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1. Identifying key actors, barriers and opportunities to lead a transition towards sustainable forest management: an application to the Basque Country, Spain

Author

Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Unai Ortega, Unai Sertutxa, and Céline Moreaux

Subjects
Social networks, Knowledge, Markets, Politics, Visions, Sustainable forest management, Forestry, SD1-669.5, Plant ecology, QK900-989
Abstract

The forestry sector is essential for achieving a transition towards sustainability because of the opportunities associated with the transformation of their management and practices. However, forest plantation management is characterised not only by ecological interactions but also by the complex dynamics that arise from the interaction of multiple actors, their knowledge and worldviews, and how actors can overcome barriers and lobby for their values and interests to be represented in policies and management. We illustrate this via a case study: the Basque Country in Spain. Drawing on 33 qualitative in-depth semistructured interviews conducted in 2022 and 2023 with a wide variety of forestry actors, we aim to a) identify who the potential actors are that can trigger a change toward sustainable forest management, b) explore actors’ interactions and knowledge interchange that can foster a transformation toward sustainable forest management, and c) understand the opportunities and barriers that the main actors face to achieve sustainable forest plantation management. Our results show that a) those who may have the ability to induce a change in the forestry sector of the Basque Country are landowners, rangers and private sector companies; b) mutual learning happens in the day-to-day practices of forest plantation management while academic knowledge does not reach policy and practice; and c) barriers are related to managerial, political and individual dimensions that impair the way towards “close to nature” management and a “circular bioeconomy”, such as a perceived lack of supporting policies and knowledge, as well as increasing land abandonment. Opportunities to pose a potential way forward are, among others, forest plantations of native species providing high-quality timber, and opening access to additional markets, such as the ones funding the diversity of contributions that forest plantations may bring to people. Collaboration to overcome barriers for small-scale forest plantation management and actions to promote a stronger feeling of attachment to natural forests and forest plantations are essential to achieve sustainable forest management in the Basque Country.

Published
2024
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2. Sustainability-aligned values: exploring the concept, evidence, and practice

Author

Adrian Martin, Patricia Balvanera, Christopher M Raymond, Erik Gómez-Baggethun, Uta Eser, Rachelle K Gould, Louise Guibrunet, Zuzana V. Harmáčková, Andra I Horcea-Milcu, Ann-Kathrin Koessler, Ritesh Kumar, Dominic Lenzi, Juliana Merçon, Agatha Nthenge, Patrick J O'Farrell, Unai Pascual, Julian Rode, Yuki Yoshida, and Noelia Zafra-Calvo

Subjects
ipbes, justice, relational values, sustainability, sustainability-aligned values, values of nature, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Modern environmental thought has always involved normative claims about the values needed for sustainability. This has often played out in debates between proponents of anthropocentric and ecocentric ways of valuing nature. More recently, there has been a flourishing of interest in relational and pluricentric ways of valuing nature, coinciding with a “turn to values” in the sustainability literature. In this paper we explore the meaning and use of the term “sustainability-aligned values.” Following the 2022 IPBES Values Assessment we consider these as values that are crucial for shaping decisions that will help bring about sustainability. Our characterization of sustainably-aligned values assumes inherent pluralism because of diverse interpretations of sustainability and of pathways toward it. Nevertheless, a review of three bodies of literature suggests that there is considerable agreement about the kinds of values that align with sustainability. In particular, the nurturing of certain relational values is now widely seen as supportive of sustainability, including values regarding what matters in human interactions with nature (such as stewardship), and values regarding relationships between humans (such as collectivism). We proceed to pose critical questions about the proposition that certain values support sustainability. We ask whether this emerging body of thought is consistent with pluralist requirements to foster values diversity, whether an agenda to nurture values aligned with sustainability is actionable, and how mobilizing sustainability-aligned values entails addressing power imbalances.

Published
2024
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3. Comparative Study of Climate Change Adaptation Practices in Conflict-Affected Mountain Areas of Africa

Author

Ghislain Kabumba R. Baderha, Romeo Omer Kamta Tchoffo, Alain Senghor K. Ngute, Gérard Imani, Rodrigue Batumike, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Aida Cuni-Sanchez

Subjects
adaptation, africa, climate change, conflict, insecurity, mountain regions, Environmental sciences, GE1-350
Abstract

People living in conflict-affected areas are particularly vulnerable to climate-related impacts. However, few comparative studies have examined differences in adaptation practices across different conflict-affected mountain areas in Africa. This study focuses on 2 mountain areas, the Bamboutos Mountains (western Cameroon, affected by sectarian conflict) and the Itombwe Mountains (eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, affected by political instability). Semistructured interviews were conducted with 282 smallholder farmers living in these 2 mountainous areas. Farmers in both areas reported climatic changes and impacts on crops, animals, and human health. Some adaptation strategies were used across sites (eg increasing use of improved seeds and changing planting dates), but some differed (eg using inputs) in relation to differences in impacts observed, conflict characteristics, and farmers' cultural backgrounds. For example, in the Itombwe Mountains, herding was preferred over crop production (as cows could be moved when insecurity increased), whereas in the Bamboutos Mountains, crop production was preferred over rearing large animals (as these could be easily stolen by the separatists). We discuss the perceived major barriers to adaptation and their implications.

