Biodiversity conservation incentive programs for privately owned forests

In many countries, a large proportion of forest biodiversity exists on private land. Legal restrictions are often inadequate to prevent loss of habitat and encourage forest owners to manage areas for biodiversity, especially when these management actions require time, money, and other resources. Environmental programs encouraging these actions through economic incentives can be used instead of additional legal restrictions, although to be efficient and successful, an incentive program must be thoughtfully developed and its conservation goals must be clear. In addition to being economically efficient, programs must be acceptable to landowners and ecologically appropriate, especially with respect to the case-specific objectives and the ecosystems in question. We introduce a sample of voluntary incentive programs for private forests in Europe and North America. We briefly describe the economic, social, and ecological characteristics of the programs and the forests they aim to conserve, and evaluate the success of these programs with respect to their explicitly stated goals and the ecological status of the forests in that country or state. Important factors contributing to program success include an allowance for some economic productivity in enrolled forests, a long period since time of program inception, and little interference from other incentive programs.     

Towards a climate change adaptation strategy for coffee communities and ecosystems in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico

The mountain chain of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Mexico is globally significant for its biodiversity and is one of the most important coffee production areas of Mexico. It provides water for several municipalities and its biosphere reserves are important tourist attractions. Much of the forest cover outside the core protected areas is in fact coffee grown under traditional forest shade. Unless this (agro)forest cover can be sustained, the biodiversity of the Sierra Madre and the environmental services it provides are at risk. We analyzed the threats to livelihoods and environment from climate change through crop suitability modeling based on downscaled climate scenarios for the period 2040 to 2069 (referred to as 2050s) and developed adaptation options through an expert workshop. Significant areas of forest and occasionally coffee are destroyed every year by wildfires, and this problem is bound to increase in a hotter and drier future climate. Widespread landslides and inundations, including on coffee farms, have recently been caused by hurricanes whose intensity is predicted to increase. A hotter climate with more irregular rainfall will be less favorable to the production of quality coffee and lower profitability may compel farmers to abandon shade coffee and expand other land uses of less biodiversity value, probably at the expense of forest. A comprehensive strategy to sustain the biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods of the Sierra Madre in the face of climate change should include the promotion of biodiversity friendly coffee growing and processing practices including complex shade which can offer some hurricane protection and product diversification; payments for forest conservation and restoration from existing government programs complemented by private initiatives; diversification of income sources to mitigate risks associated with unstable environmental conditions and coffee markets; integrated fire management; development of markets that reward sustainable land use practices and forest conservation; crop insurance programs that are accessible to smallholders; and the strengthening of local capacity for adaptive resource management.     

Ecological and social aspects of biodiversity conservation on private lands

In recent decades, the growing need for biodiversity conservation and the different means of achieving it have been defined in international and national procedures regulated by governments and parliaments on the one hand, and in governance processes run by different stakeholders on the other. In local contexts, however, people perceive the abstract phenomenon of biodiversity conservation through the environment in which they live and through their social and cultural positions. We examine Finnish forest owners’ experiences and perceptions of biodiversity conservation, and consider the compatibility of these perceptions with national conservation policy. Our work is based on a survey of forest owners and the content analysis of national policy documents. We found that the perceptions of forest owners and the documents of nature conservation policy had elements that both overlapped and contradicted each other, thus reflecting different interpretations of forest ownership and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, the national Forest Biodiversity Program – an outcome of a multilateral governance process – was more successful in combining conservation policy with various perspectives of forest owners than was the authoritatively formulated Nature Conservation Act and Decree. This result indicates that governance processes can address conflicts of interest in the use of natural resources.     

How much deforestation do protected areas avoid in tropical Andean landscapes?

