Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Biosphere reserves – Management'

Конвенція про біологічне різноманіття проголошує своїми трьома базовими цілями: збереження біорізноманіття, стале використання його компонентів та отримання на справедливій і рівній основі вигід, пов'язаних з використанням генетичних ресурсів, створюючи ідеологічне підґрунтя функціонування біосферних резерватів. На перше місце виходить збереження біологічного різноманіття, на друге - сталий соціально-економічний розвиток, а на третє місце стає моніторинг стану біосферних резерватів. Ці три взаємозалежних функції і лягли в основу Севільської стратегії біосферних резерватів, що була схвалена разом з новою Концепцією біосферних резерватів і Статутних рамок Світової мережі біосферних резерватів ще в 1995 р. При цитуванні документа, використовуйте посилання http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/11281

Environmental monitoring initiatives are typically conceived as strictly scientific affairs designed to provide support for managerial decision-making; as a consequence most initiatives are centered on a formal mandate or an overarching mission statement that provides direction for monitoring activity. But official frameworks tend to marginalize lay perspectives as experts pursue disciplinary rigor at the expense of public input, a situation not in keeping with the spirit of the biosphere reserve concept. This thesis argues that an alternative design approach that reaches beyond scientists and resource managers is necessary. Environmental monitoring under an ecosystem approach is subject to scientific, social, and bureaucratic demands that defy easy disentanglement. A medley of factors influence how data are collected, interpreted, and used; neglect of these 'soft' dimensions runs the risk of failing to win the enduring support of stakeholders. There is a need to coordinate activity and to partially align multiple perspectives-this is the 'soft underbelly' of integrated monitoring that gets short shrift in most designs. While there is much monitoring being done in and around the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve, there is little coordination among monitoring groups and no obvious way to combine disparate data sets in a meaningful way. This thesis describes the elements of a locally-sensible framework for monitoring practice that is mainly concerned with trying to make sense of confusing and ambiguous situations; it strives to integrate the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of monitoring in as transparent a manner as possible by crafting 'boundary objects' that help to congeal understanding and provide centers of coordination. Using principles of participatory design in the soft-systems tradition, the overall intent is to primarily support sense-making, not decision-making; to generate searching questions, not final solutions; to facilitate learning, not control.

The loss of biodiversity is recognised as a tremendous threat to ecosystems, but its maintenance is challenging. One important issue is seen as decisive for its success: the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity that means to reconcile protective measures with different kinds of use. This study investigated management areas that explicitly emphasise this issue: UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserves that shall contribute to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use and an initiative from the Swedish government called Regional Landscape Strategies that aims to find a balance between sustainable use and conservation on a landscape level. In three MAB Reserves in Germany and one Swedish county testing Regional Landscape Strategies semi-structured interviews were conducted. They aimed to detect the values and factors steering the decisions of biodiversity management and conservation as well as to identify obstacles for sustainable use, conservation and their integration in general. The interviews reveal that the connected terms and concepts can be interpreted in different ways and this exacerbates the work. Furthermore, the study detects some issues that can facilitate the integration of sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in the respective areas and discussed their applicability on a larger scale. Examples are the establishment of a kind of forum involving local affected stakeholders and the creation of a connection point mediating the different sectors within the administration. These aspects could help to design the management of biodiversity more sustainable if they would be part of the mainstream management practises. Regarding the state of biodiversity that shall be achieved or maintained it can be mentioned that different factors and values steer the decisions; intrinsic values are underlying, but further issues seem crucial: practicability of the respective land use, aesthetic values, a high resilience of the system as well as the near-natural states.

In an increasingly complex, rapidly changing world, the capacity to cope with, adapt to, and shape change is vital. This thesis investigates how natural resource management can be organized and practiced to nurture this capacity, referred to as resilience, in social-ecological systems. Based on case studies and large-N data sets from UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), it analyzes actors and social processes involved in adaptive co-management on the ground. Papers I & II use Kristianstads Vattenrike BR to analyze the roles of local stewards and bridging organizations. Here, local stewards, e.g. farmers and bird watchers, provide on-site management, detailed, long-term monitoring, and local ecological knowledge, build public support for ecosystem management, and hold unique links to specialized networks. A bridging organization strengthens their initiatives. Building and drawing on multi-level networks, it gathers different types of ecological knowledge, builds moral, political, legal and financial support from institutions and organizations, and identifies windows of opportunity for projects. Paper III synthesizes the MA community-based assessments and points to the importance of bridging organizations, leadership and vision, knowledge networks, institutions nested across scales, enabling policies, and high motivation among actors for adaptive co-management. Paper IV explores learning processes catalyzed by bridging organizations in BRs. 79 of the 148 BRs analyzed bridge local and scientific knowledge in efforts to conserve biodiversity and foster sustainable development, provide learning platforms, support knowledge generation (research, monitoring and experimentation), and frame information and education to target groups. Paper V tests the effects of participation and adaptive co-management in BRs. Local participation is positively linked to local support, successful integration of conservation and development, and effectiveness in achieving developmental goals. Participation of scientists is linked to effectiveness in achieving ‘conventional’ conservation goals and policy-makers enhance the integration of conservation and development. Adaptive co-management, found in 46 BRs, is positively linked to self-evaluated effectiveness in achieving developmental goals, but not at the expense of conservation. The thesis concludes that adaptive collaboration and learning processes can nurture resilience in social-ecological systems. Such processes often need to be catalyzed, supported and protected to survive. Therefore, bridging organizations are crucial in adaptive co-management.