Published
2024
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4. Advancing protected area effectiveness assessments by disentangling social‐ecological interactions: A case study from the Luangwa Valley, Zambia

Author

Marina Frietsch, Noelia Zafra‐Calvo, Arash Ghoddousi, and Jacqueline Loos

Subjects
area‐based conservation, human‐nature interactions, human‐wildlife coexistence, impact evaluation, social‐ecological systems, Ecology, QH540-549.5, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution, QH1-199.5
Abstract

Abstract Protected and conserved areas (PCAs) target at biodiversity conservation and human well‐being, but often reflect low levels of effectiveness. Understanding PCAs social‐ecological systems in which people and nature interact in so‐called social‐ecological interactions is key to understanding the roots of (in)effectiveness, and to leverage change toward resilient and sustainable systems. Despite this potential, social‐ecological interactions in PCAs are commonly neglected in effectiveness evaluations. To address this gap, we elaborated a thorough understanding of the social‐ecological interactions in PCAs through the following steps: In a first step, we extracted from scientific literature which social‐ecological interactions influence the effectiveness of PCAs in general and derived influencing factors which shape those interactions. Based on these insights, we developed an analytical framework, which, in a second step, we applied to a case study in North Luangwa, Zambia. We elucidated three dimensions of social‐ecological interactions occurring in the study area: care (e.g., conservation programs), conflict (e.g., disease transmission), and use (e.g., hunting). We visualized relationships between these interactions and associated key variables in a causal loop diagram. Finally, we drew on the case study in Zambia's Luangwa Valley to propose system‐specific metrics for key variables central to the social‐ecological structure of the study area to make effectiveness measurable. Our approach allows for linking site‐specific social‐ecological interactions to PCA effectiveness. More generally, our findings call for the consideration of the relationships between people and nature when assessing conservation effectiveness.

Published
2023
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5. Blue justice: A review of emerging scholarship and resistance movements

Author

Jessica L. Blythe, David A. Gill, Joachim Claudet, Nathan J. Bennett, Georgina G. Gurney, Jacopo A. Baggio, Natalie C. Ban, Miranda L. Bernard, Victor Brun, Emily S. Darling, Antonio Di Franco, Graham Epstein, Phil Franks, Rebecca Horan, Stacy D. Jupiter, Jacqueline Lau, Natali Lazzari, Shauna L. Mahajan, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Josheena Naggea, Rachel A. Turner, and Noelia Zafra-Calvo

Subjects
environmental justice, small-scale fisheries, blue economy, blue growth, coastal futures, Harbors and coast protective works. Coastal engineering. Lighthouses, TC203-380, Oceanography, GC1-1581
Abstract

The term “blue justice” was coined in 2018 during the 3rd World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress. Since then, academic engagement with the concept has grown rapidly. This article reviews 5 years of blue justice scholarship and synthesizes some of the key perspectives, developments, and gaps. We then connect this literature to wider relevant debates by reviewing two key areas of research – first on blue injustices and second on grassroots resistance to these injustices. Much of the early scholarship on blue justice focused on injustices experienced by small-scale fishers in the context of the blue economy. In contrast, more recent writing and the empirical cases reviewed here suggest that intersecting forms of oppression render certain coastal individuals and groups vulnerable to blue injustices. These developments signal an expansion of the blue justice literature to a broader set of affected groups and underlying causes of injustice. Our review also suggests that while grassroots resistance efforts led by coastal communities have successfully stopped unfair exposure to environmental harms, preserved their livelihoods and ways of life, defended their culture and customary rights, renegotiated power distributions, and proposed alternative futures, these efforts have been underemphasized in the blue justice scholarship, and from marine and coastal literature more broadly. We conclude with some suggestions for understanding and supporting blue justice now and into the future.

Published
2023
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6. Local Observations of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses: A Case Study in the Mountain Region of Burundi-Rwanda

Author

Aline Nkurunziza, Dorine Intwarinkase Mutaganzwa, Willy Marcel Ndayitwayeko, Jacques Nkengurutse, Beth A. Kaplin, Irene Teixidor Toneu, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Aida Cuni-Sanchez

Subjects
adaptation strategies, African mountains, farmers, food security, perceptions, wealth groups, Agriculture
Abstract

Mountain regions and their communities are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. However, little is known on the impacts observed and adaptation responses used in Burundi’s mountain region and if these are different to those reported in the contiguous mountain region of Rwanda. This paper aims to fill in these knowledge gaps. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 300 smallholder farmers, 150 in northern Burundi and 150 in southern Rwanda. Farmers in both countries reported negative impacts on crops, animals, and human health, with small differences between countries driven by the main cultivated crops. More adaptation strategies were used in Burundi than in Rwanda, and more farmers in Burundi were using multiple strategies. In both countries, farmers’ wealth affected farmers’ adaptation responses and their food security. Notably, for all wealth groups (poor, average, rich), food security was lower in Rwanda than in Burundi. We relate our findings to current agricultural intensification policies in both countries and argue for the greater involvement of local farmers in adaptation planning using, for example, science-with-society approaches.

Published
2023
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7. Everyday adaptation practices by coffee farmers in three mountain regions in Africa

Author

Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Isaac Twinomuhangi, Abreham Berta Aneseyee, Ben Mwangi, Lydia Olaka, Robert Bitariho, Teshome Soromessa, Brianna Castro, and Noelia Zafra-Calvo

Subjects
adaptation, africa, climate change, mountain regions, subsistence farmers, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Mountain environments in East Africa experience more rapid increases in temperature than lower elevations, which, together with changing rainfall patterns, often negatively affect coffee production. However, little is known about the adaptation strategies used by smallholder coffee farmers in Africa. Using the lens of everyday adaptation, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 450 smallholder farmers living near the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia (n = 150), Mount Kenya in Kenya (n = 150), and Kigezi Highlands in Uganda (n = 150). We report similarities in adaptation strategies used (e.g., increased use of improved seeds, inputs, soil-conservation techniques) but also differences across and within regions (e.g., irrigation, coffee-farming abandonment), related to different biophysical, economic, and sociocultural factors. In all regions, access to land, funds, and limited mutual-learning opportunities between farmers and other agents of change constrained further adaptation options. Local people have capacity and means to determine how best they can adapt to climate change, and government agencies and NGOs could implement more participatory engagement with smallholder coffee farmers, attuned to the opportunities and constraints in everyday life to facilitate adaptation to predicted changes in climate.

