Journal articles on the topic 'Biological diversity conservation – Political aspects'
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Williams, K. A., and D. E. Williams. "Evolving Political Issues Affecting International Exchange of Arachis Genetic Resources." Peanut Science 28, no. 2 (January 1, 2001): 132–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.3146/i0095-3679-28-2-15.
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Abstract While plant genetic resources continue to be essential for world food security, the exchange of these resources between countries has become increasingly encumbered during recent years. The free and open access to genetic resources that previously was considered the “common heritage of mankind” has been fundamentally changed by international multilateral agreements that recognize national sovereignty over genetic resources. Since the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993, many countries have implemented laws regulating access to their genetic resources. The development of legislation in several countries comprising the primary areas of origin and diversity of Arachis makes issues associated with germplasm exchange particularly relevant to investigators working with peanut. This paper describes some recent USDA experiences with obtaining access in Latin American countries harboring peanut genetic resources. Also discussed are implications and prospects for future international germplasm exchange, including aspects of collaborative research and benefit sharing with germplasm donor countries. Within this new political climate, the establishment of mutually beneficial precedents for accessing foreign genetic resources will be crucial for ensuring the continued exchange, conservation, and use of Arachis germplasm in the future.
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Haseeb Ansari, Abdul, and Sri Wartini. "Application of precautionary principle in international trade law and international environmental law." Journal of International Trade Law and Policy 13, no. 1 (March 11, 2014): 19–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jitlp-04-2013-0006.
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Purpose – The purpose of writing this paper is to present a comparative but critical assessment of the applicability of the precautionary principle (PP) under the SPS Agreement, which is a part of the WTO regime by implication, and under the Cartagena Protocol, which has been made under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an analytical exposition of both the sets of laws, trade law and environmental law. The methodology adopted is library based. The approach is to bring about an amicable co-existence of both the laws so that they could serve the dual purpose, i.e. promotion of trade and protection of “human, animal and plant life and health” and conservation of the environment. Findings – The DSB of the WTO should give due importance to the PP and should apply it liberally, keeping also in view the environmental aspects, so that along with free trade human, animal and plant health and life, and conservation of the environment are also protected. Practical implications – It will change the present paradigm and will bring both the sets of laws together. Originality/value – It focuses on the life and heath of poor people around the world. It, thus, pleads for application of strong PP.
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Xaba, Nontando N., S’phumelele L. Nkomo, and Kirona Harrypersad. "Whose Knowledge? Examining the Relationship between the Traditional Medicine Sector and Environmental Conservation Using a Stakeholder Analysis: Perceptions on Warwick Herb Market Durban South Africa." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 19 (September 21, 2022): 11900. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911900.
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The South African traditional medicine sector is estimated to accommodate millions of citizens, despite it being informal. The existence of such a healthcare system embodies the dual system of both primary and traditional healthcare, with some preferring one and others utilising both systems. The gathering, harvesting, and selling of medicinal plant and animal species have inevitable environmental effects. The paradox between biodiversity conservation and livelihood sustenance is eminent in South Africa’s contemporary environmental legislation. The purpose of the study was to highlight and examine the dynamics between prominent stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation and the traditional medicine sector. The stakeholder analysis and political ecology approach were adopted and applied respectively to guide the study. The study was conducted in 2020 and a questionnaire was used to capture the realities and experiences of prominent stakeholders in the biodiversity sector. Common legal mandates such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act No. 10 of 2004; Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) regulations; and the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974 are used to control and enforce legislation by biodiversity stakeholders. The main findings of the study are as follows: (a) Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) do not have adequate training and knowledge on the environmental and legal aspects of their system; (b) Biodiversity stakeholders are treated with violence and hostility when they attempt to enforce legal mandates at the Warwick Herb Market; (c) There is a significant gap in communication and co-operation between municipal officials and biodiversity stakeholders. There is evidently, a need for environmental educational initiatives and improved methods of enforcement and communication between biodiversity stakeholders, municipal officials and THPs.
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Miatta, Marta, Amanda E. Bates, and Paul V. R. Snelgrove. "Incorporating Biological Traits into Conservation Strategies." Annual Review of Marine Science 13, no. 1 (January 3, 2021): 421–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-032320-094121.
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Implementation of marine conservation strategies, such as increasing the numbers, extent, and effectiveness of protected areas (PAs), can help achieve conservation and restoration of ocean health and associated goods and services. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of including aspects of ecological functioning in PA design, the physical characteristics of habitats and simple measures of species diversity inform most PA designations. Marine and terrestrial ecologists have recently been using biological traits to assess community dynamics, functioning, and vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. Here, we explore potential trait-based marine applications to advance PA design. We recommend strategies to integrate biological traits into ( a) conservation objectives (e.g., by assessing and predicting impacts and vulnerability), ( b) PA spatial planning (e.g., mapping ecosystem functions and functional diversity hot spots), and ( c) time series monitoring protocols (e.g., using functional traits to detect recoveries). We conclude by emphasizing the need for pragmatic tools to improve the efficacy of spatial planning and monitoring efforts.
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Gowdy, John M. "Economic and biological aspects of genetic diversity." Society & Natural Resources 6, no. 1 (January 1993): 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941929309380804.
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Alikhanova, Shahzoda. "GENDER ASPECTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES USE." JOURNAL OF AGRO PROCESSING 6, no. 2 (June 30, 2020): 30–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.26739/2181-9904-2020-6-5.
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This analytical article examines the issues of natural resources use and conservation of the biological diversity through the prism of a gender-based approach. In particular, the author touches upon the issues of equal access by both men and women to the management, use and protection of natural resources and biological diversity. Examples are given from different regions of the world in various sectors of environmental and economic activities. Recommendations are provided for improving the equitable use of natural resources.
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Webb, Thomas J. "Biodiversity research sets sail: showcasing the diversity of marine life." Biology Letters 5, no. 2 (January 7, 2009): 145–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0735.
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The World Congress on Marine Biodiversity was held in the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, from 10 to 15 November 2008, showcasing research on all aspects of marine biodiversity from basic taxonomic exploration to innovative conservation strategies and methods to integrate research into environmental policy.
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Deng, Gatriay Tut. "Diversity and Some Biological Aspects of Fishes in Lake Maybahr, Albuko Woreda, Ethiopia." International Journal of Zoology 2021 (October 6, 2021): 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/8745176.
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Because fishes live in less-accessible habitats, their remarkable diversity is rarely appreciated. The fishery sector is growing rapidly worldwide with the intention of improving the livelihood in developing nations. Therefore, conservation and management of aquatic resources become eminent. Morphometric measurements of fishes are important tools in fish biology and fisheries assessment and conservation. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with rich water resources. Although there are plenty of water bodies in the country, they are less explored for their ichthyofaunal documentation. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the diversity and some biological aspects of fishes in Lake Maybahr. The fish sample was collected from selected sampling sites using gill nets with varying mesh sizes. Fish identification was done in the field using relevant taxonomic keys. After identification, the total length (TL) and total weight (TW) of the specimens were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm and 0.1 g, respectively. After measurement, the samples were labeled and preserved in a 10% formalin solution. Two fish species were documented in the study area. The length-weight relationships indicated that both species (C. carpio and O. niloticus) exhibited allometric growth during the wet season. But C. carpio demonstrated an isometric growth in the dry season. The diversity index (H’ = 0.69) revealed that fish diversity in the current study is far less than the result reported in the other studies. The evenness index (J’ = 0.99) showed that each species is fairly represented by a number of individuals. The correlation coefficient value of length and weight parameters is statistically significant at a 1% significance level (s, R2 = 0.85). The mean FCF revealed that both fish species are in good health. Further study on local people’s perception, initiating fishing activities, and organizing and providing training to youth is recommended.