Aquest estudi busca proporcionar una reflexió teòrica inicial sobre la importància d’entendre el territori de l’Àrea de Biosfera Macizo del Cajas (ABMC) a sud de l’Equador i la seva gestió des de la complexitat, com a eina conceptual per generar processos integrals i pràctics per a la conservació dels ecosistemes i els serveis que aquests proporcionen com a mitjà principal de la qualitat de vida dels seus habitants. La incorpoción d’anàlisi transdisciplinaris des de l’observació de certs símptomes respecte a l’estat de coneixement i de conservació d’elements claus de biodiversitat, importants per les seves característiques bioindicadores, la seva sensibilitat i endemisme com les espècies de granotes altoandines (Atelopus nanay i A. exiguus) que amplien el seu rang de distribució i mostren francs processos d’imminent risc d’extinció, i que es complementen i relacionen, des d’altres visions, a l’escàs nivell d’interès i compromís dels múltiples actors en el territori de l’ABMC per gestionar aquest territori, els seus ecosistemes, recursos naturals i serveis ecosistèmics, associats amb la concepció de la sostenibilitat i l’aplicació de la proposta de la figura de Reserva de Biosfera promoguda per la UNESCO. Així mateix, una reflexió de la immensa potencialitat que tenen els ecosistemes continguts en aquest territori altoandino i la seva importància en la generació de serveis ecosistèmics bàsics i claus per al desenvolupament i supervivència de les seves poblacions així com estratègics per a tot el país i la seva relació amb aquesta necessitat d’entesa holístic amb eixos científics, socials, culturals, eductivos i de polítiques clares per al seu maneig.
Este estudio busca proporcionar una reflexión teórica inicial sobre la importancia de entender el territorio del Área de Biosfera Macizo Cajas (ABMC) al sur del Ecuador y su gestión desde la complejidad, como herramienta conceptual para generar procesos integrales y prácticos para la conservación de los ecosistemas y los servicios que estos proporcionan como medio principal de la calidad de vida de sus habitantes. La incorpoción de análisis transdisciplinarios desde la observación de ciertos síntomas respecto al estado de conocimiento y de conservación de elementos claves de biodiversidad, importantes por sus características bioindicadoras, su sensibilidad y endemismo como las especies de ranas altoandinas (Atelopus nanay y A. exiguus) que amplian su rango de distribución y muestran francos procesos de inminente riesgo de extinción, y que se complementan y relacionan , desde otras visiones, al escaso nivel de interés e involucramiento de los múltiples actores en el territorio del ABMC para gestionar este territorio, sus ecosistemas, recursos naturales y servicios ecosistémicos, asociados con la concepción de la sustentabilidad y la aplicación de la propuesta de la figura de Reserva de Biosfera promovida por UNESCO. Así mismo, una reflexión de la inmensa potencialidad que tienen los ecosistemas contenidos en este territorio altoandino y su importancia en la generación de servicios ecosistémicos básicos y claves para el desarrollo y supervivencia de sus poblaciones así como estratégicos para todo el país y su relación con esta necesidad de entendimiento holístico con ejes científicos, sociales, culturales, educativos y de políticas claras para su manejo.
This study seeks to provide an initial theoretical reflection on the importance of understanding the territory of the Cajas Massif Biosphere Area (ABMC) in southern Ecuador and its management from complexity, as a conceptual tool to generate comprehensive and practical processes for the conservation of ecosystems and the services they provide as the main means of the quality of life of its inhabitants. The incorporation of transdisciplinary analyzes from the observation of certain symptoms regarding the state of knowledge and conservation of key elements of biodiversity, important for their bio-indicative characteristics, their sensitivity and endemism as the species of High Andean frogs (Atelopus nanay and A. exiguus) that expand their range of distribution and show frank processes of imminent risk of extinction, and that complement and relate, from other visions, the low level of interest and involvement of the multiple actors in the ABMC territory to manage this territory, its ecosystems, natural resources and ecosystem services, associated with the conception of sustainability and the application of the proposal of the Biosphere Reserve figure promoted by UNESCO. Likewise, a reflection of the immense potential of the ecosystems contained in this high Andean territory and its importance in the generation of basic and key ecosystem services for the development and survival of its populations as well as strategic for the whole country and its relationship with this need for holistic understanding with scientific, social, cultural, educational and clear policy axes for its management.

The Río Pláttano Biosphere Reserve, a tropical rainforest reserve in the northeastern corner of Honduras, is home to several subsistence-based indigenous groups, including the Miskito, Pech and Garifuna, as well as the non-indigenous Ladinos. Communities within the reserve depend on forest resources, swidden agriculture, marine resources and/or small-scale ranching as the foundations for local economies. Regulations placed on these subsistence practices, after establishment of the biosphere reserve in 1980, have created unique and new pressures and resulted in a blend of traditional and innovative resource use. A notable result is the promotion of ecotourism as a solution for meeting the economic needs of local populations while conserving local resources. This thesis documents current resource use in the Miskito and Ladino communities of Banaka, Brans, and Fuente de Jacob, in the Río Pláttano Biosphere Reserve and the potential of ecotourism to maintain both local economies and consumption of tropical rainforest resources in these communities. Analysis suggests that a community-based approach to ecotourism can result in economic benefits and maintain local culture. This thesis documents current resource use (agricultural crops and trees, gathered and cultivated plants, tree-use, and hunting), resident perspectives on ecotourism development and industry, and provides the foundation for long-term monitoring and analysis on the effects of ecotomism on forest resource and land-use in the greater Banaka region.

The establishment of a UNESCO Biosphere indicates a shift from traditional conservation of individual areas towards a more regional approach and an inclusive planning and management regime. This study sets out to investigate the effects of the Biosphere Reserve designation in Mount Carmel, Israel, with special regard to settlement development and stakeholder management. The implications of the Biosphere Reserve designation have been explored through GIS analysis, using LANDSAT satellite data, and through interviews, observations and participatory checking. The empirical findings were analysed in relation to the Biosphere Reserve Statutory Framework, and to theories on territorialisation, space production and participatory planning. The findings suggest that the Biosphere Reserve designation have had very limited effects in the case of Mount Carmel. Settlements have continued to expand into protected areas, and there is no organised structure for stakeholder participation. This study underlines the value of considering context and history in the establishment of protected areas, and the importance of establishing the Biosphere Reserve concept among the different stakeholders.
GLEAN - A Global Survey of Learning, Participation and Ecosystem Management in Biosphere Reserves