Published
2022
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8. Protected areas to deliver biodiversity need management effectiveness and equity

Author

Noelia Zafra-Calvo and Jonas Geldmann

Subjects
Protected area design and planning, Decision making, Human footprint, Quality protected areas, Indicators post-2020, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

It is widely recognized in science, policy, and practice that protected areas (PAs) that are equitably and effectively managed are essential for halting biodiversity loss. However, our understanding of the relationships between management effectiveness and equity remains weak. Here, we investigate potential synergies and trade-offs between management and equity as well as how they can work together to reduce human pressure in PAs. We then examine the potential of existing global datasets on effectiveness, equity, and human pressure to help inform international policy processes. Our preliminary findings show a negative association between well-defined and sound managed PAs and how satisfied are local people about the decisions related to the management of the PA, reinforcing study of cases that found conflicts in top-down established and managed PAs. We find, however, no association between management effectiveness and social equity with an increasing human pressure. We find only a limited overlap in global databases on management effectiveness, social equity, and human pressure (n = 33). Thus, our results highlight the need to increase the number of PAs with appropriate data about management effectiveness, equity and human pressure to inform policy processes. Without such data, it will be difficult to suggest in honest new quantitative targets for the quality of PAs and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures post-2020.

Published
2020
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9. Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptations among Smallholder Farmers in the Mountains of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Author

Rodriguez Kakule Amani, Bernard Riera, Gerard Imani, Rodrigue Batumike, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Aida Cuni-Sanchez

Subjects
adaptation strategies, ethnicity, farmers, Itombwe Mountains, local knowledge, perceptions, Agriculture
Abstract

The warming rates in many mountain areas are higher than the global average, negatively impacting crop systems. Little is known about the climatic changes which are already being observed in eastern Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo, due to the lack of long-term meteorological data. Local perceptions could help us to understand not only the climatic changes and impacts but also which adaptation strategies are already being used by local smallholder farmers. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 300 smallholder Bafuliru (n = 150) and Lega (n = 150) farmers living in the Itombwe Mountains. The respondents reported climatic changes and impacts, with the Bafuliru—living on the eastern drier slopes—reporting more changes and impacts. While the Bafuliru were implementing several adaptation strategies (e.g., increased irrigation and use of inputs, more soil conservation, more income diversification), the Lega were implementing very few, due to soft limits (access to inputs, markets, and information) and culture (less interest in farming, less capacity to organize into groups). The results highlight important differences in sociocultural contexts, even for one ‘remote’ mountain, calling for a more collaborative approach to adaptation planning and action.

Published
2022
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10. The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

Author

Neil M. Dawson, Brendan Coolsaet, Eleanor J. Sterling, Robin Loveridge, Nicole D,. Gross-Camp, Supin Wongbusarakum, Kamaljit K. Sangha, Lea M. Scherl, Hao Phuong. Phan, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Warren G. Lavey, Patrick Byakagaba, C. Julián Idrobo, Aude Chenet, Nathan J. Bennett, Stephanie Mansourian, and Francisco J. Rosado-May

Subjects
biodiversity conservation, customary tenure, environmental justice, environmental stewardship, equity, governance, human rights, institutions, iplc, protected areas, tenure security, traditional ecological knowledge, well-being, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade's conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Published
2021
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11. Use your power for good: plural valuation of nature – the Oaxaca statement

Author

Sander Jacobs, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, David Gonzalez-Jimenez, Louise Guibrunet, Karina Benessaiah, Augustin Berghöfer, Juliana Chaves-Chaparro, Sandra Díaz, Erik Gomez-Baggethun, Sharachchandra Lele, Berta Martín-López, Vanessa Anne Masterson, Juliana Merçon, Hannah Moersberger, Barbara Muraca, Albert Norström, Patrick O'Farrell, Jenny C. Ordonez, Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard, Alexander Rincón-Ruiz, Nadia Sitas, Suneetha M. Subramanian, Wubalem Tadesse, Meine van Noordwijk, Unai Pascual, and Patricia Balvanera

Subjects
economics, ecosystem services, natural resources, policies, politics and governance, social value, Environmental sciences, GE1-350
Abstract

Decisions on the use of nature reflect the values and rights of individuals, communities and society at large. The values of nature are expressed through cultural norms, rules and legislation, and they can be elicited using a wide range of tools, including those of economics. None of the approaches to elicit peoples’ values are neutral. Unequal power relations influence valuation and decision-making and are at the core of most environmental conflicts. As actors in sustainability thinking, environmental scientists and practitioners are becoming more aware of their own posture, normative stance, responsibility and relative power in society. Based on a transdisciplinary workshop, our perspective paper provides a normative basis for this new community of scientists and practitioners engaged in the plural valuation of nature.

Published
2020
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12. Triple exposure: Reducing negative impacts of climate change, blue growth, and conservation on coastal communities

Author

David A. Gill, Jessica Blythe, Nathan Bennett, Louisa Evans, Katrina Brown, Rachel A. Turner, Jacopo A. Baggio, Dana Baker, Natalie C. Ban, Victor Brun, Joachim Claudet, Emily Darling, Antonio Di Franco, Graham Epstein, null Estradivari, Noella J. Gray, Georgina G. Gurney, Rebecca P. Horan, Stacy D. Jupiter, Jacqueline D. Lau, Natali Lazzari, Peni Lestari, Shauna L. Mahajan, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Josheena Naggea, Elizabeth R. Selig, Charlotte K. Whitney, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Nyawira A. Muthiga

Subjects
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous), General Environmental Science
Published
2023
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14. Biosphere functional integrity for people and Planet

Author

Awaz Mohamed, Fabrice DeClerck, Peter H. Verburg, David Obura, Jesse F. Abrams, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Juan Rocha, Natalia Estrada-Carmona, Alexander Fremier, Sarah K. Jones, Ina C. Meier, and Ben Stewart-Koster

Abstract

Defining a safe and just biosphere space requires a synthetic scaleable measure of biosphere functional integrity to secure Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP). Using a systematic review of 153 peer-reviewed studies we estimated the minimum level of functional integrity needed to secure multiple critical NCP, including pollination, pest and disease control, water quality regulation, soil protection, recreation and natural hazards mitigation in human-modified landscapes. We characterise functional integrity by the quantity, quality and spatial configuration of (semi-)natural habitat within any landscape. We find that at least 20-25% of structurally complex and biologically diverse (semi-)natural habitat in each 1 km2of land area is needed to maintain the supply of multiple NCP simultaneously. Exact quantity, quality and spatial configuration required is dependent on local context, and may differ for individual NCP. Today, about 50-60% of human-modified lands have less than 10% and 20% (semi-)natural habitat per 1 km2respectively. These areas require immediate attention to regenerate functional integrity in order to secure ecological functioning in those landscapes.