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L. Kitching, R. "Biodiversity - political responsibilities and agendas for research and conservation." Pacific Conservation Biology 1, no. 4 (1994): 279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc940279.
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Global and national authorities have devised international conventions and national strategies for biodiversity management which commit them to a variety of courses of action in diversity inventory and management. In many instances these refer to "species", displaying a naivety about the nature of "species" and our knowledge of species' taxonomy and diversity. Questions arise about the relative importance of species and this has led to an unfortunate concatenation between the research and management agendas relating to endangered species and those concerning multi-species assemblages. There are compelling reasons for preserving functional ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain: for the maintenance of ecological services, as repositories of biological information, and as a reflection of human conscience and responsibility. Although useful concepts have been defined for evaluating species within such species sets ("keystone species", "guilds", "indicator species", etc.) we lack basic information on the numbers of species within assemblages, which of these species play "keystone" roles, what proportion of any particular ecological guild is vital, and what biological species or sets of species are proper surrogates for measures of overall diversity. A national research agenda must be set which matches national and international commitments with respect to biodiversity and the crucial lack of knowledge in these areas. We need a national strategy for the design and funding of such research activities. Biodiversity management demands a landscape approach, already well developed in Australia, and an on-going involvement of government in overseeing and directing activities.
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Steinberg, Paul F. "Institutional Resilience Amid Political Change: The Case of Biodiversity Conservation." Global Environmental Politics 9, no. 3 (August 2009): 61–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/glep.2009.9.3.61.
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There is a substantial literature documenting the spatial mismatch between the geographic location of biological resources and the spatial jurisdiction of the institutions responsible for their management. But little attention has been paid to the disjuncture in temporal scales between the long-term requirements of biodiversity conservation and the short time horizons governing public and private decisions affecting the survival of species and ecosystems. How can we create socially agreed-upon rules governing the long-term use and conservation of biodiversity when ongoing change is one of the defining characteristics of modern society? This article describes a new approach to biodiversity conservation—conservation systems—that addresses this question by providing design criteria that can be used to construct resilient social safety nets for biological diversity.
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Eremin, G. V., V. G. Eremin, I. S. Chepinoga, and T. A. Gasanova. "Genetic diversity of wild stone fruit species: specific aspects of ex situ conservation." Proceedings on applied botany, genetics and breeding 182, no. 3 (October 9, 2021): 12–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.30901/2227-8834-2021-3-12-19.
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Background. One of the most important tasks faced by the scientists of Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station of VIR is the long-term preservation of the stone fruit gene pools (over 1,000 genotypes of 44 species) collected during plant explorations. It is much more difficult to preserve representatives of the wild flora than cultivars, due to their ecological specialization to specific environments and the need to create conditions for their successful development. This aspect concerns, first of all, such species as Louiseania pedunculata (Pall.) Pachom., L. ulmifolia (Franch.) Pachom., Prunus cocomilia Ten., P. brigantiaca Vill., Armeniaca sibirica (L.) Lam., Padus ssiori (F. Schmidt) C.K. Schneid., and some others.Methods. The studies were carried out in the collection plantations of the field genebank at Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station of VIR according to VIR’s guidelines. Accessions of wild stone fruit species were the objects of the studies.Results. Many years of field research into ex situ conservation of introduced wild species proved the efficiency of stone fruit cultivation in tub culture and a modified technique of dense planting with crown formation according to the “border-hedge” pattern. It takes into account biological characteristics of genotypes shaped in natural areas, the use of own-root or grafted plants on clonal rootstocks of various growth rates depending on their life form (tree or shrub), resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, soil and terrain requirements, and the tasks posed before researchers. The recommended planting schemes (2.5–4.0 × 0.5–1.0 m) significantly reduce the area occupied by the same number of plants in conventional cultivation patterns and cut down power and labor inputs into technological practices.
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Schroeder, Doris, and Thomas Pogge. "Justice and the Convention on Biological Diversity." Ethics & International Affairs 23, no. 3 (2009): 267–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7093.2009.00217.x.
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Justice and the Convention on Biological DiversityDoris Schroeder and Thomas PoggeBenefit sharing as envisaged by the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a relatively new idea in international law. Within the context of non-human biological resources, it aims to guarantee the conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use by ensuring that its custodians are adequately rewarded for its preservation.Prior to the adoption of the CBD, access to biological resources was frequently regarded as a free-for-all. Bioprospectors were able to take resources out of their natural habitat and develop commercial products without sharing benefits with states or local communities. This paper asks how CBD-style benefit-sharing fits into debates of justice. It is argued that the CBD is an example of a set of social rules designed to increase social utility. It is also argued that a common heritage of humankind principle with inbuilt benefit-sharing mechanisms would be preferable to assigning bureaucratic property rights to non-human biological resources. However, as long as the international economic order is characterized by serious distributive injustices, as reflected in the enormous poverty-related death toll in developing countries, any morally acceptable means toward redressing the balance in favor of the disadvantaged has to be welcomed. By legislating for a system of justice-in-exchange covering nonhuman biological resources in preference to a free-for-all situation, the CBD provides a small step forward in redressing the distributive justice balance. It therefore presents just legislation sensitive to the international relations context in the 21st century.
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Kruskop, Sergei V. "Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure." Diversity 13, no. 9 (September 2, 2021): 424. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13090424.
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Suietnov, Yevhenii. "FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW BEFORE THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY." Journal of Environmental Law & Policy 001, no. 001 (May 15, 2021): 47–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.33002/jelp001.03.
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The article analyses general aspects of the formation and development of the ecosystem approach in international environmental law before the adoption and entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity. On the grounds of thorough and complex research encompassing the main international environmental agreements and scientists’ views, it is concluded that the issues of protection and conservation of natural ecosystems and implementation of the ecosystem approach had already received wide support at the international level by that time, whereas adopted agreements created the necessary base for the further formation and development of the ecosystem approach as a holistic concept under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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Arjjumend, Hasrat, and Henrie Beaulieu-Boon. "Customary Institutions and Rules underlying Conservation Functions of Sacred Sites or Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas." Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources 1, no. 2 (December 31, 2018): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.01021.
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Sacred sites, or indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs), are repositories of biological and cultural diversity, the spaces de facto governed by Indigenous peoples or local communities. There are many thousands of these sites across the world, including sacred forests, wetlands, landscapes, village lakes, catchment forests, river and coastal stretches and marine areas. Though the backbone of sacred sites or ICCAs is the robust local governance system of Indigenous/customary institutions and their customary laws/rules, aspects such as institutional analysis, institutional governance, customary laws/rules and management systems are inadequately investigated. This article suggests how customary institutions or rules enable the underlying conservation functions of sacred sites or ICCAs and that due recognition and attention need to be given to indigenous protocols re ICCAs to enable the conservation of biological and cultural diversity. Through enabling legislation or policy, the customary institutions of traditional communities managing the sacred sites can be reinforced and restored. Relevance of sacred sites or ICCAs can be established in biodiversity conservation processes if the resilience of customary institutions and the ability of institutions withstanding external challenges are appreciated.
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Brum, Fernanda T., Catherine H. Graham, Gabriel C. Costa, S. Blair Hedges, Caterina Penone, Volker C. Radeloff, Carlo Rondinini, Rafael Loyola, and Ana D. Davidson. "Global priorities for conservation across multiple dimensions of mammalian diversity." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 29 (July 3, 2017): 7641–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706461114.
