Lecture 10

Designing Protected Areas

Beaver Lake, Yellowstone National Park, 1964

Lecture 3: Outline

I. Species of the Day

II. IUCN Classifications

III. IUCN Mammalian Extinction

IV. The Three R’s of Reserve Design

V. Issues of Reserve Design

VI. Conservation Networks

A. Reserves with Corridors

B. South Coast Wildlands Project

Species of the Day

Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA -1972)Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

Impacts:•Unsustainable harvesting•Reduction of food resources•Pollution•Noise

Conservation Plan:•Improve our understanding of CIBW biology and factors limiting population growth•Stop direct loses•Protect valuable habitat•Evaluate the effectiveness of the current conservation strategies

IUCN

International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN

International Union for Conservation of Nature

An example of a regional biodiversity analysis: Threatened terrestrial mammal species richness in Europe.

• What is the overall status of biodiversity, and how is it changing over time?

• How does the status of biodiversity vary between regions, countries and sub-national areas?

• What is the rate at which biodiversity is being lost?

• Where is biodiversity being lost most

• rapidly?

• What are the main drivers of the decline

• and loss of biodiversity?

• What is the effectiveness and impact of conservation activities?

IUCN

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Mammalian Extinction:

• The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat category of Critically Endangered

• Nearly 450 mammals have been listed as Endangered

• Habitat loss and degradation affect 40 percent of the world’s mammals. It is most extreme in Central and South America, West, East and Central Africa, Madagascar, and in South and Southeast Asia.

• Overall, the IUCN Red List now includes 44,838 species, of which 16,928 are threatened with extinction (38%). Of these, 3,246 are in the highest category of threat, Critically Endangered, 4,770 are Endangered and 8,912 are Vulnerable to extinction.

Reserve Design Issues

The Three “R’s” of Reserve Design:1. Representation: All conservation units

must be represented in the reserve.2. Resiliency: Reserves must be sufficiently

large and well-protected to maintain all of the conservation units in a healthy condition for the foreseeable future.

3. Redundancy: Reserves must protect enough examples of each conservation unit to ensure the long-term existence of the unit in the face of uncertainty.

Reserve Design Issues

• Is it better to have a single large reserve or many smaller reserves?

• How large must a nature reserve be to protect species?

• How many individuals of endangered species must be protected in a reserve to prevent extinction?

• What is the best shape for a nature reserve?

• When several reserves are created, should they be close together or far apart and should they be isolated from one another or connected by corridors?

Critical Concepts:

Reserve Design Issues

Single Large or Several Small (SLOSS):

Reserve Design Issues

Practical Applications:

1. When a new park is established, it should be made as large as possible.

2. Whenever possible, land adjacent to protected areas should be acquired in order to reduce external threats to existing parks.

3. If there is a choice between creating a new small park or a new large park in similar habitat types, the large park should be created.

Reserve Design Issues

The Wildlands Network:

http://wildlandsproject.org/

• Core wild areas, truly wild areas where natural processes are allowed to function normally

• Wildlife linkages, areas of shared use by humans and wildlife that allow wide- ranging species and others the room they need to find food, woo a mate, and travel safely across the land

• Stewardship lands, areas that surround and buffer core wild areas and wildlife linkages, in which sustainable economic activities help to promote thriving local communities.

Reserve Design Issues

South Coast Wildlands:

http://www.scwildlands.org/