Ocean trench conservation

Considerable concern has been recently expressed in conservation circles about the potential threat to oceanic trench ecosystems. Here, the geological origin in environmental characteristics and biological significance of the trenches are reviewed. Each trench provides a unique and isolated habitat, consequently endemicity has been found to be high at the specific level in each trench that has been adequately studied. However, the remoteness from primary food sources greatly reduces the richness of the fauna. The physical instability of trench habitats deriving from their high level of seismic activity, will result in the organisms being pre-adapted to mechanical disturbance. The main threats are either direct through poisoning by toxic chemicals or indirect through the decoupling of the trench habitat from its primary food source, or reduction in oxygen levels caused either by eutrophication or reduction in flushing rates. Only direct threats are considered as being at all dangerous, and any incident would be restricted to a single trench system. these threats could be reduced by rerouting vessels carrying toxic cargoes and by improving the effectiveness of the London Dumping Convention. The internationally agreed criteria for the selection of sites for any proposed seabed disposal of radioactive waste exclude the use of trenches for this purpose.     

Unexpected threat from conservation to endangered species: reflections from the front-line staff on sea turtle conservation

This study described the paradox created by the efforts of a conservation organization, which caused an emerging threat to the survival of an endangered species, as well as proposed recommendations to mitigate this paradox. In-depth interviews were conducted to investigate the problems encountered during the implementation of conservation practices by green sea turtle conservation workers (volunteers) in Lanyu, Taiwan. The staff believed that the implementation of the green sea turtle conservation measures violated the traditional cultural beliefs of the local residents (Tao/Yami ethnic group), which caused resentment by the residents towards the organization. Consequently, the residents did not cooperate with the organization and even discouraged conservation activities. In addition, green sea turtle ecotourism promoted by the conservation organization in recent years violated local customs of not having contact with green sea turtles or entering their habitats.     

Wildlife conservation in India

Indian wildlife has been neglected and if India is to save its vanishing heritage, active endeavours are essential for conserving the Indian forests. Laws exist to protect the wildlife from slaughter and to regulate hunting, but unfortunately, the legal measures do not fully serve the desired purpose. The destruction deplorably continues, at times, at an alarming rate. The depletion of the wildlife can be attributed largely to deforestation and inroads of human civilization into the forest areas and, the destruction of the forest automatically leads to the decline of the wildlife. Illicit axing of India's magnificent forests continues unchecked. A number of important and immediate actions are recommended.     

Resource conservation and pricing

The belief that forests, minerals, fisheries, and other exhaustible assets are being depleted at excessive rates in a free enterprise society has led to recurrent demands for the regulation of resource exploitation. Many have believed that further regulations are necessary — for example, the conservation movement accepted as basic tenents that most resources were too cheap, were wastefully exploited, and would become exhausted soon. This paper surveys several interrelated issues in resource depletion from an economist's perspective, in particular, whether the articles of faith of the conservation movement are borne out by economic theory and available empirical evidence. Are resources too cheap? Are they wastefully exploited? Will resources become exhausted prematurely? Are we neglecting the needs of future generations?     

Effects of veterinary fences on Wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, veterinary fences are used to control trypanosomiasis and foot- and-mouth disease, two important diseases that threaten cattle production and beef exports. Wildlife is implicated in both instances and the effects of fences on wildlife conservation and land use are discussed in relation to these two diseases. Advantages and disadvantages related to direct and indirect fence effects are outlined. Although the maintenance of fences for trypanosomiasis control is likely to become obsolete, control of foot- and-mouth disease will rely on fences for the foreseeable future. Most of Zimbabwe's protected wildlife areas are located in marginal agricultural land around the periphery of the country where cattle productivity is low. This land should be excluded from any involvement in the beef export industry rather than attempting its inclusion through cordoning and isolating individual protected areas. Within such land, the need for rigid veterinary restrictions should then disappear and allow more flexible strategies for disease control, including adaptive and imaginative approaches to land-use planning.     

Targeting sites for conservation: using a patch-based ranking scheme to assess conservation potential

Rare habitats are increasingly threatened by fragmentation and measures are required to conserve these valuable resources. Here, we present a method of targeting habitat patches for conservation using a Geographical Information System. We ranked patches of chalk grassland in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty using simple abiotic criteria, namely: patch area, patch shape, proximity to areas of the same habitat and surrounding land-use type. We compiled a regionally specific list of indicator species and ranked the habitat patches based on their alpha diversity (calculated from species richness). We compared the results of the two ranking schemes and identified key aggregations of the existing reserve network. These could form the basis of future habitat expansion as required by the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan.     

Environmental conservation problems in Kuwait

Summary Environmental problems in Kuwait arise from a number of factors: principally climate, population growth, industrialisation, transport and recreation. The impact of these factors on the environment is discussed in the context of growing awareness of the need for conservation of the remaining facets of Kuwait's heritage. The need to move from discussion of these extant environmental problems to effective action is stressed. Both education and the media have a vital role to play in sharpening awareness of problems and their solutions in the short time-scale left for conservation measures.Eric Caulton is Senior Lecturer and Ecologist in the Department of Biological Sciences, Napier Polytechnic of Edinburgh. In April 1987 he visited Kuwait to undertake an environmental Impact Assessment in the south for the consultants involved in planning Al Khiran new town.David Keddie is an urban planning and economic consultant, and Associate with Roger Tym and Partners. He has worked for both the government and private consultants in Kuwait on various occasions since 1982.