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Conservation priorities that are based on species distribution, endemism, and vulnerability may underrepresent biologically unique species as well as their functional roles and evolutionary histories. To ensure that priorities are biologically comprehensive, multiple dimensions of diversity must be considered. Further, understanding how the different dimensions relate to one another spatially is important for conservation prioritization, but the relationship remains poorly understood. Here, we use spatial conservation planning to (i) identify and compare priority regions for global mammal conservation across three key dimensions of biodiversity—taxonomic, phylogenetic, and traits—and (ii) determine the overlap of these regions with the locations of threatened species and existing protected areas. We show that priority areas for mammal conservation exhibit low overlap across the three dimensions, highlighting the need for an integrative approach for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, currently protected areas poorly represent the three dimensions of mammalian biodiversity. We identify areas of high conservation priority among and across the dimensions that should receive special attention for expanding the global protected area network. These high-priority areas, combined with areas of high priority for other taxonomic groups and with social, economic, and political considerations, provide a biological foundation for future conservation planning efforts.
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Crecchio, Carmine. "Genetic Diversity of Soil Bacteria." Diversity 12, no. 11 (October 29, 2020): 414. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12110414.
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The Special Issue “Genetic Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities” collected research and review articles addressing some relevant and unclear aspects of the composition and functioning of bacterial communities in rich or marginal agricultural soils, in field trials as well as in laboratory-scale experiments, at different latitudes and under different types of management.
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Harkness, James. "Recent Trends in Forestry and Conservation of Biodiversity in China." China Quarterly 156 (December 1998): 911–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0305741000051390.
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Despite the transformative effects of millennia of human occupation, China remains a tremendous storehouse of biological diversity. The extremely mountainous terrain has fostered speciation by continuously isolating populations of plants and animals. This topography (combined with the large area of the country that is sub-tropical and tropical) also provided refuge for many taxonomic groups during the major climate change-induced mass extinctions of the Pleistocene era, as well as the more recent Ice Ages. As a result, China is one of the world's major centres of biological diversity (or biodiversity), a term which refers to the variety of ecosystem types, the number of different of species and the genetic variability within a single species. In certain respects, thousands of years of human habitation has actually enhanced this diversity. Rice, soybeans, oranges, tea and many other crops were first domesticated in China, and generation upon generation of careful selection by farmers and pastoralists have made it one the earth's richest centres of crop and domesticated animal germplasm. The country's variety of wild plants and animals is greater than that of either North America or Europe, and equal to one-eighth of all species on earth.
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Mooney, Harold A. "The ecosystem-service chain and the biological diversity crisis." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 365, no. 1537 (January 12, 2010): 31–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0223.
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The losses that are being incurred of the Earth's biological diversity, at all levels, are now staggering. The trend lines for future loss are steeply upward as new adverse drivers of change come into play. The political processes for matching this crisis are now inadequate and the science needs to address this issue are huge and slow to fulfil, even though strong advances have been made. A more integrated approach to evaluating biodiversity in terms that are meaningful to the larger community is needed that can provide understandable metrics of the consequences to society of the losses that are occurring. Greater attention is also needed in forecasting likely diversity-loss scenarios in the near term and strategies for alleviating detrimental consequences. At the international level, the Convention on Biological Diversity must be revisited to make it more powerful to meet the needs that originally motivated its creation. Similarly, at local and regional levels, an ecosystem-service approach to conservation can bring new understanding to the value, and hence the need for protection, of the existing natural capital.
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Samways, Michael J. "Insect Conservation and Landscape Ecology: A Case-history of Bush Crickets (Tettigoniidae) in Southern France." Environmental Conservation 16, no. 3 (1989): 217–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900009292.
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Insect species etc. comprise about 80% of the specific and subspecific taxa of the animal kingdom, and their conservation is an important, integral, and contemporary, aspect of the conservation of biological diversity. The species richness of this vast group makes detailed studies of all components insurmountable relative to the urgency for diversity conservation solutions. Landscape ecology offers a way of conceptualizing the situation, and is a tool for management. This approach is explored in the present paper, using the extensive data available on decticine bush crickets in the Montpellier region of southern France. Corridors, patches, and matrices, are considered, with special reference to the bush crickets' distributions at the boundaries of these elements.As well as movement across the boundaries and resident interpenetration of these elements by those insects the ecotones are also important ecological entities in their own right. Additionally, vertical, as well as horizontal, aspects of landscape elements are important for these small animals with small home-ranges.
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Suarez, Daniel, and Catherine Corson. "Seizing Center Stage: Ecosystem Services, Live, at the Convention on Biological Diversity!" Human Geography 6, no. 1 (March 2013): 64–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/194277861300600105.
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Over the past decade, the concept of ecosystem services has become a central guiding framework for environmental conservation. Techniques of valuation, payments to protect ecosystem services, and efforts to put a price on nature increasingly characterize environmental policy. We analyze the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP-10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as a critical moment in the production of ecosystem services as a discourse. Through analysis of specific examples of the rollout, performance, and strategic deployment of ecosystem services, particularly as embodied in The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project (TEEB) at CBD/COP-10, we illustrate how arguments justifying ecosystem services became persuasive and compelling in the social space of the meeting. We examine the prevalence of a narrative that relies on three successive claims: (1) conservation has failed to conserve biodiversity, which has catalyzed a pending ecological crisis; (2) this crisis is caused by incorrectly priced nature and insufficient financing for conservation; and (3) the economics of ecosystem services provides the means to attract new financial flows, to neutralize political opposition, and to save biodiversity. The CBD/COP-10, we argue, provided a stage for the performance of this narrative, the alignment of actors from the private, public and non-profit sectors around ecosystem services, and the institutionalization of its tenets in policy documents and project financing— all of which worked to constitute the hegemony of ecosystem services. We conclude by asserting that, as conservationists embrace ecosystem services, at the expense of alternative models, they reproduce it as a discourse, thus constituting and reinforcing its hegemony, and the conditions that originally limited their choices.
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López-Álvarez, Rosa Lina, Mario Luna-Cavazos, Juan Ignacio Valdez-Hernández, and Edmundo García-Moya. "Tree structure and diversity of a Humid Mountain Forest in the protected natural area La Martinica, Veracruz, Mexico." Revista de Biología Tropical 69, no. 4 (November 5, 2021): 1189–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v69i4.46855.
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Tree structure and diversity at the protected natural area La Martinica, Veracruz, México. Introduction: The Humid Mountain Forest (HMF) has the largest number of plants per unit area, which vegetation grows in heterogeneous environmental conditions and has a high variation flora, physiognomy and structural. The conservation of the HMF is important due to the biodiversity it harbors and the environmental regulation services it provides. Objective: This work evaluated the effect of the direction of sun exposure (aspect) of the terrain and the density of the forest canopy (canopy opening type) on the structure and tree diversity in La Martinica Protected Natural Area, in Veracruz, Mexico. Methods: stratified sampling was performed in four aspects of the terrain and two canopy density conditions. In total, 25 20 x 25 m sampling units were considered (subdivided into 10 x 5 m units), in which the normal diameter (ND), total height and the largest and smallest diameters of the crown of the individuals with a ND ≥10 cm were registered. The diversity was estimated by means of rarefaction curves and the structure was analyzed through the importance value index and the forest value index. Results: We recorded 37 species belonging to 30 genera and 24 families, Zenithal and South aspects had the highest floristic similarity. Greater diversity was observed in the North aspect and in the Closed canopy. The tree species with the highest structural values were different between aspects and canopy types; Carpinus tropicalis presented the highest values in the Zenithal aspect, Lippia myriocephala in the East and South aspects, and Liquidambar styraciflua in the North. In both types of canopy Lippia myriocephala obtained the highest values in the Importance Value Index (IVI) and only Forest Value Index (FVI) in the Open canopy; Carpinus tropicalis reached a higher FVI in the Closed canopy. Conclusions: The tree structure was different in the four aspects studied, as well as in the two conditions of the canopy. The greatest difference in species composition and diversity was observed between the North and East aspects, of these, the North presented the highest richness values, equally frequent species and dominant species.
