Perspectives for sustainable management of cedar forests in Lebanon: situation analysis and guidelines

The signature and ratification of the convention on biological diversity by the Lebanese government has boosted the declaration of nature reserves. Cedar forests formed the pilot ecosystems, using international funds, for the implementation of a conservation programme and development of management plans. Although different in their attributes, all recent nature reserves have the same basic management objectives and goals but they ignore the idea of taking into account the difference in specific site features and assets that could boost the success of any management plans. Twelve cedar forests flourish in the Mount Lebanon chain. These forests are either protected by the forestry law or are declared as nature reserves by the Ministry of Environment. The results reveal, through Participatory Rural Appraisals and Rapid Rural Appraisals, that religion, geographical location and land ownership play, to a certain extent, a role in adopting successful management practices of cedar forests. The RRAs and PRAs spell out the origins of woodcraft, old stories memorized by elderly people and ethnobotanical knowledge. The 4Rs tools method adopted highlighted the need for more collaboration and synergy of effort between various institutions. The social, ecological and economic aspects of the regions play a major role in defining the backbone of management plans for cedar forests in Lebanon. The present paper proposes guidelines for the establishment of a network of cedar nature reserves in Lebanon adopting collaborative management and assigning a separate role for each reserve; the details rely on the site’s natural features, as well as socio-economic and cultural characteristics. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue     

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.     

Park isolation in anthropogenic landscapes: land change and livelihoods at park boundaries in the African Albertine Rift

Regional Environmental Change - Landscapes are changing rapidly in regions where rural people live adjacent to protected parks and reserves. This is the case in highland East Africa, where many...     

Government and biodiversity governance in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan: an institutional perspective

Over the last 15 years, Azerbaijan has doubled its protected areas territory to almost 10 % of the country’s surface area. Although the daily management of the existing strictly protected areas continues to pose a challenge, the establishment of nine national parks has been a remarkable achievement. At present, the designation of UNESCO biosphere reserves (BR) is the expressed political will of the government. By reviewing the last 25 years of nature conservation, and, in particular, the national park programme, we present an institutional analysis for integrative nature conservation in Azerbaijan. Against the cultural, social and political background, in particular the transition of the state, the challenges for cross-hierarchical governance of protected areas are outlined at the example of a BR. We find that the implementation of the UNESCO MAB philosophy, which is based on inter alia participation by administration, local communities and rural stakeholder, is hampered by this present-day political reality. The political situation and an autocratic governance scheme put successful implementation of a “model region of sustainable development” at risk. Education and empowerment are a prerequisite for eventual success; this is true for Azerbaijan as well as for other Post-Soviet countries with strong top-down regimes.     

自然保护区的建立与持续发展的关系

自然保护区的建立已被世界公认是一种保护自然资源最有效的方法之一。但是长期以来,人们把对维持生物种类的持续发展以及生态系统的完整性都归功于较为传统的封闭式保护。事实证明这已导致保护与持续发展长期处于矛盾状态而得不到解决。自从联合国教科文组织人与生物圈计划提出“生物圈保护区”的概念以来,打破了长期以来对自然保护区的封闭式管理。强调通过保护自然资源而发展和利用资源,并使这些资源能够持续发展。注重把自然保护与科学研究,环境监测、示范、环境教育与当地人民的参与结合起来。     

Urban Flora as a Component of the Urban Ecosystems in the Taiga Zone: An Example of Karelian Cities

Cities are areas of increased diversity of species in the taiga zone. The aboriginal fraction of Karelian flora is a stable natural system whose main characteristics are preserved in the urban flora. The adventive fraction, which is a dynamic component of the flora, has not been completely formed in the cities, as well as in eastern Fennoscandia as a whole. It has become substantially richer during the past 20–25 years. Cities of the taiga zone may serve as objects for monitoring the anthropogenic processes of flora transformation in the North.     

Effect of sewage on biodegradability of hydrocarbons in refinery wastewater

The effect of the microbial flora of municipal sewage, with special reference to faecal coliform and faecal streptococci groups, on the hydrocarbons biodegradation of the refinery wastewater from the Moustorod Oil Refinery has been studied. The results indicate that sewage with its microbial flora seems to have a significant role in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in refinery wastewater. In addition, the early degradation in the wastewater seeded by sewage reveals that faecal streptococci, in addition to other microbial flora, have a significant role in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons.     

