Protected Area Management

Stakeholder engagement is promoted as a cornerstone of conservation governance; however, its practical implementation often produces unintended consequences. This study examines stakeholder engagement in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa, using the control-entropy paradox (CEP), which conceptualises governance as both an exercise of control and a generator of disorder. A qualitative case study design was employed, drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and document analysis of management planning processes. Data were thematically analysed using the CEP framework. The analysis draws on qualitative data collected between 2017 and 2018 and is framed as a historically grounded, theory-driven examination of enduring governance dynamics rather than a longitudinal assessment. Stakeholder engagement simultaneously broadened governance reach and generated systemic strain. Expanding participation introduced competing agendas, fragmented roles, and increased resource demands. At the same time, key marginalised groups remained excluded. This reveals a central paradox: participation was both under-inclusive and overextended, exceeding institutional and energetic capacity. These dynamics contributed to tokenism, misaligned expectations, and declining engagement. Participatory governance is not inherently stabilising but constrained by informational, institutional, and energetic limits. Stakeholder participation must be matched to institutional capacity, designed to reduce informational breakdowns, and linked to clear decision-making authority. Where engagement exceeds organisational limits or lacks consequence, it can produce fatigue, mistrust, and governance fragility rather than improved outcomes. Effective conservation, therefore, requires participation that is not only inclusive but calibrated (energetically sustainable), communicatively coherent, and demonstrably consequential for management.

Little information is available on the threats against biodiversity in Kenya. This is critical in prioritizing conservation strategies and instituting mitigation procedures to contain and or eliminate these threats for the survival of biodiversity in protected areas. This study aimed at documenting relative severity of threats and how serious protected parks are threatened. Two hundred protected area officers were interviewed. The most relatively severe threat factors were bush meat trade; poaching for trophies; human -wildlife conflicts; human population encroachment; loss of migration corridors and dispersal areas. Thirty-two (64%) protected areas were susceptible to over half of the threat factors, while over 70% of them were threatened by an index over 0.5. All marine and nearly all forested/montane protected areas were highly susceptible to the identified threat factors. Further, protected areas popular with tourists were also highly susceptible and threatened. Protected areas around urban/industrial and agricultural areas were threatened mostly by a variety of threat factors. These findings imply that threats to Kenya's protected areas are serious. They are critical in helping the Kenya government to prioritize its strategies in protected areas management, rather than the current haphazard approach.

The global expansion of the travel and hospitality industry has historically occurred at the expense of ecological integrity, driving habitat fragmentation, resource depletion, and localized extinctions. However, a paradigm shift within international environmental policy and sustainable economics has increasingly positioned tourism as a critical mechanism for ecological preservation. This academic essay examines the complex socio-ecological and financial relationship between biodiversity and tourism, focusing on the deployment of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), advanced biofinancing architectures, and digital technologies. Operating at the intersection of development economics and conservation biology, this study evaluates how emerging niche tourism typologies can be systematically restructured to transition from extractive models to regenerative frameworks. By analyzing contemporary market trends, institutional mechanisms, and systemic ecological threats, this paper addresses how market-driven tourism can satisfy global conservation goals while maintaining economic viability. The methodology employs a systematic narrative review of high-impact peer-reviewed literature and institutional reports published up to 2026, utilizing precise exclusion criteria to isolate verified frameworks. The analysis reveals that the systematic integration of biofinancing tools, such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), and digital monitoring technologies, including remote sensing and AI-driven spatial tracking, allows the tourism sector to actively decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The findings indicate that while unchecked tourism continues to present severe threats to fragile ecosystems, the institutionalization of targeted policy frameworks transforms visitor footprint metrics into predictable streams of conservation capital. This essay concludes that the future sustainability of global biodiversity corridors depends on the capacity of state and non-state actors to mandate supply chain transparency, institutionalize rigorous biological carrying capacities, and leverage technological surveillance to enforce conservation boundaries. Ultimately, transforming tourism into a nature-positive economic force requires a departure from voluntary corporate governance toward legally enforceable ecological integration.

This review synthesizes empirical and theoretical evidence on the nexus between climate variability and avian biodiversity dynamics in the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands, northeastern Nigeria. The wetlands represent one of the most important floodplain ecosystems in the Sudano-Sahelian region and serve as a critical habitat for resident and Palearctic migratory bird species along the African-Eurasian flyway. Over recent decades, the region has experienced pronounced rainfall variability, temperature increases, and hydrological alteration driven by both climatic factors and upstream dam regulation. These changes have significantly modified flood regimes, wetland extent, vegetation structure, and trophic resources. Using a structured narrative review approach, peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2025 was systematically screened and synthesized. Evidence indicates linkages between hydroclimatic variability, floodplain contraction, and shifts in avian species richness and abundance (Polet, 2000; Sulaiman et al., 2015; Sabo, 2016). The review highlights ecological mechanisms underpinning observed changes and identifies critical research gaps for climate-resilient conservation planning. The main objectives of this paper isTo examine documented climate and hydrological variability in the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands and assess their ecological implications. And to evaluate reported patterns in avian species composition, richness, and abundance in relation to hydroclimatic changes. This study employed a structured narrative review approach. Literature was sourced from Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Academia and ResearchGate using keywords such as 'Hadejia-Nguru wetlands', 'avian diversity Nigeria', 'climate variability Sahel', and 'wetland hydrology Nigeria'. Studies published between 2000 and 2025 were included.