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Tellez, Oswaldo, Efisio Mattana, Mauricio Diazgranados, Nicola Kühn, Elena Castillo-Lorenzo, Rafael Lira, Leobardo Montes-Leyva, et al. "Native trees of Mexico: diversity, distribution, uses and conservation." PeerJ 8 (September 18, 2020): e9898. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9898.
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Background Mexico is one of the most floristically rich countries in the world. Despite significant contributions made on the understanding of its unique flora, the knowledge on its diversity, geographic distribution and human uses, is still largely fragmented. Unfortunately, deforestation is heavily impacting this country and native tree species are under threat. The loss of trees has a direct impact on vital ecosystem services, affecting the natural capital of Mexico and people’s livelihoods. Given the importance of trees in Mexico for many aspects of human well-being, it is critical to have a more complete understanding of their diversity, distribution, traditional uses and conservation status. We aimed to produce the most comprehensive database and catalogue on native trees of Mexico by filling those gaps, to support their in situ and ex situ conservation, promote their sustainable use, and inform reforestation and livelihoods programmes. Methods A database with all the tree species reported for Mexico was prepared by compiling information from herbaria and reviewing the available floras. Species names were reconciled and various specialised sources were used to extract additional species information, i.e. endemic status, threat status, availability in seed collections, reports on plant uses and conservation actions currently in place. With this information, a comprehensive catalogue of native trees from Mexico was redacted. Available georeferenced records were used to map each species distribution and perform spatial analyses to identify gaps of information and priority areas for their conservation and exploration. Results Mexico has at least 2,885 native tree species, belonging to 612 genera and 128 families. Fabaceae is the most represented family and Quercus the most represented genus. Approximately 44% of tree species are endemic to the country. The southern part of the country showed the highest values of species richness. Six hundred and seventy-four species have at least one documented human use. In terms of conservation assessment, ca. 33% of species have been assessed by either the IUCN Red List (919) or the National protection catalogue “NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-059” (29) or both (45). Additionally, 98 species have been included in the CITES listing for protection. In terms of existing conservation efforts, 19% of species have ex situ protection in seed banks, while protected areas overlap with all the identified peaks of species richness, except for those in the states of Veracruz and Chiapas. This work constitutes a key milestone for the knowledge, management, and conservation of the Mexican native trees. The two areas with high density of tree species identified in Veracruz and Chiapas represent two priority areas for tree conservation in Mexico, where integrated in situ and ex situ conservation efforts should be focused.
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Webb, Thomas J., and Bart Vanhoorne. "Linking dimensions of data on global marine animal diversity." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1814 (November 2, 2020): 20190445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0445.
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Recent decades have seen an explosion in the amount of data available on all aspects of biodiversity, which has led to data-driven approaches to understand how and why diversity varies in time and space. Global repositories facilitate access to various classes of species-level data including biogeography, genetics and conservation status, which are in turn required to study different dimensions of diversity. Ensuring that these different data sources are interoperable is a challenge as we aim to create synthetic data products to monitor the state of the world's biodiversity. One way to approach this is to link data of different classes, and to inventory the availability of data across multiple sources. Here, we use a comprehensive list of more than 200 000 marine animal species, and quantify the availability of data on geographical occurrences, genetic sequences, conservation assessments and DNA barcodes across all phyla and broad functional groups. This reveals a very uneven picture: 44% of species are represented by no record other than their taxonomy, but some species are rich in data. Although these data-rich species are concentrated into a few taxonomic and functional groups, especially vertebrates, data are spread widely across marine animals, with members of all 32 phyla represented in at least one database. By highlighting gaps in current knowledge, our census of marine diversity data helps to prioritize future data collection activities, as well as emphasizing the importance of ongoing sustained observations and archiving of existing data into global repositories. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.
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Aguilar-Støen, Mariel, and Shivcharn S. Dhillion. "Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Mesoamerica: environmental and developmental perspectives." Environmental Conservation 30, no. 2 (June 2003): 131–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892903000110.
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Mesoamerica (Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) is a culturally diverse region considered a conservation priority due to its biotic richness and high endemism. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) sets out obligations and objectives for national parties to cope with biodiversity reduction, and encourages these national parties to develop measures to conserve and manage biodiversity. This paper presents trends in Mesoamerican countries in the implementation of the CBD, specifically in relation to the general measures for conservation and sustainable use (Article 6), identification and monitoring (Article 7), and in situ conservation (Article 8) derived from examination of reports from the CBD National Reports unit, questionnaires to national focal points, and interviews in the field. In general, there was increased effort toward CBD implementation and related issues. The scientific capacity, political stability, and accessibility to resources in each country, however, influenced the rate at which capacity was being built and the relative importance governments afforded to each of the CBD articles. Lack of resources or institutional limitations are identified as major impediments to fulfilling obligations. The CBD is also poorly known among actors in civil society and at several levels of administration. Overall, Costa Rica and Mexico are exceptions in the region with regard to inventory and monitoring, and the efforts to incorporate biodiversity into broader intersectoral policies. However, the measures required to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biodiversity are poorly developed, or not developed at all, in the region. It is pivotal that, since Mesoamerica is one of the poorest regions in the world, any attempt to conserve biodiversity in the region must include sustainable use and equity.
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Engels, Johannes M. M., and Andreas W. Ebert. "A Critical Review of the Current Global Ex Situ Conservation System for Plant Agrobiodiversity. I. History of the Development of the Global System in the Context of the Political/Legal Framework and Its Major Conservation Components." Plants 10, no. 8 (July 29, 2021): 1557. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants10081557.
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The history of ex situ conservation is relatively short, not more than a century old. During the middle of last century, triggered by the realization that genetic erosion was threatening the existing landraces and wild relatives of the major food crops, global efforts to collect and conserve the genetic diversity of these threatened resources were initiated, predominantly orchestrated by FAO. National and international genebanks were established to store and maintain germplasm materials, conservation methodologies were created, standards developed, and coordinating efforts were put in place to ensure effective and efficient approaches and collaboration. In the spontaneously developing global conservation system, plant breeders played an important role, aiming at the availability of genetic diversity in their breeding work. Furthermore, long-term conservation and the safety of the collected materials were the other two overriding criteria that led to the emerging international network of ex situ base collections. The political framework for the conservation of plant genetic resources finds its roots in the International Undertaking of the FAO and became ‘turbulent rapid’ with the conclusion of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This paper reviews the history of the global ex situ conservation system with a focus on the international network of base collections. It assesses the major ex situ conservation approaches and methods with their strengths and weaknesses with respect to the global conservation system and highlights the importance of combining in situ and ex situ conservation.
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BUERGIN, REINER. "Contested Rights of Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples in Conflicts over Biocultural Diversity: The case of Karen communities in Thung Yai, a World Heritage Site in Thailand." Modern Asian Studies 49, no. 6 (April 8, 2015): 2022–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0026749x14000390.
