecosystem state. Assessing the state needs to be informed by thresholds above which state is defined as “good” for both the quality that defines good state, and the extent of the habitat that needs to be in such a quality. Operationalizing such thresholds has been carried out using a wide variety of approaches, with, often, haphazard and subjective outcomes. Here, we review approaches for setting “good-state” thresholds and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses for application to marine seabed ecosystems. Only two approaches defined a current ecologically meaningful good state and estimated thresholds quantitatively from data, while two other approaches (“avoid collapse” and “allow recovery”) would result in a state that could recover to good in the future. Other methods were subjective in the choice of threshold or based on statistically detectable thresholds rather than thresholds between good and not good or degraded state. We argue that the most objective method for setting a good-state threshold is based on maintaining the state within the range of natural variation in undisturbed systems. Preliminary time-series analyses of marine seabed community biomass suggest this threshold is located between 54 and 79% of the undisturbed state.

The black guan (Chamaepetes unicolor) is an endemic bird of the western Panama and Costa Rican highlands and was categorized by the IUCN Cracid Specialist Group as a species of very high conservation priority. To estimate the density in the Tapantí sector of the Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park in Costa Rica, in 2008 sampling was carried out for six months using linear transects.. With a total of 72 km traveled, 13 individuals were recorded in the counts carried out during the morning and 15 individuals during the afternoon. The estimated total density was 3.18 ind/km2 ± 1.56 (CI, 95%) and the ecological density (excluding transects without records) was 3.82 ind/km2 ± 1.05 (CI, 95%). It is estimated that the reproductive season was between March and June, registering a decrease in density at the end of it. In addition, the consumption of Thibaudia costaricensis fruits, not previously reported in their diet, was recorded. This work shows the importance of implementing population monitoring processes for indicator species, since in addition to increasing knowledge about the behavior and status of these species, they can be used as a tool for evaluating the integrity of ecosystems within the protected areas., La pava negra (Chamaepetes unicolor) es un ave endémica de las zonas altas de Costa Rica y oeste de Panamá. Fue categorizada por el Grupo de Especialistas en Crácidos de la UICN como una especie de muy alta prioridad de conservación. Para estimar la densidad en el sector Tapantí del Parque Nacional Tapantí Macizo de la Muerte en Costa Rica, en 2008 se realizaron muestreos durante seis meses mediante el uso de transectos lineales. Con un total de 72 km recorridos, se registraron 13 individuos en los conteos realizados durante la mañana y 15 individuos durante la tarde. La densidad total estimada fue de 3.18 ind/km2 ± 1.56 (IC, 95%) y la densidad ecológica (excluyendo transectos sin registros) fue de 3.82 ind/km2 ± 1.05 (IC, 95%). La época reproductiva tuvo lugar entre marzo y junio, registrándose una disminución de la densidad al final de esta. Se registró el consumo de frutos de Thibaudia costaricensis, especie que no había sido reportada como parte de la dieta de C. unicolor. Este trabajo evidencia la importancia de la implementación de procesos de seguimiento poblacional a especies indicadoras, ya que además de aumentar el conocimiento sobre el comportamiento y estado de estas especies, pueden utilizarse como herramienta para la evaluación de la integridad de los ecosistemas dentro de las áreas protegidas.

The recognition of the monitoring and conservation of coral species highlights the need to promote tools that contribute to the generation of information about the health of coral reefs in the coastal ecosystem of Cabo de la Vela in La Guajira and thus understand the factors that cause its degradation and make recommendations for the preservation of its biodiversity, it should be noted that in this coastal area there is limited knowledge about the characteristics of the coral community and the current status of the species present. The purpose is to generate a manual to promote in situ monitoring and conservation of coral species in the coastal ecosystem, it is a descriptive, projective, bibliographic documentary study aimed at providing answers or solutions to problems posed in a certain practical reality. Therefore, in this innovative process the participation of all the key actors involved is fundamental; community, universities, researchers. It is concluded that the in situ conservation of the coastal ecosystem of Cabo de la Vela in La Guajira will depend on the availability of information on the distribution of coral species, and the use of indicators under an ecorregional approach based on scientific knowledge of this discipline., El reconocimiento del monitoreo y conservación de especies coralinas, destaca la necesidad de promover herramientas que coadyuven a la generación de información acerca de la salud de los arrecifes coralinos en el ecosistema costero del Cabo de la Vela en La Guajira y de esta manera comprender los factores que provocan su degradación y hacer recomendaciones para la preservación de su biodiversidad, cabe resaltar que en esta zona costera existe un limitado conocimiento sobre las características de la comunidad coralina y del estado actual de las especies presentes. El propósito es generar un manual para favorecer el monitoreo in situ y conservación de especies coralinas en el ecosistema costero, es un estudio descriptivo, proyectivo, documental bibliográfico orientado a proporcionar respuestas o soluciones a problemas planteados en una determinada realidad de tipo práctico. Por tanto, en este proceso innovador la participación de todos los actores clave involucrados es fundamental; comunidad, universidades, investigadores. Se concluye, la conservación in situ del ecosistema costero del Cabo de la Vela en La Guajira, va a depender de la disponibilidad de información sobre la distribución de las especies coralinas, y el uso de indicadores bajo un enfoque ecorregional basado en el conocimiento científico de esta disciplina.

The Tietê River Basin, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, has been shaped throughout centuries into a highly-industrialized agriculture landscape. Originally almost entirely covered by the Atlantic Rainforest, a rich tropical biome that stretches through most of the Brazilian eastern coast, the basin is now mostly covered by urbanized landscapes, associated with spaces of intense production. First heavily altered by the coffee economic cycles during the 19 and 20th centuries, the Basin has since then been deprived of most of its natural ecological conditions and has lost its ability to regulate and support ecological cycles in this region of southeastern Brazil. Since the 2000s the basin has been going through a process of specialization in the plantation of sugar-cane by extensive monocultures, mostly for biofuels production (alongside the rest of the hinterland of the State of São Paulo). The sterilization of the land and changes in land-use patterns across the region and other neighboring areas by industrial agriculture (such as the Amazon and Atlantic forests) are disrupting to micro and macroclimates, and the effect of such intense exploitation of the soil is already clearly noted in the form of catastrophes. Some of the countless externalities observed in the region are shifting rainfall patterns across the continent, heatwaves, cold spells, wildfires, and issues directly related to health, cause by, among other reasons, the intensive use of pesticides in the latifundia. As the new climate conditions increasingly become a reality, conventional land use patterns must be challenged. Natural resources and the capacity of natural systems to bounce back must be protected. Looking for possibilities of economic stability, in synch with the environment and welfare through the creation of new production systems, distributing the gains and burdens of climate change are among the goals of the project. A literature review, a series of cartographies, and research through d, Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Transitional Territories