Tropical forest corridors face interacting pressures from anthropogenic disturbance, invasive alien plants (IAPS), and diverse management regimes. The Barandabhar Corridor in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscapes is a critical linkage between Chitwan National Park (CNP) and the Mahabharat range, yet no integrated, regime-comparative synthesis exists. We conducted a PRISMA guided systematic review protected forest, buffer zone community forest (BZCF), Community Forest (CF), and Collaborative Forest to compare disturbance, IAPS dynamics, and habitat quality (wildlife signs). Disturbance intensity followed a clear gradient: BZCF (highest, driven by fuelwood collection, grazing, and roadkill) > CF (intermediate) > protected forest (lowest). High disturbance regimes harbored significantly greater cover of four dominant IAPS (Mikania micrantha, Chromolaena odorata, Lantana camara, and Parthenium hysterophorus). CFS with intermediate disturbance exhibited the highest tree species diversity, empirically supporting the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) in Shorea robusta (Sal) forests. Wild ungulated signs (Chital, Sambar, Muntjac, wild pig) showed a strong negative association with IAPS cover. Endogenous (locally crafted) governance rules produced better ecological outcomes than exogenous state-driven regimes, but elite capture and gender exclusion persist. Existing payment for ecosystem services (PES) mechanisms lack conditionality and scientific valuation. I conclude that management regimes are primary drivers of ecological conditions; effective PES must be regime-specific. An integrated, plot-level, multi-regime analysis linking ecological and economic metrics is urgently needed.

Human-wildlife conflicts are exacerbated by the triple planetary crisis, as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss push wildlife into human-dominated landscapes, leading to increased competition for resources and heightened conflict. Thus, fostering human-wildlife coexistence in human-dominated landscapes, where wildlife has adapted to people, is of paramount importance. The people, who share space and resources with wildlife, face economic losses and threats to their well-being, through crop, and livestock depredations, human casualties, and psychological stress from safety concerns, yet exhibit remarkable behavioural plasticity. Understanding and implementing their preferences in coexistence will provide new insights that enhances mutual co-adaptation. With that in mind, this study aims to understand buffer zone residents’ trade-offs using a discrete choice experiment in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Our findings indicated a compelling preference among buffer zone residents to improve the current state of coexistence. The random parameters logit model revealed that grassroots-level awareness programmes, promoting sustainable economic opportunities, integrating science with indigenous knowledge, and rapid response teams were the most preferred strategies to enhancing the adaptive capacity of communities to coexist with wildlife. We anticipate that our findings will aid the Chitwan National Park management in fostering successful co-adaptation strategies that benefit both buffer zone residents and the wildlife sharing these human-dominated landscapes.

Human–wildlife coexistence requires context-specific strategies that accommodate diverse community needs in landscapes where heterogeneous communities live in proximity to protected areas and wildlife. This study evaluates community priorities for eight coexistence strategies using importance-performance analysis across four management sectors of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. We documented a significant spatial variation among the management sectors (H = 34.638–243.425, all p < 0.001): Madi (Southern Sector) prioritized rapid response teams (12.5% of strategies classified as high priority), Sauraha (Eastern Sector) emphasized technology integration and community funding (25% as high priority), while Amaltari (Western Sector) focused on partnership diversification, integration of indigenous knowledge with science, and community funding (37.5% as high priority). In contrast, Kasara (Northern Sector) showed no clear preferences for specific strategies. Agriculture-dependent sectors demonstrated distinct priorities compared to tourism-dependent ones, with agriculture-dependent communities facing disproportionately higher conflict intensities. Community funding emerged as a shared priority only in tourism-dependent sectors. These findings demonstrate that uniform coexistence strategies are inadequate for spatially and socioeconomically heterogeneous protected areas. This study provides protected area managers globally with a sector-specific framework and evidence-based guidance for adapting interventions to local socioecological contexts, thereby enhancing both conservation effectiveness and community support.