The presence of inhabitants in protected areas, a common occurrence in developing countries, represents a major challenge for conservation. This MA thesis questions the state's strategy in the case of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, in Mexico, a strategy which is officially based on the implementation of sustainable development through the participation of local communities. Working with the assumption that sustainable development is a political concept that implies a competition between different actors in order to define what has to be sustained, for whom, by whom, why, and how, I first analyze the factors that, until now, have impeded local inhabitants' participation. I argue that the subordination of civil society by the state during the last century is a historical burden that has debilitated civil society's capacity for effective participation. Second, I discuss the state's vision of sustainable development and the weight given to the two conflicting visions held, on the one hand, by local inhabitants and, on the other, by the environmentalists and biologists. I conclude that the state's appeal for the participation of local communities is not in recognition of the fact that local inhabitants have the right to greater input in the definition of sustainable development in the region, but needs to be understood as a strategy to achieve rule compliance. Unfortunately, then, while the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve may be managed according to a vision of sustainable development, this is not a vision that has emerged from a dialogue between the state and civil society. Local support is thus unlikely since transforming local communities into allies would rather require achieving a compromise based upon genuine dialogue.

In an European context of agricultural land abandonment, the role of the farming community as landscape stewards is crucial for maintaining the rural landscape as well as the ecosystem services provided by this landscape. Such stewardship is studied here by assessing the participation of the farming community in the management of Menorca Biosphere Reserve, a small Mediterranean island with very well conserved and rich rural landscape which is not escaping this tendency of land abandonment. A survey of 41 farms and interviews with 15 stakeholders were performed in order to assess the role of the farming community in participatory management processes and the effectiveness of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Agency (MBRA) in facilitating their participation.The results show that the participatory activities of the MBRA are effective and highly valued by participating stakeholders but could be improved by: 1) engaging non-associated farmers and traditional farmers in the MBRA activities 2) finding a consensual and long-term solution on issues related to the access to private rural land 3) providing rapid feedback to participants after meetings and 4) transforming the MBRA structure in order to deal with changes and an uncertain future. Failing to do this could illegitimate further participatory activities, erode trust among stakeholders and alienate the farming community and the society, thereby affecting the maintenance of the rural landscape.This case study highlights the importance of appropriate management structure for adaptive co-management to benefit from the participation of stakeholders in general and farmers in particular. The findings should be of interest to managers, scholars and practitioners using adaptive co-management approaches to manage complex social-ecological systems such as rural, cultural landscapes.

Fishery managers face two problems that are endemic to all renewable resource management: how much of the resource should be extracted, and how should resource users be managed to ensure efficiency and fairness. The predominant fishery management approach addresses these problems through fish stock assessment and resource economics. However, my review of the literature and analysis of the situation in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve show that both methodologies face serious difficulties: they deal inadequately with uncertainties about the causes of observed behaviour and the likely effects of different policies; they are too focused on readily measurable objectives; and they do not address the effects of the institutional context on management. In Chapter 3, I examine previous applications of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with a view to see if they can be applied to fishery management. My analysis shows that until now MCDA has been used to address only the first two sets of fishery management problems: systematically incorporating uncertainty and multiple objectives into policy development. I also argue that existing proposals for the use of Decision Analysis can be classified as variations of one version of MCDA, namely Multiple Stakeholder Decision Analysis (MSDA). The main problems that remain to be resolved relate to the interaction between experts, stakeholders, and managers when there are conflicting interpretations of evidence, and situations of high institutional inertia. In Chapter 4, I examine these problems within the context of ecological management experience and New Institutional Economics. I argue that for complex problems, such as those in the Danube Delta, management that aims to attain narrowly defined optimal fishing yields through command and control measures is unfeasable and undesirable. A more promising approach would seek to strengthen resilience, promote organisational variety, and increase the leverage of stakeholders over those who provide services for them. When one seeks to achieve such a transformation of management, I argue that the intervention needs to take into account the specific institutional circumstances of the client. In Chapter 5, I show how management procedures, problem perception, and strategy development are influenced by organisational structure and the hierarchical position of managers. That is why decision analysis interventions must address both technical as well as institutional needs of clients. In Chapter 6, I discuss Decision Conferencing, an alternative MCDA approach, and argue that it is more suitable for dealing with management problems such as those of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Decision Conferences can provide a structure for expert, manager, and stakeholder interaction and can lead to the transformation of social realities. In Chapters 7 and 8, I review the context and concrete environmental and institutional problems that led to the first Decision Conference on an environmental management problem. I report the processes of the Decision Conference, the agreements reached, and anlyse both the short and medium term effects of the intervention. On the basis of that evidence I make claims about the general utility of the approach. The thesis concludes with proposals to improve Decision Conferencing through a framework that provides guidance for context specific process management and helps to ensure that a requisite variety of viewpoints are incorporated into management strategy development.

We live in a world that faces several social and environmental problems and achieving sustainable development in contexts where it is necessary to alleviate poverty without eroding the capacity of the ecosystems to support future generations is challenging. Therefore, fostering sustainable development requires enabling both society and environment to cope with disturbances, adapt to and shape change (resilience). Literature suggests that adaptive co-management practices are appropriate for building resilience and fostering sustainable development. Additionally, studies have highlighted the role of bridging organizations in coordinating and facilitating adaptive co-management. However, adaptive co-management has not been studied in poverty contexts. This thesis aims to understand what the main tasks of bridging organizations are, and how they facilitate and stimulate adaptive co-management in poverty contexts and their role in nurturing sustainability. The Environmental Monitors Programme of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve was chosen as a case-study. Biosphere reserves are considered learning sites for sustainable development. The programme was studied through the lenses of a bridging organization. Semi-structured interviews and participatory observation with stakeholders identified: 1) the importance of existing networks and collaborations; 2) monitoring contribution to the identification of social and environmental issues, experimentation contribution to the implementation of sustainable harvesting practices; 3) environmental education combined with social learning lead to community empowerment and adaptive responses that e.g. address erosion; 4) environmental monitors have a crucial role in linking organizations and communities; 5) challenges related to low income settings include communities’ basic needs. This study illustrates the need to address both social and ecological problems in a concerted manner, by capacitating and empowering communities while conserving the environment. Additionally, points out the need of studying alternative co-management strategies that give focus on different priorities regarding stakeholders’ interests and the influence of power in decision-making in poverty contexts.