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AbstractThe conceptualization of interrelations between biological and cultural diversity since the 1980s indicates a biocultural turn in discourses and policies regarding nature conservation, sustainable development, and indigenous peoples. These interrelations frequently manifest as conflicts between local communities who derive their livelihoods and identity from their lands and resources, and external actors and institutions who claim control over these areas, invoking superior interests in nature conservation, development, and modernization. In these asymmetric conflicts over biocultural diversity, framed in discourses that demand the preservation of both biological and cultural diversity, the opportunities for local communities to assert their claims crucially depend on external discursive and legal frameworks.Based on a study of the Karen ethnic minority groups in the Thung Yai World Heritage Site in Thailand, this article explores challenges and chances for local communities to assert claims and rights to lands, resources, and self-determination in the context of the biocultural turn in environment and development discourses as well as heterogeneous legal frameworks. Human rights as individual rights are widely recognized, but may be difficult to enforce and of limited suitability in conflicts over biocultural diversity. Group rights like indigenous rights are increasingly devised to protect ethnic minorities and perpetuate cultural diversity, but are often disputed on the national level and may be ambiguous regarding heterogeneous communities. In Thailand and globally, community rights provide another promising framework with regard to conflicts over biocultural diversity if the claims of communities to livelihoods and self-determination are respected.
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Ellis, Thomas Henry Noel, Julie M. I. Hofer, Eleni Vikeli, Michael J. Ambrose, Paola Higuera-Poveda, Luzie U. Wingen, and Noam Chayut. "Diversity of Pod Shape in Pisum." Diversity 13, no. 5 (May 12, 2021): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13050203.
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The seed-containing pod is the defining structure of plants in the legume family, yet pods exhibit a wide range of morphological variation. Within a species pod characters are likely to be correlated with reproductive strategy, and within cultivated forms will correspond to aspects of yield determination and/or end use. Here variation in pod size, described as pod length: pod width ratio, has been analyzed in pea germplasm represented by 597 accessions. This pod size variation is discussed with respect to population structure and to known classical pod morphology mutants. Variability of the pod length: width ratio can be explained by allelic variation at two genetic loci that may correspond to organ-specific negative regulators of growth.
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Forest, Félix, Keith A. Crandall, Mark W. Chase, and Daniel P. Faith. "Phylogeny, extinction and conservation: embracing uncertainties in a time of urgency." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370, no. 1662 (February 19, 2015): 20140002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0002.
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Evolutionary studies have played a fundamental role in our understanding of life, but until recently, they had only a relatively modest involvement in addressing conservation issues. The main goal of the present discussion meeting issue is to offer a platform to present the available methods allowing the integration of phylogenetic and extinction risk data in conservation planning. Here, we identify the main knowledge gaps in biodiversity science, which include incomplete sampling, reconstruction biases in phylogenetic analyses, partly known species distribution ranges, and the difficulty in producing conservation assessments for all known species, not to mention that much of the effective biological diversity remains to be discovered. Given the impact that human activities have on biodiversity and the urgency with which we need to address these issues, imperfect assumptions need to be sanctioned and surrogates used in the race to salvage as much as possible of our natural and evolutionary heritage. We discuss some aspects of the uncertainties found in biodiversity science, such as the ideal surrogates for biodiversity, the gaps in our knowledge and the numerous available phylogenetic diversity-based methods. We also introduce a series of cases studies that demonstrate how evolutionary biology can effectively contribute to biodiversity conservation science.
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Belkacem, El Amrani. "Aspects of the rhizospheric microbiota and their interactions with the soil ecosystem." Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding 26, no. 5 (September 3, 2022): 442–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.18699/vjgb-22-54.
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Soil microbial communities play a key role in the evolution of the rhizosphere. In addition, proper exploration of these microbial resources represents a promising strategy that guarantees the health and sustainability of all ecosystems connected to the ground. Under the influence of environmental conditions, microbial communities can change compositions in terms of abundance and diversity. Beyond the descriptive level, the current orientation of microbial ecology is to link these structures to the functioning of ecosystems; specifically, to understand the effect of environmental factors on the functional structure of microbial communities in ecosystems. This review focuses on the main interactions between the indigenous soil microflora and the major constituents of the rhizosphere to understand, on the one hand, how microbial biodiversity can improve plant growth and maintain homeostasis of the rhizospheric ecosystem, on the other hand, how the maintenance and enrichment of plant biodiversity can contribute to the conservation of soil microbial diversity; knowing that these microorganisms are also controlled by the abiotic properties of the soil. Overall, understanding the dynamics of the rhizosphere microbiome is essential for developing innovative strategies in the field of protecting and maintaining the proper functioning of the soil ecosystem.
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Teslovych, Mariana, and Diana Krychevska. "Historical and geospatial aspects of formation of the eco-network of the Transcarpathian region." Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, series Geology. Geography. Ecology, no. 55 (December 1, 2021): 299–317. http://dx.doi.org/10.26565/2410-7360-2021-55-22.
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Formulation of the problem. For the time being the formation of an ecological network in Ukraine is the most effective way to preserve biological and landscape diversity. This process is characterized by the use of two approaches. The first is based on national legislation, methods of spatial planning in accordance with the geobotanical and landscape features of the region. The second approach is based on the European legislation, in particular, the Bern Convention. Transcarpathian region is no exception. The project of the regional scheme of the ecological network was approved for the region and Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs – sites of the Emerald network), were determined and adopted by Standing Committee. Purpose and methods of research. Today there is a need for a comprehensive spatial analysis of the currently existing planning models of the regional ecological network of Transcarpathia and the establishment of the most important areas for biodiversity and landscape diversity protection. The purpose of our study was to characterize the main stages of formation of the ecological network of Transcarpathian region and to establish a list of structural elements of the ecological network, for which it is important to develop measures to protect biodiversity within them. We analyzed international and national legal documents, cartographic and planning documents to determine and characterize the main stages of development of the ecological network of the region. we compiled maps showing the spatial relationship of nature reserves, elements of the regional eco-network and areas of special conservation interest, using software QGIS 3.16.0, schemes: planning of the eco-network of the Ukrainian Carpathians, eco-network of Transcarpathian region, Transcarpathian territory planning areas; data on the Structural Elements of the Emerald Network, the network of objects of the nature reserve fund and their large-scale plans; detailed plans of forest plantations. Based on the obtained data, we conducted a spatial analysis of the elements in order to identify areas that require additional measures to preserve biotic and landscape diversity. Results of the research. Based on the obtained data, we have identified and characterized the main stages of formation of the ecological network of the Transcarpathian region. Based on a detailed cartographic analysis, we have identified areas that require natural research on the need for additional measures to preserve biotic and landscape diversity. Scientific novelty and practical significance. In our article for the first time a comprehensive and detailed spatial analysis of the currently existing planning models of the regional ecological network of Transcarpathia was conducted. For the first time, areas have been identified that do not currently belong to the nature reserve fund and areas of special conservation interest, but need to be studied in terms of their value to preserve biotic and landscape diversity.
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Costa, Marcones Ferreira, Jonathan Andre Morales-Marroquín, Carlos Eduardo de Araújo Batista, Alessandro Alves-Pereira, Fábio de Almeida Vieira, and Maria Imaculada Zucchi. "Population genomics of the neotropical palm Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore: Implications for conservation." PLOS ONE 17, no. 11 (November 3, 2022): e0276408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276408.
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Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore is a palm tree native to Brazil. The products obtained from its leaf extracts are a source of income for local families and the agroindustry. Owing to the reduction of natural habitats and the absence of a sustainable management plan, the maintenance of the natural populations of this palm tree has been compromised. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diversity and genetic structure of 14 C. prunifera populations using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified through genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to provide information that contributes to the conservation of this species. A total of 1,013 SNP markers were identified, of which 84 loci showed outlier behavior and may reflect responses to natural selection. Overall, the level of genomic diversity was compatible with the biological aspects of this species. The inbreeding coefficient (f) was negative for all populations, indicating excess heterozygotes. Most genetic variations occurred within populations (77.26%), and a positive correlation existed between genetic and geographic distances. The population structure evaluated through discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed low genetic differentiation between populations. The results highlight the need for efforts to conserve C. prunifera as well as its distribution range to preserve its global genetic diversity and evolutionary potential.