川西北民族地区保护区建设与生态移民问题研究

四川省西北部地区是以藏羌民族集居为主的民族地区,也是四川省的生态资源中心。区域内自然保护区数量多、密度大,民族文化浓郁,经济发展落后,居民城市化率低。由于早期建立保护区指导思想的制约,现已建立的多数保护区的规划缺乏系统科学性,依然存在来自区域内部居民和外部经济活动对其的破坏。研究认为,要实现为区域社会经济可持续发展创造条件的保护区设立终极目的,必须对现有的保护区管理系统实施调整与完善,建立具有政府管理职能的资源保护特区,选择以城镇化为主要方式的保护区内就近生态移民,构建科学的自然保护区层次,形成政府（资源保护特区）与民族居民的资源保护利益共同体。     

三峡库区香溪河流域河岸带种子植物区系研究

根据详细的植物群落调查资料,对三峡库区香溪河流域河岸带种子植物区系进行了研究。结果表明：河岸带维管束种类在科级水平上占神农架的65.8％,在属级水平上占47.3％,在种级水平上占26.7％。河岸带植物区系的性质为温带特性,与神农架地区种子植物属的性质相一致。河岸带这一独特自然景观的植物区系在整个区域自然景观中具有相当的代表性。在香溪河流域河岸带中,维管束植物种类较丰富,分布着大量的珍稀濒危植物种类,表明河岸带在生物多样性保护中具有重要的作用。     

Factors of Richness of Urban Floras in the Ural–Volga Region

Original data on 14 urban floras in the Ural–Volga region have been analyzed to estimate the effect of the geographic location, topography, climate, size, and age of a city on the species richness of its flora. This parameter in different cities varied from 288 to 973 species, with the proportion of alien species varying from 21 to 41%. Factors of flora richness were estimated by multiple linear regression using principal component estimates obtained by factor analysis of 13 city characteristics as predictors. It has been confirmed that the richness of urban floras depends primarily on the city size, which accounts for greater proportions of variation in the number of native species (56%), the number of alien species (91%), and the total number of species (71%). In addition, variation in the number of native species is determined by terrain elevation (22%), increasing at higher elevations. The proportion of alien species in the urban flora does not depend on the size of the city and is negatively correlated with terrain elevation.     

Nature Reserve and Ecotourism Development in China's Wuzhishan Mountain Region

Abstract

As the protected areas of land and coastal environment, nature reserves are designed to address how to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social development and the maintenance of cultural values. This paper establishes a framework for nature reserve development that seeks to incorporate ecotourism into its strategies. The overall purpose was to identify the information needs required for a comprehensive nature reserve that incorporates ecotourism related values. It also illustrates the utility of this framework in the context of the Wuzhishan Mountain Region of China. A literature review, the first phase of a visionary strategy and a subsequent gap analysis for available management information were undertaken in order to achieve this paper's purpose. Finally, recommendations are presented for integrating ecotourism into nature reserve development in the Wuzhishan Mountain Region.     

Challenges of small protected areas in urban cities: a case study of Okhla Bird Sanctuary,India

Protected areas have been earmarked throughout the world for the purpose of conserving the biodiversity. The protected areas are facing serious threats due to rapid urban growth, especially in the developing countries like India. The current threats and impacts of urbanization on the Okhla Bird Sanctuary (Delhi, India) have been presented in this paper as a case in point. Uncontrolled urbanization and the lack of policy implementation have been identified as one of the major contributors to incessant biodiversity loss in India and other countries. In addition, a possible management framework for a smaller protected area in an urban setting is presented in brief.     

锡林郭勒草原保护区实现保护与发展双赢对策研究

内蒙古锡林郭勒草原保护区是我国唯一列入世界生物圈保护区网络的草原保护区，从草地资源利用、保护区管理和经济社会不同角度分析了保护区草原大面积退化的成因。以退化草原恢复为目标，对锡林郭勒草原保护区进行了新的规划．核心区面积占保护区总面积的比例由原来的0．17％增加到新规划的6．85％。以保护区内面积最大的白音锡勒牧场为研究区．利用2004年8月TM数字化磁带数据，在估算出白音锡勒牧场草原地上生物量的基础上，划分出未退化、轻度退化、中度退化、重度退化4个等级，针对不同退化等级草场制定出不同的牧草产量利用率。并计算出以退化草原恢复为目标的草原合理放牧强度、相应面积和载畜量，结果为研究区平均合理放牧强度为43只标准羊单位／km^2。白音锡勒牧场2003年平均放牧强度为86只标准羊单位／km^2。最后提出应改变锡林郭勒草原单一的畜牧业经济机构，“以工养草”；大力扶植牧民从事生态旅游和针对不同退化等级草原制定合理的载畜量等实现保护区环境保护与经济发展双赢的对策。     

Do protected areas really work to conserve species? A case study of three vulnerable woody species in the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso

