The environmental history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area in Myanmar (Burma)

We reconstructed the history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to understand how social and economic events, and policy changes affected the sanctuary's condition. We surveyed 25 villages surrounding CWS to evaluate past and present ecological conditions, compare the results with historical accounts and identify causal relationships. During the first half of the 20th century, the primary threat was the government's reduction of old growth forest to supply fuel wood for the British-built railway. The railroad opened the area to colonization, but the villagers' impact on timber and wildlife was low. From 1945 to 1988, villagers became the primary force of landscape degradation. The post-war windfall of firearms increased hunting pressure, and populations of large mammal started to decline. With the economic decline of the 1970s and 1980s, the community's demand for game and forest products intensified, and the large mammal fauna was reduced from eleven to four species. From 1988-2003, the forests surrounding the sanctuary were fragmented and degraded. The absence of large predators rendered the park safe for livestock, and the combined effects of grazing and removal of forest products seriously degraded habitat within CWS. Major threats to CWS during the past two decades have resulted from land use decisions in which government-planned economic enterprises caused encroachment by villagers. Stabilization and recovery of this sanctuary will require management compatible with human needs, including expanded buffer zones, better core area protection, community forestry projects, and probably relocation of villages within the park.     

Stifled stakeholders and subdued participation: interpreting local responses toward Shimentai Nature Reserve in South China

In recent decades, protected-area management in many developing countries has been molded to win the support and participation of local people. Increasingly, research initiatives are undertaken to enhance understanding of the perceptions and attitudes of rural stakeholders. The effectiveness of the expanding protected-area system in China is critically constrained by similar considerations of community mentality. This paper provides an empirical assessment of local responses towards conservation efforts based on a case study of the recently established Shimentai Nature Reserve (SNR) situated in Yingde, Guangdong Province, China. Questionnaire surveys, face-to-face interviews, and group discussions were employed to gauge local residents' knowledge, perceptions, and expectations towards the SNR. The study covered seven villages situated in and around the reserve, grouped into far-zone (floodplain) and near-zone (upland) categories, accommodating Hakka (Han) and minority Yao peoples. Many respondents had inadequate knowledge, understanding, and perceptions of the reserve. Although most respondents welcomed the expected park-related dividends, the most affected near-zone villagers anticipated losses due to restriction on traditional resource-extraction activities in the forest. The local expectations were influenced by place of residence, emigration of rural young, and household affluence. The lack of local participation in management and inadequate dissemination of information posed obstacles to effective conservation. The high expectation of accruing benefits from development projects, including tourism, might be misplaced and might not be realized. The present honeymoon period of positive attitudes could end soon if the hopes remain unfulfilled for too long. The need to win sustained local support and provide alternative means of livelihood is emphasized.     

新建铁路站区对城市环境噪声影响特征及预测研究

在铁路车站噪声影响中,车站影响区域产生的次生噪声相对于站中心的原生噪声,是城区噪声污染的主要因素。根据不同规模车站区对周边社会及人文景观的影响程度,划分出站区噪声监测范围。通过监测对比分析,发现站中心噪声与车站规模具有显著的正相关关系,而车站影响区噪声值在中小规模车站中,二者有一定的正相关关系,但当车站发展到一定大规模后,影响区内的噪声反而略有下降并趋于平稳。通过分析认为,大规模车站的建立有利于促进周边城市更合理地规划布局。根据车站布局与兴建对城市环境噪声影响的关系,以及站区噪声源变化特点,建立了不同车站规模站区的噪声值预测模型,其预测结果为新建铁路路站在城市中的规划布局,提供了实用的参考依据及有价值的建议。     

Evaluation of management effectiveness of protected areas in the Volta Basin,Ghana: perspectives on the methodology for evaluation,protected area financing and community participation

ABSTRACT

Protected areas are widely recognized as an important strategy for biodiversity conservation. Most of the sites are, however, poorly managed as resource exploitation by fringe communities and low government funding, among other things, threaten their management effectiveness. We used the World Commission on Protected Areas framework for designing management effectiveness evaluation systems, with the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Areas Management (RAPPAM) methodology as a tool, to evaluate six components of the management cycle at six sites in Ghana for their management effectiveness. We examined the robustness of RAPPAM as an evaluation tool in the African context. The results showed that most of the sites evaluated are vulnerable and exposed to various degrees of pressure and threats, including poverty in the nearby communities, adjacent land-use and encroachment. On RAPPAM, we noted that apart from inconsistencies in some of the assessment scores due to the biases associated with the self-assessment approach of the methodology, the management effectiveness framework places little emphasis on financing and community participation, though both play major roles in the management process. We proposed a modification of the framework within the African context, to address effectively the underlying courses of pressure and threats facing Ghana’s protected areas.     