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Redding, David W., Arne O. Mooers, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, and Ben Collen. "Global evolutionary isolation measures can capture key local conservation species in Nearctic and Neotropical bird communities." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370, no. 1662 (February 19, 2015): 20140013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0013.
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Understanding how to prioritize among the most deserving imperilled species has been a focus of biodiversity science for the past three decades. Though global metrics that integrate evolutionary history and likelihood of loss have been successfully implemented, conservation is typically carried out at sub-global scales on communities of species rather than among members of complete taxonomic assemblages. Whether and how global measures map to a local scale has received little scrutiny. At a local scale, conservation-relevant assemblages of species are likely to be made up of relatively few species spread across a large phylogenetic tree, and as a consequence there are potentially relatively large amounts of evolutionary history at stake. We ask to what extent global metrics of evolutionary history are useful for conservation priority setting at the community level by evaluating the extent to which three global measures of evolutionary isolation (evolutionary distinctiveness (ED), average pairwise distance (APD) and the pendant edge or unique phylogenetic diversity (PD) contribution) capture community-level phylogenetic and trait diversity for a large sample of Neotropical and Nearctic bird communities. We find that prioritizing the most ED species globally safeguards more than twice the total PD of local communities on average, but that this does not translate into increased local trait diversity. By contrast, global APD is strongly related to the APD of those same species at the community level, and prioritizing these species also safeguards local PD and trait diversity. The next step for biologists is to understand the variation in the concordance of global and local level scores and what this means for conservation priorities: we need more directed research on the use of different measures of evolutionary isolation to determine which might best capture desirable aspects of biodiversity.
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WILSON, JOSEPH S., JOSHUA P. JAHNER, and MATTHEW L. FORISTER. "Human observers differ in ability to perceive insect diversity." Environmental Conservation 43, no. 4 (August 5, 2016): 376–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s037689291600028x.
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SUMMARYHuman perception of biological variation is an important and understudied issue in the conservation and management of natural resources. Here, we took a novel approach by asking 1152 participants, primarily college biology students, to score examples of insect mimicry by the number of distinct kinds of animals they saw. Latent class analysis successfully separated participants based on their accuracy of perception as well as demographic information and opinions about biodiversity. Contrary to expectations, factors such as childhood experience (growing up in urban, suburban or rural areas) did not affect the ability to see biodiversity as much as political views (location on a spectrum from liberal to conservative) or the position that biodiversity is important for the health of the environment. We conclude that research into effective measures of biological education should consider the connection between personal views and perceptions of natural variation.
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Ahmed, Shemsu, Debissa Lemessa, and Abera Seyum. "Woody Species Composition, Plant Communities, and Environmental Determinants in Gennemar Dry Afromontane Forest, Southern Ethiopia." Scientifica 2022 (June 22, 2022): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/7970435.
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Dry Afromontane forests in Ethiopia are vital for the conservation of plant diversity and climate change mitigation. However, these forest resources are rapidly degrading and shrinking, necessitating empirical scientific investigations to ensure their successful conservation and long-term management. As a result, this study was conducted to evaluate the composition, plant communities, and environmental determinants of woody species in the Gennemar dry Afromontane forest of southern Ethiopia. Environmental variables such as altitude, aspect, and geographical location were recorded from 46 plots of 20 × 20 m for trees and 92 subplots of 10 × 10 m for shrubs were laid along 10 transect lines. Vegetation structure, diversity, vegetation classification, importance value index (IVI) and correlation with environmental parameters were analyzed. A total of 55 woody species belonging to 51 genera and 34 families were identified. Among the species identified, Jasminum stans, Maytenus addat, and Pittosporum abyssinicum were endemic to Ethiopia. Celastraceae (with 659 individuals) was the most dominant family, followed by Cupressaceae (268 individuals) and Myrsinaceae (222 individuals). Four plant communities were identified: Syzygium guineense-Mystroxylon aethiopicum, Maytenus arbutifolia-Podocarpus falcatus, Myrsine africana-Erica arborea, and Juniperus procera-Carissa spinarum. Juniperus procera, Podocarpus falcatus, and Maytenus arbutifolia were species with the highest IVI, while Maesa lanceolata, Rhamnus prinoides, and Gnidia glauca had the lowest. The DBH class distribution shows an inverted J-shaped distribution. As DBH increases, the number of individuals decreases in the higher DBH class. The distribution of plant communities and the composition of the species depend on altitude and topographic aspects. The study found that the dry Afromontane Forest is rich in species and that it should be prioritized for conservation to protect endemic and native species. Decisive elements such as the type of species, altitude, and topographic aspects must be considered for forestry activities.
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Kasso, Mohammed, and Mundanthra Balakrishnan. "Ex Situ Conservation of Biodiversity with Particular Emphasis to Ethiopia." ISRN Biodiversity 2013 (November 21, 2013): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/985037.
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Biodiversity encompasses variety and variability of all forms of life on earth that play a great role in human existence. Its conservation embraces maintenance, sustainable utilization, and restoration, of the lost and degraded biodiversity through two basic and complementary strategies called in situ and ex situ. Ex situ conservation is the technique of conservation of all levels of biological diversity outside their natural habitats through different techniques like zoo, captive breeding, aquarium, botanical garden, and gene bank. It plays key roles in communicating the issues, raising awareness, and gaining widespread public and political support for conservation actions and for breeding endangered species in captivity for reintroduction. Limitations of ex situ conservation include maintenance of organisms in artificial habitats, deterioration of genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, adaptations to captivity, and accumulation of deleterious alleles. It has many constraints in terms of personnel, costs, and reliance on electric power sources. Ethiopia is considered to be one of the richest centers of genetic resources in the world. Currently, a number of stakeholders/actors are actively working on biodiversity conservation through ex situ conservation strategies by establishing gene banks, botanical garden, and zoo.
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Krysanova, N. V. "INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE USE OF ENERGY RESOURCES: POLITICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF ENSURING «GREEN» ENERGY." Pravovedenie IAZH, no. 3 (2021): 109–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.31249/rgpravo/2021.03.08.
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The review examines publications devoted to the problems of legal regulation of «green» energy, as well as problems related to the use of innovative technologies for obtaining clean energy. It is proposed to introduce the term «sustainability» of energy development in trade, business and society as a whole. The results of empirical studies of the use of offshore energy technologies in marine animal habitats, as well as the prevention of loss of biological diversity, are presented.
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COLEMAN, MELINDA A., TIM INGLETON, RUSSELL B. MILLAR, PETER L. DAVIES, ALAN JORDAN, and BRENDAN P. KELAHER. "Remotely sensed habitat variables are poor surrogates for functional traits of rocky reef fish assemblages." Environmental Conservation 43, no. 4 (August 5, 2016): 368–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892916000205.