Securing the production of ecosystem services, essential for human well-being, is a challenging taskthat has both social and ecological dimension. Calls for more adaptive institutional managementarrangements that not only account for the complex and cross-scale nature of ecosystems, but alsothe corresponding social dynamics of actors and institutions that manage those ecosystems haveemerged. Social network analysis is a tool increasingly used to empirically map and analyze suchsocial/institutional dynamics. In this study, social network analysis is used to investigate the socialnetwork of actors engaged in nature conservation in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “East VätternScarp Landscape”, Sweden. The results reveal a large network of 117 individuals representing 21organizations. The representatives in a collaborative project group perform both structural andfunctional bridging, why the group can be classified as a bridging organization. Members of thebridging organization are well-anchored among the people they represent. Hence, the objectives ofperipheral members are represented in the core, even though the network is highly centralized. Theinstitutional arrangements made visible in this study show many traits of adaptive co-management.Qualitative data on what type of information that flows through the network, and what effect thatthe network structure has on the production if ecosystem services is however lacking. This calls forfurther studies in the area.

Esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo geral fornecer subsídios ao plano de manejo da Reserva Biológica Estadual Mata Paludosa, localizada no município de Itati, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, integrante da área piloto do litoral norte da Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica e representante de um dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados: as Florestas Ombrófilas Densas das Terras Baixas, que se configuram, também, como o habitat de várias espécies ameaçadas de extinção. A construção do referencial metodológico foi baseada no Roteiro Metodológico para o Planejamento de Unidades de Conservação fornecido pelo IBAMA (2002) e na categoria de análise geográfica: paisagem. A análise da paisagem foi elaborada através da escolha de autores que percebem a paisagem de forma integradora dos espaços naturais e sociais, ou seja, paisagens que retratam o passado e o presente através das relações entre a sociedade e a natureza, em sua forma, em sua função, em sua estrutura e em sua dinâmica. A partir desta lógica, fez-se uma leitura da paisagem apreendida pelas suas marcas e pelas suas matrizes, interpretando os significados e decifrando os modos de vida e as ações humanas impressas no tempo e no espaço. O uso do Sistema de Informações Geográficas foi importante para a caracterização da área de estudo e da sua área de entorno, proporcionando informações de geomorfologia, hidrografia, declividade, altimetria, uso e cobertura da terra, divisão dos municípios e da rede viária. Além disso, realizou-se um levantamento das percepções da comunidade da área de entorno em relação à unidade de conservação. Os resultados evidenciam a necessidade da elaboração e execução de um plano de manejo, por parte dos administradores, de maneira a conservar a biodiversidade e os elementos sócioculturais dos colonizadores da área de entorno, pois a paisagem-marca e a paisagem-matriz se sobrepõem, transformando-se numa paisagem transglóssica.
This research aims to provide elements to the management plan of Mata Paludosa Biological Reserve, located in Itati, Rio Grande do Sul. This reserve is part of the north shore pilot area of Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve and it represents one of the most endangered ecosystems: The Lowland Dense Ombrophilious Forests. Besides that, it is the habitat of several species in danger of extinction. The creation of the methodological reference was based on the Methodological Procedures provided by the Ibama Conservation Unit Plan (2002) and on the geographic analysis category: the landscape. The analysis of landscape was elaborated through a choice of authors that perceive the landscape as an integrative form of natural and social spaces, in other words, landscapes that portray the past and the present through their relation to society and nature, in form, function, structure and activity. Therefore, a reading of the landscape’s imprints and matrixes was done, granting the opportunity of interpreting the meanings and deciphering the ways of life and the human actions printed in time and space. The use of the Geographical Information System was important to the characterization of the field of study and its surroundings, presenting information about geomorphology, hydrography, declivity, altimetry, land use and cover, city borders and road maps. Moreover, a research about the conservation unit was done to find out the perception of the surrounding community. The results show the need to elaborate and carry out a management plan in order to preserve the biodiversity and the social-cultural elements of the surrounding colonizers, because the imprint and the matrix landscape overlap each other forming a hybrid landscape.