Forest biomass as a rural sustainable energy source has received much attention in recent years due to its major economic, social, and environmental benefits. This research focuses on an adapted methodology based on parameters of the Evaluation of Ecological Integrity for using site-specific information as a tool for the assessment of forest biomass as a source of rural sustainable energy in Honduras, focusing on the Central American Pine–Oak Forests. The parameters used were Percentage of Forest Cover (FC), Patch Area (AREA), Fractal Dimension Index (FRAC), and Proximity Index (PROX). The goal was an average index rating of 5 for an ecosystem which is intact or in its natural state. The findings showed an ecosystem degradation that was outside the range of acceptable variation with a simple average of 1.75, which is far lower than the target rating of five (5.0); the forest cover loss was 40% of the total area. This surprising finding shows that immediate intervention is required to maintain this ecosystem, and that if action is not taken, the ecosystem will suffer severe degradation. Decision makers must consider this methodology for using site-specific information and ensure that local communities are involved in restoring the ecosystem.

The UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA) aims at regular and standardised stocktaking on the extent of ecosystems, their condition and the services they provide to society. Recording the condition of ecosystems is one of the most complex pieces in this exercise, needing to be supported by robust and consistent guidelines. SEEA EEA defines the condition of an ecosystem as its overall quality, measured in terms of quantitative metrics describing both abiotic and biotic characteristics. The main objective of this paper is to propose a simple universal classification (typology) for these ecosystem condition characteristics and metrics, based on long standing ecological concepts and traditions. The proposed SEEA EEA Ecosystem Condition Typology (SEEA ECT) is a hierarchical classification consisting of six classes grouped into three main groups (abiotic, biotic and landscape-level ecosystem characteristics). In order to facilitate practical applications, SEEA ECT is cross-linked to the most relevant existing typologies for ecosystem characteristics currently used for other purposes. To ensure clarity and practicality, we identified potential overlaps between classes and also identified the most important groups of ‘ancillary data’ that should not be considered as ecosystem condition characteristics. We consider that this new typology for ecosystem condition will create a meaningful reporting structure for ecosystem condition accounts, thus facilitating its standardisation and broad application.

Biodiversity continues its devastating decline while Europe is facing an estimated 20 million ha of farmland abandonment until 2030. By reviewing scientific and grey literature, websites, and reports I investigate the impacts of rewilding on biodiversity in connection to abandoned farmland. In addition, I analyse the amount of abandoned farmland in three project areas from the Rewilding Europe organisation through a case study methodology. Rewilding shows both benefits and disadvantages when applied to abandoned farmland, depending on factors such as geographical location, climate, and nutrient abundance. Despite the project areas’ claim to incorporate abandoned farmland it was not possible to ascertain the exact amount due to a general lack of geo-spatial data. With rewilding benefitting biodiversity in the right circumstances, the continuous abandonment of farmland and its potentially negative outcomes for biodiversity, it is imperative to conduct more research and detailed land cover change assessments.

1. Growing bioeconomy is increasing the pressure to clear-cut drained peatland forests. Yet, the cumulative effects of peatland drainage and clear-cutting on the biodiversity of recipient freshwater ecosystems are largely unknown. 2. We studied the isolated and combined effects of peatland drainage and clear-cutting on stream macroinvertebrate communities. We further explored whether the impact of these forestry-driven catchment alterations to benthic invertebrates is related to stream size. We quantified the impact on invertebrate biodiversity by comparing communities in forestry-impacted streams to expected communities modelled with a multi-taxon niche model. 3.The impact of clear-cutting of drained peatland forests exceeded the sum of the independent effects of drainage and clear-cutting, indicating a synergistic interaction between the two disturbances in small streams. Peatland drainage reduced benthic biodiversity in both small and large streams, whereas clear-cutting did the same only in small streams. Small headwater streams were more sensitive to forestry impacts than the larger downstream sites. 4.We found 11 taxa (out of 25 modelled) to respond to forestry disturbances. These taxa were mainly different from those previously reported as sensitive to forestry-driven alterations, indicating the context dependence of taxonomic responses to forestry. In contrast, most of the functional traits previously identified as responsive to agricultural sedimentation also responded to forestry pressures. In particular, taxa that live temporarily in hyporheic habitats, move by crawling, disperse actively in water, live longer than 1 year, use eggs as resistance form and obtain their food by scraping became less abundant than expected, particularly in streams impacted by both drainage and clear-cutting. 5. Synthesis and applications. Drained peatland forests in boreal areas are reaching maturity and will soon be harvested. Clear-cutting of these forests incurs mu

Aim Large and ecologically functioning steppe complexes have been lost historically across the globe, but recent land‐use changes may allow the reversal of this trend in some regions. We aimed to develop and map indicators of changing human influence using satellite imagery and historical maps, and to use these indicators to identify areas for broad‐scale steppe rewilding. Location Eurasian steppes of Kazakhstan. Methods We mapped decreasing human influence indicated by cropland abandonment, declining grazing pressure and rural outmigration in the steppes of northern Kazakhstan. We did this by processing ~5,500 Landsat scenes to map changes in cropland between 1990 and 2015, and by digitizing Soviet topographic maps and examining recent high‐resolution satellite imagery to assess the degree of abandonment of >2,000 settlements and >1,300 livestock stations. We combined this information into a human influence index (HI), mapped changes in HI to highlight where rewilding might take place and assessed how this affected the connectivity of steppe habitat. Results Across our study area, about 6.2 million ha of cropland were abandoned (30.5%), 14% of all settlements were fully and 81% partly abandoned, and 76% of livestock stations were completely dismantled between 1990 and 2015, suggesting substantially decreasing human pressure across vast areas. This resulted in increased connectivity of steppe habitat. Main conclusions The steppes of Eurasia are experiencing massively declining human influence, suggesting large‐scale passive rewilding is taking place. Many of these areas are now important for the connectivity of the wider steppe landscape and can provide habitat for endangered megafauna such as the critically endangered saiga antelope. Yet, this window of opportunity may soon close, as recultivation of abandoned cropland is gaining momentum. Our aggregate human influence index captures key components of rewilding and can help to devise strategies for fo