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SUMMARYConservation planning often relies on measures such as species richness and abundance to prioritize areas for protection. Nonetheless, alternative metrics such as functional traits have recently been shown to be useful complementary measures for detecting biological change. Timely conservation planning often precludes the collection of such detailed biological data relying instead on remotely-sensed habitat mapping as a surrogate for diversity. While there is evidence that habitat maps may predict taxonomic species richness and diversity in some coastal ecosystems, it is unknown whether similar strong relationships exist for functional traits and functional multimetrics. We compared the performance of physical habitat structural complexity obtained from high definition swath mapping in explaining variation in traditional taxonomic metrics as well as functional traits (e.g., maximum length, trophic level, gregariousness) and functional multimetrics (e.g., functional richness, dispersion) of fish assemblages. Reef complexity measures were good surrogates for fish species richness and abundance but not for functional traits or multimetrics, except functional richness at the scale of 1 m. Remotely sensed habitat maps may not be a good surrogate for predicting functional traits and multimetrics of fish assemblages, and must be used with caution when maximizing such aspects of assemblages is a priority for conservation planning.
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Escobar, Arturo. "Whose Knowledge, Whose nature? Biodiversity, Conservation, and the Political Ecology of Social Movements." Journal of Political Ecology 5, no. 1 (December 1, 1998): 53. http://dx.doi.org/10.2458/v5i1.21397.
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This paper proposes a framework for rethinking the conservation and appropriation of biological diversity from the perspective of social movements. It argues that biodiversity, although with concrete biophysical referents, is a discourse of recent origin. This discourse fosters a complex network of diverse actors, from international organizations and NGOs to local communities and social movements. Four views of biodiversity produced by this network (centered on global resource management, national sovereignity, biodemocracy, and cultural autonomy, respectively) are discussed in the first part of the paper. The second part focuses on the cultural autonomy perspective developed by social movements. It examines in detail the rise and development of the social movement of black communities in the Pacific rainforest region of Colombia. This movement, it is argued, articulates through their practice an entire political ecology of sustainability and conservation. The main elements of this political ecology are discussed and presented as a viable alternative to dominant frameworks.Key words: political ecology, social movements, rainforest, biodiversity,afrocolombians, global networks.
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Martyniuk, Elżbieta. "Policy Effects on the Sustainability of Animal Breeding." Sustainability 13, no. 14 (July 12, 2021): 7787. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13147787.
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Sustainability in animal breeding can be understood as continuous availability of breeding animals and their germinal products for commercial production, that now and in the future, meet the requirements of a broad range of stakeholders: breeders, farmers, livestock keepers, producers, consumers and others, while respecting animal welfare and promoting more sustainable agriculture. Breeding goals are established to contribute to fulfilling various aspects of sustainability: quality, diversity, acceptability, environment and economics. Government policies and strategies have major impacts on animal breeding; they provide the basis for establishing the legal landscape for national priorities for livestock sector development and provide for institutional arrangements and control measures. Implementation of international agreements supports policy development for sustainability in animal breeding and production. The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources was prepared to directly contribute to sustainable management of livestock calling for improved characterization, monitoring, breeding and conservation. The Convention on Biological Diversity calls for the conservation of genetic diversity, including agricultural genetic resources. Animal breeding and strategies for livestock development require long-term policy perspectives, as poor decisions can have lasting detrimental effects. This paper is intended to highlight the importance of policy development in efforts to achieve sustainability in the livestock sector.
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Liao, Jinbao, Zhixia Ying, Daelyn A. Woolnough, Adam D. Miller, Zhenqing Li, and Ivan Nijs. "Coexistence of species with different dispersal across landscapes: a critical role of spatial correlation in disturbance." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1830 (May 11, 2016): 20160537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0537.
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Disturbance is key to maintaining species diversity in plant communities. Although the effects of disturbance frequency and extent on species diversity have been studied, we do not yet have a mechanistic understanding of how these aspects of disturbance interact with spatial structure of disturbance to influence species diversity. Here we derive a novel pair approximation model to explore competitive outcomes in a two-species system subject to spatially correlated disturbance. Generally, spatial correlation in disturbance favoured long-range dispersers, while distance-limited dispersers were greatly suppressed. Interestingly, high levels of spatial aggregation of disturbance promoted long-term species coexistence that is not possible in the absence of disturbance, but only when the local disperser was intrinsically competitively superior. However, spatial correlation in disturbance led to different competitive outcomes, depending on the disturbed area. Concerning ecological conservation and management, we theoretically demonstrate that introducing a spatially correlated disturbance to the system or altering an existing disturbance regime can be a useful strategy either to control species invasion or to promote species coexistence. Disturbance pattern analysis may therefore provide new insights into biodiversity conservation.
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Boot, R. G. A. "Extraction of non-timber forest products from tropical rain forests. Does diversity come at a price?" Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 45, no. 4 (December 1, 1997): 439–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.18174/njas.v45i4.504.
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Tropical rain forests are rich in plant and animal species. The sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products has been advocated as a strategy to best conserve this diversity. However, the development and implementation of such exploitation systems, which aim to reconcile conservation and economic development, are still hampered by the lack of information on the biological sustainability of these systems, the impact of these exploitation systems on the biological diversity and the insufficient knowledge of the role of forest products in the household economy of forest dependent people and hence their prospects for economic development. Whether the exploitation of non-timber forest products from tropical rain forests is sustainable or not is still open to question, but data presently available on the biological, social and economic aspects of these extraction systems point at an interesting question: does diversity come at a price? Namely, low density of conspecifics, and thus products, and hence low productivity for those involved in the collection of forest resources. The paper will further discuss whether domestication of forest species provides an alternative for some of these species. Species are part of a complex ecosystem and their functioning is partly depended on the presence of other species in the system. The attributes of the species which have to be taken into account in order to make domestication of forest species successful are considered. Finally, the paper returns to the question of how to reconcile conservation and use of tropical rain forests. It will present a case for domesticating the forest instead of the species or, in other words, changing the forest composition without changing its structure and functioning, and maintaining acceptable levels of biodiversity.
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Shi, Bo, Majid Khayatnezhad, and Abdul Shakoor. "The interacting effects of genetic variation in Geranium subg. Geranium (Geraniaceae) using scot molecular markers." Caryologia 74, no. 3 (December 21, 2021): 141–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.36253/caryologia-1079.
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One of the most crucial aspects of biological diversity for conservation strategies is genetic diversity, particularly in rare and narrow endemic species. Our study is the first attempt to utilize SCoT markers to check the genetic diversity in Iran. We used 115 plant samples. Our objectives were 1) to check genetic diversity among Geranium species 2) Genetic structure of the Geranium 3) Do the Geranium species exchange genes? 4) To detect isolation by distance among the Geranium species. We used traditional morphological and molecular methods to assess genetic diversity and genetic structure in the Geranium species. A total of 129 amplified polymorphic bands were generated across 13 Geranium species. The size of the amplified fragments ranged from 150 to 3000 bp. G. stepporum showed the highest values for the effective number of alleles (Ne = 1.30) and Shannon information index (I =0.35). Significant ANOVA results (P <0.01) showed differences in quantitative morphological characters in plant species. G. sylvaticum showed high genetic diversity. Mantel test showed a significant correlation (r = 0.17, p=0.0002) between genetic distance and geographical distance, so isolation by distance (IBD) occurred among the Geranium species. According to the SCoT markers analysis, G. kotschyi and G. dissectum had the lowest similarity, and the species of G. sylvaticum and G. pratense had the highest similarity. The present study revealed that a combination of morphological and SCoT methods could distinguish the species of Geranium.
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Fuentes-George, Kemi. "Neoliberalism, Environmental Justice, and the Convention on Biological Diversity: How Problematizing the Commodification of Nature Affects Regime Effectiveness." Global Environmental Politics 13, no. 4 (November 2013): 144–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/glep_a_00202.