Natural vegetation and native plant species contribute significantly to the daily needs of local people especially in developing countries. This exerts a high pressure on local species and jeopardizes the conservation of the most vulnerable plants. In Burkina Faso, conservation measures, such as the creation of protected forests, have been taken to safeguard the remaining indigenous vegetation. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these protected areas in conserving biodiversity. This study assessed and compared the population structures and regeneration potential of three vulnerable woody species—Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst., Prosopis africana (Guill. & Perr.) Taub. and Sterculia setigera Del.—in protected and unprotected areas in the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso. The population structure and regeneration pattern of each species were compared between the North and South Sudanian sectors of Burkina Faso. The populations of all three species were unstable in both protected and unprotected areas. D. mespiliformis and P. africana displayed relatively good regeneration while P. africana lacked regeneration in unprotected areas. Regeneration was poor for S. setigera, regardless of protection status. The results suggest that the populations of the targeted species are unstable, regardless of the protection status of the area considered. This is probably due to the high anthropogenic pressure facing natural resources and raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the protected areas in conserving biodiversity. Urgent measures are needed to ensure effective and efficient management and conservation of biodiversity in the protected areas of Burkina Faso.     

Formation of aggregated settlements as an expression of synanthropization of the long-eared owl (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Asio otus</Emphasis> L.)

The structure of the long-eared owl (Asio otus L.) settlements in anthropogenic landscapes has been studied in the Zhuravlinaya Rodina protected territory in the northern Moscow region in 2001–2005. The possible factors that cause the formation of such settlements have been analyzed. The differences in the breeding success between owls nesting near and away from human settlements have been estimated. Aggregated nesting of owls is assumed to be mainly related to a lower predator pressure in the vicinity of human dwellings in the incubation period. Aggregated nesting is regarded as an expression of synanthropization of the species.     

长江流域的自然保护区发展与生态环境建设

长江流域的自然保护区占全流域面积的5．74％,比我国自然保护区 占国土面积的比例低1．9个百分点。保护区数量在80年代增幅最大,面积在90年代增幅最大,这种不同步性在一定程度上反映出保护区经营管理更加注重建立较多的大保护区,保护较大的生态系统。本流域的各类自然保护区的数量和面积与流域内自然生态系统类型的丰富性和珍稀特种的多样性直接相关。生态系统类的自然保护区多分布在长江一线以南,形成4个明显的集中分布地带。野生生物类自然保护区在川西高原、川黔湘接壤带和鄱阳湖附近比较集中。川西南滇西北、川西高山峡谷区、川鄂湘黔接壤区、南岭山地北部等6个区域成为长江流域自然保护的关键区域。长江流域生态环境建设中必须注意资源植物的持续利用、防护林的质量和生态平衡等问题。     

An Ecologically Destabilized Environment: Its Effect on Small-Mammal Populations

Characteristics of the small-mammal populations inhabiting forest biocenoses in the Middle Ural state reserves have been analyzed over in the period from 1987 to 2002. During this period, the habitats of these animals were considerably destabilized due to windfalls and fires. The environmental characteristics of animal microhabitats at different stages of environment destabilization have been described quantitatively. Changes in the long-term cycles of the population dynamics of the dominant forest vole species caused by the destabilizing factors have been found. Redistribution of species dominance with respect to abundance has been demonstrated.     

Ecological features and trends in the formation of the flora of liverworts under the impact of current volcanic and glacial activities: The example of Ushkovskii Volcano, Kamchatka

The flora of liverworts has been studied in the vicinity of the Bil’chenok glacier (the Ushkovskii volcano, Kamchatka), which is in a zone of volcanic ash fallout. Specific complexes of liverworts growing on young moraine and ash deposits have been identified. These complexes are dominated by thallose marchantioid species. Under the effect of periodic ash fallout (in the absence of glacial activity), communities are formed that contain increased proportions of xerophytes and species preferring sites with a disturbed ground vegetation cover.     

生物多样性保护与自然保护区

生物多样性是人类社会赖以生存和发展的基础,生物多样性保护已是当今人们最为关注的热点问题。越来越多的人认识到,生物资源是有限度的。实践表明,为保护物种栖息地而划定和管理的各种区域,对保护生物多样性有着重要的意义。在我国自然保护区被视为最典型和最有代表性的区域,也是生物多样性保护的重要基地。自然保护区保护着国家珍贵的动植物资源,拯救了濒危物种,保护了典型的生态环境,建设自然保护区是自然保护行之有效的手段。     

Biodegradability of hydrocarbons in the refinery wastewater from moustorod oil refinery

The present investigation deals with the study of hydrocarbon degradation present in refinery wastewater by natural microbial flora in addition to that obtained using Ps. aeruginosa under laboratory conditions. Results indicated that Ps. aeruginosa may have a significant role in the degradation of hydrocarbons. After seven days, several of the compounds in the original wastewater were completely degraded and four compounds (n-paraffins) were partially degraded. Without Ps. aerruginosa, the same picture had been obtained after 23 days.