The value, limitations, and challenges of employing local experts in conservation research

Abstract: Evidence suggests that the involvement of local people in conservation work increases a project's chances of success. Involving citizen scientists in research, however, raises questions about data quality. As a tool to better assess potential participants for conservation projects, we developed a knowledge gradient, K, along which community members occupy different positions on the basis of their experience with and knowledge of a research subject. This gradient can be used to refine the citizen–science concept and allow researchers to differentiate between community members with expert knowledge and those with little knowledge. We propose that work would benefit from the inclusion of select local experts because it would allow researchers to harness the benefits of local involvement while maintaining or improving data quality. We used a case study from the DeHoop Nature Preserve, South Africa, in which we conducted multiple interviews, identified and employed a local expert animal tracker, evaluated the expert's knowledge, and analyzed the data collected by the expert. The expert animal tracker J.J. created his own sampling design and gathered data on mammals. He patrolled 4653 km in 214 days and recorded 4684 mammals. He worked from a central location, and his patrols formed overlapping loops; however, his data proved neither spatially nor temporally autocorrelated. The distinctive data collected by J.J. are consistent with the notion that involving local experts can produce reliable data. We developed a conceptual model to help identify the appropriate participants for a given project on the basis of research budget, knowledge or skills needed, technical literacy requirements, and scope of the project.     

甘肃兴隆山自然保护区濒危马麝(Moschus sifanicus)秋季利用生境特征

于2006~2007年9~10月间采用样线样带法研究了甘肃兴隆山自然保护区马麝的秋季生境利用特征,共布设286个空白对照样地和55个利用样地,测量并比较两类样地内的海拔等17个生境变量.结果表明,马麝秋季利用样地的乔木密度(0.90±0.14)和灌木均高(1.92 m±0.53 m)显著低于非利用样地(乔木密度1.35±0.07;灌木均高3.01 m±0.53 m),而且距水源距离(<1 000 m,76.37%)和人为干扰活动距离(<1 000 m,76.36%)较近的中下坡位生境(82.82%)(P<0.05).对喜好生境变量的主成分分析表明,地理因子(由海拔、水源距离、植被类型和坡向构成)是制约兴隆山马麝秋季栖息地选择的首要因子,此外,郁闭度因子(由郁闭度和坡度构成)、食物因子(由食物多度和乔木胸径构成)和隐蔽因子(由隐蔽度和避风性构成)也是影响兴隆山马麝秋季生境选择的重要因素.由于秋季对食物和水源的强烈选择,兴隆山马麝对生境隐蔽性和距人为干扰距离的选择强度较低,即承受较大强度的人为干扰.表5参31     

南亚热带常绿阔叶林林冠层附生植物及其宿主叶片的形态解剖特征

选择南亚热带常绿阔叶林中具有代表性的4种林冠层附生植物：白背瓜馥木（Fissistigma glaucescens）、瓜子金（Dischidia chinensis）、蔓九节（Psychotria serpens）、山蒌（Piper hancei）及其主要宿主植物：厚壳桂（Cryptocaryachinensis）、荷木（Schimasuperba）、华润楠（Machilus chinensis）、锥栗（Castanopsis chinensis）为研究对象,对其叶片形态结构和解剖结构特征进行比较。研究结果表明：宿主植物与附生植物的叶片形态结构差异显著。相对于4种宿主植物,4种附生植物叶片无蜡被,比叶面积大,且具有含水量高,上下表皮厚度增加,气孔密度、气孔面积减少等特征,有利于叶片对水分和养分的吸收、贮存和利用。着生在林冠层不同部位的附生植物的叶片形态结构特征随着光合有效辐射、温度、湿度等微环境因子的变化表现出显著的差异：位于冠层顶部的瓜子金和蔓九节叶片小而厚,含水量高,气孔密度低且覆盖角质膜,更适应冠层顶部高温、低湿、高光照的环境;位于冠层下部的白背瓜馥木和山蒌叶片相对较薄,气孔面积较大,叶肉细胞分化明显,海绵组织排列松散,更适应冠层中下部低温、高湿、弱光照环境。变化的叶片结构是植物适应环境条件的重要表现。     

鄱阳湖自然保护区生物多样性保护研究

鄱阳湖自然保护区于1983年建立,占地224平方公里.保护区的建立对改善生态环境,保护生物多样性有着重要的意义.20多年来,保护区内生态环境得到明显改善,生物资源不断丰富.为了进一步科学保护区内生物多样性,合理利用资源,针对自然保护区内生物多样性的历史和现状,适当扩大保护区范围,改善当地的经济发展模式等措施,将进一步改善自然保护区的生态环境,保护生物多样性.     

