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1.
dentification of groups that are similar in their floristic composition and structure (habitat types) is essential for conservation
and forest managers to allocate high priority areas and to designate areas for reserves, refuges, and other protected areas.
In this study, the use of indigenous knowledge for the identification of habitat types in the field was compared against an
ecological characterization of habitat types, including their species composition obtained by using classification and ordination
techniques for a tropical landscape mosaic in a rural Mayan area of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Plant diversity data calculated
from 141 sampled sites chosen randomly on a vegetation class’s thematic map obtained by multispectral satellite image classification
were used for this propose. Results indicated high similarity in the categorization of vegetation types between the Mayan
classification and those obtained by cluster and detrended correspondence analysis. This suggests that indigenous knowledge
has a practical use and can be comparable to that obtained by using science-based methods. Finally, identification and mapping
of vegetation classes (habitat types) using satellite image classification allowed us to discriminate significantly different
species compositions, in such a way that they can provide a useful mechanism for interpolating diversity values over the entire
landscape. 相似文献
2.
Marine Protected Dramas: The Flaws of the Brazilian National System of Marine Protected Areas 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Leopoldo C. Gerhardinger Eduardo A. S. Godoy Peter J. S. Jones Gilberto Sales Beatrice P. Ferreira 《Environmental management》2011,47(4):630-643
This article discusses the current problems and issues associated with the implementation of a National System of Marine Protected
Areas in Brazil. MPA managers and higher governmental level authorities were interviewed about their perceptions of the implementation
of a national MPA strategy and the recent changes in the institutional arrangement of government marine conservation agencies.
Interviewees’ narratives were generally pessimistic and the National System was perceived as weak, with few recognizable marine
conservation outcomes on the ground. The following major flaws were identified: poor inter-institutional coordination of coastal
and ocean governance; institutional crisis faced by the national government marine conservation agency; poor management within
individual MPAs; problems with regional networks of marine protected areas; an overly bureaucratic management and administrative
system; financial shortages creating structural problems and a disconnect between MPA policy and its delivery. Furthermore,
a lack of professional motivation and a pessimistic atmosphere was encountered during many interviews, a malaise which we
believe affects how the entire system is able to respond to crises. Our findings highlight the need for a better understanding
of the role of ‘leadership’ in the performance of socio-ecological systems (such as MPA networks), more effective official
evaluation mechanisms, more localized audits of (and reforms if necessary to) Brazil’s federal biodiversity conservation agency
(ICMBio), and the need for political measures to promote state leadership and support. Continuing to focus on the designation
of more MPAs whilst not fully addressing these issues will achieve little beyond fulfilling, on paper, Brazil’s international
marine biodiversity commitments. 相似文献
3.
We analyzed the effects of changes in land cover on the water balance in Spain’s Marina Baixa County, on the Mediterranean
coast. To reveal how different land management strategies have affected the area’s environment, four municipalities within
the same catchment were studied: Benidorm, Callosa d’en Sarrià, Beniardà, and Guadalest. In the municipalities of Callosa
and Benidorm, the proportion of the area covered by woodland declined by 4.2% and 30.2%, respectively, and woodland was replaced
by agriculture and urban development. The abandonment of farmland produced a 17% increase in the proportion of the area covered
by vegetation in Guadalest and Beniardá, where frequent forest fires have exacerbated a decrease in the area of pine woodland.
Tourism development in Benidorm has been accompanied by an increase in the transportation infrastructure and by an expansion
of areas with an impermeable surface, with the lowest level of infiltration into the aquifer system. These changes have generated
a net water deficit in Callosa and Benidorm of more than 6 Mm3/year, creating a high demand for water imported from other municipalities (Guadalest and Beniardá) or from outside of the
county to maintain the sustainability of the current water management strategies. The Marina Baixa case study is representative
of many of the world’s coastal areas that are undergoing rapid urban development based on an inappropriate understanding of
human progress based mainly on economic development and thus provides insights into water management in other areas. 相似文献
4.
The theoretical concept, “asset specificity,” is applied to real data in the context of Danish nature conservation network
planning in order to produce illustrative examples of an economic measure of the network’s vulnerability to exogenous shocks
to the species composition. Three different measures of asset specificity are quantified from the shadow value of eliminating
a key species from the individual grid cells. This represents a novel approach and a different interpretation of the term,
as it is conventionally used as a qualitative indicator in the transaction cost economics literature. Apart from supplementing
existing cost measures with an indicator of risk associated with investments in protected areas, this study demonstrates how
the estimation and interpretation of various asset specificity measures for geographical areas may qualify policy makers’
choice of policy instrument in conservation planning. This differs from the more intuitive approach of basing policy instrument
choice solely on the rarity of the species in a given area. 相似文献
5.