La cogestion des aires protégées a été conçue comme un modèle innovant àimplementer dans le but d'ameliorer les conditions de vie des populations riveraineset d'assurer une conservation durable des ressources biologiques. Cette theseconfronte ce modèle à la réalité de son application dans les réserves de biosphère deWaza et de la Bénoué, au Nord du Cameroun. Afin de mettre en évidence les raisonsdu contraste entre les resultats attendus et ceux obtenus, notre methode s'appuiesur l'analyse des donnees bioécologiques, des relevés sur le terrain, des enquêtes etinterviews auprès de différents acteurs et l'examen des terroirs des zones àcogestion. Les résultats montrent que la cogestion a permis de désamorcer unesituation conflictuelle entre les parties prenantes, et qu'elle a aussi favorise lacomprehension par les acteurs en charge des deux reserves, de l'interet qu'accordentles communautés riveraines aux ressources naturelles. Toutefois, ces résultatsrévèlent que les retombées de la cogestion en matière de protection de labiodiversite et de survie des populations riveraines n'ont pas ete a la hauteur dutemps et des moyens (financiers, matériels) investis et des espoirs placés en ceprocessus par les riverains. La situation de cogestion a provoqué de violents conflits,des rancoeurs et la decrepitude des entites biologiques, objets meme de cettecogestion. Cette étude montre comment les acteurs se servent de manièredetournee, comme d'une passerelle pour atteindre des fins personnelles, de lacogestion, prise en tenaille entre ses acteurs prêts à lui faire obstacle si besoin. Sontegalement mises en lumiere les responsabilites de l'Etat engage dans ce processussans étude de faisabilité et contraint de céder une partie de ses pouvoirs à desreprésentants sur le terrain. Sur le plan local, l'analyse des relations montre desstructures étatiques restées rigides, sans concession et sans ménagement face auxpopulations. Celles-ci, galvanisées par les ONG nationales et internationales,entendaient jouer pleinement le jeu, tout en masquant leurs activites d'exploitantsillégaux. Les deux parties se découvrent sur le terrain de la cogestion avec leursidentités de maître et de sujet, de répresseur et de braconnier. Ce jeu de dupes nepouvait être associé à la gestion participative. Les phases d'elaboration du conceptthéorique de cogestion qui auraient pu prévenir cette situation, ont étéappréhendées superficiellement par les parties prenantes, hypothéquant ainsi lesrésultats du processus à moyen et long terme. Effectivement, la perte de plus dutiers du potentiel faunique des deux réserves pendant la phase de cogestion et legain insignifiant de 400 frs CFA/an par habitant dans la réserve de la Bénoué ne sontpas de nature a stimuler l'avancee et l'appropriation du processus. La manière dontla cogestion dans les réserves de biosphère de Waza et de la Bénoué a été menée,met en évidence les limites des politiques préconçues, appliquées sur le terrain sanstenir compte des savoirs autochtones et des contextes particuliers. Notre étudedemontre l'importance d'une exploitation et d'une fusion reflechies et preparees dessavoirs et des compétences locaux et exogènes, afin de relever le défi de la gestiondurable des ressources naturelles.

Climate change is inevitable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forewarned the global community of the consequences of unrestrained burning of fossil fuels (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2011, para. 2). Until there is an economically viable source of alternative energy that can meet current and future demands, consumption of fossil fuels will continue to rise unless abated by models of governance that can assure sustainable use (Homer-Dixon & Garrison, 2010, p. 4). Climate change mitigation strategies take place in isolated cases where the resources and capability exist to address it. Biosphere reserves are governed as such. Each biosphere reserve has the ability to include climate change mitigation strategies within their mandates. Can these models of governance be used to demonstrate how to effectively address and mitigate climate change in other systems?

Biodiversity loss is a current major environmental problem at a global level. However, given the complexity and interdependency between social-ecological systems, integrated strategies, that combine biodiversity conservation with other environmental and socio-economic goals, are necessary. Biosphere reserves are multifunctional landscapes, designated by UNESCO, that are ideally managed in a participatory way to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. However, despite there are biosphere reserves designated all over the world, their realization has been limited. Research effectiveness has been mainly focused in investigating specific processes or only include the perspectives of experts. This work uses a more holistic approach to investigate the factors that are important for the success of biosphere reserves. Building on a systematic literature review of the scientific literature, I found that factors related with categories context, inputs, processes and outcomes that interact at different scales. Relationships between subcategories were analysed using multivariate statistics, and three groups of papers identified, which are associated with the goals of biosphere reserves: biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and capacity building. There were also identified gaps in the literature, which limit a more comprehensive understanding. In order to determine what lessons for the success of biosphere reserves can be drawn from the implementation of grassroot approaches, a multiple case-study research with 35 semi-structured interviews was conducted in the Paul do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve, the Janas Ecovillage and Minga Multisector Cooperative. The analysis of how the initiatives started, their governance, management and outcomes allowed to conclude that the initiatives represent different sustainability pathways and to draw recommendations to increase the success of the biosphere reserve. This research provides important contributions for the management of social-ecological systems, including the conservation of biodiversity, and for the success of biosphere reserves: (1) at a conceptual level, the multi-dimensional framework developed allows to identify the trade-offs, synergies and conflicts associated with the management of social-ecological systems; (2) recommendations were developed for the implementation of the MAB Programme, the Paul do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve, Janas Ecovillage and Minga Multisector Cooperative; and (3) a research agenda is proposed, to contribute to advance inquiry

This thesis examines how the core messages of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme and their transmission and interpretation among the programme’s different participants and stakeholders have evolved from the programme’s inception in the late 1960s to the present day, and provides recommendations on how to strengthen MAB’s current communication practices. Initially established as an interdisciplinary programme comprising 14 distinct research projects investigating the relationship between humankind and the biosphere with the objective of generating the knowledge and wisdom to improve it, the approaches and methodologies advocated by MAB have changed considerably over the past decades. MAB is today best known for its global network of 669 biosphere reserves at which the methodologies and concepts advocated by the programme are trialed in practice. Through a historical analysis and three case studies examining the implementation of the MAB programme in Vietnam, Palau and Australia, respectively, the trajectory of MAB’s messages and their interpretation are examined in detail. The research undertaken traces a number of significant shifts in the way new knowledge and practice is generated within MAB, from its origin as a research agenda produced by a gathering of elite scientists to a decentralized network of experimental sites at which new approaches towards sustainable development are put into practice in accordance with local priorities. The three case studies demonstrate how MAB’s basic concepts and ideas are increasingly interpreted based on local conditions and priorities, sometimes approaching self-organization occurring in relative isolation from either the national or global levels of the programme. The research also shows that MAB’s wide-reaching research-derived objectives have made the articulation of a clear and coherent definition of the programme’s core purpose difficult, posing a challenge to the programme’s national coordinators and biosphere reserve managers charged with the responsibility of implementing MAB in-situ. In conclusion, a series of recommendations addressed to MAB’s governing bodies are made on the basis of the analysis performed, advocating the establishment of a global frame of reference within which to communicate MAB’s original open-ended and inquiry-based objectives, thereby allowing biosphere reserves to develop locally appropriate and specific interpretations of the programme’s objectives; the articulation of a more precise definition of the biosphere reserve’s purpose; the elaboration of more targeted communications with the individual biosphere reserves; and the development of accessible guidance on the implementation of the programme in practice.

