Radioactive contamination of tropical rainforest soils in Southern Costa Rica

Radionuclide content in soils from four locations in a tropical rainforest near Golfito in Southern Costa Rica was investigated. For comparison, two nearby locations in open grassland were also studied. From each site 5 soil cores down to a depth of 15 cm were taken. The median contamination with 137Cs was 584 Bq m-2 (reference date 1 January 1996) and the coefficient of variation (CV) was 50%. This contamination can be attributed to global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapon tests between 1945 and 1980. The mean contamination is slightly lower than the value expected for the latitude (8 degrees 42': 700 Bq m-2), which may be explained by migration of radiocaesium to subsoil below 15 cm or by uptake into the living biomass. Out of the total variability of 50%, around 20% can be attributed to the sampling and measuring process uncertainties, thus leaving a 45% contribution of spatial variability. A significant difference between forest and meadow sites could be detected: the meadow sites showed lower radiocaesium soil inventories (median: 291 Bq m-2) than the forest sites (643 Bq m-2). This may be explained by the agricultural activities carried out on meadow sites which lead to an increased redistribution of caesium in the soil profile and therefore a larger fraction of the total 137Cs lying below 15 cm. Another reason for higher contamination levels under forest can be attributed to the high interception potential of dense tree canopies for dry deposition. Extrapolating the 137Cs concentration below the sampling horizon, i.e. accounting for the cut-off of the profiles by the sampling technique, results in an estimated mean of 710 Bq m-2 for the forest sites, which is very close to the expected figure. The mainly mineral part of the forest soil profiles was analysed for the 137Cs transport parameters, apparent convection velocity (v = 0.14 +/- 0.09 cm a-1) and apparent diffusion constant (D = 0.79 +/- 0.49 cm2 a-1). The maximum concentration can be found at 5.3 +/- 2.9 cm depth, the half-value depth being 7.4 +/- 1.3 cm. The mean 40K activity concentration was 175 Bq kg-1 dry matter (CV = 69%) and 226Ra and 228Ra concentrations of 9.90 Bq kg-1 (CV = 23%) and 7.93 Bq kg-1 (CV = 20%) have been found, respectively.     

Ecotourism as a development strategy: experiences from Costa Rica

This article reflects on the Costa Rican experiences with ecotourism by assessing the positive and negative environmental, economic and social impacts of ecotourism development at four tourist destinations—Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Tortuguero and ASCOMAFOR. These destinations represent different stages of tourism development. The assessment shows that the development of ecotourism has a dilemma character. Compared to alternative land-use options, ecotourism remains a promising development strategy. However, it should be embedded in a broader process of capacity building.     

Mainstreaming sustainability into biodiversity conservation in Lesotho

Biodiversity conservation is critical for the continued supply of ecosystem services to secure the sustainability of livelihoods, especially for poor rural people in developing countries. Current rates of biodiversity loss need to be curbed by using effective interventions and decision-making that again require timely information. Undertaking a community sustainability assessment to generate and structure this information for grassroots levels is critical for decision-making and actions. This paper presents insights from a community sustainability assessment initiative undertaken in Lesotho within a trans-boundary project area known as the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project. A qualitative case study approach was employed through a combination of several data collection techniques, including a literature review, field observations, key informant interviews, group discussions and key informant workshops. Study participants consisted of members of the community conservation forums from three districts that had been established by the project. Regarding progress towards the sustainability of biodiversity in the study area, the results indicated that current practices are unsustainable, more from the point of view of the socio-ecological components than the socio-cultural and spiritual or the socio-economic components. Consequently, there is a need to raise awareness at the community level and implement action plans to realize changes that support the sustainability of biodiversity in the long term.     

Exporting natural capital: the foreign eco-footprint on Costa Rica and implications for sustainability

As the world economy ‘globalizes’, trade has become a major mechanism by which much of the human population supports its needs. While trade in resource commodities (natural income) can increase the well-being of people in both exporting and importing countries, it can also lead to depletion of natural capital and the loss of ecosystems integrity. In recent years, various researchers have attempted to address this problem using a consumption-based perspective on ecological change. Their work shows that the loss of ecosystem integrity in almost any region of the world can be attributed to both local and international consumer demand. This paper illustrates the utility of modified eco-footprint analysis in assessing export-related ecological change in Costa Rica. We quantify ecological footprint of consumers around the world on the productive ecosystems of Costa Rica, document the changing character of this footprint and highlight some of the linkages between production for export in Costa Rica and ecological degradation. We then discuss the implications of the increasing trade-based entanglement of nations for ecosystems and global sustainability.     