Three different systems of designating protected areas in a Mediterranean region in southeastern Spain were studied, referring
to their effectiveness and efficiency for protecting both the breeding territories and the suitable habitat of a set of ten
raptor species. Taking into consideration the varying degrees of endangerment of these species, a map of multispecies conservation
values was also drawn up and superimposed on the three protected-area systems studied. In order to compare the levels of protection
afforded by the three systems, we considered two indices that measured their relative effectiveness and efficiency. The effectiveness
estimated the proportion of territories or optimal habitat protected by the networks while efficiency implicitly considered
the area of each system (percentage of breeding territories or optimal habitat protected per 1% of land protected). Overall,
our results showed that the most efficient system was that formed by the set of regional parks and reserves (17 protected
breeding territories per 100 km2), although, given its small total area, it was by far the least effective (only protecting the 21% of the breeding territories
of all species and 17% of the area of high conservation value). The systems formed by the Special Protection Areas (designated
under the EU “Birds Directive”) and by the Special Conservation Areas (designated under the EU “Habitats Directive”) notably
increased the percentages of protected territories of all species (61%) and area of high conservation value (57%), but their
efficiency was not as high as expected in most cases. The overall level of protection was high for all species except for
the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), an endangered falcon that inhabits pseudo-steppe and traditional agricultural habitats, which are clearly underrepresented
in the protected-area network of the study region. 相似文献
6.
Prévot-Julliard AC Clavel J Teillac-Deschamps P Julliard R 《Environmental management》2011,47(3):315-321
To garner support for biodiversity from the World’s human population, conservation biologists need an open-minded, integrated
conservation strategy. We suggest that this strategy should include efforts to (1) preserve existing high quality, diverse
ecosystems, (2) remediate impaired systems, (3) balance the needs of people and ecological resources, and (4) engender appreciation
of nature and its services. We refer to these four key tenets as reservation, restoration, reconciliation, and reconnection.
We illustrate these concepts by presenting the debate surrounding the management of exotic species from an unusual perspective,
the benefits of exotic species. By this example we hope to encourage an integrated approach to conservation in which management
strategies can be flexible, adjusting to society’s needs and the overall goals of conservation. 相似文献
7.
Saproxylic (dead-wood-associated) and old-growth species are among the most threatened species in European forest ecosystems,
as they are susceptible to intensive forest management. Identifying areas with particular relevant features of biodiversity
is of prime concern when developing species conservation and habitat restoration strategies and in optimizing resource investments.
We present an approach to identify regional conservation and restoration priorities even if knowledge on species distribution
is weak, such as for saproxylic and old-growth species in Switzerland. Habitat suitability maps were modeled for an expert-based
selection of 55 focal species, using an ecological niche factor analyses (ENFA). All the maps were then overlaid, in order
to identify potential species’ hotspots for different species groups of the 55 focal species (e.g., birds, fungi, red-listed
species). We found that hotspots for various species groups did not correspond. Our results indicate that an approach based
on “richness hotspots” may fail to conserve specific species groups. We hence recommend defining a biodiversity conservation
strategy prior to implementing conservation/restoration efforts in specific regions. The conservation priority setting of
the five biogeographical regions in Switzerland, however, did not differ when different hotspot definitions were applied.
This observation emphasizes that the chosen method is robust. Since the ENFA needs only presence data, this species prediction
method seems to be useful for any situation where the species distribution is poorly known and/or absence data are lacking.
In order to identify priorities for either conservation or restoration efforts, we recommend a method based on presence data
only, because absence data may reflect factors unrelated to species presence. 相似文献
8.
Management of ecological reserve lands should rely on the best available science to achieve the goal of biodiversity conservation.