For many decades, protected areas (PAs) have been considered by decision makers and conservation practitioners as one of the most common policies to promote biodiversity conservation. Diverse studies have assessed the impact of conservation policies at global and regional levels by comparing deforestation rates between PAs and unprotected areas. Most of these studies are based on conventional methods and could overestimate the avoided deforestation of PAs by omitting from their analyses the lack of randomness in the allocation of forest protection.We demonstrate that estimates of effectiveness can be substantially improved by controlling for biases along dimensions that are observable and testing the sensitivity of estimates of potential hidden biases. We used matching methods to evaluate the impact on deforestation of Ecuador's tropical Andean forest protected-area system between 1990 and 2008. We found that protection reduced deforestation in approximately 6% of the protected forests. These would have been deforested had they not been protected. Conventional approaches to estimate conservation impact, which fail to control for observable covariates correlated with both protection and deforestation, substantially overestimate avoided deforestation. Our conclusions are robust to potential hidden bias, as well as to changes in modeling assumptions. In addition, it is assumed that this research will help decision-making in the framework of international climate change mitigation policies, such as REDD+.     

Woodland conservation in privately-owned cultural landscapes: the English experience

This paper reviews the development of approaches to the conservation of woodland on private lands in England since 1949. In England, the majority of woodland sites important for nature conservation are small, isolated amongst open habitats, with a long history of management. Conservation of wildlife has since 1949 had a strong focus on private lands. Two approaches to protection have been adopted. Firstly about 80,000 ha of English woods are within statutorily protected sites; the degree of protection for these has increased through successive legislation in 1949, 1981 and 2001. Secondly, since 1985 wildlife protection has been achieved on private lands outside the protected sites through general statutory forestry policies. There has also been an increasing trend for active promotion of voluntary nature conservation through forestry incentives and grants, and the setting of targets as part of the government’s biodiversity action plan. The variety of ways in which woodland may be protected (to differing degrees) in England has enabled effective protection to be achieved over a greater area of woodland than would have been possible through nature reserves alone. These approaches may be relevant in other countries where woodland occurs as part of a cultural landscape.     

Cost-effective forest conservation and criteria for potential conservation targets: a Finnish case study

Selecting reserves for forest biodiversity maintenance is often done by setting criteria for components of structural elements of biodiversity, such as a volume of decaying wood. We tested how the different threshold values for the components of structural elements affect the cost-effective site selection. Using Finnish National Forest Inventory information and remote sensing data, we determined a habitat quality index and economic value for each site in Satakunta region in Finland. Moreover, we defined several sets of potential conservation targets using alternative criteria for the habitat quality index developed for the Finnish case study. These figures were used in the site selection model in order to maximize the sum of habitat index of selected areas under a given budget constraint. We found that the production possibility frontier for the outputs of timber and biodiversity is only slightly concave when using the given threshold values. Thus, the optimal combination of the outputs is sensitive to the relative values of these goods. Our results suggest that an integrated approach in forest conservation could provide to environmental managers considerable cost savings compared with current management practices. Environmental managers could also reduce conservation costs by loosening the criteria for potential conservation targets. This would not lower considerably the quality of conserved forests.     

四川省森林生态系统对野生珍稀濒危动物的保护价值计量研究

论文以异地保护成本替代法计算森林生态系统对濒危野生动物的保护价值。栖息于四川省森林生境的濒危野生动物需要生存下去所必需的食物、水、居住环境等一切生存条件完全由人为提供、人为创造和维持的成本就是四川省森林生态系统保护这些野生动物的价值。论文以动物园饲养动物的基本成本作为濒危野生动物异地保护的核算依据,得到四川省森林生态系统对野生珍稀濒危动物的保护价值为15.45×10⁸元/a。     

平潭综合实验区生态防护林体系建设研究

研究将结合平潭自然环境状况、现有及五大风口生态防护林建设现状及存在问题,从生态防护林的功能角度出发,提出加强生态防护体系建设内容与任务、重点建设和保护区域,构建以基干林带为主体,消浪林、防护林、农田林网、道路林网、城乡绿化美化相结合,建成以城市、乡镇、村庄、森林公园、风景区绿化为＂点＂,以基干林带、道路绿化、农田防护林为＂线＂,以水土保持林、水源涵养林、防风固沙林和其他防护林为＂面＂,逐步形成由浅海水域向内陆延伸的带、网、片相结合的林种树种丰富、层次多样、结构稳定、功能完善的综合防护林体系。     

