The Role and Effectiveness of Local Institutions in the Management of Forest Biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve,Iringa Region-Tanzania

This paper examines the role and effectiveness of local institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve,Tanzania.Data were obtained through questionnaires,interviews,focus group discussions,participatory rural appraisal and field observations.The study revealed that the most remarkable local institutions connected to forest biodiversity management include:Village Natural Resources Management Committee(92%),tree nursery group(79.4%),beekeeping groups(61.1%),fish farming(43.3%),livestock rearing group(33.9%).Main activities carried out by local institutions which directly contribute to the sustainability of forest reserve include:forest patrols,fire extinguish,preparation of fire breaks,planting of trees along the forest boundaries,creation of awareness,arresting of forest defaulters,participation in income generation activities.For the purpose of realization that local communities are capable of managing forest biodiversity through their traditional institutions,the policy should provide tangible opportunity for local communities to meet their needs as they manage the forests.     

嘉陵江干流鱼类群落生态结构分析

鱼类群落生态结构是群落生态学研究的一个热点问题。通过野外调查和资料分析发现,嘉陵江干流分布鱼类有156种,隶属于7目18科85属。依据所摄取食物类型的不同,这些鱼类可以划分为浮游动物食性、浮游植物食性、着生藻类食性、水生植物食性、水生昆虫食性、软体动物食性、肉食性和杂食性等8种食性类型。使用相似性指数和相似性分析方法,对嘉陵江上、中和下游的鱼类组成及群落生态结构组成分析发现：（1）从上游到下游,鱼类物种逐渐增加;（2）整个嘉陵江干流中,水生昆虫食性的鱼类占3141%,肉食性占1923%,着生藻类食性占1859%,软体动物食性的占1154%,浮游动物食性占1026%,杂食性占641%,水生植物食性占192%,浮游植物食性占064%;（3）从上游到下游,肉食性鱼类所占比例逐渐增加,以水生昆虫和着生藻类为食的鱼类所占比例则逐渐减少,相似性分析表明,嘉陵江各江段鱼类群落生态结构组成的差异不显著。嘉陵江干流鱼类群落生态结构的组成和变化与水生态系统结构和功能的变化密切相关     

“5·12”汶川地震极重灾区生态服务功能恢复总体评估

2008年"5·12"汶川特大地震,对生态系统造成巨大威胁。为了解汶川地震灾区生态恢复总体状况,以期为灾区中长期生态恢复跟踪监测、生态恢复措施的制定和调整提供决策支持,分别以2007年、2009年、2013年代表地震前、地震后以及恢复期3个时期,采用土壤侵蚀敏感性、林冠截留量、生境适宜性等指标,分别评估了汶川地震极重灾区10个县市水土保持功能、水源涵养功能、生物多样性保护功能的状况及变化动态。结果表明:研究区的水土保持功能、水源涵养功能,以及生物多样性保护功能在震后遭到了严重破坏。总体来说5a后,区域生态服务功能得到了一定程度的恢复,但未达到震前水平。在极重灾区10个县市中,地理上位于中南部的6个县市(汶川、都江堰、什邡、彭州、绵竹、安县)在地震中总体受损程度较大。6个县市处于中国西部泥石流、滑坡的活跃区,震后因降雨诱发滑坡泥石流,导致了龙门山、茶坪山局部区域的水土保持功能、水源涵养功能、生物多样性保护功能在恢复期进一步下降,甚至低于震后。其中汶川县草坡乡、银杏乡、耿达乡、卧龙镇、三江乡有较大范围的功能下降,另外,都江堰市、彭州市、什邡市、绵竹市、安县等也分别有较大面积的功能下降区。区域生态服务功能在未来10a内,有可能进一步恶化。灾后重建一定程度上改善了区域生态功能状况,加快了生态功能恢复进程。但是,也存在对生态服务功能的恢复与维持重视不足等问题。部分灾后重建项目的实施,甚至又导致局部地区出现生态服务功能的退化。建议(1)加强汶川地震极重灾区中长期生态恢复遥感及地面监测、评估,进行生态服务功能恢复效应评估;(2)加强干旱河谷、龙门山及茶坪山等重点区域的生态修复。     