“Adaptive Resource Management” is the current template to ensure that management decisions are reasoned and that decisions
increase understanding of the system being managed. In systems with little human disturbance, certain management decisions
are clear; steps to protect native species usually include the removal of invasive species. In highly modified systems, however,
appropriate management steps to conserve biodiversity are not as readily evident. Managers must, more than ever, rely upon
the development and testing of hypotheses to make rational management decisions. We present a case study of modern reserve
management wherein beavers (Castor canadensis) were suspected of destroying habitat for endangered songbirds (least Bell’s vireo, Vireo bellii pusillus, and southwestern willow flycatcher, Empidonax traillii extimus) and for promoting the invasion of an exotic plant (tamarisk, Tamarix spp.) at an artificial reservoir in southern California. This case study documents the consequences of failing to follow
the process of Adaptive Resource Management. Managers made decisions that were unsupported by the scientific literature, and
actions taken were likely counterproductive. The opportunity to increase knowledge of the ecosystem was lost. Uninformed management
decisions, essentially “management by assertion,” undermine the long-term prospects for biodiversity conservation. 相似文献
9.
Local Residents Perception of Benefits and Losses From Protected Areas in India and Nepal 总被引:2,自引:1,他引:1
High densities of people living around protected areas (PAs) in South Asia require management strategies to balance conservation
goals and livelihood needs. Based on a survey of 777 households around five PAs in India and Nepal, this paper provides a
comparative perspective of Indian and Nepali households’ views of protected area benefits and costs, their attitude toward
conservation in general, and attitude toward protected area staff. Results indicate mixed responses towards tourism, varying
from very favorable in Nepal to less favorable in India. The majority (81%) held positive attitudes towards the existence
and importance of PAs but had negative perceptions of PA staff (69%). Most residents perceived benefits from access to fuel
wood, fodder and other PA resources including benefits from tourism, while crop and livestock losses from wildlife were the
main costs. Households overall positive attitudes towards the PAs and conservation despite high losses from living around
PAs suggests that local residents may support conservation if their livelihood needs are met. Comparisons of household attitudes
and perceptions suggest that locally based strategies rather than top-down approaches are likely to be more effective. Extending
PA benefits to smaller landholders, households that are highly resource-dependent or experiencing higher income losses from
human-wildlife conflicts, and less educated residents are particularly important to balance costs and losses from living around
protected areas. 相似文献
10.
Implications of Land Use/Land Cover Change in the Buffer Zone of a National Park in the Tropical Andes 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
The impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change in buffer zones surrounding protected ecological reserves have important
implications for the management and conservation of these protected areas. This study examines the spatial and temporal patterns
of LULC change along the boundary of Rio Abiseo National Park in the Northern Peruvian Andes. Landscape change within four
ecological zones was evaluated based on trends expected to occur between 1987 and 2001. Landsat TM and ETM imagery were used
to produce LULC classification maps for both years using a hybrid supervised/unsupervised approach. LULC changes were measured
using landscape metrics and from-to change maps created by post-classification change detection. Contrary to expectations,
tropical upper wet montane forest increased despite being threatened by human-induced fires and cattle grazing of the highland
grasslands inside the park. Within the park’s buffer zone, tropical moist forest remnants were fragmented into more numerous
and smaller patches between 1987 and 2001; this was in part due to conversion into agricultural land. The methods used in
this study provide an effective way to monitor LULC change detection and support the management of protected areas and their
surrounding environments. 相似文献
11.
The ability of an organisation to recognise the value of new external information, acquire it, assimilate it, transform, and
exploit it, namely its absorptive capacity (AC), has been much researched in the context of commercial organisations and even
applied to national innovation. This paper considers four key AC-related concepts and their relevance to public sector organisations
with mandates to manage and conserve freshwater ecosystems for the common good. The concepts are the importance of in-house
prior related knowledge, the importance of informal knowledge transfer, the need for motivation and intensity of effort, and
the importance of gatekeepers. These concepts are used to synthesise guidance for a way forward in respect of such freshwater
management and conservation, using the imminent release of a specific scientific conservation planning and management tool
in South Africa as a case study. The tool comprises a comprehensive series of maps that depict national freshwater ecosystem
priority areas for South Africa. Insights for implementing agencies relate to maintaining an internal science, rather than
research capacity; making unpublished and especially tacit knowledge available through informal knowledge transfer; not underestimating
the importance of intensity of effort required to create AC, driven by focussed motivation; and the potential use of a gatekeeper
at national level (external to the implementing organisations), possibly playing a more general ‘bridging’ role, and multiple
internal (organisational) gatekeepers playing the more limited role of ‘knowledge translators’. The role of AC as a unifying
framework is also proposed. 相似文献
12.