Aim: Large and ecologically functioning steppe complexes have been lost historically across the globe, but recent land-use changes may allow the reversal of this trend in some regions. We aimed to develop and map indicators of changing human influence using satellite imagery and historical maps, and to use these indicators to identify areas for broad-scale steppe rewilding. Location: Eurasian steppes of Kazakhstan. Methods: We mapped decreasing human influence indicated by cropland abandonment, declining grazing pressure and rural outmigration in the steppes of northern Kazakhstan. We did this by processing ~5,500 Landsat scenes to map changes in cropland between 1990 and 2015, and by digitizing Soviet topographic maps and examining recent high-resolution satellite imagery to assess the degree of abandonment of >2,000 settlements and >1,300 livestock stations. We combined this information into a human influence index (HI), mapped changes in HI to highlight where rewilding might take place and assessed how this affected the connectivity of steppe habitat. Results: Across our study area, about 6.2 million ha of cropland were abandoned (30.5%), 14% of all settlements were fully and 81% partly abandoned, and 76% of livestock stations were completely dismantled between 1990 and 2015, suggesting substantially decreasing human pressure across vast areas. This resulted in increased connectivity of steppe habitat. Main conclusions: The steppes of Eurasia are experiencing massively declining human influence, suggesting large-scale passive rewilding is taking place. Many of these areas are now important for the connectivity of the wider steppe landscape and can provide habitat for endangered megafauna such as the critically endangered saiga antelope. Yet, this window of opportunity may soon close, as recultivation of abandoned cropland is gaining momentum. Our aggregate human influence index captures key components of rewilding and can help to devise strategies for fo

This research aims to re-envision the city, understanding it as a living system where change creates growth and renewal, and where uncertainty is our new normal. The continuous struggle between cities and nature, forces human settlements to look for stability and safety, trying to control the dynamics and flows of underlying landscapes. In Chile, this tension is present in many urban settlements trying to deal with the natural dynamics. Chile, as a territory, is exposed to multiple dynamic natural forces such as the Pacific. With a coast line of 6.435 km, that is defined by the collision of two tectonic plates in constant movement, this regularly triggers a series of natural disasters that affect cities in different ways and degrees in the country. Concepción has been affected severely during the last two decades. Concepción is a coastal urban area that has grown into the flood plain of two river mouths and an ecological important tidal coastal wetland landscape. Although Concepción is built in a wet soil, city and water never meet; there is a dissociation where one is superimposed on the other. Furthermore, the whole system is increasingly at risk due to the urban pressure of the expanding city, resulting in degradation of ecosystems and natural infrastructure and with that exposing the coastal city to even more frequent and severe natural hazards. The key opportunity to face the existing challenges does not lie in the primacy of one system upon the other. Both, city and landscape need to interact in a more redefined way, looking for multifunctional structures and a new awareness of the importance of the presently disrupted landscape. What is a new resilient urban landscape backbone? The following research resulted in a void adaptive network based on design principles: 1.Value the natural system as the base infrastructure for the future city. 2. Use of voids (unplanned spaces) as an emergent, autonomous and self-organized network to create redundancy and multifunct, Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Landscape Architecture

The research aimed to link the concepts of ecological integrity and ecosystem services in mangroves, in search of food security and greater resilience to climate change. It was carried out in two coastal areas in the southwest of the province of Pinar del Río, Cuba; namely, Protected Area of Managed Resources Punta Cortés and Coloma-Las Canas (one in a state of deterioration). A methodological proposal was developed that relates the concepts of ecological integrity, ecosystem services and food security in coastal areas with the presence of mangroves, for which indicators are taken into account to assess the ecosystems in question and compare results through the application of surveys and interviews with residents, as empirical methods of support. In the case of Punta Cortés, according to the indicator range, a score of 28 was obtained, which places the area as high integrity, but not in the case of La Coloma-Las Canas, whose score was 11, remaining, according to the methodology, in the low integrity range. The results of the surveys carried out among the residents coincide with the previous ones, concluding that the La Coloma-Las Canas sector does not have the necessary food security for the local development of its residents due to the deterioration of its mangroves, which threatens the scarce possibility of resilience to climatic changes, especially hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as sea level rise., La investigación tuvo como objetivo relacionar los conceptos de integridad ecológica y servicios ecosistémicos en manglares, en busca de seguridad alimentaria y mayor resiliencia ante los cambios climáticos. Se realizó en dos zonas costeras del sur occidente de la provincia de Pinar del Río, Cuba; a saber, Área Protegida de Recursos Manejados Punta y La Coloma-Las Canas (una ha en estado de deterioro). Se desarrolló una propuesta metodológica que relaciona los conceptos de integridad ecológica, servicios ecosistémicos y seguridad alimentaria en zonas costeras con presencia de manglares, para lo cual se tienen en cuenta indicadores que permitan valorar los ecosistemas en cuestión y comparar resultados mediante la aplicación de encuestas y entrevistas a los pobladores, como métodos empíricos de apoyo. En el caso de Punta Cortés, según el rango de indicador, se obtuvo una puntuación de 28, lo que sitúa la zona como de alta integridad, no así en el caso de La Coloma-Las Canas, cuya puntuación resultó de 11, quedando, según la metodología, en el rango de baja integridad. Los resultados de las encuestas realizadas a los pobladores coinciden con los anteriores, concluyendo que el sector La Coloma- Las Canas no posee la seguridad alimentaria necesaria para el desarrollo local de sus pobladores debido al deterioro de sus manglares, lo que atenta contra la escasa posibilidad de resiliencia ante los cambios climáticos, en especial huracanes y tormentas tropicales, así como los ascensos del nivel del mar.

Key message: There is no one-size-fits-all way to successfully implement forest landscape restoration (FLR). Complex socio-ecological systems present challenges and opportunities that can best be met with a systematic framework for designing, planning, steering, and monitoring FLR projects to meet diverse needs. Project cycle management is an iterative, adaptive, hierarchical framework with recurring consultations among stakeholders that can enhance the likelihood of FLR success.