Published
2022
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15. The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

Author

Hao Phuong Phan, Stephanie Mansourian, C. Julián Idrobo, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Brendan Coolsaet, Nicole Gross-Camp, Neil Dawson, Lea M. Scherl, Patrick Byakagaba, Warren G. Lavey, Kamaljit K. Sangha, Eleanor J. Sterling, Nathan J. Bennett, Supin Wongbusarakum, Francisco J. Rosado-May, Robin Loveridge, Aude Chenet, European School of Political and Social Sciences / École Européenne de Sciences Politiques et Sociales (ESPOL), Institut Catholique de Lille (ICL), Université catholique de Lille (UCL)-Université catholique de Lille (UCL), Université catholique de Lille (UCL), and UCL - SSH/IACS - Institute of Analysis of Change in Contemporary and Historical Societies

Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, traditional ecological knowledge, QH301-705.5, media_common.quotation_subject, 010501 environmental sciences, human rights, Environmental stewardship, environmental stewardship, 01 natural sciences, Indigenous, equity, well-being, Political science, Development economics, institutions, Biology (General), Traditional knowledge, environmental justice, QH540-549.5, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, media_common, Environmental justice, Equity (economics), Ecology, Human rights, iplc, Corporate governance, tenure security, 15. Life on land, Biodiversity hotspot, governance, 13. Climate action, [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies, customary tenure, biodiversity conservation, protected areas, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Institutions
Abstract

Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decadeâ s conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. © 2021 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. We are thankful for funding and support provided by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (IUCN CEESP), particularly the Chair, Kristen Walker Painemilla, and Deputy Chair, Ameyali Ramos Castillo. We are grateful for advice and voluntary contributions provided by members of the CEESP Theme on Human Wellbeing and Sustainable Livelihoods and especially to Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend for constructive comments. ND and BC were supported through the “Just Conservation” project funded by the Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB) of the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB), https://www.fondationbiodiversite.fr/. NGC’s time was funded through the Darwin Initiative RESPeCT project (No. 25-019). We are grateful to Samantha Cheng at the American Museum of Natural History for her time and advice on use of Colandr software and to Andy Wright https://www.madebyawdesign.com/ for the illustration of Figure 5. For images in Figure 5 we thank: the MIHARI Network https://mihari-network.org/ who permitted use of images of a fisherwoman speaking and Mangrove reforestation at Belo-sur-Mer, southwestern Madagascar; and Holladay Photo for the image of the Kahana community, Koolauloa, Oahu doing a traditional Hawaiian fishing practice called Hukilau.

Published
2021
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16. Can existing assessment tools be used to track equity in protected area management under Aichi Target 11?

Author

Celine Moreaux, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Neil D. Burgess, Nanna G. Vansteelant, and Sylvia Wicander

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Process (engineering), 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Corporate governance, Equity (finance), Environmental economics, Livelihood, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Transparency (graphic), Scale (social sciences), Accountability, Business, Protected area, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Nature and Landscape Conservation
Abstract

Aichi Target 11 (AT11) includes the commitment of 194 governments to equitably manage protected areas (PAs) by 2020. Here we evaluate whether existing PA Management Effectiveness (PAME) and social and governance assessment tools can be used to determine if AT11 meets equity goals. We find that PAME assessment conditions are insufficiently inclusive of relevant actors and do not satisfactorily allow for a diversity of perspectives to be expressed and accounted for, both of which are essential for equitable PA management. Furthermore, none of the analysed PAME tools fully cover multidimensional equity and thus they are inadequate for assessing progress towards equitable management in PAs. The available social and governance PA assessment tools stipulate more inclusive and participatory conditions within their guidelines, and the IUCN Governance Guidelines comprehensively capture equity dimensions in PA management, but results are not comparable across sites. We conclude that available assessment tools do not provide a reliable way to track equity in PAs at global scale. The IUCN Governance Guidelines could be adjusted to achieve this goal, providing that the information collected is made globally comparable, while ensuring transparency, accountability and room for contestation, including by communities whose livelihoods are directly implicated. Ultimately, developing and deploying globally comparable measures to evaluate equity is problematic, as the process of gathering comparable data inevitably obscures information that is highly relevant to resolving equity issues at local scales. This challenge must be met, however, if nations are to achieve and report on their success at meeting AT11 by 2020.

Published
2018
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17. Exploring local people's views on the livelihood impacts of privately versus community managed conservation strategies in the Ruvuma landscape of North Mozambique-South Tanzania

Author

Noelia Zafra-Calvo and Raquel Moreno-Peñaranda

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, Forests, 010501 environmental sciences, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Wildlife corridor, Public-Private Sector Partnerships, Tanzania, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Humans, Agricultural productivity, Waste Management and Disposal, Environmental planning, Mozambique, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, biology, Subsistence agriculture, Agriculture, General Medicine, Livelihood, biology.organism_classification, Natural resource, Trophy, Public Opinion, Business, Tourism
Abstract

It is broadly acknowledged that natural resources conservation strategies affect the livelihoods of local communities. Moreover, evidence suggests that these livelihood impacts, in turn, can influence conservation achievements. Yet, what constitutes a conservation strategy that communities perceive as acceptable and thus they would be willing to commit to over time remains poorly understood. This study explores the perceptions of communities regarding the effects of two different conservation strategies in the Ruvuma landscape: governmental land concessions and licenses to private tourist operators in North Mozambique, versus community-managed protected areas supported by NGOs in South Tanzania. The study engages communities in a series of semi-structured discussions about natural resource use, impact of the conservation strategies on their livelihoods, pressures on natural resources, and ways to address such pressures and reach an acceptable conservation strategy, from a community perspective. Our findings suggest that communities perceive as non-affordable current opportunity and damage costs in subsistence agriculture. A strategy integrating improved agricultural production, common use of the forest managed by communities, and joint ventures between communities and private companies for getting more benefits from trophy hunting are identified as acceptable.