Pamela D. McElwee 《Environmental management》2010,45(1):113-131
This article examines the use of forests in a protected area by nearby agriculturalists in central Vietnam. Research indicates
that the majority of rural farmers interviewed who lived near a state designated protected area were receiving both subsistence
and cash incomes from forest-based activities, primarily from the collection of forest products. However, much of the collection
of forest produce was officially illegal, as it occurred in state protected forests, and interdiction efforts were on the
increase. Yet, little attention has been paid in Vietnam to the need for income substitution for households who lose access
to forest produce as a result of conservation enforcement, particularly in the case of farmers who live near, but not in,
protected areas; their resources use has been ‘invisible’ due to a lack of attention and research on the topic. This misunderstanding
of the importance of forests to rural farmers has the potential to result in households facing adverse welfare and livelihood
outcomes as protected areas boundaries are tightened, and local communities face increased opportunity costs due to stricter
conservation enforcement. The article concludes that substitution for loss of income due to conservation activities would
best be achieved through carefully targeted interventions to specific high-impact and high-dependency households. Additionally,
investments in new sources of wage labor and other low capital-input activities, rather than in agriculture, would likely
be of most benefit. 相似文献
13.
Protected areas present a global heritage. Assessing conservation achievements in protected areas is of crucial importance with respect to the on-time delivery of international biodiversity conservation targets. However, monitoring data from publicly accessible databases for comparative studies of conservation achievements in the protected areas of the world are very scarce, if not non-existent. At first glance this is surprising because, with regards to protected areas, at least according to well established protected area management guidelines and widely accepted public mandates, a great deal of monitoring work and data gathering is to be conducted. This would imply that data on changes of biodiversity in protected areas could be expected to exist, and the constant progress in information technologies and Web tools engenders hope that some of it might even be available online for the global public. This review article presents the results of an extensive online search and review of existing monitoring data from freely accessible online databases for its use in an assessment of conservation achievements in a larger sample of protected areas. Results show two contrary sides to the status quo of accessible data from the World Wide Web for conservation science: data overkill and data scarcity with poor metadata provision. While ever more research is, in fact, based on open-access online data, such as extrapolations of species ranges used in conservation management and planning, it remains almost impossible to obtain a basic set of information for an assessment of conservation achievements within a larger number of protected areas. This awareness has triggered a detailed discussion about the discrepancies in sharing data at the level of protected areas; mismatching relationships between expected activities in protected areas and the capacity for delivering these requirements are certainly among the main challenges. In addition, the fear of data misuse potentially resulting in harm for nature, careers, and competencies still seems to be a critical barrier strictly controlling the willingness to share data. Various initiatives aimed at tackling technical and cultural obstacles are introduced and discussed to reach the goal of a modern resource management based on adaptive management using digital opportunities of the new millennium for a sustainable global village. 相似文献
14.
Improving Community-Based Conservation Near Protected Areas: The Importance of Development Variables
Balint PJ 《Environmental management》2006,38(1):137-148
Community-based conservation projects implemented in conjunction with protected area management often struggle to meet expectations.
This article argues that outcomes will improve if project leaders pay closer attention to four development indicators—rights,
capacity, governance, and revenue—that are often taken for granted or considered beyond the scope of local conservation projects.
I make the case for focusing on these variables in four steps. First, I distinguish community-based conservation linked to
protected area management from community-based institutions studied by scholars of the commons. Second, I draw on the theory
and practice of international development to highlight the central relevance of the variables highlighted in this article
to development projects at all levels. Third, I discuss the four variables in some detail, considering problems of definition
and measurement and reviewing possible interactions among them. Fourth, to illustrate the influence of the variables in particular
cases, I review outcomes from community-based conservation projects implemented near protected areas in El Salvador and Zimbabwe. 相似文献
15.