Full Text, Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Griffith Law School, Arts, Education and Law, The research question addressed in this thesis is whether environmental biosecurity in Australia could be improved by incorporating the ecological integrity concept into biosecurity law and administration. Biosecurity at its simplest is the prevention of harm to living things from other living things. Environmental biosecurity is biosecurity aimed at protecting the natural environment rather than human health and industry. Weeds are one of the most significant environmental biosecurity concerns in Australia, but successive State of the Environment Reports confirm that the problems continue and often increase, with financial, economic and public amenity impacts as well as environmental damage. Because environmental biosecurity has been too long subservient to health and industry biosecurity, a breakthrough is needed even if the industry paradigm persists. The ‘wicked’ problems besetting environmental biosecurity need new connections among the many interests and disciplines involved. The ecological integrity concept is untried in this context and is the focus of this thesis. In this thesis I first outline the history of biosecurity and its management in Australia to demonstrate how and why environmental biosecurity regulation has continued to lag behind that for human health and industry. This is despite recognition of the need to manage environmental biosecurity better in major studies and reviews beginning in the 1990s. I set out influences currently affecting environmental biosecurity, such as continuing global changes to the natural world, and the several factors that are inhibiting improvement with it, based primarily around current economic paradigms, reductionist thinking and adverse action and government decisions on budgets, research and administrative arrangements. I argue that trade and agriculture interests continue to dominate biosecurity management, and, although desirable, there is no sign of a paradigm shift away from that domination. Therefore, any im

open, Coastal areas are under anthropogenic and climate change pressures. During the last twenty years, the concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, as provides the overall policy frames, but tools supporting the planning and management efforts are almost lacking, especially in the estuary areas where the effects of river basins on coastal zones are nearly absent in most implementations. Coastal environments constitute a dynamic environment influenced by both natural and anthropogenic continental inputs and controlled by hydrodynamic and climatic factors. Some coastal zones are, by their geography and geomorphology, a receptor where are trapped water bodies loaded with exogenous mineral and /or organic matter resulting from the anthropic activity. The residence time of these water bodies is related to the sea currents intensity which controls the distribution and dilution of dissolved substances that can unbalance the ecosystem. In order to assess the trophic status of coastal Mediterranean marine waters, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) required the monitoring of the Chlorophyll-a concentration (Simboura et al., 2005) and the trophic index TRIX proposed by Vollenweider et al. (1998), which takes into account the overall nutrients, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved oxygen in the environment. Our results highlighted the ranking of the ecological quality status (EQS) of the three sites Sonactere, Cheliff, and Sokhra as bad according to the Chlorophyll concentration and as Poor status according to trophic index (TRIX). The coastal waters of Mostaganem in western Algeria have proved to be in a situation of severe eutrophication. However, to better understand the state of the ecosystem, it is essential to explore the entire coastal area of Mostaganem over a long period. The Chl-a and TRIX index were developed for Mediterranean regions but it should be adapted to local conditions so that it is relevant and more reliable and representative, given the heterogeneous aspect of, Le aree costiere sono sottoposte a pressioni antropogeniche e ai cambiamenti climatici. Negli ultimi venti anni, il concetto di gestione integrata della zona costiera ben presente nelle diverse azioni politiche, manca degli strumenti a supporto degli sforzi di pianificazione e gestione, specialmente nelle aree di estuario dove gli effetti dei bacini fluviali sulle zone costiere sono poco evidenziati nella maggior parte delle implementazioni. Gli ambienti costieri costituiscono un ambiente dinamico influenzato da input continentali sia naturali che antropogenici e controllato da fattori idrodinamici e climatici. Alcune zone costiere sono, con la loro geografia e geomorfologia, un recettore in cui sono presenti corpi idrici carichi di minerali esogeni e / o di materia organica derivanti dall'attività antropica. Il tempo di permanenza di questi corpi idrici è legato all'intensità delle correnti marine che controlla la distribuzione e la diluizione delle sostanze disciolte che possono influenzare l'ecosistema. Al fine di valutare lo stato trofico delle acque marine costiere del Mediterraneo, la Direttiva Quadro sulle Acque (DQA) richiedeva il monitoraggio della concentrazione di Clorofilla-a (Simboura et al., 2005) e l'indice trofico TRIX proposto da Vollenweider et al. (1998), che tiene conto delle sostanze nutritive complessive, della clorofilla e dell'ossigeno disciolto nell'ambiente. I nostri risultati hanno fornito la classificazione dello stato di qualità ecologica (EQS) dei tre siti Sonactere, Cheliff e Sokhra rispettivamente come stato Scadente, in base alla concentrazione di clorofilla, e come Cattivo, secondo l'indice trofico (TRIX). Le acque costiere di Mostaganem nell'Algeria occidentale mostrano una situazione di grave eutrofizzazione. Tuttavia, per capire meglio lo stato dell'ecosistema, è essenziale esplorare l'intera area costiera di Mostaganem per un lungo periodo. Gli indici Chl-a e TRIX sono stati sviluppati per le regioni del Mediterraneo, ma dovrebb, No, embargoed_20210716, Kies, F

Le aree costiere sono sottoposte a pressioni antropogeniche e ai cambiamenti climatici. Negli ultimi venti anni, il concetto di gestione integrata della zona costiera ben presente nelle diverse azioni politiche, manca degli strumenti a supporto degli sforzi di pianificazione e gestione, specialmente nelle aree di estuario dove gli effetti dei bacini fluviali sulle zone costiere sono poco evidenziati nella maggior parte delle implementazioni. Gli ambienti costieri costituiscono un ambiente dinamico influenzato da input continentali sia naturali che antropogenici e controllato da fattori idrodinamici e climatici. Alcune zone costiere sono, con la loro geografia e geomorfologia, un recettore in cui sono presenti corpi idrici carichi di minerali esogeni e / o di materia organica derivanti dall'attività antropica. Il tempo di permanenza di questi corpi idrici è legato all'intensità delle correnti marine che controlla la distribuzione e la diluizione delle sostanze disciolte che possono influenzare l'ecosistema. Al fine di valutare lo stato trofico delle acque marine costiere del Mediterraneo, la Direttiva Quadro sulle Acque (DQA) richiedeva il monitoraggio della concentrazione di Clorofilla-a (Simboura et al., 2005) e l'indice trofico TRIX proposto da Vollenweider et al. (1998), che tiene conto delle sostanze nutritive complessive, della clorofilla e dell'ossigeno disciolto nell'ambiente. I nostri risultati hanno fornito la classificazione dello stato di qualità ecologica (EQS) dei tre siti Sonactere, Cheliff e Sokhra rispettivamente come stato Scadente, in base alla concentrazione di clorofilla, e come Cattivo, secondo l'indice trofico (TRIX). Le acque costiere di Mostaganem nell'Algeria occidentale mostrano una situazione di grave eutrofizzazione. Tuttavia, per capire meglio lo stato dell'ecosistema, è essenziale esplorare l'intera area costiera di Mostaganem per un lungo periodo. Gli indici Chl-a e TRIX sono stati sviluppati per le regioni del Mediterraneo, ma do, Coastal areas are under anthropogenic and climate change pressures. During the last twenty years, the concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, as provides the overall policy frames, but tools supporting the planning and management efforts are almost lacking, especially in the estuary areas where the effects of river basins on coastal zones are nearly absent in most implementations. Coastal environments constitute a dynamic environment influenced by both natural and anthropogenic continental inputs and controlled by hydrodynamic and climatic factors. Some coastal zones are, by their geography and geomorphology, a receptor where are trapped water bodies loaded with exogenous mineral and /or organic matter resulting from the anthropic activity. The residence time of these water bodies is related to the sea currents intensity which controls the distribution and dilution of dissolved substances that can unbalance the ecosystem. In order to assess the trophic status of coastal Mediterranean marine waters, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) required the monitoring of the Chlorophyll-a concentration (Simboura et al., 2005) and the trophic index TRIX proposed by Vollenweider et al. (1998), which takes into account the overall nutrients, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved oxygen in the environment. Our results highlighted the ranking of the ecological quality status (EQS) of the three sites Sonactere, Cheliff, and Sokhra as bad according to the Chlorophyll concentration and as Poor status according to trophic index (TRIX). The coastal waters of Mostaganem in western Algeria have proved to be in a situation of severe eutrophication. However, to better understand the state of the ecosystem, it is essential to explore the entire coastal area of Mostaganem over a long period. The Chl-a and TRIX index were developed for Mediterranean regions but it should be adapted to local conditions so that it is relevant and more reliable and representative, given the heterogeneous aspect of