Assessing participatory and multi-level characteristics of biodiversity and landscape protection legislation: the case of Poland

In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for analysing formal rules regulating the involvement of various actors in protected areas decision-making over time and apply it to Poland. Based on the analysis of legal acts and policy documents, we suggest that since the democratic transition started in 1989, the governance of Polish protected areas has been increasingly multi-level and participatory. However, different designations indicate different levels of involvement by non-state actors, with Natura 2000 standing out from the traditional protected areas. Regarding governance issues, establishing and taking management decisions were characterised by the greatest changes in actors’ involvement. While participation of non-public actors is still limited mostly to information and consultation, the involvement of non-state public actors of various levels increased significantly. The paper highlights the importance of a systematic analysis of legal rules as a starting point for empirical investigation of the governance of protected areas.     

南岳自然保护区藤本植物多样性

为了弄清南岳自然保护区内藤本植物资源现状,对该区内藤本植物进行了多样性调查研究。结果表明：野生藤本植物共计59科129属282种（含变种）,其中蕨类植物有3科5属6种,双子叶植物有50科112属250种,单子叶植物有6科12属26种,裸子植物缺乏。该区地理成分复杂多样,科级地理成分有8个分布型,属级地理成分有12个分布型,种级地理成分有11个分布型,均以热带成分为主,温带成分占有较大比例,说明该区热带成分向温带渗透和过度的性质。藤本植物的生活型,以木质藤本占优势,为6064%,草质藤本占39.36%,一年生藤本占1441%。藤本植物的攀援类型分为4型9亚型,以缠绕类为主,占37〖JP2〗94%;其次为吸固类,占2305%,又可分为不定根类、吸盘类和寄生类3亚型;卷曲类占2093%,又可分为须卷类、柄卷类和枝卷类3亚型;刺蔓类最少占1809%,又可分为枝蔓类和钩刺类2亚型。该区藤本植物资源丰富,在垂直绿化与经济开发上具有十分广阔的前景     

Learning outcomes measured in zoo and aquarium conservation education

Communicating the topic of conservation to the public and encouraging proenvironmental behaviors can mitigate loss of biodiversity. Thus, the evaluation of educational efforts is important to ascertain the educational effects and provide high-quality conservation education. The learning outcomes of conservation education are diverse (e.g., attitudes, knowledge, and behavior). Considering the specific characteristics of these different outcomes and the factors that influence them is crucial to delivering successful conservation education. We reviewed 29 peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 2011 to April 2020 on empirical studies of learning outcomes of on-site conservation education in zoos and aquaria, institutions that seek to educate the public about conservation. We examined the range of learning outcomes, their definitions, and factors that influenced them. Cognitive outcomes were most frequently investigated (37%) in comparison with other outcomes (e.g., affective outcomes, 31%). The articles did not use explicit definitions for learning outcomes, and implicit or explorative definitions provided were inconsistent. Outcomes were influenced by various factors (e.g., prior experiences, staff interaction, animal behavior). Our results suggest the agenda of conservation education research should be broadened by examining all learning outcomes relevant to behavior change. Educational and behavior change theories should be used as a background for conservation education research to ensure clear and consistent definitions, derive appropriate instruments to measure learning outcomes, and relate learning outcomes to influencing factors. We recommend conservation education researchers and practitioners to treat conservation education holistically and acknowledge its learning outcomes’ full complexity.     