Francisco Seijo Maria Marcela Godoy Dante Guglielmin Cecilia Ciampoli Samuel Ebright Omar Picco Guillermo Defoss 《Environmental management》2020,65(4):448-462
The creation of protected conservation areas may result in protracted conflicts between stakeholders. In this study we examine the drivers of anthropogenic wildfire ignitions in the National Park of “los Alerces” (NPA) in Patagonia, Argentina. The NPA was established in 1937 to protect the native “andino-patagónico” forests from wildfires as well as preserving its scenic beauty and native flora and fauna. At the time of its creation state authorities prohibited all extractive human activities in the “intangible”—fully protected—“National Park” section, while other regulated extractive and ecotourism activities were allowed to continue in the “Natural Reserve” section in an effort to accommodate the historical entitlements of the displaced populations of “pobladores” (settlers) that had been living in the NPA for over a century. Here we interviewed the main stakeholder groups—“pobladores”, forest rangers and administrators, ecolodge owners and angler club members—to identify the drivers of wildfire ignitions in the park. Wildfires have been singled out by state authorities as the main threat to the NPA though considerable scientific uncertainty exists regarding their complex ecological effects. This study argues, based on the human and biophysical system data collected, that two conflicting cultural frames exist within the NPA that provide the necessary backdrop for understanding the drivers of wildfire ignitions. In turn, these findings raise puzzling dilemmas for the main theoretical approaches that have been used to inform and design conflict management strategies in protected conservation areas. 相似文献
16.
Nodes,networks, and MUMs: Preserving diversity at all scales 总被引:14,自引:0,他引:14
The present focus of practical conservation efforts is limited in scope. This narrowness results in an inability to evaluate and manage phenomena that operate at large spatiotemporal scales. Whereas real ecological phenomena function in a space-time mosaic across a full hierarchy of biological entities and processes, current conservation strategies address a limited spectrum of this complexity. Conservation typically is static (time-limited), concentrates on the habitat content rather than the landscape context of protected areas, evaluates relatively homogeneous communities instead of heterogeneous landscapes, and directs attention to particular species populations and/or the aggregate statistic of species diversity. Insufficient attention has been given to broad ecological patterns and processes and to the conservation of species in natural relative abundance patterns (native diversity).The authors present a conceptual scheme that evaluates not only habitat content within protected areas, but also the landscape context in which each preserve exists. Nodes of concentrated ecological value exist in each landscape at all levels in the biological hierarchy. Integration of these high-quality nodes into a functional network is possible through the establishment of a system of interconnected multiple-use modules (MUMs). The MUM network protects and buffers important ecological entities and phenomena, while encouraging movement of individuals, species, nutrients, energy, and even habitat patches across space and time. An example is presented for the southeastern USA (south Georgia-north Florida), that uses riparian and coastal corridors to interconnect existing protected areas. This scheme will facilitate reintroduction and preservation of wide-ranging species such as the Florida panther, and help reconcile species-level and ecosystem-level conservation approaches. 相似文献
17.
Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos Nikoleta Jones Theodoros Iosifides Ioanna Florokapi Ourania Lasda Foivos Paliouras Konstantinos I. Evangelinos 《Journal of environmental management》2010,91(9):1847-1854
Environmental policies aimed at the conservation of protected areas are significantly influenced by social factors revealing the importance of investigating local knowledge and perceptions during their planning and implementation. The present article aims to explore perceptions and awareness of citizens in three protected areas of Greece: The National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the Wetland of Kalloni, and Lake Tavropou. The survey explores perceptions of individuals on environmental issues and alternative management scenarios referring to management actors, funding sources, and management schemes for the conservation of biodiversity. Differences between the three research areas are also explored. According to the results of the study, citizens are in general supportive of protected areas and present relatively high levels of knowledge of environmental issues. However, environmental awareness is not accompanied by active participation for the resolution of environmental problems. By exploring differences between the three research areas, it is revealed that the provision of information significantly influences individuals’ perceptions on relevant issues. Also, a significant finding of the study is that citizens are supportive of some forms of participatory management. It is essential, to encourage public participation and deliberation in order to promote their sustainable management. 相似文献
18.
Maolin Li Xianshi Jin Qisheng Tang 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2012,25(1):33-54
Marine ecosystems are in serious troubles globally, largely due to the failures of fishery resources management. To restore
and conserve fishery ecosystems, we need new and effective governance systems urgently. This research focuses on fisheries
management in ancient China. We found that from 5,000 years ago till early modern era, Chinese ancestors had been constantly
enthusiastic about sustainable utilization of fisheries resources and natural balance of fishery development. They developed
numerous rigorous policies and regulations to guide people to act on natural laws. Being detailed and scientific, the legal
systems had gained gratifying enforcement, due to official efforts and folks’ voluntary participation in resource management.