The research question addressed in this thesis is whether environmental biosecurity in Australia could be improved by incorporating the ecological integrity concept into biosecurity law and administration. Biosecurity at its simplest is the prevention of harm to living things from other living things. Environmental biosecurity is biosecurity aimed at protecting the natural environment rather than human health and industry. Weeds are one of the most significant environmental biosecurity concerns in Australia, but successive State of the Environment Reports confirm that the problems continue and often increase, with financial, economic and public amenity impacts as well as environmental damage. Because environmental biosecurity has been too long subservient to health and industry biosecurity, a breakthrough is needed even if the industry paradigm persists. The ‘wicked’ problems besetting environmental biosecurity need new connections among the many interests and disciplines involved. The ecological integrity concept is untried in this context and is the focus of this thesis. In this thesis I first outline the history of biosecurity and its management in Australia to demonstrate how and why environmental biosecurity regulation has continued to lag behind that for human health and industry. This is despite recognition of the need to manage environmental biosecurity better in major studies and reviews beginning in the 1990s. I set out influences currently affecting environmental biosecurity, such as continuing global changes to the natural world, and the several factors that are inhibiting improvement with it, based primarily around current economic paradigms, reductionist thinking and adverse action and government decisions on budgets, research and administrative arrangements. I argue that trade and agriculture interests continue to dominate biosecurity management, and, although desirable, there is no sign of a paradigm shift away from that domination. Therefore, any im, Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Griffith Law School, Arts, Education and Law, Full Text

Long-term ecological research (LTER) sites need a periodic assessment of the state of their ecosystems and services in order to monitor trends and prevent irreversible changes. The ecological integrity (EI) framework opens the door to evaluate any ecosystem in a comparable way, by measuring indicators on ecosystem structure and processes. Such an approach also allows to gauge the sustainability of conservation management actions in the case of protected areas. Remote sensing (RS), provided by satellite, airborne, or drone-borne sensors becomes a very synoptic and valuable tool to quickly map isolated and inaccessible areas such as wetlands. However, few RS practical indicators have been proposed to relate to EI indicators for wetlands. In this work, we suggest several RS wetlands indicators to be used for EI assessment in wetlands and specially to be applied with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We also assess the applicability of multispectral images captured by UAVs over two long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) wetland sites to provide detailed mapping of inundation levels, water turbidity and depth as well as aquatic plant cover. We followed an empirical approach to find linear relationships between UAVs spectral reflectance and the RS indicators over the Doñana LTSER platform in SW Spain. The method assessment was carried out using ground-truth data collected in transects. The resulting empirical models were implemented for Doñana marshes and can be applied for the Braila LTSER platform in Romania. The resulting maps are a very valuable input to assess habitat diversity, wetlands dynamics, and ecosystem productivity as frequently as desired by managers or scientists. Finally, we also examined the feasibility to upscale the information obtained from the collected ground-truth data to satellite images from Sentinel-2 MSI using segments from the UAV multispectral orthomosaic. We found a close multispectral relationship between Parrot Sequoia and Sentinel-2 b

The study of ecosystem processes over multiple scales of space and time is often best achieved using comparable data from multiple sites. Yet, long-term ecological observatories have often developed their own data collection protocols. Here, we address this problem by proposing a set of ecological protocols suitable for widespread adoption by the ecological community. Scientists from the European ecological research community prioritized terrestrial ecosystem parameters that could benefit from a more consistent approach to data collection within the resources available at most long-term ecological observatories. Parameters for which standard methods are in widespread use, or for which methods are evolving rapidly, were not selected. Protocols were developed by domain experts, building on existing methods where possible, and refined through a process of field testing and training. They address above-ground plant biomass; decomposition; land use and management; leaf area index; soil mesofaunal diversity; soil C and N stocks, and greenhouse gas emissions from soils. These complement existing methods to provide a complete assessment of ecological integrity. These protocols offer integrated approaches to ecological data collection that are low cost and are starting to be used across the European Long Term Ecological Research community.

The study of ecosystem processes over multiple scales of space and time is often best achieved using comparable data from multiple sites. Yet, long-term ecological observatories have often developed their own data collection protocols. Here, we address this problem by proposing a set of ecological protocols suitable for widespread adoption by the ecological community. Scientists from the European ecological research community prioritized terrestrial ecosystem parameters that could benefit from a more consistent approach to data collection within the resources available at most long-term ecological observatories. Parameters for which standard methods are in widespread use, or for which methods are evolving rapidly, were not selected. Protocols were developed by domain experts, building on existing methods where possible, and refined through a process of field testing and training. They address above-ground plant biomass; decomposition; land use and management; leaf area index; soil mesofaunal diversity; soil C and N stocks, and greenhouse gas emissions from soils. These complement existing methods to provide a complete assessment of ecological integrity. These protocols offer integrated approaches to ecological data collection that are low cost and are starting to be used across the European Long Term Ecological Research community.

Biomass figures are compared for common native vertebrate species and common non-native vertebrate species (including fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species) across the Northern Territory, an area of ostensibly, largely unmodified natural system. The total biomass of the considered non-native species very substantially surpasses that of the common native vertebrate species considered; hence, the perception that this is a largely intact natural system is, to some extent, an illusion. This preponderance of biomass of non-native species may help explain the increasing evidence of ecosystem stress and decline of native species. An integrity index based on the relative biomass of native and non-native species may provide insight into the status and trends of ecological systems across different regions.