Published
2018
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18. Plural valuation of nature for equity and sustainability : Insights from the Global South

Author

Patrick J. O’Farrell, Siddhartha Krishnan, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Diego Cabrol, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Daniel Cáceres, Paola Arias-Arévalo, Joji Cariño, Meine van Noordwijk, Unai Pascual, Sharachchandra Lele, Juliana Merçon, Hannah Moersberger, Sandra Díaz, Soubadra Devy, Patricia Balvanera, Louise Guibrunet, Berta Martín-López, Suneetha M. Subramanian, Tuyeni H. Mwampamba, Yoanna Kraus-Elsin, Rachel Carmenta, Institute of Ecosystem and Sustainability Research, Frank Jackson Foundation, Basque Government, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, UNESCO, University of Life Sciences, Autonomous National University of Mexico, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, BMUB, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sida, Red Socioecos CONACYT, Division of Science Policy and Capacity-Building, Carmenta, Rachel [0000-0001-8607-4147], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository

Subjects
cognition, environmental issue, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION, Geography, Planning and Development, purl.org/becyt/ford/1.7 [https], 010501 environmental sciences, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Sustainability Science, 01 natural sciences, decision making, purl.org/becyt/ford/1 [https], equity, Ecological psychology, Knowledge co-production, Open communication, TRANSDISCIPLINARITY, stakeholder, POWER RELATIONS, ecological approach, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Plural, Valuation (finance), KNOWLEDGE CO-PRODUCTION, Global and Planetary Change, Ecology, Public economics, VALUES, nature-society relations, communication, Stakeholder, Power relations, Values, Environmental valuation, sustainability, PE&RC, Transdisciplinarity, Coproduction, Plant Production Systems, Plantaardige Productiesystemen, Sustainability, Business, Social equality
Abstract

Plural valuation is about eliciting the diverse values of nature articulated by different stakeholders in order to inform decision making and thus achieve more equitable and sustainable outcomes. We explore what approaches align with plural valuation on the ground, as well as how different social-ecological contexts play a role in translating plural valuation into decisions and outcomes. Based on a co-constructed analytical approach relying on empirical information from ten cases from the Global South, we find that plural valuation contributes to equitable and sustainable outcomes if the valuation process: 1) is based on participatory value elicitation approaches; 2) is framed with a clear action-oriented purpose; 3) provides space for marginalized stakeholders to articulate their values in ways that can be included in decisions; 4) is used as a tool to identify and help reconcile different cognitive models about human-nature relations; and 5) fosters open communication and collaboration among stakeholders. We also find that power asymmetries can hinder plural valuation. As interest and support for undertaking plural valuation grows, a deeper understanding is needed regarding how it can be adapted to different purposes, approaches, and social-ecological contexts in order to contribute to social equity and sustainability. Fil: Zafra-Calvo, Noelia. Basque Centre For Climate Change; España Fil: Balvanera, Patricia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México Fil: Pascual, Unai. Basque Centre For Climate Change; España Fil: Merçon, Juliana. Universidad Veracruzana; México Fil: Martín López, Berta. Leuphana University Of Lüneburg; Alemania Fil: van Noordwijk, Meine. World Agroforestry Centre; Indonesia Fil: Mwampamba, Tuyeni Heita. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México Fil: Lele, Sharachchandra. Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology And The Environmen; India Fil: Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe. University of Bern; Suiza Fil: Arias-Arévalo, Paola. Universidad del Valle; Colombia Fil: Cabrol, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Desarrollo Rural; Argentina Fil: Caceres, Daniel Mario. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Desarrollo Rural; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: O'Farrell, Patrick. Council For Scientific And Industrial Research; Sudáfrica Fil: Subramanian, Suneetha Mazhenchery. United Nations University. Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability; Japón Fil: Devy, Soubadra. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environmen; India Fil: Krishnan, Siddhartha. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environmen; India Fil: Carmenta, Rachel. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido Fil: Guibrunet, Louise. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México Fil: Kraus-Elsin, Yoanna. Instituto Humboldt; Colombia Fil: Moersberger, Hannah. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia Fil: Cariño, Joji. Forest Peoples Programm; Reino Unido Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina

Published
2020
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19. Set ambitious goals for biodiversity and sustainability

Author

Suneetha M. Subramanian, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Henrique M. Pereira, Martine Maron, David Obura, Piero Visconti, Juan Carlos Rocha, Peter H. Verburg, José María Fernández-Palacios, Samantha L. L. Hill, Carlo Rondinini, Michael William Bruford, Fabrice DeClerck, Bernardo B. N. Strassburg, James E. M. Watson, Yunne-Jai Shin, Lynne J. Shannon, Luc De Meester, Philip J. K. McGowan, Lucas Alejandro Garibaldi, Eva Spehn, Forest Isbell, Amy E. Zanne, Neil Burgess, Wendy Broadgate, Ehsan Dulloo, Sandra Díaz, M. Rebecca Shaw, Andy Purvis, Jianguo Liu, Victoria Reyes-García, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Colin K. Khoury, Berta Martín-López, Paul Leadley, Cornelia B. Krug, Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, Joshua J. Tewksbury, Paul V. R. Snelgrove, The Natural History Museum [London] (NHM), Imperial College London, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (VU), Ecologie Systématique et Evolution (ESE), AgroParisTech-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria [Valparaiso] (UTFSM), Cardiff University, University of Minnesota System, The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) [Cali], Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) [Rome] (Alliance), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR] (CGIAR)-Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR] (CGIAR), Universidad de La Laguna [Tenerife - SP] (ULL), University of Minnesota [Twin Cities] (UMN), Tsinghua University [Beijing] (THU), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Universidade do Porto, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (UMR MARBEC), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, conservation biology, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Biodiversity, 01 natural sciences, Public Policy, Conservation of Natural Resources, Multidisciplinary approach, Biodiversidad y Conservación, environmental policy, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, media_common, 2. Zero hunger, Convention on Biological Diversity, Multidisciplinary, sustainability, Sostenibilidad, Negotiation, assessment method, priority journal, species extinction, enetic variability, science and technology, [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, media_common.quotation_subject, species identification, environmental monitoring, Sustainability Science, 010603 evolutionary biology, Biodiversidad, natural science, motivation, Political science, controlled study, 14. Life underwater, human, environmental sustainability, Set (psychology), Environmental planning, environmental protection, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Ambiente, ecosystem, nonhuman, Ecología, 15. Life on land, Action (philosophy), quality of life, 13. Climate action, Sustainability, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Global biodiversity
Abstract