In-depth analyses show that people’s consciousness of ecological conservation was derived from the edification of kinds of
ancient eco-ethical wisdom, such as totemism, nature worship, Zhou Yi, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Mohism, etc. All this Chinese classical wisdom have the same cores: “Nature and Man in One”
spirit, frugality and “All things are equal” concept. The findings show that eco-ethical thinking is never inconsistent with
social ethic systems, and it’s of great importance to give legal effect to usual ecological moral claims and eco-ethical requirements
of the public in protecting the environment. The eco-ethical wisdom is efficient in assisting and urging people to fulfill
humans’ obligation for nature. Finally, it’s believed that present world fisheries management will benefit a lot from all
these ancient Chinese thoughts and practices. People are expected to make the most of the eco-ethical wisdom, strengthen fishery
legislation and fully stimulate their voluntary participation in both marine fishery resources conservation and fishery cyclic
economy. 相似文献
19.
Kerry A. Brown J. Carter Ingram Dan F. B. Flynn Rova Razafindrazaka Vololoniaina Jeannoda 《Environmental management》2009,44(1):136-148
Despite their prevalence in both developed and developing countries, there have been surprisingly few field assessments of
the ecological effectiveness of protected areas. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a key protected area in eastern
Madagascar, Ranomafana National Park (RNP). We established paired 100 × 4-m vegetation transects (400 m2) within RNP and in remnant forests in the park’s peripheral zone. In each 400-m2 plot, all woody stems >1.5 cm in diameter at breast height were measured and identified to species. All species were also
identified as native or non-native. We identified utilitarian species within all transects and they were sorted into use category.
We calculated plot-level taxonomic biodiversity and functional diversity of utilitarian species; the latter was calculated
by clustering the multivariate distances between species based on their utilitarian traits, and all metrics were tested using
paired t-tests. Our results showed that there was significantly higher biodiversity inside RNP than in remnant forests and this pattern
was consistent across all diversity metrics examined. Forests not located within the park’s boundary had significantly higher
non-native species than within RNP. There was no statistically significant difference in functional diversity of utilitarian
species inside RNP vs. remnant forests; however, the overall trend was toward higher diversity inside park boundaries. These
findings suggested that RNP has been effective at maintaining taxonomic diversity relative to surrounding unprotected areas
and restricting the spread of non-native plants. The results also suggested that low functional redundancy of forests outside
of RNP might be of concern, because residents in surrounding villages may have few other substitutes for the services provided
by species that are of critical importance to their livelihoods. This study highlights the challenges of trying to reconcile
biodiversity conservation with human use of natural resources in economically poor, remote areas. 相似文献
20.
The Race for Space: Tracking Land-Cover Transformation in a Socio-ecological Landscape, South Africa
Kaera L. Coetzer Barend F. N. Erasmus Edward T. F. Witkowski Belinda Reyers 《Environmental management》2013,52(3):595-611
Biosphere Reserves attempt to align existing biodiversity conservation with sustainable resource use, specifically for improving socio-economic circumstances of resident communities. Typically, the Biosphere Reserve model is applied to an established landscape mosaic of existing land uses; these are often socio-ecological systems where strict environmental protection and community livelihoods are in conflict, and environmental degradation frequently accompanies “use”. This raises challenges for successful implementation of the model, as the reality of the existing land-use mosaic undermines the theoretical aspirations of the Biosphere concept. This study focuses on the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve (K2C), South Africa; a socio-ecological landscape where formal conservation is juxtaposed against extensive impoverished rural communities. We focus on land-cover changes of the existing land-use mosaic (1993–2006), specifically selected land-cover classes identified as important for biodiversity conservation and local-level resource utilization. We discuss the implications of transformation for conservation, sustainable resource-use, and K2C’s functioning as a “Biosphere Reserve”. Spatially, changes radiated outward from the settlement expanse, with little regard for the theoretical land-use zonation of the Biosphere Reserve. Settlement growth tracked transport routes, transforming cohesive areas of communal-use rangelands. Given the interdependencies between the settlement population and local environmental resources, the Impacted Vegetation class expanded accordingly, fragmenting the Intact Vegetation class, and merging rangelands. This has serious implications for sustainability of communal harvesting areas, and further transformation of intact habitat. The distribution and magnitude of Intact Vegetation losses raise concerns around connectivity and edge effects, with long-term consequences for ecological integrity of remnant habitat, and K2C’s existing network of protected areas. 相似文献