Ch. 11 Protecting Ecosystems “You take my life when you take the means whereby I live.”

ICUN recognizes 7 categories of protected areas “A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

Reserve Selection Traditionally driven by aesthetics and recreation, not biodiversity Need for biodiversity-driven decisions Two approaches Species based but how do we protect biodiversity when the majority of species haven’t been described? Course filter

Centers of Species Diversity Species are not distributed uniformly across the globe. Hotspots of species richness or endemism pros: many species, small area cons: hotspots of richness, threat, endemism, for different taxa don’t coincide Using GIS layer multiple datasets to protect maximum # spp within smallest area

Ecosystems and Environmental Surrogates Course filter approach assumes that protecting a complete set of ecosystems will protect most species. Course filter approach requires system of ecosystem classification based on physical environment species composition but remember dominant species often generalists, and species move ranges Use environmental factors directly, not ecosystems Ecoregions

Filling in the gaps Usually adding a reserve to an existing system Gap analysis to identify what the existing reserves are missing High altitude regions generally over-represented

How much, how many? Enough to protect viable populations of species, accommodate large home ranges, migrations, etc. World Conservation Union recommends 10-15% of the total area of each ecosystem type be protected Currently 12% of land area protected, but imbalanced among ecosystems too much tundra, not enough grassland less than half the area is under the strongest protection

Logistics Ideally decisions would be based solely on biological values Realistically: threat number of landowners/stakeholders current condition of area

Reserve Design 6 Features based on island BioGeo Larger better than small: recall species area relationship Assuming same ecosystem type, single large better than several small If you must have several small, avoid isolation by having them proximate to one another Clustering facilitates movement better than linear designs Choose circular shapes to facilitate dispersal and reduce edge effects

Reserve Size Benefits of large reserves wider range of environmental conditions accommodate large home ranges more likely to have rare species accommodate area sensitive species more secure, easier to manage larger populations, lower extinction probabilities relatively smaller edges, reduced poaching, edge effects less vulnerable to catastrophic events efficiency of scale Minimum dynamic area: smallest area that holds an array of patches in different stages of disturbance and succession

SLOSS Debate

Landscape Context Context matters Boundaries of reserves are permeable pollution exotics livestock poachers Best to have a buffer from too much human intrusion easiest if reserves are circular and follow natural boundaries aim to encompass whole watershed usually follow political boundaries demilitarized zone between North and South Korea

Connectivity Few reserves large enough to protect completely Kinds of movement between patches, usually small scale annual migrations, range of distances mid-distance: reserve connectivity crucial long-distance: stepping stones dispersal, connectivity to members of the species living elsewhere, avoid genetic problems range shifts, across continents over thousands of years reserves at multiple altitudes continental scale corridors

Designing connections Depends on the animal fence lines ocean currents enough habitat for breeding Acquiring strips difficult ~ many different property owners, stakeholders Might improve connectivity for things we don’t want moving exotics disease

Reserve Management Human recreation: visitors, roads, pollution, waste disposal, trampling, erosion, fishing, dead wood collection, disturbance to wildlife locals occasionally allowed to take and sell reserve resources Natural processes: fire, flood, storms, insects public doesn’t understand why managers allow these things to occur how much interference after occurence? replanting, slope stabilization Access to water people want more for themselves, less for reserve how do you manage the needs of different species? digging water holes for wildlife? cost to other spp? disease transmission? Invasives public dislikes culling of wildlife, spraying of herbicide What is natural?

Discussion Qs Do you think reserves she be based on species or ecosystem distributions? SLOSS? Where on the continuum do you fall? Would you create waterholes in arid reserves? Why or why not? Do you think we should restore disturbed ecosystems after a natural disaster? Why or why not?