As urban areas continue to expand into rural areas the world is experiencing a loss of productive agricultural land and diminishing natural habitats and associated ecosystems. The space where urban meets rural is known as the rural-urban fringe and what happens in these areas ultimately determines urban development patterns. Despite being such an important area, the rural-urban fringe is poorly understood and is often described as a “blurry” space – blurry in land patterns because it is where multiple uses collide and in how individuals interact in this space (since actors with often diverse opinions on how land should be used coexist there). Furthermore, there is no single body of scholarly literature that explains why and how decisions get made in rural-urban fringe areas. This thesis contributes to filling this gap in literature by helping to (i) understand and explain decision-making processes at the rural-urban fringe; (ii) create an analytical framework for understanding decision-making dynamics at the rural-urban fringe within two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, South Africa and the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve, Canada; and (iii) construct a theory of decision-making for better outcomes at the rural-urban fringe. The analytical framework is divided into two parts with components drawn from problem-solving (including governance and management) and critical (critical political economy and resilience) theories. The premise is that each part contributes to a holistic understanding that they cannot accomplish on their own. The analytical framework is used as the analytical platform for consideration of the research data and is the basis on which the thesis’ theoretical contribution is built. Specifically, each case study is first examined within the context of existing governance and management processes. This reveals the character of key issues and dynamics and the resulting policy responses. The cases are then located within the broader analytical contexts of critical political economy and resilience. This reveals the historical and structural dynamics often overlooked or neglected in problem-solving approaches. The thesis reveals that in both case studies, government policy notwithstanding, decision-making within the rural-urban fringe is primarily determined by neoliberal ideologies of economic development and ‘return on investment’. What emerges from the application of the analytical framework to the two case studies is a theory of decision-making for better outcomes at the rural-urban fringe wherein "better" means a process for achieving outcomes in line with the stated goals of policies and plans, generally framed by the idea of sustainable development. The theory asserts that effective decision-making for environmentally sustainable and socially equitable outcomes at the rural-urban fringe requires six conditions to be in place: (1) sufficient economic resources; (2) adequate knowledge; (3) forgiving time scale; (4) capable state; (5) robust legal structure; (6) favorable global context. All six are important though at this stage it cannot be said with absolute certainty whether better-for-all decisions may emerge in the absence of one or more of these conditions. This theory makes a meaningful contribution to the scholarship on the rural-urban fringe and advances knowledge by articulating a new integrated approach to better decision-making that addresses the explanatory weaknesses identified by this thesis for each of the five bodies of literature considered.