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Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is becoming a dominant approach in generating political and societal support for conservation of globally important biodiversity. PES assumes that corporate actors and policymakers will be more likely to support environmental action if convinced of the economic rationale of doing so. However, by process-tracing two biodiversity projects funded by the Global Environment Facility in Jamaica and Mexico, I argue that linking biodiversity conservation to neoliberal economics reifies a short-term, exploitative view of the environment. Economic calculations about biodiversity will not persuade corporate actors and policymakers to abandon short-term exploitation. Moreover, commodifying nature under the neoliberal paradigm undermines other perspectives on the value of nature, notably those rooted in cultural, historic, subsistence and aesthetic paradigms. In turn, this restricts the ability of populations not integrated into major economic markets to participate in governance and influence what “effective” regime implementation looks like at the local level.
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Heywood, Vernon H. "In situ conservation of plant species – an unattainable goal?" Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 63, no. 4 (February 6, 2015): 211–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07929978.2015.1035605.
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The conservation of plant species in situ is a complex and multifaceted procedure which involves both the maintenance and management of protected areas and actions targeted at the species and population level. Most effort has been aimed so far at the occurrence and persistence of species in protected areas as a measure of conservation. However, species-level actions such as conservation or recovery plans have been undertaken for only a small percentage of threatened plant species, mostly by a few countries. The reasons for this are complex and involve scientific, social and political considerations. The planning of targets for biodiversity conservation in situ by the Convention on Biological Diversity suffers from a failure to coordinate area-based and species-based actions leading to overlap and confusion. A set of recommendations is given to help remedy the neglect of targeted species conservation.
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Gupta, Mohit. "Right of Indigenous Communities to Prior Informed Consent under Article 7 of the Nagoya Protocol and a Comparative Analysis of Its Implementation by India and Bhutan." International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 28, no. 1 (November 26, 2021): 36–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718115-bja10003.
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The Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd) was adopted in 1992. This Convention had three major objectives: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its component, and access and benefit sharing of biological resources arising out of their utilisation. The Nagoya Protocol to the cbd was adopted in 2010 for the fulfilment of the third objective of the cbd, access and benefit sharing. Article 7 of the Nagoya Protocol imposes an obligation on states parties to ensure that “prior and informed consent or approval or involvement” of the indigenous and local communities is taken before their knowledge is accessed. The present study first analyses the contents of Article 7 of the Nagoya Protocol. It will throw light on the meaning of the phrase “prior and informed consent or approval and involvement” as used in Article 7. It then highlights the implementation of Article 7 by two states parties, namely, India and Bhutan.
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Romeo, Raquel Ángela, and Gabriela Susana Entrocassi. "Floristic study and conservation value analysis of the Jordán river middle basin forest (Jujuy, Argentina)." Mediterranean Botany 41, no. 2 (September 9, 2020): 149–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/mbot.62176.
Full textAbstract:
The floristic study and the conservation value analysis of forest from the Jordan river middle basin are addressed in this research. This vegetation forms part of the subtropical mountain forests or Yungas, one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Present forest species were surveyed, and the vegetation Interest Conservation index (INCON) was determined based on a series of conservation value criteria (Phytocenotic, Territorial, Mesological, Ethnobotanical, Perceptual and Didactics) recorded in the field. Available data on socio-cultural aspects of the area was also included in the study. All plants were identified up to genera and/or species. INCON was calculated from the sum of scoring assigned to each analyzed criterion. As a result, 42 forest species were identified; for each one, its conservation status was performed, including the altitudinal vegetation belt, biogeographical origin (at least for the genus), and their ethnobotanical value. The INCON obtained (135 points) showed the high natural, ethnocultural, landscape, and educational value of these forest vegetation according to the criteria analyzed. This information provides a useful tool to have a more precise knowledge of the diversity conservation status of Las Yungas. It also serves to recognize the biological and environmental relevance of this area, whose usefulness can be used for conservation purposes or decision making on protection plans.
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Lee, Sang Hun, Yi Hyun Kang, and Rong Dai. "Toward a More Expansive Discourse in a Changing World: An Analysis of Political Leaders’ Speeches on Biodiversity." Sustainability 13, no. 5 (March 8, 2021): 2899. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13052899.
Full textAbstract:
Speeches delivered in the Conference of the Parties (COPs) to the Convention on Biological Diversity represent leading discourses about biodiversity conservation. The discourse shared by high-level politicians is especially influential in the financing and decision-making process of global biodiversity governance. However, the speeches given in the COPs have not been the subject of systematic analyses until now. This study analyzes the host countries’ speeches given at the six most recent COPs and investigates which discourses have been expressed in the speeches. The regulatory discourse that views nature as a resource was found to be the dominant discourse, while other discourses that view nature as a scientific object or a spiritual entity were represented only marginally. As the need for a transformational policy for biodiversity conservation is growing amid a global pandemic, it is essential to deepen our understanding of the dynamics and complexity of nature and reflect it in the policy process. This study suggests that more balanced discourse on biodiversity may earn broader audiences’ consensus on biodiversity conservation.
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Blackburn, Harvey D., Carrie S. Wilson, and Bethany Krehbiel. "Conservation and Utilization of Livestock Genetic Diversity in the United States of America through Gene Banking." Diversity 11, no. 12 (December 17, 2019): 244. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d11120244.
Full textAbstract:
A germplasm collection curated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Animal Germplasm Program contains of over one million samples from over 55,000 animals, representing 165 livestock and poultry breeds. The collection was developed to provide genetic conservation and security for the U.S. livestock sector. Samples in the collection span 60 years, suggesting a wide range of genetic diversity and genetic change is represented for rare and major breeds. Classifying breeds into four groups based upon registration or census estimates of population size of < 1000, < 5000, < 20,000, and > 20,000 indicated that 50% of the collection is comprised of rare breeds in the < 1000 category. As anticipated, collections for breeds in the < 20,000 and > 20,000 are more complete (86% and 98%, respectively) based upon an index combining the number of germplasm samples and the number of animals. For the rarest breeds (< 1000), collection completeness was 45%. Samples from over 6000 animals in the collection have been used for adding diversity to breeds, genomic evaluation, reconstituting populations, or various research projects. Several aspects of collecting germplasm samples from rare breeds are discussed. In addition, approaches that could be used to enhance the status of rare breeds via the repository use are presented. However, given the array of obstacles confronting rare breeds, the gene bank may be the most secure prospect for the long-term conservation of rare breed genetics.
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Nopp-Mayr, Ursula, Eva Maria Schöll, Frederik Sachser, Susanne Reimoser, and Friedrich Reimoser. "Does Ungulate Herbivory Translate into Diversity of Woody Plants? A Long-Term Study in a Montane Forest Ecosystem in Austria." Diversity 15, no. 2 (January 25, 2023): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d15020165.
Full textAbstract:
Different species-specific traits of woody plant species, feeding preferences of herbivores together with resulting effects on plant competition are expected to translate into different plant community structures and expressions of biodiversity. We studied the diversity of woody plant species (trees and shrubs) and structural diversity of forest trees, using a 30-year and an 18-year dataset of ungulate exclosure-control plot pairs in a mixed alpine forest community in Austria. We surveyed the tallest individuals per tree species and plot and analyzed the collective of top-height individuals per plot pair. Incidence data for exclosure and control plots were aggregated. Comparing species diversity and diversity of height classes on the plots throughout time, we calculated diversity profiles based on Hill numbers. Diversity of top height individuals and structural diversity, expressed by height classes, were two diversity aspects that differed between exclosures and control plots. Other diversity estimates of woody plant species showed huge variation without significant differences between plots. Height growth was significantly suppressed by ungulate herbivory. Effects of ungulate herbivores in forest ecosystems are highly complex and context-dependent and thus not reducible to simple top-down forces. Long-term surveys provide data that reflect “ultimate” effects of herbivory interacting with other drivers of community dynamics.