Fil: Díaz, Sandra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina. Fil: Díaz, Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina. Fil: Zafra Calvo, Noelia. Future Earth; España. Fil: Purvis, Andy. Natural History Museum; Reino Unido. Fil: Verburg, Peter H. VU University Amsterdam. Institute for Environmental Studies: Países Bajos. Fil: Obura, David. Coastal Oceans Research and Development Indian Ocean; Kenia. Fil: Leadley, Paul. Université Paris-Sud. Ecologie Systématique Evolution; Francia. Fil: Chaplin Kramer, Rebecca. Stanford University. Natural Capital Project; Estados Unidos. Fil: De Meester, Luc. Leibniz Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei; Alemania. Fil: Dulloo, Ehsan. Bioversity International; Mauricio. Fil: Martín- López, Berta. Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Faculty of Sustainability; Alemania. Fil: Shaw, Rebecca. The World Wide Fund for Nature; Estados Unidos. Fil: Visconti, Piero. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Ecosystem Services and Management Program; Austria. Fil: Broadgate, Wendy. Future Earth; Suecia. Fil: Bruford, Michael W. Cardiff University. School of Biosciences and Sustainable Places Institute; Reino Unido. Fil: Burgess, Neil D. UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Reino Unido. Fil: Cavender Bares, Jeannine. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Estados Unidos. Fil: DeClerck, Fabrice. EAT Foundation; Noruega. Fil: Fernández Palacios, José María. Universidad de La Laguna. Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias; España. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Hill, Samantha L. L. UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Reino Unido. Fil: Isbell, Forest. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Estados Unidos. Fil: Khoury, Colin K. International Center for Tropical Agriculture; Colombia. Fil: Krug, Cornelia B. University of Zurich. Department of Geography; Suiza. Fil: Liu, Jianguo. Michigan State University; Estados Unidos. Fil: Maron, Martine. The University of Queensland; Australia. Fil: McGowan, Philip J. K. Newcastle University. School of Natural and Environmental Sciences; Reino Unido. Fil: Pereira, Henrique M. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research; Alemania. Fil: Reyes García, Victoria. Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies; España. Fil: Rocha, Juan. Future Earth; Suecia. Fil: Rondinini, Carlo. Sapienza University of Rome. Department of Biology and Biotechnologies. Global Mammal Assessment Program; Italia. Fil: Shannon, Lynne. University of Cape Town. Department of Biological Sciences; Sudáfrica. Fil: Shin, Yunne-Jai. University of Cape Town. Department of Biological Sciences; Sudáfrica. Fil: Snelgrove, Paul V. R. Memorial University of Newfoundland. Departments of Ocean Sciences and Biology; Canada. Fil: Spehn, Eva M. Swiss Academy of Sciences. Swiss Biodiversity Forum; Suiza. Fil: Strassburg, Bernardo. Pontifical Catholic University. Department of Geography and the Environment. Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre; Brasil. Fil: Subramanian, Suneetha M. United Nations University. Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability; Japón. Fil: Tewksbury, Joshua J. University of Colorado; Estados Unidos. Fil: Watson, James E. M. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos. Fil: Zanne, Amy E. George Washington University. Department of Biological Sciences; Estados Unidos. Global biodiversity policy is at a crossroads. Recent global assessments of living nature (1, 2) and climate (3) show worsening trends and a rapidly narrowing window for action. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has recently announced that none of the 20 Aichi targets for biodiversity it set in 2010 has been reached and only six have been partially achieved (4). Against this backdrop, nations are now negotiating the next generation of the CBD's global goals [see supplementary materials (SM)], due for adoption in 2021, which will frame actions of governments and other actors for decades to come. In response to the goals proposed in the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) made public by the CBD (5), we urge negotiators to consider three points that are critical if the agreed goals are to stabilize or reverse nature's decline. First, multiple goals are required because of nature's complexity, with different facets—genes, populations, species, deep evolutionary history, ecosystems, and their contributions to people—having markedly different geographic distributions and responses to human drivers. Second, interlinkages among these facets mean that goals must be defined and developed holistically rather than in isolation, with potential to advance multiple goals simultaneously and minimize trade-offs between them. Third, only the highest level of ambition in setting each goal, and implementing all goals in an integrated manner, will give a realistic chance of stopping—and beginning to reverse—biodiversity loss by 2050.

Published
2020
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20. Progress toward Equitably Managed Protected Areas in Aichi Target 11: A Global Survey

Author

Dan Brockington, Nicole Gross-Camp, Brendan Coolsaet, Jose-Antonio Cortes-Vazquez, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Neil D. Burgess, Eneko Garmendia, Ignacio Palomo, Unai Pascual, European Commission, and UCL - SSH/IACS - Institute of Analysis of Change in Contemporary and Historical Societies

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Convention on Biological Diversity, Equity (economics), access to justice, Forum, business.industry, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Aichi Target 11, decision-making, Public relations, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Knowledge-based systems, rights, Business, Limited evidence, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Protected area, Social equality
Abstract

The Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 11 requires its 193 signatory parties to incorporate social equity into protected area (PA) management by 2020. However, there is limited evidence of progress toward this commitment. We surveyed PA managers, staff, and community representatives involved in the management of 225 PAs worldwide to gather information against 10 equity criteria, including the distribution of benefits and burdens, recognition of rights, diversity of cultural and knowledge systems, and processes of participation in decision-making. Our results show that more than half of the respondents indicated that there are still significant challenges to be addressed in achieving equitably managed PAs, particularly in ensuring effective participation in decision-making, transparent procedures, access to justice in conflicting situations, and the recognition of the rights and diversity of local people. Our findings are a first and fundamental contribution toward a global assessment of equitable management in PAs to report on Aichi Target 11 in 2020 and help define the next set of PA targets from 2020-2030. We are thankful to Naomi Kingston, Phil Franks and Adrian Martin, who provided insightful comments on the manuscript, and to all respondents to this questionnaire and all organizations that helped us to distribute it, especially to Heather Bingham. This work is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 program under the MSCA grant agreement no. 659881 to NZ-C and supported by a JCFG from the Spanish MEC to IP (IJCI-2016-28475). NZ-C and NDB also acknowledge the DNRF for funding for CMEC, grant no. DNRF96.