Türkiye’de korunan alanların en önemli unsurlarından birisini Millî Parklar oluşturmaktadır. Ülkemizde ilk olarak 1958 yılında ilan edilen Yozgat Çamlığı Millî Parkı ile ormancılık ve doğa koruma yaklaşımlarına temel teşkil edecek bir uygulama hayata geçirilmiştir. Millî Parkların çok büyük çoğunluğu da “orman ekosistemi” içinde yer almaktadır Günümüzde ise Millî Park sayısı 37’ye, toplam alanları 829 190 ha’a (ülke yüzölçümünün yaklaşık %1,057’si) ulaşmıştır. 1969 yılında ilan edilen Kızıldağ Millî Parkı ise Orman Bakanlığının kuruluşunun ardından ilan edilen ilk Millî Parkımızdır.
Son yıllarda Millî Parkların, genel yönetim planlamasına eşdeğer sayılabilecek Uzun Devreli Gelişme Planları (UDGP) hazırlatılmaktadır. Şimdiye kadar Millî Parklarımızın yaklaşık 1/3’nin UDGP tamamlanmıştır. Fakat bu planların hazırlanmasında çok ciddî bir noksanlık mevcuttur ve halen bu noksanlık giderilebilmiş değildir. Çünkü özel sektöre hazırlatılan bu planların özellikle hazırlanması sürecinde, Orman Amenajman Planları çoğu kez ihmal edilmektedir. Koruma ve kullanma dengesini daha sağlıklı bir yapıya kavuşturabilmek için; UDGP hazırlıklarında mutlaka; Orman Mühendisliği/Orman Amenajmanı ve Doğa Koruma ile Peyzaj Mimarlığı alt yapısına sahip uzmanların doğrudan uzmanlıklarını yansıtmaları sağlanmalıdır. UDGP’nın; Orman Amenajman Planlarının verileri, her bir plan ünitesinde öne çıkarılan çok yönlü faydalanma ilkeleri ve planlama yaklaşımları dikkate alınarak birlikte hazırlanmaları ve planların birbirlerini tamamlayıcı bir nitelikte olmaları önem taşımaktadır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Korunan Alanlar, Kızıldağ Millî Parkı, UDGP, Orman Amenajman Plan Uygulamaları.
At first sight Kızıldağ National Park is one of the most important National Park because of relict populations of Taurus Cedar it has.
In between 1958 and 2006 37 special areas mostly protected lands declared as National Parks approximately 829 190 ha constituted nearly 1,057 % of Anatolian and Thracian (eastern part of Balkan Peninsula) Turkish territory. Kızıldağ National Park was selected and firstly declared in 1969 immediately after setting up Turkish Ministry of Forestry.
Since most of National Parks areas are under the forest eco-system regime Forest Management Plans of them had to be made for years. In this paper the management plan of the Kızıldağ National Park was evaluated. Some recommendations revived for balancing both protection of the natural resources and utilization of them in favour of natural eco-systems of the National Park.
General Directorate of Nature Protection and National Parks should continue recruiting forest engineers and lanscape architechs for preparing Long-term Development Plans (LTDP) of the National Parks commonly done by private companies in order to reestablish balance between protection approach and utilization of natural and cultural resources in favour of local communities in those protected lands.
Key Words: Protected Lands, Kızıldağ National Park, LTDP, Implementations of Forest Management Plans.

Mountains have long been admired and protected on the grounds of their wilderness,character and landscape beauty. But despite their remoteness and low human population density, many mountain ecosystems are strongly affected by drivers of global change. Mountain ecosystems in the tropical and sub-tropical regions have attracted the attention of a number of scientists, policy makers and natural resource managers because of their critical role in the supply of ecosystem services, and their vulnerability to environmental changes induced by anthropogenic and climatic factors. Adapting to and mitigating the effects of environmental change and sustaining ecosystem services in the context of a burgeoning human population is a major challenge.The Convention on Biological Diversity, Millennium Development Goals, and other international agreements explicitly connect conservation to poverty alleviation. It has become clear that nature conservation only works in practice if people's needs are also taken into account; while conservation efforts based on community participation and ownership tend to be more effective. A concerted effort is needed to develop a better scientific understanding of ecosystem structure and functioning and drivers of change as a basis for formulating comprehensive ecosystem management approaches and strategies that link to human wellbeing and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the state of knowledge on five principle pressures, driving biodiversity loss in the HKH region, and describes evolving processes that highlight reconciliation of the conservation and development perspectives.

While protected areas are a measure for forest conservation, they pose a number of key challenges to local people’s livelihoods. One solution to the tension between conservation objectives and livelihoods in protected areas is involving local people in forest protection activities. The research examined the performance of one initiative, involving Forest Protection Teams (FPTs), on the livelihoods of local people and participating members, and on forest conservation. The research revealed that FPT activities had some benefits for team members but limited impact on local livelihoods. Additionally, most households stated that there was no detectable change in forest condition because of team members’ activities in forest protection. For FPT members to take greater ownership of forest protection outcomes and communication of these outcomes, the program needs to be designed and implemented in a more participatory manner.

Precision farming needs precise site information with regard to production potential and indications for optimized management. Besides other data sources (e.g. yield mapping, soil maps), elevation information and topographical derivations are not used very often. We studied the usability of RTK-GPS measurements (cm accuracy) for a 50 ha field to (a) derive a digital elevation model (DEM), and (b) to estimate relative yield potential for some parameters derived from the DEM. Results were compared with actual yield and soil map information, using the transferable belief model (TBM). Processing of RTK-GPS data yielded plausible terrain structures and the interpretation of topographical features as yield zones in general was spatially similar to existing data layers. The TBM allowed for spatially explicit visualization of conflicting hypotheses, what helps improving data sources and/or interpretation schemes.