红树林生态系统服务功能及其保护

红树林有多种生态系统服务功能，包括促进渔业生产，护岸减灾，保护生物多样性，改善环境质量等，中国红树植物种类少，分布范围窄，资源面积小，质量差，尤其人类活动加剧了其脆弱和濒危程度，近年程度工作有一定进展，资源有所恢复，但仍需正确处理沿海地区发展和红树林生态系统保护的关系，在国土资源保护中给予红树林最高保护等级的地位。     

Analysis of institutional adaptation: integration of biodiversity conservation into forestry

Integrating biodiversity conservation into forest management requires changes in the practices of those public and private actors that have implementing responsibilities and whose strategic and operational opportunities are at stake. Understanding this kind of context-dependent institutional adaptation entails bridging between two analytical approaches: policy implementation and organizational adaptation. This article combines these two approaches by reviewing them, and their caveats, and by summarizing empirical analyses of organizational competences, specialization, professional judgment, and organizational networks in the organizational field of non-industrial private forestry in Finland. Drawing on these theoretical and empirical analyses, the article discloses the broad phenomenon of institutional adaptation in the integration of biodiversity conservation and forest management. The empirical analyses point to the dominance of hierarchical policy implementation over strategic organizational adaptation. Together with the detected isomorphism of professional norms and networks, these contribute to meeting minimum standards but can constrain the ways in which the organizations and professionals respond to the challenge of biodiversity conservation. The detected inertia signals lack of alertness. It is perhaps also an indication of self-sufficiency among the actors. The interpretation of these responses to challenges and responsibilities across the public and private sector boundaries demonstrates the necessity of combining the two traditionally segregated approaches.     

宜昌市山水林田湖生态保护与修复研究

在对宜昌生态环境现状调查和问题剖析的基础上,研究了宜昌市山水林田湖生态保护与修复的总体思路、目标指标、分区策略和重点领域。研究结果表明:宜昌市山水林田湖生态保护与修复应按照长江三峡库区生态保育片、西南武陵山-清江流域生态屏障片、东部支流沮漳河流域生态恢复片及中部长江沿线生态修复片四大片区系统实施流域水环境治理与保护、矿山环境治理与恢复、土地整治与土壤改良、生态系统与生物多样性保护四大类项目,形成关键技术整体解决方案。     

我国森林环境服务市场构建与私人参与的选择

分析了我国出现森林资源环境服务市场构建态势及存在问题、对策等,回顾了现有市场构建的政策与制度,把森林资源环境服务与产品界定为公共产品,分析了私人部门参与的可能性、必要性。其次,对流域管理、生物多样性保护、景观价值、碳储存等生态服务的市场构建状况进行分析,最后分析市场创建机制所面临的主要挑战,并提出了相应的政策建议,以促进私人部门参与森林环境服务。     

Regional Nature-Protected Forests as Part of a Preservation Strategy for Boreal Forests in the Chita Region

The area covered by forests in the Chita region (Russian Federation – northern ecological region), is currently administered within the framework of Russian Federation (RF) legislation. Forests that need to be protected in the Chita region because of their natural significance were identified based on their status and use regime. The possibility of creating a regional network of “nature-protection forests” as a first step in the implementation of a boreal forest conservation strategy is discussed.     

Within and surrounding the Morro do Diabo State Park: biological value,conflicts, mitigation and sustainable development alternatives

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the State of São Paulo is one of the world most threatened ecosystems, as only 1.8% of its original coverage is left. With a biodiversity that includes endemic species, such as the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) a seriously endangered primate, the conservation of forest remnants has become a priority. The non-profit organization Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ)) has studied the forest in Pontal do Paranapanema and undertaken conservation initiatives such as environmental education, community involvement, habitat restoration and the promotion of policies that protect natural areas while simultaneously empowering people to improve their conditions of living. Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) a movement of the landless, has pressed local landowners and the government to distribute land for landless families, creating conflicts and diminishing the priority of nature conservation. Through transparent and participatory approaches IPÊ has succeeded in bringing the conservationists and the landless to work together in the planting of trees. Trees protect water, improve the soil and shield the settlers from environmental damages, while they form corridors for wildlife, buffer zones to protect forest fragments and “stepping stones” to propitiate seed dispersal. This innovative approach to conservation is already seen as an example to be followed in other contexts.     