It is presented an overview of silviculture as a critical element for the sustainability and management of the forest, considering the definition of silviculture that supports the sustainable management of natural forest, the role of silviculture within the new paradigms for the sustainable use of natural forest, the limitations in research and silvicultural practice in tropical forests and the priority themes for achieving the sustainable management of natural forest. It was stablished that for the maintenance of the adaptive capacity of forests to various and unexpected disturbances without losing their ecological integrity, the forester needs biological and ecological knowledge that enables him to comprehend the forest as a whole. It is concluded that in order to obtain greater benefits from the ecosystem goods and services it is required to overcome the traditional silviculture approach. It is necessary to develop research leading to maximize the benefits of local communities from the combined use of timber and non-timber products, without neglecting their role to ensure the ecological integrity of the ecosystem intervening., Se presenta un panorama de la silvicultura como elemento crítico para la sostenibilidad y manejo del bosque, considerando la definición de la silvicultura que soporta el manejo sostenible del bosque natural, el papel de la silvicultura dentro de los nuevos paradigmas de uso sostenible del bosque natural, las limitaciones en investigación y práctica silvicultural en bosques tropicales y los temas prioritarios para lograr el manejo sostenible del bosque natural. Se plantea que para el mantenimiento de la capacidad de adaptación de los bosques a diversos e inesperados disturbios sin perder su integridad ecológica el silvicultor necesita conocimientos biológicos y ecológicos que le permitan comprender el bosque como un todo. Se concluye que para obtener mayores beneficios de los bienes y servicios ecosistémicos se requiere superar el enfoque de la silvicultura tradicional. Es necesario desarrollar investigaciones conducentes a maximizar los beneficios de las comunidades locales a partir del uso combinado de productos maderables y no maderables, sin descuidar su rol de garantizar la integridad ecológica del ecosistema que intervenga., Uma visão geral da silvicultura parece ser crítica para a sustentabilidade como um elemento de manejo florestal, considerando a definição de silvicultura que suporta o gerenciamento sustentável de florestas naturais, o papel da silvicultura nos novos paradigmas de uso sustentável da floresta natural, limitações na investigação e prática silvicultural em florestas tropicais e as temáticas prioritárias para conseguir o manejo sustentável das florestas naturais. Foi estabelecida que para manter a resiliência das florestas em diversas e inesperadas alterações sem perder sua integridade ecológica o silvicultor precisa conhecimentos biológicos e ecológicas que ajudam a entender a floresta como um todo. Conclui-se que, para obter maiores benefícios de bens e serviços do ecossistema é necessário superar a abordagem florestal tradicional. Precisamos desenvolver investigações encaminhadas em maximizar os benefícios para as comunidades locais a partir da utilização combinada de productos madeireiros e não-madeireiros, sem descuidar o seu papel de assegurar a integridade ecológica do ecossistema que seja intervindo.

Endemic birds in New Zealand are under threat, and increasingly so, as human activity reshapes the land, reconstitutes the water, consumes space and resources and alters faunal composition. The decline of biodiversity is a pressing concern globally and the unique nature of the endemic fauna of New Zealand provides impetus for concern. Examination of the state of birds and analysis of the response of New Zealand law to the agents of decline is the key contribution of this research. The substance and operation of New Zealand law is examined to determine its influence upon the distribution of benefit and burden to New Zealand birds. Six case study birds: the black petrel, dotterel, kokako, godwit, sooty shearwater, and the wrybill are studied to elucidate these matters. In examining distribution of harm and benefit, a particular focus of the research is upon the degree of care that is applied to protecting birds through the law and related planning instruments. By assessing the principles, criteria and methods applied to protecting birds, the research identifies that an objective of avoidance of harm to indigenous Threatened or At Risk species, their habitats, and ecosystems upon which they depend, will benefit birds. It concludes that conservation status, as opposed to habitat or sectoral dispensation, is an important determinant for application of the standard, as this provides the most consistently protective approach. In addition, it is demonstrated that where uncertainty or ignorance arises as to existence or level of harm, the use of precaution and giving the benefit of the doubt to nature is important for enhancing protection. New Zealand conservation law is analysed at the international level in conjunction with species and habitat protection at the domestic level. International agreements, the Wildlife Act 1953, the Conservation Act 1987, the Resource Management Act 1991 and related policy and plans are examined. Although at times strongly beneficial, the rese

It is presented an overview of silviculture as a critical element for the sustainability and management of the forest, considering the definition of silviculture that supports the sustainable management of natural forest, the role of silviculture within the new paradigms for the sustainable use of natural forest, the limitations in research and silvicultural practice in tropical forests and the priority themes for achieving the sustainable management of natural forest. It was stablished that for the maintenance of the adaptive capacity of forests to various and unexpected disturbances without losing their ecological integrity, the forester needs biological and ecological knowledge that enables him to comprehend the forest as a whole. It is concluded that in order to obtain greater benefits from the ecosystem goods and services it is required to overcome the traditional silviculture approach. It is necessary to develop research leading to maximize the benefits of local communities from the combined use of timber and non-timber products, without neglecting their role to ensure the ecological integrity of the ecosystem intervening., Uma visão geral da silvicultura parece ser crítica para a sustentabilidade como um elemento de manejo florestal, considerando a definição de silvicultura que suporta o gerenciamento sustentável de florestas naturais, o papel da silvicultura nos novos paradigmas de uso sustentável da floresta natural, limitações na investigação e prática silvicultural em florestas tropicais e as temáticas prioritárias para conseguir o manejo sustentável das florestas naturais. Foi estabelecida que para manter a resiliência das florestas em diversas e inesperadas alterações sem perder sua integridade ecológica o silvicultor precisa conhecimentos biológicos e ecológicas que ajudam a entender a floresta como um todo. Conclui-se que, para obter maiores benefícios de bens e serviços do ecossistema é necessário superar a abordagem florestal tradicional. Precisamos desenvolver investigações encaminhadas em maximizar os benefícios para as comunidades locais a partir da utilização combinada de productos madeireiros e não-madeireiros, sem descuidar o seu papel de assegurar a integridade ecológica do ecossistema que seja intervindo., Se presenta un panorama de la silvicultura como elemento crítico para la sostenibilidad y manejo del bosque, considerando la definición de la silvicultura que soporta el manejo sostenible del bosque natural, el papel de la silvicultura dentro de los nuevos paradigmas de uso sostenible del bosque natural, las limitaciones en investigación y práctica silvicultural en bosques tropicales y los temas prioritarios para lograr el manejo sostenible del bosque natural. Se plantea que para el mantenimiento de la capacidad de adaptación de los bosques a diversos e inesperados disturbios sin perder su integridad ecológica el silvicultor necesita conocimientos biológicos y ecológicos que le permitan comprender el bosque como un todo. Se concluye que para obtener mayores beneficios de los bienes y servicios ecosistémicos se requiere superar el enfoque de la silvicultura tradicional. Es necesario desarrollar investigaciones conducentes a maximizar los beneficios de las comunidades locales a partir del uso combinado de productos maderables y no maderables, sin descuidar su rol de garantizar la integridad ecológica del ecosistema que intervenga.