Land-Cover Assessment of Conservation and Buffer Zones in the BOSAWAS Natural Resource Reserve of Nicaragua

The BOSAWAS Natural Resource Reserve of Nicaragua was established in 1991, to protect a portion of the remaining tropical rain forest and to promote the sustainable use of the region's resources. Information required to effectively manage the reserve includes the extents and locations of present land-cover types and recent land-cover changes in the management use zones that were delineated by local indigenous communities. These zones include areas designated for conservation, limited resource extraction, agriculture, and watershed protection. Land-cover for 1986 and 1995 was identified for three of the communities from remotely sensed images and then input into a geographic information system database to identify land-cover types within these management use zones. For both dates of the analysis, advanced forest was the dominant land cover, with the conservation zones entirely forested. The amount of both agricultural land and scrub/early secondary forest increased between the two dates, with much of these land-cover classes occurring in the agriculture zones. Conflicts between the land-cover present and designated use were identified in some of the limited-use buffer and watershed protection zones. Changes between 1986 and 1995 were identified by overlaying the two land-cover data sets. Three change processes were identified as occurring: deforestation, reforestation, and reconversion. Changes were concentrated in the agriculture zones but were found to occur in every type of zone, except for conservation. The results of this study will establish baseline information for the future management of the BOSAWAS Reserve, an important component in uniting conservation areas along the Central American isthmus.     

中国自然保护区类型划分标准的研究

在总结国内外有关自然保护区类型划分研究进展的基础上,根据我国自然保护区建设和管理的实际状况,提出我国自然保护区类型划分的基本原则。并据此原则,研究制定了我国自然保护区类型划分的标准。该标准将中国自然保护区定义和划分为3个类别9个类型。即：1．自然生态系统类自然保护区,包括森林、草原与草甸、荒漠、内陆湿地和水域、海洋与海岸等5个生态系统类型;2。野生生物类自然保护区,包括野生动物和野生植物两个类型;3．自然遗迹类自然保护区,包括地质遗迹和古生物遗迹两个类型。同时,还对其分类体系结构、自然保护区范畴以及本标准的可行性等有关问题作了详细的阐述和讨论。     

川西山区交通与GDP的海拔梯度性及其相关关系

以西部山区的缩影川西为研究对象,利用交通矢量化数据和自然社会经济数据,在GIS软件支持下,探讨"十五"计划以来不同时期川西山区交通通达性与GDP的海拔空间分异性及其相关关系。结果表明:(1)2000~2013年间川西山区交通通达性有了显著提高,各县通达水平两级分化有所减弱,高值区集中于攀西城市群,低值区主要位于甘孜州;(2)川西山区GDP与交通水平均具有较为明显的海拔梯度分异,表现为中低海拔区中海拔区高海拔区高原区,呈现出"反自然梯度特征";(3)从整体上看,川西山区通达性指数与GDP存在显著正向关联且关联程度不断加强,交通主干线显现出更为明显的经济促进作用,而边缘化的地理区位不利于地区对外开放,阻滞了经济发展;(4)不同时期各海拔区交通通达性及其构成要素与GDP的关联方向和程度差异较大。     

Factors influencing farmers' concerns regarding bovine tuberculosis in wildlife and livestock around Riding Mountain National Park

Despite intensive efforts over the last century to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB) in North America, several hotspots of infected wildlife and livestock remain, raising concerns that the disease will never be eradicated. The stress and frustration for a farmer caused by having a herd test positive for TB or living in an infected region can be substantial. The goal of this study was to investigate the concerns of farmers around Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) regarding the presence of TB in wildlife and livestock and conduct an exploratory analysis of causal factors. Data were collected from 786 farmers within 50 km of RMNP using a mail-back questionnaire. Overall, farmers indicated a high level of concern toward diseases in both wildlife and cattle relative to other concerns. The spatial variables that had the greatest influence on TB concern were both the distance of farms to the RMNP boundary and distance of farms to previous cases of TB. The most important aspatial factor associated with high TB concern was the frequency with which farmers observed elk on their land. These results underscore the important differences between 'objective' measures of risk, such as epidemiological estimates of disease prevalence, and subjective measures of disease concern, such as risk perception and acceptability of management actions. Written responses suggest that concerns regarding disease may affect how farmers view wildlife on their land and their relationship with neighbouring protected areas. Management activities that reduce the frequency of elk interactions with farms, but also recognize the complex relationship that farmers have with wildlife and protected areas, will be most effective in mitigating farmer concern regarding this important problem.     

Use of Remote-Trip Cameras for Wildlife Surveys and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Conservation Activities at a Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province,China

Monitoring the effectiveness of management activities within reserves is always a complicated task. When the focus of management activities is mammals, it is difficult to monitor their populations in a way that is rapid, effective, and inexpensive. We report on a mammal survey of a reserve in southwest China using remote-trip cameras. We surveyed 329 locations over 2 field seasons in 2002 and 2003. Sixteen species of mammals were detected with these cameras, with four species documented for the first time. After accounting for variation due to slope, aspect, elevation, and habitat type, the distribution of six species was positively associated with the location of conservation stations and/or patrolling routes. Species of medium-sized mammals are excellent candidates for monitoring programs based on these cameras, due to their relative abundance, sufficient size to be detected by the camera units, and sensitivity to human activity. The distribution of mammals relative to management efforts is a relatively rapid means to assess reserve effectiveness. The repeat use of the cameras as part of a monitoring plan should provide a quantifiable measure of reserve effectiveness.