A key management goal in Lopé National Park, Gabon, is to protect regionally-rare savannah ecosystems within the continuous rainforest block. In order to evaluate the impact of existing protection efforts, data on burning season environmental conditions, burning effort and current woody values for savannahs were examined between 1995 and 2008. Results showed (a) spatial heterogeneity in woody values to be correlated with grassy vegetation type (b) a negative relationship between woody vegetation and fire return frequency over the study, suggesting that decreased fire return frequency may favour savannah thickening and (c) that inconsistent burn effort by Park staff, and burns designed for reduced heat, may limit the efficiency of fire to prevent savannah thickening or forest expansion. Optimal humidity and fuel moisture conditions for burning are identified and recommendations made for improving the existing fire plan to achieve the management goal. Modifications will require signif...

À la suite de la déprise agricole de la seconde moitié du 20e siècle, certains litto- raux bretons ont connu un phénomène d’enfrichement à large échelle. Ces friches divisent au sein des gestionnaires d’espaces naturels et des politiques d’amé- nagement. Elles sont souvent présentées comme «homogènes» et «pauvres en biodiversité», un discours permettant de justifier des projets de «reconquête» de ces espaces, notamment dans le cadre de politiques de relocalisation alimentaire. Or, les friches – ou fourrés, terme utilisé en écologie – font débat au sein des milieux naturalistes, à la fois sur la question de leur intérêt écologique  et sur les services écosystémiques associés. Ces débats s’inscrivent dans des tensions plus larges sur les manières de partager l’espace entre usages agricoles, naturels et urbains. La place laissée à ces végétations spontanées interroge ainsi les stratégies de land sharing et de land sparing en aménagement du territoire et en conservation.
Notre terrain d’enquête s’enracine dans les friches d’une commune littorale du Finistère sud, Moëlan-sur-Mer Dès lors, que révèlent les relations entre humains et plantes qui s’y déploient, et que nous disent-elles des possibilités de partage dans des lieux désormais convoités, qui étaient restés longtemps en marge de toute planification institutionnelle ? Comment les pouvoirs publics tentent-ils de gouverner cette complexité ?

The longest-standing international treaty for wetland and waterbird protection, the Ramsar Convention has resulted in the establishment of more than 2500 protected areas covering over 2.5 million square kilometers around the world. However, its measures are not legally binding, and its effectiveness as a tool for wildlife conservation has rarely been quantitatively assessed. In Benin, West Africa, breeding waterbirds are subjected to intense hunting and egg harvesting for both commercial and subsistence purposes. We quantified count data of waterbirds and eggs taken by local hunters and trappers to assess the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention as a wildlife conservation tool in southeastern Benin. During the six-month period between May and October 2022, 64 people reported harvesting a total of 12,053 breeding waterbirds and 63,987 eggs, comprising eight species in three families in Ramsar site 1018. Birds most heavily targeted included Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), with 4187 breeding birds taken (~35% of all birds captured), and the Whitefaced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata), with 24,491 eggs taken (~38% of all eggs taken) over the course of a single breeding season. The Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and Lesser Moorhen (Paragallinula angulata) were the third and fourth most targeted bird species, respectively, followed by the African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis), Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra), African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus), and African Crake (Cecropsis egregia). Captured waterbirds were sold live at local markets, while eggs were eaten by hunters, except eggs containing chicks, which were discarded. Our findings show heavy persecution of waterbirds during their breeding season, when nesting birds are especially vulnerable to human predation, on a scale that is likely unprecedented and threatens to drive declines of targeted species in Benin. As local residents do not currently appear to recognize any deterrents to the uncontrolled hunting of breeding waterbirds or the collection of eggs in Ramsar site 1018, there is an urgent need to better leverage the Ramsar Convention to enforce conservation practices in this region.