Tanzania's vanishing rain forests — assessment of nature conservation values, biodiversity and importance for water catchment

The rain forests of Tanzania occupy small areas, mostly confined to isolated mountains. Except for some isolated volcanic mountains (Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru, the Ngorongoro Crater), most of the rain forests are confined to the so-called Eastern Arc mountains with old crystalline bedrocks. The Eastern Arc rain forests are characterized by high biodiversity, and have large numbers of endemic and rare taxa of plants and animals. The submontane and montane rain forests are extremely important water catchments, providing water for major cities and densely populated rural areas. Most of the rain forest catchments are forest reserves, but still the human impact around and inside the reserves is considerable. Intensive cultivation due to heavy population pressure affects the reserves from all sides, leaving the forests isolated, fragmented ‘islands’ surrounded by the cultural landscape. Former timber production and logging programs initiated by the State and some foreign development organizations have depleted large areas of rain forests, e.g. in the Usambara Mountains. Extensive, destructive, legal and illegal activities such as, e.g. logging, pit-sawing and grazing have taken place inside most of the forest reserves. Some research programs on rain forest catchments are now being carried out in Tanzania, forming a basis for future management and monitoring of the forest reserves. The forest authorities are currently much concerned about the problems, giving catchment forest management highest priority in the Tropical Forestry Action Plan.     

Ecosystem mapping for the implementation of the European Biodiversity Strategy at the national level: The case of Italy

Several international initiatives, including the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, promote the identification and mapping of ecosystems as basic tools for the conservation of biodiversity and related services. On coarse scales, the spatial representation of ecosystems is usually based on broad land cover categories that largely overlook important ecological and biogeographic features of the biotic communities they are meant to exemplify. This paper presents a nationwide ecosystem mapping approach that promotes a degree of thematic detail, which is more suited than that found in the continental maps to meeting biodiversity conservation targets in Italy. The approach is based on the rationale that current and potential vegetation cover are valuable proxies for outlining ecosystems. The resulting Ecosystem Map of Italy includes 43 types of forest ecosystems instead of the 5 woodland, forest and other wooded land types recognized at the European level. We outline the expected advantages of this enhanced thematic detail for a number of conservation purposes and highlight how the resulting maps may help to meet biodiversity conservation targets at the national level. In particular, we refer to the assessment of conservation status, the definition of restoration priorities, the planning of green infrastructure and the identification of collapse risks for the ecosystems identified. Comprehensively, the definition, characterization and assessment of ecosystem types represent the carrying structure of the recently launched national system of natural capital accounting.     

The implementation of Natura 2000 in forests: A trans- and interdisciplinary assessment of challenges and choices

Natura 2000 is the core of the EU's biodiversity conservation policy. 50% of the overall protected area under Natura 2000 is forest. Yet, comparatively little is known about the implementation of the policy in forests. Building on a rich set of social and natural science data, and an inter- and transdisciplinary discussion process involving scientists from different disciplines as well as EU, national and local stakeholders, this paper identifies five important challenges related to the implementation of Natura 2000 in forests: (1) the balancing of biodiversity conservation and timber production, (2) the integration of conservation (science) and local stakeholders’ demands, (3) climate change, (4) lacking and less effective funding, and (5) conflicts related to other sectoral policies. Subsequently, five possible pathways to tackle these challenges are proposed: (1) a learning approach through better communication and transparency, (2) a pathway emphasizing the role of conservation science in developing management strategies and responding to climate change, (3) an approach of better integrating Europe's citizens in the design and implementation of the policy, (4) an approach highlighting the necessity of an effective funding strategy, and (5) the vision to work towards an integrated European land use and conservation policy. In conclusion, we emphasize, on one hand, the distinct character of the five pathways but, on the other hand, underline that probably all of them need to be followed in order to make the implementation of Natura 2000 in Europe's forests a success story.     