Combining Conservation and Development on Private Lands: Lessons from Costa Rica

Privately owned parks continue to attract interest across the tropics for their ability to blend biodiversity protection with sustainable development. Despite rapid proliferation of these privately owned protected areas, the conservation community knows little about them. We interviewed owners of 68 private parks in Costa Rica to learn more about their contribution to that country's national conservation effort. Key findings include: (1) the total number of private reserves is estimated to be in the vicinity of 250; (2) reserves fell into a wide variety of categories, ranging from formal parks and ecotourism reserves to biological stations and hybrid reserves; (3) total nationwide coverage is approximately 63,832 ha, or 1.2% of the national territory; (4) reserves were protecting ecologically important habitat, particularly primary rain forest; (5) reserves were owned mostly by Costa Ricans; (6) reserves were used for a wide variety of activities, especially ecotourism and for the owners' personal enjoyment; (7) reserve owners' biggest problem was poaching of mammals; (8) reserves were protecting key corridor and buffer zone areas between and around larger national parks. Results from this study should help enhance our understanding of this little-known conservation and development tool. They should be of interest wherever biodiversity remains threatened and wherever new conservation and development partners are being sought - which includes most of the developing world.     

Sustainability assessment of water governance alternatives: the case of Guanacaste Costa Rica

Many new forms of water governance are emerging in response to economic and social needs and wants, as well as water-related problems such as scarcity, injustice, and conflict. However, there is little evidence on how sustainable these governance regimes are, which would be critical for making progress toward sustainable and just water governance. In this article, we present the results of a transdisciplinary multi-criteria sustainability assessment of alternative governance regimes for Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The assessment specifies differences between sustainable and unsustainable governance regimes, while also pinpointing how the current water governance regime performs in comparison to those alternatives. The findings indicate that those governance regimes with just and deliberative stakeholder involvement, secure groundwater reserves, and healthy dry tropical ecosystems were considered sustainable and just. In contrast, the current state of water governance was found to be at high risk of digressing toward unsustainable systems where rural communities lack rights and influence, where economies favor agro-industry and high impact tourism at the expense of rural livelihoods, and where water scarcity overwhelms weak governance. This assessment study clarifies water sustainability goals, asserts the need for transformational change, and offers a pragmatic foundation for actions toward sustainable water governance.     

The Social Meaning of Carbon Dioxide Emission Trading Institutional Capacity Building for a Green Market in Costa Rica

Forests offer good possibilities for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. This service can be commodified by the introduction of carbon (dioxide) credits, which can be traded on a carbon market. The premise of this paper is that the traditional economic view on the construction of these carbon markets is a too simplistic one, particularly, because it neglects the social meaning of a carbon market for developing countries. From their viewpoint as suppliers of carbon credits such a market has a broader meaning. It must be seen as a social mechanism for improving both the living conditions of local people and a more encompassing improvement of the environment than climate as such. What initially might be labelled as a carbon market might better be understood as a more encompassing 'green market'. The agreement between Costa Rica and Norway, officially known as the Reforestation Conservation Activities Implemented Jointly Project (RFCAIJP) represents a clear example of a green market. In this paper, we study the development, characteristics and benefits of that market, asking the question what lessons can be learned from this first practical experiences. More specifically we focus on the conditions that have made this type of agreement successful.     

Current problems in rodent pest population control and biodiversity conservation

Purposeful measures for population control of major rodent pests are taken throughout the world in view of great epidemiological and economic significance of this animal group, but such measures disagree with present-day requirements for the conservation of biological diversity. It appears expedient to develop a new concept of rodent pest control that stipulates a reduction in the amount of applied rodenticides. The coordinated efforts of specialists in nature conservation and agencies responsible for pest control are necessary for this purpose.     

The intersection of food security and biodiversity conservation: a review

Regional Environmental Change - Food security and biodiversity conservation are key challenges of the twenty-first century. While traditionally these two challenges were addressed separately,...     

Urban horticulture: its significance to environmental conservation

Urban horticulture, defined as plant production activities that are conducted in a city or suburb that produce horticultural plants that are wholly or partially edible, and which are economically viable, has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions caused by the transportation of produce. Moreover, to increase productivity in limited areas and use limited resources effectively, closed or semi-closed systems (i.e., greenhouses) are considered more advantageous than open systems (i.e., fields) from which resources can easily escape into the surrounding environment. In this paper the significance of urban horticulture in reducing CO₂ emissions in the transportation process is discussed with reference to simple case studies. In the context of building or rebuilding greenhouses suitable for urban horticulture, the present situation regarding resource inputs and outputs in greenhouses is compared to that in open fields. The reduction of resource inputs and outputs in greenhouse production is also discussed.     

Debating ecological justice: implications for critical environmental education

This article will briefly discuss the implications of recognition of ecological justice in relation to environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). It is argued that the present conception of environment taught through EE and ESD negates the subjectivity of non-human species and ignores the ethical imperatives of ecological justice. Evocating environmental ethics, major directions integrating ecological justice into EE and ESD are proposed.     

Debating ecological justice:implications for critical environmental education

This article will briefly discuss the implications of recognition of ecological justice in relation to environmental education(EE) and education for sustainable development(ESD).It is argued that the present conception of environment taught through EE and ESD negates the subjectivity of non-human species and ignores the ethical imperatives of ecological justice.Evocating environmental ethics,major directions integrating ecological justice into EE and ESD are proposed.     