辽宁老秃顶子国家级自然保护区植物区系调查研究

植物区系是在特有的历史条件下发展产生而形成的某一特定地区生长的全部植物类型的总和,是植物科、属、种的自然综合体。它多数是以种群方式存在的,对应组成该地区植被的主体,也是大自然地理生态环境中的集中反映和自然保护区生态环境变化的依据。研究老秃顶子国家级自然保护区的植物区系的组成和地理组成部分等相关资料,对于分析研究植物区系与自然地理要素之间的关系意义重大。     

Understanding Nature through Photography: An Empirical Analysis of the Intents of Nature Photographers and the Preparatory Process

ABSTRACT

This study examined the intent, preparatory processes and challenges of nature photographers mainly shooting plants and animals in northern Japan. Findings revealed efforts to actively absorb scientific knowledge related to subjects during the preparatory process. Thus, a core intention is to capture nature in a scientifically credible manner, thereby demonstrating intimate understanding of subjects acquired from both scientific knowledge and first-hand field observations. In constructing their self-identity and attributing purpose to their work, photographers are grappling with internal tensions and contradictions when deciding the optimal distance to place between their field and related professions such as stock photography and artistic expression. We also observed cases where the original intentions of scientifically credible images from nature photographers might be lost as images are freely diffused via digital stock photo libraries. This harbors implications for the ability of the public to knowingly view photographs with a sort of “quality assurance” based on natural science.     

A landscape ecological approach to address scaling problems in conservation management and monitoring

Management of many African game reserves is today often still an art based on experience and intuition, rather than a science. Decision-making is based on an informal integration of accumulated individual knowledge and keen field observations. Data are generally poorly captured and curated. Until fairly recently, denominators of biological parameters (such as the unit of land or unit of plant production used as measurement) have generally been treated as being homogenous. The patchiness of landscapes and the issue of ecological scaling were ignored, often because of a lack of appropriate technical tools. The ecological data available on the 49,000-ha Songimvelo Game Reserve (SGR) result from a number of discrete survey and monitoring projects undertaken by different researchers, with different objectives, at different spatial and temporal scales. A landscape ecological approach towards research and monitoring is appropriate for an area of the size and diversity of the SGR. A combination of a database approach and spatial representation was used to consolidate and integrate data across temporal and spatial scales. Herbivore spatial and temporal distribution patterns were explored across three spatial scales. An understanding was achieved of the importance of landscape patchiness in controlling resource availability for herbivores. This insight is important in guiding management and monitoring of the SGR by placing perceived patch overutilization in its proper landscape context. The landscape ecological approach bridges the traditional scale-independent view to a more contemporary scale-related understanding of ecosystem diversity and functioning.     

Arctic Wilderness Policy in the United States and Finland

The United States and Finland have passed laws to classify and manage Arctic wilderness areas, but their national policies are based on different nature ideologies. Finns tend to perceive wilderness as a human-centered idea, while Americans are inclined to see the same land from a nature-based point of view. Rural residents in the Arctic, and especially indigenous peoples, use motorized vehicles for hunting and gathering in wilderness areas. Attempts of southern-based environmental groups to restrict motor use by imposing a nature-based ideology on rural residents in northern Alaska will result in high levels of political conflict. Alaska land managers need to respect the minority rights of rural residents and a study of wilderness policies in Finnish Lapland is instructive toward this end.     

牯牛降生物资源和旅游资源的永续利用

牯牛降自然保护区是安徽省第一个以保护森林生态系统为主的国家级综合自然保护区,保护区生物资源丰富,有维管植物180科672属1220余种,脊椎动物37目82科193属271种,珍稀濒危和国家重点保护野生植物31种,中国特有属种20个,珍稀保护动物29种,还拥有丰富的旅游资源.对牯牛降自然保护区的生物资源和旅游资源永续利用提出了4点建议.     

论“人与自然和谐共处”的思想

环境道德和生态伦理主张“人与自然和谐共处”的思想，与“人类中心主义”和“自然中心主义”有着本质区别。对当代环境道德和生态伦理的特征与主张应准把握，其将自然原理和人道原理结合起来，由人及物将非人生命体或自然作为人的“伙伴与朋友”。