We compared land cover, riparian vegetation, and instream habitat characteristics with stream macroinvertebrate assemblages in 25 catchments in the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. This study area was particularly selected because of its diverse history of forest and agricultural ecosystems linked to geopolitical dynamic, which provide a suite of unique landscape scale, land cover settings in one ecoregion. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that variation in composition and structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages was primarily related to four land cover types, and not to riparian or instream habitat. These were the portions in the catchment areas of (1) broadleaved forest, (2) fine-grained agricultural landscape mosaic with scattered trees (e. g., pre-industrial cultural landscape), (3) mixed forest, and (4) natural grassland without trees. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) suggested that land cover types and stream channel substrates co-varied. The PCA also showed that chemical variables, including organic carbon, had higher values in the agricultural landscape compared to natural forests. The major source of variation among taxa in streams was higher abundance of Diptera in agricultural landscapes and of Plecoptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, and Amphipoda in forests. Gastropoda and Oligochaeta were more abundant in open, fine-grained agricultural landscape mosaics with scattered trees. Ephemeroptera taxa were quite indifferent to these gradients in catchment land cover, but showed a tendency of being more abundant in the pre-industrial cultural landscape. Our findings suggest that land cover can be used as a proxy of the composition and structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages. This means that land use management at the catchment scale is needed for efficient conservation and recovery of stream invertebrate communities.

In 2005 the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) produced the "Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy" (Sutter et al. 2005), now known as the Utah Wildlife Action Plan (or WAP, 2005), which prioritized animal taxa (vertebrates and mollusks) of conservation concern in Utah. Animal taxa were arranged in 3 "tiers". Tier I comprised taxa having federal conservation status (mostly U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but also U. S. Forest Service; i.e., federally listed, candidate, and conservation agreement taxa). Tier II contained taxa of state conservation concern, the Utah state sensitive species list (UDWR). Tier III listed taxa of possible or uncertain state conservation concern. Over the 4-year period 2005–2008 UDWR, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), prepared Ecological Integrity Tables (EITs or “tables”) for 104 of the 106 animal taxa in Tiers I and II of the WAP (2005). The 2 taxa that were omitted were the whooping crane (Grus americana) and the brown bear (Ursus arctos), neither of which currently occurs in Utah. Also, a partial redundancy exists as a result of the fact that the full species, the Deseret mountainsnail (Oreohelix peripherica), is included in Tier II of the WAP and 1 of its nominal subspecies (recently found to be taxonomically invalid), the “Ogden Rocky mountainsnail” (Oreohelix peripherica wasatchensis), is in Tier I of the WAP; thus, 2 EITs are included here despite our misgivings concerning this duplication. Additionally, the WAP (2005) included the leatherside chub (Gila copei); this taxon has since been partitioned into 2 full species now called the northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) and the southern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda aliciae), and EITs for each of these resultant taxa have been produced. Finally, 2 additional taxa, the Great Plains toad (Bufo cognatus) and the mountain plover (Charadrius montanus), were added to Tier II in 2007, and tables for these 2 taxa were created, bringing the tota

Land use change constitutes a primary driving force in shaping social-ecological systems world wide, and its effects reach far beyond the directly impacted areas. Graph based landscape ecological tools have become established as a promising way to efficiently explore and analyze the complex, spatial systems dynamics of ecological networks in physical landscapes. However, little attention has been paid to making these approaches operational within ecological assessments, physical planning, and design. This thesis presents a network based, landscape-ecological tool that can be implemented for effective use by practitioners within physical planning and design, and ecological assessments related to these activities. The tool is based on an ecological profile system, a common generalized network model of the ecological infrastructure, graph theoretic metrics, and a spatially explicit, geographically defined representation, deployable in a GIS. Graph theoretic metrics and analysis techniques are able to capture the spatio-temporal dynamics of complex systems, and the generalized network model places the graph theoretic toolbox in a geographically defined landscape. This provides completely new insights for physical planning, and environmental assessment activities. The design of the model is based on the experience gained through seven real-world cases, commissioned by different governmental organizations within Stockholm County. A participatory approach was used in these case studies, involving stakeholders of different backgrounds, in which the tool proved to be flexible and effective in the communication and negotiation of indicators, targets, and impacts. In addition to successful impact predictions for alternative planning scenarios, the tool was able to highlight critical ecological structures within the landscape, both from a system-centric, and a site-centric perspective. In already being deployed and used in planning, assessments, inventories, and monitoring by s

With an increasing proportion of natural forests being replaced by plantations, there is a need to determine their potential to fulfill ecological purposes other than wood production. This study evaluated the extent to which deciduous and coniferous plantations develop understory attributes comparable to those of naturally regenerated stands. A functional group approach was used to synthesise species responses in terms of their ecological traits. Multivariate analyses of ecological traits revealed 16 emergent groups that shared common traits associated with a similar life history strategy. Responses of these groups, understory structure, and understory environmental conditions to plantation types and stand stages were analyzed and compared to naturally regenerated stands. Clear associations of trait responses to stand developmental stages and plantation types emerged. Light-demanding and wind-dispersed species groups were associated with early-successional stages, while woody groups, ferns and ant-dispersed spring-flowering herbs were associated with late-successional stages. Analyses also revealed an indicator group associated with old naturally regenerated forest. The understory functional groups and environmental conditions of deciduous plantations converged toward those of old naturally regenerated forests. However, understory structure in deciduous plantations remained poorly developed and richness of the indicator group was low compared to unplanted stands. Conifer plantations, currently the most common plantation type in the northern hardwood biome, showed a completely different pathway of understory development. Modifications to current plantation management practices are proposed to help recreate or maintain natural understory biological and physical attributes.