A Amazônia brasileira tem apresentado, nas últimas décadas, sucessivas alterações
sobre o uso e cobertura do solo, impulsionadas por atividades de desmatamento e
pela implementação das mais variadas obras de infraestrutura. Essa dinâmica é bem
expressiva no estado de Rondônia, área de estudo dessa pesquisa, onde verifica-se
alterações significativas no uso e cobertura do solo, afetando usos tradicionais
estendendo-se sobre os limites das áreas protegidas (Unidades de Conservação,
Território Indígena e Quilombolas). O objetivo desse estudo foi analisar as alterações
do uso e cobertura do solo no estado de Rondônia entre 1990 a 2021, e avaliar como
essas mudanças repercutem as áreas protegidas e suas relações com obras de
infraestrutura. A metodologia adotada consistiu em três fases operacionais: 1ª) revisão
bibliográfica dos conceitos, teorias pertinentes; 2ª) compreensão dos levantamentos
de dados do Projeto de Mapeamento Anual da Cobertura e Uso do Solo no Brasil
MAPBIOMAS, no período entre 1990 e 2021; 3ª) envolvimento da sistematização e
análise dos dados coletados. Foram identificadas 12 classes de uso e cobertura do
solo em Rondônia, com predominância de áreas florestais, formação natural não
florestal e de agropecuária. A expansão da agropecuária resultou da conversão de
áreas de florestas e formações não florestais, impulsionadas pelo desmatamento,
implantação de rodovias, projetos de colonização no estado e o desenvolvimento
urbano, ações intensificadas desde os anos de 1960. Embora essas conversões
sejam significativas, a presença de áreas protegidas no estado de Rondônia, que
inclui 59 unidades de conservação e 30 territórios indígenas, ajudou a limitar o avanço
da conversão. Segundo dados do MapBiomas, cerca de 84 milhões de hectares de
vegetação natural foram convertidos em áreas agropecuárias na Amazônia, com
destaque para pastagens, que ocupam 66,5 milhões de hectares. As áreas mais
afetadas incluem: Floresta Nacional do Bom Futuro, Reserva Extrativista Jaci-Paraná
e Terra Indígena Karipuna. Essas áreas têm sido invadidas por atividades
agropecuárias, resultando em desmatamento e degradação ambiental. Para reduzir o
impacto das obras de infraestrutura nas áreas protegidas em Rondônia, diversas
políticas públicas podem ser implementadas.

El Proyecto “Reforzando la Resiliencia de las Áreas Protegidas Marino Costeras de la República Argentina (MaRes)”, es implementado por el Foro para la Conservación del Mar Patagónico y Áreas de Influencia, en conjunto con el Gobierno de la provincia de Chubut y la Administración de Parques Nacionales (APN).
Entre sus líneas de trabajo contempla la evaluación de la efectividad de la gestión del Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés y del Parque Interjurisdiccional Marino Costero Patagonia Austral (PIMCPA), este último gestionado conjuntamente entre la provincia del Chubut y la APN.
En el caso del PIMCPA, un área protegida (AP) establecida en el año 2009 mediante un acuerdo federal entre el Estado Nacional argentino y la provincia del Chubut, se precisa una metodología que atienda específicamente a su condición de interjurisdiccionalidad, particularidad no contemplada por las metodologías empleadas hasta ahora en el país.
Para desarrollar esta metodología se siguió un proceso participativo que alcanzó a agentes de las dos administraciones públicas involucradas, provincial y nacional, relacionados directamente con la gestión del AP a evaluar. Este proceso de elaboración fue descrito en un documento titulado “Devolución de resultados de la aplicación piloto de la metodología de evaluación de efectividad de gestión del Parque
Interjurisdiccional Marino Costero Patagonia Austral”, circulado entre quienes participaron del mismo. Finalmente, en un taller realizado en la ciudad de Camarones el 22 de abril de 2024, se procedió a su aplicación práctica obteniéndose los resultados de esa primera evaluación.
El presente documento, titulado “Guía metodológica para la evaluación de la efectividad de la gestión interjurisdiccional”, recoge contenidos y experiencias del proceso colectivo anterior y del análisis crítico realizado posteriormente para llegar a esta propuesta técnica. En consecuencia, no es un material pasivamente concebido en gabinete, sino que está fundado en una exhaustiva revisión de lo aportado por múltiples actores, como paso previo a la redacción de la síntesis metodológica
aquí presentada.
Este documento describe someramente los pasos del proceso de diseño metodológico, para centrarse en detallar, a modo de manual de uso, todo lo necesario para su aplicación. Los autores esperan que sea de fácil interpretación y comprensión y útil a sus fines. 
Esta herramienta podrá facilitar información sobre la gestión del PIMCPA dentro de los seis ámbitos previstos en los que se agrupan sus variables. Adicionalmente, al conceder prioridad a la valoración de características propias de la gobernanza interjurisdiccional, podría extender su validez hacia otras AP similares.

Propuesta de implementación de un Sistema Nacional de Titulación/Pago por Servicios Ambientales y de su correspondiente estructura orgánica, en concordancia con las disposiciones del marco legal ecuatoriano y las políticas de las autoridades ambientales nacionales, así como en aplicación de los instrumentos jurídicos internacionales pertinentes.

Field investigation carried out by the Sicilian botanists in the last 20 years enabled them to identify eight habitat types of high biogeographic and conservation interest, neglected by the Directive 92/43, which deservead hocconservation measures. For each of these habitats, a syntaxonomic interpretation of the corresponding plant communities, their main ecological, physiognomic and syndynamic traits and a list of diagnostic species are provided. Their classification into the macrotypes listed in the Annex I of the Directive 92/43 and the respective correspondence in EUNIS habitat classification are proposed. The habitats here described integrate those already proposed by the Italian Botanical Society, with the hope of an adequate recognition at national at supranational level.