Protective shade, tree diversity and soil properties in coffee agroforestry systems in the Atlantic Rainforest biome

Sustainable production and biodiversity conservation can be mutually supportive in providing multiple ecosystem services to farmers and society. This study aimed to determine the contribution of agroforestry systems, as tested by family farmers in the Brazilian Rainforest region since 1993, to tree biodiversity and evaluated farmers’ criteria for tree species selection. In addition, long-term effects on microclimatic temperature conditions for coffee production and chemical and biological soil characteristics at the field scale were compared to full-sun coffee systems. A floristic inventory of 8 agroforests and 4 reference forest sites identified 231 tree species in total. Seventy-eight percent of the tree species found in agroforests were native. The variation in species composition among agroforests contributed to a greater γ-diversity than α-diversity. Monthly average maximum temperatures were approximately 6 °C higher in full-sun coffee than in agroforests and forests. Total soil organic C, N mineralization and soil microbial activity were higher in forests than in coffee systems, whereas the chemical and biological soil quality in agroforests did not differ significantly from full-sun coffee after 13 years. Given its contribution to the conservation of biodiversity and its capacity to adapt coffee production to future climate change, coffee agroforestry offers a promising strategy for the area.     

REDD+ policy strategy in Cameroon: Actors,institutions and governance

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is receiving increasing political and scientific attention as a climate change mitigation approach. The government of Cameroon has expressed an interest in participating in REDD+, and national deliberation on a policy strategy has attracted interest from different actors in the forest sector. This paper analyses the challenges of designing a governance structure for a REDD+ strategy in Cameroon. Theoretically, the paper builds on the literature on governance structures for resource management, focusing analytically on the interactions between actor constellations (state and non-state) and institutions (formal and informal) to produce policy outcomes. The paper draws on documentation of REDD+ policy events, policy texts and 23 in-depth interviews with members from government, civil society, research organizations, development partners and the private sector. It argues that although the actors involved in REDD+ are, to an extent, polarized around different issues and priorities, they are nonetheless increasingly distributing roles and responsibilities among themselves. The institutional arrangements within the policy process include: (1) rule-making systems for engagement; (2) expanding existing coordination mechanisms; (3) national safeguard standards; and (4) building on existing forest governance initiatives. The paper concludes that the multiple benefits promised by REDD+, such as poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation and economic development, are critical for the legitimacy of the mechanism.     

中国自然资源生态服务重要性评价与空间格局分析

自然资源是保障经济社会发展的重要物质基础,同时又发挥了重要的生态服务功能。选取水源涵养、水土保持、防风固沙、生物多样性维护和产品提供五类生态服务,采用NPP定量指标法识别中国自然资源生态服务的重要区域,并进一步分析空间格局特征。结果表明：中国自然资源生态服务极重要和高度重要区约占总面积的1/4,以东北山地、江南地区、西南地区和青藏高原东部等水源涵养能力强、水土保持较好、防风固沙水平高、生物多样性较丰富的地区为主;不同类型自然资源的生态服务重要性差异显著,耕地资源的产品提供服务重要性显著,林地和草地资源的水源涵养、水土保持、防风固沙及生物多样性维护服务重要性均较显著,水域主要提供水源涵养服务;各生态服务重要性在空间上均显著集聚,自然资源综合生态服务的热点区主要分布在大兴安岭、长白山、浙闽山地、武夷山、南岭山地、秦岭山地、滇西南地区和藏东南山地等;自然资源综合生态服务重要性的空间分布与农业自然带/亚带呈现较高的一致性,热带和温带地区的重要性级别较高。研究结果可为区域自然资源管理及生态保护修复提供决策依据。