Published
2019
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21. What do we call Adaptive Management? A general characterization from a global sample

Author

Tíscar Espigares, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Miguel Á. Rodríguez

Subjects
lcsh:QH1-199.5, lcsh:QR1-502, Developing country, lcsh:QH1-278.5, Sample (statistics), lcsh:General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution, Phase (combat), lcsh:Microbiology, lcsh:Physiology, Conservation, lcsh:Oceanography, Public use, lcsh:QH540-549.5, lcsh:Botany, lcsh:Zoology, lcsh:GC1-1581, lcsh:QL1-991, lcsh:Human ecology. Anthropogeography, lcsh:Science, lcsh:QH301-705.5, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, lcsh:Environmental sciences, lcsh:GE1-350, Ecology, lcsh:QP1-981, business.industry, lcsh:Natural history (General), Environmental resource management, lcsh:QK1-989, Adaptive management, lcsh:Biology (General), Scale (social sciences), Ecosystem management, lcsh:Q, lcsh:Ecology, lcsh:GF1-900, business
Abstract

This study presents a characterisation of the implementation of Adaptive Management (AM) from the analysis of 35 projects around the world. Our results reveal that AM projects are usually aimed at ecosystem management, conservation and restoration. Also, they mainly act upon forest or epicontinental water ecosystems and their goal is generally species exploitation and in most cases these projects act at a local scale. From a methodological point of view, most AM cases use an active approach and monitoring programs and were at the phase of problem identification. We found differences in the implementation of AM between developed and developing countries that were present in our samples in the following way: AM projects in developed countries were typically carried out by state agencies, and focused on solving problems concerning epicontinental waters and the public use of ecosystems. They had the support of national funds and used modelling techniques. In contrast, the AM projects from developing countries were mainly aimed at the conservation of natural protected areas and at the mitigation of environmental impacts derived from mining activities. The financial support of these projects was frequently provided by international organizations, and the use of modelling techniques was uncommon. For a better exploitation of all the possibilities of AM, we suggest the use of criteria to be customized to the specific needs of the socio-economic reality of every country and to monitor the results at a global scale to continuously improve this practice.

Published
2018

22. Predictors of elephant poaching in a wildlife crime hotspot: The Ruvuma landscape of southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique

Author

Martin Reinhardt Nielsen, Prada. C., Neil D. Burgess, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Jorge M. Lobo, Natural Environment Research Council (UK), and Danish National Research Foundation

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Game reserve, Wildlife, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, African elephant, biology.animal, Hotspot (geology), Community management, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Ecology, biology, Agroforestry, Water availability, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Poaching, biology.organism_classification, East Africa, Protected areas, Tanzania, Geography, Protected area
Abstract

Understanding the spatial distribution of elephant carcasses in relation to ecological characteristics and human activities is critical to developing targeted management strategies for reducing poaching. We employ a spatial modelling approach to quantify the relative contribution of multiple climatic, ecological, human and protected area management predictors of the number of elephant carcasses in a recognized poaching hotspot: the Ruvuma landscape of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania. This includes the Niassa Reserve in the south and the Selous Game Reserve in the north. In Mozambique, the number of elephant carcasses is positively associated with State-managed protected areas such as Niassa Reserve, but particularly with environmental variables including low rainfall and high temperatures. In Tanzania, elephant carcasses are positively associated with community-managed sites. A strong focus on effective management of protected areas in the Ruvuma landscape is crucial to reducing the killing of elephants., This work builds partially on the research project ‘Poverty and ecosystem Impacts of Tanzania’s wildlife Management Areas’ (“PIMA”), funded by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme (NE/L00139X/1), itself funded by UK’s Department for International Development, Economic and Social Research Council and Natural Environment Research Council. N.Z-C. and N.B. acknowledge the Danish National Research Foundation for funding for the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate; grant number DNRF96.

Published
2018

23. Towards an indicator system to assess equitable management in protected areas

Author

Unai Pascual, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Ignacio Palomo, Nicole Gross-Camp, Jose A. Cortes-Vazquez, Neil D. Burgess, Dan Brockington, Brendan Coolsaet, University of East Anglia [Norwich] (UEA), Université catholique de Lille (UCL), European School of Political and Social Sciences / École Européenne de Sciences Politiques et Sociales (ESPOL), Institut Catholique de Lille (ICL), and Université catholique de Lille (UCL)-Université catholique de Lille (UCL)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, media_common.quotation_subject, [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, 010501 environmental sciences, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Economic Justice, Statutory law, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Nature and Landscape Conservation, media_common, Convention on Biological Diversity, Public economics, business.industry, Standardized approach, Environmental resource management, Transparency (behavior), [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society, [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies, Accountability, Business, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Social equality, Diversity (politics)
Abstract

Aichi Target 11 (AT11), adopted by 193 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010, states that protected areas (PAs) must be equitably managed by 2020. However, significant challenges remain in terms of actual implementation of equitable management in PAs. These challenges include, among others, the lack of a standardized approach to assess and monitor social equity and the difficulty of reducing social equity to a series of metrics. This perspective addresses these challenges and it proposes a minimum set of ten indicators for assessing and monitoring the three dimensions of social equity in protected areas: recognition, procedure and distribution. The indicators target information on social equity regarding cultural identity, statutory and customary rights, knowledge diversity; free, prior and informed consent mechanisms, full participation and transparency in decision-making, access to justice, accountability over decisions, distribution of conservation burdens, and sharing of conservation benefits. The proposed indicator system is a first step in advancing an approach to facilitate our understanding of how the different dimensions of social equity are denied or recognized in PAs globally. The proposed system would be used by practitioners to mainstream social equity indicators in PAs assessments at the site level and to report to the CBD on the ‘equitably managed’ element of AT11.