In greenhouses solarium type for early productions are used tomato hybrids with semi-determined growth (5 floors fructification) or undeterminated growth, but the plants are stagnated in growth after 4-5 fructifications floors. In this regard, it was studied the behavior of some tomato hybrids for early crop in solarium, in Izbiceni vegetable basin, in southern Romania. The tomato hybrids were: Gravitet F1,MagnusF1, ParisF1, PrekosF1. In the experience they have made observations about the way of growth of plants, the productive potential of hybrids and biochemical analyzes were performed on the fruits (total soluble dry, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and vitamin C content). From the point of view of growth, all hybrids had semi-determined growth after 5 floors of fructification occurs growth stagnation. The best yields were registered at Magnus F1 and Gravitet F1 hybrids and Prekos F1 and Paris F1 hybrids recorded lower productions, but in optimum temperatures conditions at limit, had a good early fructification they compensated by sales to advantageous prices.

Objetivo -Fornecer uma perspectiva mais ampla de como a institucionalização da cooperação (rede) por meio das práticas de trabalho de atores locais pode gerar impacto social positivo e reduzir a vulnerabilidade social. Metodologia -Analisamos a experiência de muitos atores locais, na região amazônica brasileira, que cooperam na extração e processamento da castanha-do-pará até a formação de uma rede colaborativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas e ficamos imersos no campo. Além disso, utilizamos documentos secundários. Resultados -A cooperação em rede em torno da extração e processamento da castanha-do-pará se desdobra em fases sequenciais ao longo de projetos colaborativos e ajuda a reduzir a vulnerabilidade social. Contribuições -Descobrimos uma relação hierárquica entre os tipos de trabalho institucional para institucionalizar a cooperação e destacamos que alguns tipos de trabalho institucional podem desenvolver diferentes condições para o estabelecimento de redes de negócio. Palavras-chave -Cooperação. Trabalho institucional. Práticas de trabalho.

portuguesObjetivo – Fornecer uma perspectiva mais ampla de como a institucionalizacao da cooperacao (rede) por meio das praticas de trabalho de atores locais pode gerar impacto social positivo e reduzir a vulnerabilidade social. Metodologia – Analisamos a experiencia de muitos atores locais, na regiao amazonica brasileira, que cooperam na extracao e processamento da castanha-do-para ate a formacao de uma rede colaborativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas e ficamos imersos no campo. Alem disso, utilizamos documentos secundarios. Resultados – A cooperacao em rede em torno da extracao e processamento da castanha-do-para se desdobra em fases sequenciais ao longo de projetos colaborativos e ajuda a reduzir a vulnerabilidade social. Contribuicoes – Descobrimos uma relacao hierarquica entre os tipos de trabalho institucional para institucionalizar a cooperacao e destacamos que alguns tipos de trabalho institucional podem desenvolver diferentes condicoes para o estabelecimento de redes de nego...

Research on biodiversity is essential to help the European Union and EU Member States to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as reach the target of halting the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. The need for co-ordination between researchers, the policy-makers that need research results and the organisations that fund research is reflected in the aims of the BioPlatform network. BioPlatform is a network of scientists and policy makers that work in different fields of biodiversity and aims at improving the effectiveness and relevance of European biodiversity research, fulfilling functions that provide significant components of a European Research Area. BioPlatform supports the existing "European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy" (EPBRS), a forum of scientists and policy makers representing the EU countries, whose aims are to promote discussion of EU biodiversity research strategies and priorities, exchange of information on national biodiversity activities and the dissemination of current best practices and information regarding the scientific understanding of biodiversity conservation. This is a report of the BioPlatform E -conference entitled " Landscape scale biodiversity assessment: the problem of scaling" preceding the EPBRS meeting to be held in Budapest, Hungary from the 31 st March to the 4 th April 2005.

Synthesis of findings and recommendations on enhancing and improving protected area and biodiversity conservation management and planning in the Philippines. Provides perspective on how to simplify, strengthen and contextualize protected area, biodiversity conservation and integrated ecosystems plans with local development plans and processes.

In this study, we explored the relationship between soil properties, nutrient availability, and forest ecosystems in Northern Thailand, with the aim of investigating how variations in soil properties and nutrient availability influenced biodiversity in community forests. Specifically, we investigated whether soil health indicators, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, impacted forest diversity, density, and tree basal area. Using quantitative analysis and fieldwork, we assessed soil quality indicators, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratios. These factors influenced forest variety, density, and tree basal area. We found that the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels significantly influenced tree species diversity and forest structure, those soils with balanced nutrient ratios supporting greater biodiversity, whereas areas with nutrient imbalances showed reduced ecosystem productivity. These results emphasize the need for targeted nutrient management strategies to enhance forest biodiversity and sustainability. Our findings show that nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium significantly influence forest diversity, emphasizing the need for balanced nutrients to ensure optimal ecosystem efficiency and strategies for managing nutrient imbalances. In the context of conservation, advocating for soil health measurements in ecological evaluations and conservation plans is essential. This study provides practical guidance for effective conservation strategies through enhancing our understanding of the interactions between soil chemistry and forest ecology.