We conducted an ichthyological survey during the dry season of 2006 on the semi-arid islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao to provide information on species composition, richness and distribution in natural and non-natural aquatic habitats. The dry season species assemblages (N = 9 species) comprised less species than the wet seasons, and these data refine our knowledge of the indigenous fish fauna and its refuge localities during phases of drought and ensuing high salinity. A hierarchical cluster analysis reveals that the three islands have different species compositions with Curaçao being the most diverse, probably due to its having the most habitats and freshwaters present throughout the year. Species richness was un

Freshwater ecosystems are vital for human well-being and ecological integrity but are increasingly jeopardized by habitat loss and degradation, fragmentation, water abstraction, and climate change. These threats are diverse and pervasive and thus require new thinking about conservation problems and solutions. Here, we describe the Society for Conservation Biology’s Freshwater Working Group (FWWG) and invite ICOET members to join this initiative. First, we review the origins of the FWWG and briefly describe previous accomplishments. Second, we describe the international composition of the FWWG and current activities. Third, we propose new research questions regarding the effects of transportation networks on freshwater ecosystems. We explain that the landscape structure of freshwater ecosystems is distinct from terrestrial environments and that localized, direct effects of roads must be understood in the context of regional, indirect effects of landscape connectivity and other factors. We conclude that freshwater conservation requires new research across ecological scales and new collaborations across political boundaries.

In the globalised world of the electronic, information age, there is one resource that increasingly appears to play a pertinent role in the future of our communications systems. The electromagnetosphere is an ecological region that is largely unacknowledged outside of scientific circles: it is one of those naturally-occurring phenomena that we simply take for granted. But with developments in communications technology we have learnt to tap the energies of this natural phenomenon, and in tum have developed a complex system of management and regulation where a 'property-mimicking' regime of allocation and licensing is in place. There are movements however, to make the final conversion of 'spectrum space' into the private hands of media and telecommunications corporations. What effect will this have on our notions of citizenship and democracy? How will this alter our relationship to these corporations, to the electromagnetosphere itself, and our wider relationship within the natural world? Yet there are further complexities in our relationship with the electromagnetosphere as citizens and through government. How do we manage something which is largely invisible to the naked eye? What are the implications of applying the 'property-mimicking' regimes of land to an ecological sphere which is clearly not solid space? And to what extent is the management and regulation of the electromagnetosphere driven by the dominant trends of 'enclosure' and 'privatisation' that are characteristic of landed property? These are some of the questions that stimulate this research. By promoting an ecological and cultural dimension to 'spectrum management' -an ecoculturalist methodology - this study aims to wrestle the managerial reins of government, regulators, technologists and economists, away from their narrow and anthropocentric world-views, and reclaim the electromagnetosphere for our communities and ecologies. While our conceptualisation of the electromagnetosphere continues to be base

以黑河流域為例，探討了生態承載力的概念和估測的方法，筆者認為利用自然植被的凈第一生產力數據可以反映自然體系的生產能力和受內外干擾后的恢復能力，是自然體系生態完整性維護的指示。Based on a case study in Heihe River basin,the concept of ecological carrying capacity and the assessment method were approached.It was suggested that the net primary productivity(NPP) of natural vegetation can reflect the productive and recovery capacity and thus is the index of the ecological integrity of natural system.

Executive summary - Main conclusions: ‘Wilderness’ has been criticised on a number of levels, viz. that it: · is only a cultural concept · has no objective, empirical and hence scientific basis · is irrelevant to nature conservation in general, and biodiversity conservation of in particular Additionally: · wilderness areas tend to be spectacular icon areas that are protected at the expense of more threatened and smaller habitat areas · the conservation of biodiversity is ultimately dependent on off-reserve management rather than wilderness areas, there being a fundamental limit to the amount of land that can be reserved · because humans have inhabited Australia continuously for at least 40,000-50,000 years ‘wilderness’ has little or no relevance · biodiversity conservation requires a focus on the habitat of rare, endangered and threatened species, whose distributions may not be represented in ‘wilderness areas’. The validity of these criticisms is very dependent on matters of definition.

À partir du cas d’une réserve intégrale au Québec, cet article s’intéresse aux processus d’appropriation, d’expropriation et de réappropriation affectant la trajectoire d’un territoire protégé à travers le temps. Les régimes de propriété en présence (de droit ou de fait) révèlent des façons différentes de concevoir la conservation intégrale de la nature – et ses principes comme la libre évolution –, le soin apporté à un lieu ou la façon d’associer des entités naturelles et des pratiques culturelles. La faible prise en compte de cette diversité des conceptions de la nature par le gouvernement central a conduit la communauté insulaire à se réapproprier cette réserve en réclamant le déclassement d’une partie de l’île. S’intéresser à ce processus permet de comprendre en quoi les changements écologiques et les mobilisations sociales qui y sont associées sont difficiles à appréhender avec les catégories étatiques de la gestion et de la propriété. Ce cas met en évidence les aléas inhérents à la mise sous tutelle écologique d’un espace et les effets inattendus d’agencement de la faune sauvage., Based on the case of a protected wilderness area in Quebec, this article looks at the processes of appropriation, expropriation, and re-appropriation affecting the trajectory of a protected area over time. The existing appropriation regimes (instituted or real) reveal different ways of conceiving the integral conservation of nature—and its principles such as free evolution—the care given to a place, or the way of associating natural entities and cultural practices. The lack of consideration of these differences by the federal government has led the community to reclaim this island by demanding the downsizing of the reserve. Looking at this process allows us to understand how ecological changes and social mobilizations are difficult to grasp using state categories of management and ownership. This case shows the hazards inherent to a space under ecological protection and the unexpected effects of the arrangement of wildlife.

With an increasing proportion of natural forests being replaced by plantations, there is a need to determine their potential to fulfill ecological purposes other than wood production. This study evaluated the extent to which deciduous and coniferous plantations develop understory attributes comparable to those of naturally regenerated stands. A functional group approach was used to synthesise species responses in terms of their ecological traits. Multivariate analyses of ecological traits revealed 16 emergent groups that shared common traits associated with a similar life history strategy. Responses of these groups, understory structure, and understory environmental conditions to plantation types and stand stages were analyzed and compared to naturally regenerated stands. Clear associations of trait responses to stand developmental stages and plantation types emerged. Light-demanding and wind-dispersed species groups were associated with early-successional stages, while woody groups, ferns and ant-dispersed spring-flowering herbs were associated with late-successional stages. Analyses also revealed an indicator group associated with old naturally regenerated forest. The understory functional groups and environmental conditions of deciduous plantations converged toward those of old naturally regenerated forests. However, understory structure in deciduous plantations remained poorly developed and richness of the indicator group was low compared to unplanted stands. Conifer plantations, currently the most common plantation type in the northern hardwood biome, showed a completely different pathway of understory development. Modifications to current plantation management practices are proposed to help recreate or maintain natural understory biological and physical attributes.