Possible future trade-offs between agriculture, energy production, and biodiversity conservation in North Dakota

In this study, we describe a spatially explicit scenario analysis of global change effects on the potential future trade-offs and conflicts between agriculture, energy generation, and grassland and wetland conservation in North Dakota (ND), USA. Integrated scenarios combining global policy, oil security, and climate change were applied to North Dakota using a spatial multi-criteria analysis shell. Spatial data describing climate changes and grassland, wetland, cropland, and energy distributions were used to characterize the geographical environment. The final multi-criteria framework examined the potential trade-offs between climate change, agricultural expansion, and energy generation resulting from global change scenarios on one hand, and the current footprint of wetlands and grasslands for six regions of ND that capture the major climate gradients and differences in land use. The results suggest that the tension between regional climate changes that may limit agricultural expansion, and global changes in food and energy security and commodity prices that favor agricultural expansion, may focus a zone of potential pressure on grasslands and wetland conversion in central ND and the Prairie Pothole Region. The balance between conservation programs, commodity prices, and land parcel productivity may determine grassland conversion, while wetland outcomes may almost totally depend upon regional climate change.     

Household costs and benefits of biodiversity conservation: case study of Sichuan giant panda reserves in China

Households in communities in and around nature reserves are important stakeholders in biodiversity conservation; they are the focus of the conflict between ecological protection and community development. This study surveyed 927 households in 16 giant panda reserves in Sichuan Province, China, to calculate the costs and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation, and the differences for those inside and outside reserves. A multilevel regression model was used to measure the factors influencing the costs and benefits. There are three main findings. First, the direct economic cost for average biodiversity conservation for households inside reserves (1166.83 yuan/year) is significantly higher at the 1% level than for those outside (578.27 yuan/year), while the direct economic benefit for average biodiversity conservation to households living inside reserves (3881.94 yuan/year) is not statistically different than those outside (3653.47 yuan/year). Second, the influence of biodiversity conservation on households is significantly different depending on whether they live inside or outside the reserve, regarding employment opportunities, ties with the outside world, infrastructure, and the community environment. There is also a significant difference between those inside and those outside in perceptions with regard to restrictions in the collection of wild plants and destruction of traditional culture by biodiversity conservation. Third, the factors that affect the costs for and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation include, at the household level, the head of household’s education level, village cadres, number of migrant workers, distance from the town market, reserve-based employment, development projects, and ecotourism management participation, and, at the reserve level, establishment time, level of reserve, protective effect, and location.     

Governance objectives and instruments,ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation: the Chianti case study

The complex relationships between governance processes, ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation are receiving growing attention by the scientific community. The scope of research in this field is generally that of identifying main governance factors leading to success or failure in the sustainable management of ecosystems and biodiversity conservation, so to develop appropriate sectoral and intersectoral policies fostering sustainable use of natural resources. In this paper, a methodological approach is first presented and then applied to analyse the impacts of agriculture and rural policies on agro-ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation in the central hills of Tuscany, the Chianti area. This approach is focusing in particular on governance objectives and instruments used in the management of ecosystem services. A share-farming system based on multifunctional agriculture ruled Chianti until World War II. Then, after the abandonment of rural areas by share-farmers, governance objectives and ecosystem management were oriented towards the production of commodities such as wine and olive oil almost ignoring the provision of public goods such as soil erosion and water run-off control and biodiversity conservation. In order to achieve a more sustainable ecosystems management in Chianti, there is the need to develop a multifaceted governance strategy to reward appropriately the supplying of environmental goods and services by farmers.     

Identifying landslide activity as a function of economic development: a case study of increased landslide frequency surrounding Dominical, Costa Rica

Despite legislation and voluntary initiatives aimed at protecting the environment, previously undeveloped areas of Costa Rica are subject to new development opportunities. This growth has been largely unchecked, and has led to enormous amounts of foreign direct investment. This unchecked investment has led to destabilization of the natural environment, and, in the case of the Dominical?CUvita corridor on the Pacific Coast, has led to an observed increase in landsliding activity. Data collection for a landslide inventory of the study area was created via direct inspection and remote sensing techniques in December 2007 and November 2008. Evaluation of data was based on the slide location, surrounding land cover/land use, and evidence of reactivation. Data were subjected to a ??² 2 × 3 contingency table and the Freeman?CHalton extension of the Fisher exact probability test to gauge the level of impact from human-induced land-use change on the rate of landslide events. The results suggest more attention needed to monitor the impacts of human agency in the region lest landslide susceptibility become greater.     

The effectiveness of environmental education workshops for teachers,learners and schools in Malaysia

In Malaysia, various efforts have been introduced to increase the knowledge, skills and awareness of citizens to the benefit of the environment by means of a variety of programmes. However, uncertainty about the effectiveness of environmental education programmes and the way they contribute to sustainability still exists. This paper reports on an evaluation of the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) (School Nature Clubs) programme organised by the Malaysia Nature Society and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. The Kellogg Logic Model was used as an evaluative instrument as the impact of the programme had to be determined. This was done through questionnaires to teachers and principals in KPA schools. School visits were also undertaken to evaluate workplace success and to validate the findings from the questionnaires. Overall, the evaluation showed a high level of success for the programme.