Published
2017
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24. Deriving Species Richness, Endemism, and Threatened Species Patterns from Incomplete Distribution Data in the Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

Author

Fábio Suzart de Albuquerque, Mauricio Velayos, Francisco Cabezas, Tíscar Espigares, Miguel Á. Rodríguez, Jorge M. Lobo, Jaime Perez Del Val, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Miguel Á. Olalla-Tárraga, and Marta Rueda

Subjects
Geography, Taxon, Ecology, Habitat, Threatened species, Tropics, Vegetation, Rainforest, Species richness, Endemism, Nature and Landscape Conservation
Abstract

The knowledge of the spatial patterns of species richness and, particularly, of endemic and threatened species at the scale at which management activities take place is crucial for conservation. Yet, detailed descriptions of species’ distribution areas are often lacking or incomplete, especially in the tropics. This article focuses on the African island of Bioko and uses species accumulation curves to evaluate the completeness of its biological inventory for three plant groups (ferns, monocotyledons and dicotyledons), birds and monkeys. Results showed that the current inventory is fairly complete for monkeys and birds, but only covers half of the vegetation in the island. Bioclimatic models were used to estimate the potential distribution of each species and to assemble species richness patterns for each taxa and for endemic and threatened species, revealing that montane and lowland rainforests were the richest habitats, while high altitude shrubs and subalpine meadows were the poorest ones. Predicted richness values for monsoon forests were unexpectedly low for plants and birds, probably because of insufficient sampling in these areas. Additionally, the comparison of species richness patterns with the proposed delineation of protected areas for the island shows that these will cover most hotspots of species richness, endemism and threatened species, except for dicotyledonous plants and endemic birds. The potential utility of the predicted patterns for conservation priorities and initiatives in Bioko is discussed.

Published
2010
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25. Discerning the impact of human-mediated factors on biodiversity using bioclimatic envelope models and partial regression techniques

Author

Miguel Á. Rodríguez, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, and Jorge M. Lobo

Subjects
Ecology, Biodiversity, Bioclimatic envelope modelling, Biology, Human–biodiversity relationships, Bioko island, Habitat, Threatened species, Equatorial Guinea, Biological dispersal, Taxonomic rank, Species richness, Bushmeat, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Global biodiversity
Abstract

10 páginas, 2 figuras, 1 tabla., [Aim]: Human-related pressures are growing in species-rich regions and pose a threat to the conservation of biodiversity. Here, we use the available data for five taxonomic groups (ferns, monocotyledons, dicotyledons, birds and monkeys) to exemplify a procedure directed to discriminate the degree of conflict between human actions and biodiversity. [Location]: Bioko island, Equatorial Guinea. [Methods]: Using bioclimatic envelope modelling techniques devoted to produce estimations of the potential distributions, we generated geographical representations of the variation in the total number of species as well as in the number of endemic and threatened species. We then employed partial regression techniques to determine how and to what extent current environmental, habitat and human-derived variables are associated with these potential species richness values. [Results]: Although the type of associations we looked for was sometimes difficult to discern since the same patterns could be explained by different types of variables, our results show that potential species richness values are generally positively associated with human-related factors (mainly agriculture and bushmeat hunting activities), suggesting that the localities with environmental conditions favourable to higher species richness tend to be those exploited by humans. [Main conclusions]: We propose that the combined use of distribution models and partial regression techniques can support a better understanding of the relationship between species occurrences/preferences and human-related factors and inform future conservation initiatives, particularly in small but hyperdiverse territories, in which dispersal limitations do not play a prominent role., N.Z.-C. thanks the Spanish Agency for Development and Cooperation (AECID) for its financial support through a MAE/AECI Grant. Work by M. Á. R. was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant CGL2006-03000/BOS).

Published
2010

26. Prioritizing areas for conservation and vegetation restoration in post-agricultural landscapes: A Biosphere Reserve plan for Bioko, Equatorial Guinea

Author

Sahotra Sarkar, Jorge M. Lobo, Rowena Cerro, Trevon Fuller, Miguel Á. Rodríguez, and Noelia Zafra-Calvo

Subjects
Nature reserve, Bioko, Agroforestry, Conservation Plan, Biodiversity, Biosphere, Rainforest, Vegetation, Reserve selection, Gap analysis, Geography, Environmental protection, West Africa, Protected area, Restoration ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Nature and Landscape Conservation
Abstract

8 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tabla., Although the conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture threatens biodiversity, post-agricultural lands may provide an opportunity to preserve biodiversity if they are allowed to regenerate. We develop a framework for incorporating abandoned agricultural fields into the design of a Biosphere Reserve using former cocoa plantations on Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, as a case study. First, we used BIOCLIM to model the potential distribution of 62 ferns, 327 monocotyledons, 749 dicotyledons, seven primates, and 104 birds on Bioko. Next, we quantitatively assessed the representation of these distributions in conservation areas proposed by the Equatoguinean administration (hereafter “EPAs”). In addition, we used an area prioritization algorithm implemented in the ResNet software package to select an initial set of sites to serve as the Biosphere Reserve’s core areas, that is, intact forest in Bioko’s montane regions. Then, to augment the beta-diversity of the Reserve, we used the area prioritization algorithm to prioritize buffer zones in lowland sites including rainforest remnants and abandoned plantations that have partially regenerated to forest. We also compared the representation of biodiversity in the EPAs to its representation in Biosphere Reserves designed with ResNet. The representation of vegetation types and species in Reserves selected by ResNet that occupy 25% of the land on Bioko is equivalent to the representation achieved by the EPAs, which would cover 42% of Bioko. To conclude, we propose a conservation plan for Bioko., N.Z.-C. wants to thank the Spanish Agency for Development and Cooperation (AECID) for its financial support through a MAE/AECI Grant. Work by M.Á.R. was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant CGL2006-03000/BOS). Work by R.C., T.F., and S.S. was supported by National Science Foundation(USA) Grant SES-0645884, 2007–2009 (Principal Investigator: S.S.).

Published
2010

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