Wälder sind lebenswichtige Nahrungs- und Einkommensquellen für ländliche Haushalte und dienen als Reserven in Krisenzeiten. Deshalb können Abholzung und Walddegradierung die Lebensbedingungen der waldabhängigen Gemeinschaften gefährden. Darüber hinaus ist Abholzung die zweitgrößte Ursache für Treibhausgasemissionen, Biodiversitätsverlust und Klimawandel. Der ländliche Raum bedarf einer besonderen Aufmerksamkeit, da er sehr anfällig für die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels ist. In diesem Zusammenhang ist REDD+ als eine günstige Alternative zur Verringerung des Klimawandels und zur Förderung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung aus dem Rahmenübereinkommen der Vereinten Nationen über Klimaänderungen (englisch United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC) hervorgegangen. Allerdings sind die potenziellen positiven und negativen Auswirkungen von REDD+ noch relativ unbekannt. Das gilt ins besondere für indigene Völker und andere vom Wald abhängige Bevölkerungsgruppen in tropischen Regenwäldern. Die hier vorgestellte Forschung ist eine mehrschichtige Studie, die dazu beiträgt, mögliche Alternativen der REDD+ Implementierung aus einer Bottom-up-Perspektive zu erklären. Als Fallstudie wurde die Yasuní-Region im gleichnamigen ecuadorianischen Biosphärenreservat ausgewählt. Die Region ist Teil eines größeren REDD+ Projektes der Deutschen NRO Welthungerhilfe. Hier wurden die drei am weitesten verbreiteten ethnischen Gruppen ausgewählt, die in der Pufferzone des Yasuní-Nationalparks leben. Zwei Gemeinden von jeder Ethnie mit jeweils unterschiedlichen Entfernungen zu den Märkten wurden als Studiengruppen ausgewählt. Hierbei handelt sie sich um die indigenen Gruppen der Shuar und Kichwa sowie die Gruppe der Kolonisten (Mestizen). Der Mehrskalenansatz umfasst die Haushaltsebene, die Gemeindeebene sowie die regionale Landschaftsebene. Auf der Haushaltsebene wird eine Analyse der Einkommensgenerierung, die sich aus der Subsistenzwirtschaft und der Barmitteleinnahme zusammensetzt, vorgestellt. Zusammenfassend lässt sich feststellen, dass die Mehrheit der untersuchten Haushalte hohe Einnahmen von Ölfirmen erhalten, denen sie als ungelernte nicht-landwirtschaftliche Arbeitskräfte zur Verfügung stehen. Darüber hinaus bezieht ein Großteil der Haushalte staatliche Unterstützungen. Die Studie zeigt, dass die indigenen Völker trotzt der vergleichsweise hohen Einkünfte aus ihrer Arbeit im Ölsektor und externer Hilfen eine größere Abhängigkeit von Wald- und Umweltressourcen als die Kolonisten haben. Dieses hohe nicht-landwirtschaftliche Einkommen könnte - zumindest zeitweise - den Druck auf die Wälder reduzieren. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist REDD+ ein relativ schwacher finanzieller Anreiz für die untersuchten Haushalte. Dies gilt umso mehr, wenn man das Engagement in mehrjährigen REDD+ Projekten wie Wiederaufforstung, Waldüberwachung usw. betrachtet. Auf Gemeindeebene werden die Landkonfiguration und der institutionelle Rahmen für die Entscheidungsfindung gemeinsamer Ressourcen analysiert. In dieser Studie werden zwei Formen kommunaler Vereinbarungen vorgestellt: Common Property Management Regimes (CPMRs) und Kolonisten-Kooperativen. Als konzeptioneller Rahmen wird der theoretische Ansatz von Ostrom (1990) zur Governance of Common Pool Resources (CPR) verwendet. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass sich immer mehr indigene Landkonfigurationen denen der Mestizen angleichen. Hinterlassenschaften aus Agrarreformen und geltende rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen fördern die Privatisierung der bäuerlichen Betriebe in den Gemeindeländern und damit die Waldzersplitterung. Dieses wiederrum beeinflusst die traditionelle Ressourcennutzung. Auf Landschaftsebene werden eine historische und territoriale Konfiguration sowie Managementpläne für das Biosphärenreservat Yasuní vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus werden rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für REDD+, Konsultations- und Beteiligungsmechanismen diskutiert. Ergebnisse der Datenanalyse zeigen, dass unsichere Landadministration sowie Titelrechte die REDD+-Implementierung behindern können. Des Weiteren kommt es zu einer Überlappung von indigenem Land mit Erdölblöcken und Naturschutzgebieten, wodurch es zu potentiellen Konflikten kommen kann. Darüber hinaus verringern inkonsistente Managementplänen und rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen die effektive Beteiligung und Entscheidungsfindung von indigenen Völkern und Kleinbauern. Schlussfolgerung der Analyse ist, dass es einer breiten und eingebetteten Landschaftsplanung der Yasuní Region bedarf. Das Livelihood Framework Konzept wurde häufig angewandt, um die Haushaltsbedingungen und Verwendungsmuster von Umweltressourcen zu untersuchen. Diese Prägungen können Entwaldung, Erhaltung oder Abbauprozesse vorhersagen und beeinflussen. Erkenntnisse, wie die hier vorgestellten, verdeutlichen jedoch die Notwendigkeit von Bottom-up-Perspektiven vor der Umsetzung globaler Klimaschutzmechanismen wie REDD+. In praktischer Hinsicht liefern die Studienergebnisse Einblicke zur Konzeption von REDD+ Ansätzen für Projektentwickler und Entscheidungsträger. Die partizipative und intensive Beteiligung der lokalen Gemeinden an der Waldnutzung ist der einzige Weg, um die Erhaltung und nachhaltige Entwicklung der tropischen Wälder zu gewährleisten. Darüber hinaus sollten die ethnische Diversität sowie die traditionelle Ressourcennutzung aufrecht erhalten und gefördert werden.
Los bosques representan fuentes vitales de alimentos e ingresos para los hogares rurales, en especial durante períodos de crisis. Por lo tanto, la deforestación y la degradación forestal pueden poner en peligro los medios de subsistencia de las comunidades que dependen de los bosques. Además, la deforestación es la segunda causa más importante de emisiones de Gases Efecto Invernadero (GEI) y desencadena la pérdida de biodiversidad y el cambio climático. Los medios de subsistencia rurales necesitan una atención especial, ya que son altamente vulnerables a los efectos del cambio climático. En este contexto, REDD+ ha surgido en la mesa de negociación de la Convención marco de las Naciones Unidas para el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC) como una opción asequible para mitigar el cambio climático y, al mismo tiempo, para promover el desarrollo sostenible. Sin embargo, se necesita una mejor comprensión de los potenciales impactos positivos y negativos de la implementación de REDD+. Esto último, es especialmente importante en el caso de los Pueblos Indígenas (IP) y los campesinos dependientes de los bosques tropicales. La investigación presentada es un estudio a varios niveles que contribuye a elucidar las posibles implicaciones de la implementación de REDD+ desde una perspectiva de local hasta internacional. La región de la Reserva de la Biosfera del Yasuní en Ecuador fue seleccionada como estudio de caso. La región es parte de un proyecto REDD+ realizado por la ONG alemana Welthungerhilfe. Aquí se eligieron los tres grupos étnicos más representativos que habitan en la zona de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Yasuní. Se seleccionaron como grupos de estudio dos comunidades de cada etnia, los grupos indígenas Shuar y Kichwa y los colonos (mestizos), con diferentes distancias a los mercados. El enfoque multiescalar comienza en el nivel del hogar, luego sube a la comunidad y al final al nivel del paisaje regional. A nivel de hogar, se presenta un análisis de la generación de ingresos a partir de fuentes de subsistencia y dinero en efectivo. En resumen, todas las comunidades estudiadas generan altos ingresos fuera de la finca como mano de obra no calificada trabajando para las compañías petroleras y reciben ayuda externa. El estudio también muestra que los Indígenas tienen una mayor dependencia de los recursos forestales y ambientales en comparación con los colonos. Eventualmente, estos altos ingresos generados fuera de la finca podrían reducir, al menos temporalmente, la presión sobre los bosques. En este contexto, REDD+ constituye un incentivo débil para los hogares estudiados cuando se compara con los altos ingresos de la mano de obra no calificada. Esto se aplica aún más cuando se considera el involucramiento en las actividades del proyecto de REDD+ que requieren mucho tiempo, como la reforestación, monitoreo forestal, etc. A nivel comunitario, se analiza la configuración de la tierra y el marco institucional para la toma de decisiones sobre los recursos compartidos. Aquí se presentan dos formas de arreglos comunales: Regímenes Comunes de Gestión de la Propiedad (CRPM) y Cooperativas de Colonos. El marco teórico de Ostrom (1990) sobre la gobernanza de los recursos communes (CPR) se utiliza como marco conceptual. Los resultados sugieren que cada vez más, tanto la configuración de la tierra de las IP como las organizaciones comunitarias están adquiriendo características mestizas. Este mestizaje promovido parcialmente por el gobierno a través de los legados de la Reforma Agraria y los actuales marcos legales está desencadenando la privatización de las fincas dentro de las tierras comunitarias y por lo tanto promoviendo la fragmentación del bosque y afectando las formas ancestrales de regularización para el uso de los recursos. A nivel del paisaje se presenta una revisión de la configuración histórica y territorial así como los planes de manejo para la Reserva de la Biosfera Yasuní. Además, se discuten marcos legales para REDD+, así como mecanismos de consulta y participación. De acuerdo con los datos del presente estudio, la inseguridad en la administración de la tierra y los derechos de titulación pueden obstaculizar la implementación de REDD+ y generar conflictos debido a la superposición de tierras indígenas con bloques de petróleo y áreas protegidas. Además, las incoherencias entre los planes de gestión y los marcos jurídicos reducen la participación efectiva y la toma de decisiones de los Inddígenas y los pequeños agricultores. El análisis concluye sugiriendo una visión de paisaje amplia e integrada para el área del Yasuní. El marco teórico de medios de vida (Lifelihood Framewrok) se ha utilizado comúnmente para estudiar las condiciones de los hogares y generar patrones de uso de recursos ambientales que pueden moldear y predecir procesos de conservación, deforestación o degradación. Sin embargo, intentos como el presentado aquí ejemplifican la necesidad de perspectivas ascendentes previo a la implementación de mecanismos globales de mitigación como REDD+. Desde la perspectiva práctica, los resultados proporcionan nuevas percepciones para los desarrolladores de proyectos y los formuladores de políticas para el diseño de enfoques REDD+. La verdadera y plena participación de las comunidades locales en la gobernanza de los bosques es la única manera de alcanzar la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible de los bosques tropicales. Además, igual de importantes son la diversidad pluricultural y la promoción de reglas tradicionales para el uso de los recursos, así como las prácticas tradicionales.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2001.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-96).