Importance of conserving large and old trees to continuity of tree-related microhabitats

Protecting structural features, such as tree-related microhabitats (TreMs), is a cost-effective tool crucial for biodiversity conservation applicable to large forested landscapes. Although the development of TreMs is influenced by tree diameter, species, and vitality, the relationships between tree age and TreM profile remain poorly understood. Using a tree-ring-based approach and a large data set of 8038 trees, we modeled the effects of tree age, diameter, and site characteristics on TreM richness and occurrence across some of the most intact primary temperate forests in Europe, including mixed beech and spruce forests. We observed an overall increase in TreM richness on old and large trees in both forest types. The occurrence of specific TreM groups was variably related to tree age and diameter, but some TreM groups (e.g., epiphytes) had a stronger positive relationship with tree species and elevation. Although many TreM groups were positively associated with tree age and diameter, only two TreM groups in spruce stands reacted exclusively to tree age (insect galleries and exposed sapwood) without responding to diameter. Thus, the retention of trees for conservation purposes based on tree diameter appears to be a generally feasible approach with a rather low risk of underrepresentation of TreMs. Because greater tree age and diameter positively affected TreM development, placing a greater emphasis on conserving large trees and allowing them to reach older ages, for example, through the establishment of conservation reserves, would better maintain the continuity of TreM resource and associated biodiversity. However, this approach may be difficult due to the widespread intensification of forest management and global climate change.     

Scenarios of change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates

Mountains are among the natural systems most affected by climate change, and mountain mammals are considered particularly imperiled, given their high degree of specialization to narrow tolerance bands of environmental conditions. Climate change mitigation policies, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential to stem climate change impacts on natural systems. But how significant is the Paris Agreement to the survival of mountain mammals? We investigated how alternative emission scenarios may determine change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates in 2050. We based our predictions of future change in species niches based on how species have responded to past environmental changes, focusing on the probabilities of niche shrink and niche stability. We found that achieving the Paris Agreement's commitments would substantially reduce climate instability for mountain species. Specifically, limiting global warming to below 1.5°C would reduce the probability of niche shrinkage by 4% compared with a high-emission scenario. Globally, carnivores showed greater niche shrinkage than ungulates, whereas ungulates were more likely to shift their niches (i.e., face a level of climate change that allows adaptation). Twenty-three species threatened by climate change according to the IUCN Red List had greater niche contraction than other species we analyzed (3% higher on average). We therefore argue that climate mitigation policies must be coupled with rapid species-specific conservation intervention and sustainable land-use policies to avoid high risk of loss of already vulnerable species.     

Protected area planning to conserve biodiversity in an uncertain future

Protected areas are a key instrument for conservation. Despite this, they are vulnerable to risks associated with weak governance, land-use intensification, and climate change. We used a novel hierarchical optimization approach to identify priority areas for expanding the global protected area system that explicitly accounted for such risks while maximizing protection of all known terrestrial vertebrate species. To incorporate risk categories, we built on the minimum set problem, where the objective is to reach species distribution protection targets while accounting for 1 constraint, such as land cost or area. We expanded this approach to include multiple objectives accounting for risk in the problem formulation by treating each risk layer as a separate objective in the problem formulation. Reducing exposure to these risks required expanding the area of the global protected area system by 1.6% while still meeting conservation targets. Incorporating risks from weak governance drove the greatest changes in spatial priorities for protection, and incorporating risks from climate change required the largest increase (2.52%) in global protected area. Conserving wide-ranging species required countries with relatively strong governance to protect more land when they bordered nations with comparatively weak governance. Our results underscore the need for cross-jurisdictional coordination and demonstrate how risk can be efficiently incorporated into conservation planning. Planeación de las áreas protegidas para conservar la biodiversidad en un futuro incierto     

环境法视域下的生物安全风险规制

生物安全领域的环境风险包括科技风险、生态风险和环境健康风险三种类型。我国目前尚未形成健全的生物安全风险规制制度体系,科技风险规制机制不健全、生态风险规制忽视生物多样性保护、环境健康风险规制领域尚存空白等问题依然存在。为此,应确立多元化的立法目的体系,推动风险规制的类型化制度安排,有效衔接生物安全立法与环境保护法律规范,以最大限度地预防和降低生物安全风险可能带来的损害。