This paper addresses our experience in the design of a serious game, aimed at computer-based support for intercultural participatory management of protected areas (e.g., parks, marine reserves, biosphere reserves. . . ), in order to promote biodiversity conservation and social inclusion. Its objective is, via a computer assisted role-playing game, to help various stakeholders (e.g., environmentalist, tourism operator, traditional community. . . ) to collectively understand conflict dynamics and explore negotiation strategies for the management of protected areas. Therefore, this helps at mutual understanding and negotiation between different cultures, contexts and practices (traditional community, technical manager, environmentalist. . . ) about strategic issues when aiming at both biodiversity conservation and social inclusion. After introducing the objectives of our serious game, named SimParc, we will describe its design and its current architecture. We will also discuss the introduction of various types of agents in the system: a decision making agent playing the role of the park manager; artificial players replacing some of the human players in the game; assistant agents assisting human players; and expert agents providing human players with technical information about the viability of their proposal (e.g., about the survival of an endangered species), or to analyse relations (e.g., dominance or equity) among players proposals. This last type of agent aims at introducing a technical viewpoint and culture in this intercultural participatory process. Some of these agents have already been implemented and tested and some others are in progress.

The concept of visitor displacement has important implications for wilderness management and research. Research on actual displacement of wilderness visitors is extremely limited, but this displacement likely follows patterns found for general recreationists: visitors employ a variety of coping responses and displacement is prevalent. Understanding if and when visitors are displaced is useful for anticipating and responding to resource impacts, impacts to visitor experiences, and needs to improve regional management strategies. Displacement implications extend beyond evaluation of on-site experiences to also serve as an indicator of the condition of a visitor's relationship with the resource or agency. Management and research must be more prepared to respond to use and user displacement as an indicator of changing relationships with wilderness and other wildlands.

The Golden Trail, used for the transport of salt from alpine mines to the Czech Kingdom for centuries, was a crucial ancient trade route in the Central European region. The contemporary road I/4, copying the Golden Trail, plays the same role today. The I/4 is used year round with deicing salt, a common standard, applied for winter maintenance. Deicing salt is often used, even in sections where the I/4 passes through the Bohemian Forest and its protected areas. The effects of applying deicing salts on ecosystems in the region is well documented. In addition to many other effects, high concentrations of salt along the roads cause significant changes in plant communities. Plant species sensitive to salinity disappear and the abundance of halophytes increases. Roads are also trajectories for the migration of neophytes. Seeds or other propagules are transported with cargo or in car tires. In this paper, we present our findings on the pilgrimage of Plantago coronopus, a true halophyte, in...

The negative effects of applying deicing salts to ecosystems are well documented for many countries. Most chemical transport from roads occurs in stormwater runoff through or over soil. Runoff pollutants alter soil chemistry, may be absorbed by plants and affect stream ecosystems, where they are dispersed and diluted over considerable distances. There was little detailed knowledge of the effects of deicing salts on ecosystems in the Bavarian Forest NP until 2011, when nine permanent sites were established along the main road in the eastern part of the NP. Soil samples were collected from four of these permanent sites in 2012, 2015 and 2018 and analysed by a certified laboratory. The results of soil chemical analysis were used to compare sites and samples from years 2012, 2015 and 2018. Our research confirmed the increasing concentrations of Na + and Cl -ions in ecosystems in the Bavarian Forest NP. The highest concentrations of Na + and Cl -ions were recorded in samples from sites # 4 and 5, which are located only several meters from the bank of the Grosse Ohe River. These concentrations were more than ten times higher than in samples from sites where deicing salt was not used. Amphibians, water insects and other extremely sensitive species and habitats occur in this part of the Bavarian Forest NP and are probably suffering from increasing salinity of their habitats. More research focusing on a better understanding of the spread of deicing salt in the ecosystem together with improving road maintenance technologies are need in order to improve the situation.

The Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve was established through a collaborative process involving the forest department and the local community to preserve the rich biodiversity in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand state in India. This conservation effort was developed to incorporate local knowledge and priorities, strengthening that meaningful community involvement is vital for the reserve's sustainable management. The Conservation Reserve's goals remain unmet due to poor management, limited funding, and insufficient institutional support from the government, resulting in unfocused conservation efforts. The present work undertakes an empirical assessment of community involvement, analyzing current management practices as well as highlighting opportunities to enhance community participation in the reserve's management and conservation. This study presents a significant opportunity to strengthen collaborative conservation efforts and offer actionable insights to improve collaboration between the reserve's management and the local community. Based on research findings on three major interventions, viz., community participation in capacitybuilding programmes, community participation in reserve through management committee, and benefit-sharing with the community, the present paper discussed valuable insights and proposed suggestions to underscore the need for a more inclusive and well-supported management framework to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Conservation Reserve.