Biosphere reserves have evolved out of a responsibility to resolve conflict by reconciling the needs of humans with the need to maintain ecological integrity and biodiversity. Participatory approaches to planning and management are seen as key to linking conservation and sustainable development. The purpose of this research was to investigate participation in planning and management activities in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) located in Uttaranchal, India. Eco-development and microplanning have emerged in India as two government-initiated mechanisms allowing greater opportunity for other sectors to have a role in conservation-related planning and management activities. Although there has been progress in the application of participatory processes, the two case studies in this research illustrate the need to bolster civic and private sector participation in planning and management of the NDBR. One important and positive outcome of the participatory processes that were applied was that relationships had improved between the sectors.
February 2007

MENVSC
Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences
The purpose of this study was to contribute towards a better understanding of the effectiveness of Biosphere Reserve as a tool in managing natural resources in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), Limpopo Province of South Africa. There are limited documented materials for a better understanding of the effectiveness of Biosphere Reserve (BR) as a tool in managing natural resources in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). As a result, this study was undertaken to bridge this gap and to discover new insights to assist in understanding the effectiveness of BR as a tool in managing natural resources. This study adopted a pragmatic research approach, which is a mixture of the qualitative and quantitative research approaches, wherein data were collected using primary and secondary sources. Both primary and secondary data were used, in order to obtain information concerning the effectiveness of biosphere reserve in the study area. Primary data were obtained using a combination of methods, including participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools and techniques, and informal and formal surveys. The secondary data was collected from desk-based examination of relevant documentation relating to conservation of the Biosphere Reserves areas. The documents included previous reports from Greenest Municipality Competition (GMC) results for all local municipalities from 2012 to 2017, Management Effective Tracking Tool (METT-SA) from 2016 to 2018, and previous research data on conservation. The results obtained revealed that Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an effective tool for the conservation of natural resources within Vhembe District, South Africa. This is because natural resources are taken into consideration when there are developments and projects being undertaken. Furthermore, the communities in Vhembe District Municipality benefit from the programmes and projects aimed at conserving natural resources within the VBR. The study also revealed that there are environmental challenges within the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve due to mining activities, climate change, developments in natural resources and deforestation, which require the enforcement of by-laws and programmes and projects aimed at conserving natural resources.
NRF

Influence of different management practices on the mountain meadows communities and possibilities of their maintenance in the National Park, Protected Landscape Area and Biosphere Reserve of Šumava are discussed. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of mulching of grassland vegetation with those of traditional mowing or leaving a grassland fallow. The results of a ten-year field experiment are presented - the changes of plant biomass, plant community structure and physical properties of the soil A horizon. Acceptable possibilities of mulching as an alternative technique for the maintenance of secondary grassland in the Bohemian Forest are proposed on the basis of data obtained during the experiment.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.
In the recent years, the major production of cartographic information and the advancement of new Information Technologies (IT's) has brought with it the need to develop new storage and management tools, making access in a simpler way either alphanumeric or vector information. Since the 60s, the processing, analysis and visualization of cartographic data has been carried out using GIS as desktop software, installed on a single computer. The advantage of this system was the possibility of combining different cartographic information thereby facilitating decision-making. The need to share data, mainly cartographic information, between agents who are working in the same area has been the basis for the creation of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) at global, national, regional ,local, or corporative level. Several resources for managing, classifying, sharing, exchanging, combining and accessing geographic data through internet connection have been developed together with the implementation of all levels of SDI's. The resources can be classified as: software for publishing cartographic data (maps servers), publication standards, metadata, legal framework, agreements among organizations, and the possibility to create different user levels.Therefore, the aim will be to have cartographic information updated and available for all the involved agents who are working in the same territory, which will result in sharing efforts and costs. Nevertheless, the development of new technologies has had an effect where the cartographic data producers have less direct contact with the field, ignoring somehow the people living in it who are the ones with best knowledge of the territory. In remote areas, where it is difficult to access such as the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve Region (Honduras), it is indispensable to create an SDI for managing and sharing cartographic information by the involved agents in the territory. It is important that the information offered by the indigenous communities is not left aside because they have a direct relation with the field. In the case of Rio Platano, they are scattered along the territory. The basis of this thesis is to create the SDI for the Rio Platano region and the methodology to combine the different cartographic information published by different organisms. Also, it will be important to include in the SDI structure the information regarding the cadastral boundaries and socio environmental indicators obtained from the indigenous communities. It will require the design of participative pictograms using Participatory Mapping techniques.