Conservation Focus on Europe: Major Conservation Policy Issues That Need to Be Informed by Conservation Science

Abstract:  Europe is one of the world's most densely populated continents and has a long history of human-dominated land- and seascapes. Europe is also at the forefront of developing and implementing multinational conservation efforts. In this contribution, we describe some top policy issues in Europe that need to be informed by high-quality conservation science. These include evaluation of the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network of protected sites, implications of rapid economic and subsequent land-use change in Central and Eastern Europe, conservation of marine biodiversity and sustainability of fisheries, the effect of climate change on movement of species in highly fragmented landscapes, and attempts to assess the economic value of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Broad policy issues such as those identified are not easily amenable to scientific experiment. A key challenge at the science–policy interface is to identify the research questions underlying these problem areas so that conservation science can provide evidence to underpin future policy development .     

COPPER PRICE STABILIZATION: WELFARE CONSEQUENCES AND BUFFER STOCK COSTS

International debate and economic literature on export earnings from trade in raw materials have focused on two main subjects: the ability to increase incomes arising from the exports and the possibility of stabilizing these incomes. One alternative that has been suggested and discussed with regard to the second issue is a buffer stock that would decrease the fluctuations in raw material prices. Two objections that have been made to this proposal are that, with stabilization, producers could lose their welfare benefits; and that financial costs are too great. In this article, market conditions required so that copper producers may be benefited by price stability are discussed, and the profitability of a copper buffer stock is measured. Depending on the characteristics of demand and supply curves in the copper market, the article concludes that producers may obtain welfare and income benefits from price stabilization and that for certain degrees of stability the management of the copper buffer stock can yield a positive internal rate of return close to that of alternative investments. Des discussions au niveau international et des ouvrages économiques en matière de recettes d'exportation provenant du commerce des matiêres premières ont mis l'accent sur deux sujets principaux: la capacité d'accroître les revenue de ces exportations et la possibilité de stabiliser ces revenue. Une option, suggérée et débattue au sujet du second point, consiste en l'établissement d'un stock régulateur qui tendrait à diminuer les fluctuations des prix des matiêres premières. Cependant, deux objections ont été soulevées, à savoir: la stabilisation pourrait avoir des repercussions néfastes sur les bénéfices des producteurs et les coûts financiers pourraient être trap élevés. L'article considère les conditions de marché requises pour permettre aux producteurs de cuivre de bénéficier de la stabilité des prix ainsi que la rentabilité d'un stock régulateur en matière de cuivre. En se basant sur les caractéristiques des courbes de l'offre et de la demande dans le marché du cuivre, l'article conclut que les producteurs peuvent bénéficier de la stabilisation des prix et que, à certains degrés de stabilité, la gestion d'un stock régulateur de cuivre peut engendrer un taux de rendement interne positif avoisinant ceux d'autres investissements. Los debates internacionales y la literature sobre los ingresos de exportatión de materias primas han enfocado dos temas principals: la habilidad de aumentar el ingreso resultante de estas exportaciones y la posibilidad de estabilizar dichos ingresos. La creación de una reserva de compensación para contrarrestar las fluctuaciones de los precios de materias primas ha sido propuesto y discutido. Las objeciones hechas a esta propuesta argumentan que los beneficios para los productores disminuiría con la estabilización y que los costos financieros serian demasiado grandes. En este artículo se discuten las condiciones de mercado que permitirían a los productores de cobre beneficiarse de la estabilidad de precios y se mide también la rentabilidad de la reserva de compensación para el cobre. Basándose en las características de las curvas de demanda y oferta en el mercado del cobre, el artículo concluye que los productores pueden salir gananciosos con la estabilización de precios y que para ciertos grados de estabilidad, la administración de la reserva de compensación del cobre puede producir una tasa interna de retorno positive, comparable a otras inversiones alternatives.     

Changes in Size of Deforested Patches in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract: Different deforestation agents, such as small farmers and large agricultural businesses, create different spatial patterns of deforestation. We analyzed the proportion of deforestation associated with different‐sized clearings in the Brazilian Amazon from 2002 through 2009. We used annual deforestation maps to determine total area deforested and the size distribution of deforested patches per year. The size distribution of deforested areas changed over time in a consistent, directional manner. Large clearings (>1000 ha) comprised progressively smaller amounts of total annual deforestation. The number of smaller clearings (6.25–50.00 ha) remained unchanged over time. Small clearings accounted for 73% of all deforestation in 2009, up from 30% in 2002, whereas the proportion of deforestation attributable to large clearings decreased from 13% to 3% between 2002 and 2009. Large clearings were concentrated in Mato Grosso, but also occurred in eastern Pará and in Rondônia. In 2002 large clearings accounted for 17%, 15%, and 10% of all deforestation in Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia, respectively. Even in these states, where there is a highly developed agricultural business dominated by soybean production and cattle ranching, the proportional contribution of large clearings to total deforestation declined. By 2009 large clearings accounted for 2.5%, 3.5%, and 1% of all deforestation in Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia, respectively. These changes in deforestation patch size are coincident with the implementation of new conservation policies by the Brazilian government, which suggests that these policies are not effectively reducing the number of small clearings in primary forest, whether these are caused by large landholders or smallholders, but have been more effective at reducing the frequency of larger clearings.