Empirical research on forest vegetation characteristics and plant functional types, plant physiological parameters is required to improve model prediction of changes in forest extent, type and distribution in response to climate change scenarios. Continued glacial retreat and increased variation in the pattern of monsoonal rainfall as a result of climate change will result in major alterations to regional hydrology. The scale and magnitude of the impacts of these changes on regulating and sustaining services of ecosystems (for example erosion and flood control and cropping regions) requires investigation in context of poverty distribution. At the river basin and catchment scale, there is a need to evaluate different and competing sectoral demands for water and develop frameworks that aid decision making to protect and improve ecosystems services for poverty alleviation. The drivers of ecosystem change, both direct and indirect, and interact with each other and affect the ecosystem in a synergistic way. The influences of macro-economic factors like trade, investment, fiscal and monetary reforms on local services like aquaculture, timber extraction and soil erosion is yet to be fully explored and require an interdisciplinary approach amongst social and bio-physical scientists. Among the direct drivers, climate change has important implications for human well-being in South Asia but there are key areas in which priority research needs have been found to exist. These are: Currently global and regional climate models provide regional monsoonal prediction with high uncertainty. There is a need to improve prediction of features (onset, duration breaks) of monsoonal rainfall on time scales relevant to the livelihoods of the poor (intra-and inter-seasonal and decadal). Simultaneously, there is a need to examine existing coping strategies of the poor to the consequences of monsoonal variation to aid in the design of future adaptation and mitigation strategies. Two processes that will be heavily influenced by climate change are desertification and coastal flooding. However, coastal flooding will have a lesser impact on the poor in the region as a whole than processes associated with reduced water availability leading to desertification. Desertification will be of greater significance in India and Pakistan in comparison to other countries in the region. There is a continuing need to monitor and improve prediction of coastal flooding events and changes to desertification patterns through the development of landscape mapping in the context of livelihood changes related to modifications to the flow of ecosystem services. Changes in the flow of ecosystem services affect the well-being of the poor, directly or indirectly, through multiple pathways. Very few studies identify the complete 'impact pathways' from drivers to responses in dynamic settings. Case studies from the region reveal an asymmetry in the distribution of benefits (damages) from ecological conservation (degradation) between the rich and the poor. The rich benefit more than poor from ecological conservation while the poor suffer more damages than the rich from degradation. Emerging policy responses in the South Asia region recognize the importance of stakeholder involvement, market-based incentives, and participatory monitoring. Building on such initiatives requires capacity building -both at institutional (governmental, policy and research) and community levels throughout the region -in the topics of ecosystem service identification, service quantification and valuation, mapping of poverty-ecosystem links, ecosystem management and monitoring. A comprehensive capacity audit is essential to enable a common regional capacity building strategy among donors to be identified, leading to evidence-based targeting of future capacity building initiatives and minimisation of effort duplication in specific areas of capacity building. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to assist in understanding the interactions among drivers as well as the links between ecosystem services and the different aspects of well-being. Improvement in research at this interface could be achieved by international workshops, summer schools and specific post-doctoral and PhD positions funded for specific trans/interdisciplinary activities. At the disciplinary level, there is a need to ensure that research activities relevant to ecosystem service understanding are reflected through existing or new research funding mechanisms. In this respect, it would be essential to recognise the fundamental importance of participatory research, such as indicators-based quantification of ecosystem-poverty links that will help in monitoring changes through participatory mechanisms at the community level to address all relevant stakeholder interests. Developing networks and fostering partnerships (e.g. among national governments, academic institutions, local ecosystem mangers and the international community) to address: (a) Data generation and sharing of information on ecosystem services within the region; and (b) Development of ecosystem management strategies in line with agreed conventions. Application of research outputs for decision-making: The databases, tools and frameworks generated through research initiatives and research capacity building need to be incorporated into decision-support systems (DSSs) and specific training given to decision-makers in the application of these DSSs. The following umbrella projects, which may encompass a number of specific sub-projects, could be developed under ESPA in order to address the priority research areas: Development of a spatially-based indicator system for delivery and utilisation of ecosystem services within the region. This would explicitly address the linkages between landscape mapping of ecosystem services and livelihood domains. Assessment of the relationships governing water cycling at regional, district and local scales. This would focus on the role of key ecosystems in regulating flow, including coastal inundation under climate change scenarios. Community-level vulnerability assessment for adaptation to climate change risks. This would lead to identification of important impact pathways from the climate change related drivers to changes in ecosystems and ecosystem services, and further to the risks that affect the well-being of the poor. Development of a 'Toolkit' for the valuation of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating and cultural) to enable the value of ecosystem services to be incorporated into cost-benefit analyses and other decision-making processes. Development of Decision Support Systems to support regional policy formulation. v ESPASSA Regional Situation Analysis i * This report is accompanied by an Annexure volume vi ESPASSA Regional Situation Analysis www.espassa.org * UNEP-WCMC @ FAO, 2006. # UNEP-WCMC World Database on Protected Areas ** IUCN red list † Threatened species are those listed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU).