Refine
Document Type
- Doctoral thesis (4)
- Scientific article (1)
Has Fulltext
- yes (5)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (5)
Keywords
- Naturschutz (5) (remove)
Institute
Result-based payments (RBPs) reward land users for conservation outcomes and are a promising alternative to standard payments, which are targeted at specific land use measures. A major barrier to the implementation of RBPs, particularly for the conservation of mobile species, is the substantial monitoring cost. Passive acoustic monitoring may offer promising opportunities for low-cost monitoring as an alternative to human observation. We develop a costing framework for comparing human observation and passive acoustic monitoring and apply it to a hypothetical RBP scheme for farmland bird conservation. We consider three different monitoring scenarios: daytime monitoring for the whinchat and the ortolan bunting, nighttime monitoring for the gray partridge and the common quail, and day-and-night monitoring for all four species. We also examine the effect of changes in relevant parameters (such as participating area, travel distance and required monitoring time) on the cost comparison. Our results show that passive acoustic monitoring is still more expensive than human observation for daytime monitoring. In contrast, passive acoustic monitoring has a cost advantage for nighttime as well as day-and-nighttime monitoring in all considered scenarios.
Sub-Saharan African cultural landscapes are adversely impacted by various development pressures, which calls for a holistic and integrated approach in their management. Mining development has been ranked highly by UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as one of the most common factors threatening the conservation and management of World Heritage properties around the world. For instance, out of 141 World Heritage properties which submitted their state of conservation reports in 2015, 18% were affected by mining activities. Out of these, 84% of the properties that were threatened by mining development were either cultural landscapes, natural properties and or mixed properties. African World Heritage cultural landscapes are the ones highly affected and threatened by planned and on-going mining and exploration activities.
Therefore, research was carried out using the Mulanje Mountain Cultural Landscape of Malawi and Mapungubwe Cultural landscape of South Africa. Specifically, the study aimed at examining the existing cultural landscape management theories and concepts in order to understand the key elements to be integrated into the suggested strategic management planning methodological framework. It also aimed at evaluating the impact of mining development on the conservation and management of African cultural landscapes. The study also investigated the stakeholder’s views and perception about the impact of mining activities on cultural and natural heritage values of the landscapes.
To achieve the research objectives, the literature was reviewed, firstly to determine the dimensions of cultural landscapes, and secondly, to determine the dimensions of mining development in World Heritage cultural landscapes. The study used two case studies as an effective comparative research strategy in the investigation of the conflicting issues of mining development against the conservation of the attributes of the two cultural landscapes. A case study research strategy was combined with other research methodologies. These included interviews, focus-group-discussions, observations, field site surveys, qualitative content analysis, and thematic analysis.
The study has revealed that stakeholder participation and inclusion is a key element in the integration of mining development in cultural landscape planning. This research has contributed to the methodological gap in cultural landscape management planning by developing and applying an integrated strategic management planning methodological framework. The application of this framework has shown that the governance in place for Mulanje Mountain cultural landscape conformed to the requirements of a long-term and holistic planning process and the participation and empowerment of multiple stakeholders in that process.
Anthropogenic threat for the world’s environment and ecosystems and financial constraints necessitate a wise use of resources for the implementation of biodiversity conservation measures. A cost-effective planning and governance of biodiversity conservation has to be done to achieve maximal ecological outcomes with given financial resources. A better understanding of available modes of governance can help to improve the cost-effectiveness of biodiversity conservation planning and implementation.
This thesis investigates the influence of governance mode choice on the cost-effectiveness for biodiversity conservation measure implementation in selected conceptual and empirical settings, and identifies ecological, economic and climatic factors of influence. Linking the cost-effectiveness analysis for biodiversity conservation measures to the make-or-buy decision enables a novel perspective on cost-effective biodiversity conservation. In this context, conservation agencies are assumed to have two main options to implement biodiversity conservation measures in principle: (1) the buy alternative in which land is purchased for the purpose of biodiversity conservation measure implementation, and (2) the compensation alternative where a conservation agency compensates landowner’s opportunity costs to incentivise voluntary conservation measure implementation by landowners.
Two conceptual ecological-economic models were developed to analyse the cost-effective governance mode choice and their sensitivity to changing ecological, economic and climatic parameters. Two empirical case studies were conducted to address the question of cost-effective governance mode choice for a conservation project in Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and a federal state wide comparison of conservation activities in California (USA).
It was found that the buy alternative is more cost-effective than the compensation alternative if conservation budgets and interest are high. In addition, not only the choice of governance mode is relevant with respect to cost-effectiveness, but also the mechanism to spatially select conservation sites chosen within a selected governance mode. Changing climate change speed – among other factors – influences the cost-effectiveness of governance modes and site selection strategies. The cost-effective governance mode choice also crucially depends on the intended timeframe of a conservation project. For shorter timeframes, compensating landowners is the cost-effective governance mode, however for longer durations the buy alternative becomes more cost-effective. This effect arises specifically due high one-off costs for buying land, which however amortize over time, compared to high recurring costs for compensating landowners. Based on these findings, the policy recommendations are provided which aim to improve the cost-effectiveness of governance modes available for biodiversity conservation.
Cameroon’s forest is one of the richest ecosystems in the Congo Basin and in Africa as a whole in terms of its biodiversity. These forest types are currently subjected to multiple categories of threats. By enacting a new forestry law in 1994, the government of Cameroon intended to intensify efforts toward the protection and conservation of this rich biodiversity. This study aimed to compare two forest management systems, a state management system (the case of Takamanda National Park) and a community-based management system (the case of Bimbia- Bonadikombo Community Forest), to determine which management system better conserves and protects the forest against biodiversity loss. The study applied a methodological framework that made use of selected indicators and criteria to evaluate the extent of sustainability of the two forest management systems and challenges faced in implementing them. Both quantitative and qualitative results were realized through the administration of questionnaires, semi-structure interview and in-depth contents analysis of Law No.94-1 of 20th January 1994 that lays down forestry, wildlife and fisheries regulations and the 1996 Environmental Management Law that directs Cameroon’s compliance to the international standard of protecting the environment.Results indicated that community-based system of forest management is a much more sustainable approach of forest management than a state management system. Based on the criterion of cultural values attributed to natural resources in the community-based management zone (Bimbia- Bonadikombo Community Forest), 78.2% of the local communities were more willing to protect biodiversity as opposed to 48.3% from state management zone (Takamanda National Park). This study found that the level of participation in the community-based management system was much more inclusive and transparent. On the other hand, in the state management system, a high level of corruption, lack of transparency, delayed and irregular salaries of forest guards and minimal participation of local communities in forest management decision-making was noted and likely responsible for the ineffectiveness and unsustainable management efforts in this system. The study recommends the adoption and implementation of a more inclusive, transparent and accountable management in the state managed system (Takamada national park), particularly the full involvement of respected Elites, Chiefs and Traditional Councils.
Im Reiherbachtal im Solling (Niedersachsen) wird ein im Besitz der Niedersächsischen Landesforsten befindlicher lichter Bestand etwa 200-jähriger Alteichen seit dem Sommer 2000 zum Erhalt des „Hutewaldcharakters“ mit Heckrindern und Exmoorponys beweidet. Im Rahmen der wissenschaftlichen Begleitung des als Erprobungs- und Entwicklungsprojekt (E+E) des Bundesamtes für Naturschutz ins Leben gerufenen, verkürzt meist „Hutewaldprojekt“ genannten Waldweidevorhabens zum Schutz von Arten und Lebensgemeinschaften wurde von Januar 1999 (Vorstudie) bis zum Dezember 2005 (Ende der wissenschaftlichen Begleituntersuchungen) unter anderem auch die Flechtenflora des knapp 200 ha großen Projektgebietes erfasst. Dabei wurden 189 Taxa festgestellt, eine im Vergleich mit Literaturangaben aus anderen deutschen Waldgebieten bundesweit herausragende Artenfülle. Hierin enthalten sind unter anderem 28 obligat oder fakultativ lichenicole bzw. saprophytische, flechtenähnliche Pilze, die traditionell von der Flechtenkunde mitbearbeitet werden. Da die Fachliteratur für das entsprechend zu berücksichtigende Inventar keine eindeutigen Vorgaben macht, wird eine fachlich begründete Empfehlung hierfür abgeleitet. Zusätzlich ist der Anteil landes- wie bundesweit gefährdeter Arten mit 54% bzw. 47% überdurchschnittlich hoch. Sieben Arten sind Erstnachweise für das Land Niedersachsen, eine davon auch für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Der Anteil der Epiphyten liegt bei 75%, knapp zwei Drittel der Arten kann eine positive Prognose gestellt werden, sollte die Beweidung fortgeführt werden. Im speziellen Teil vorliegender Arbeit werden alle 189 nachgewiesenen Arten in Text und Bild dokumentiert. Die Auswertung der dort zusammengetragenen artspezifischen Parameter zeigt, dass im Gebiet die Eiche bedeutenstes Trägergehölz epiphytischer Arten ist, was den in der Fachliteratur dokumentierten Befunden aus anderen Waldgebieten entspricht. Zugleich ist auf diesem Gehölz der Anteil gefährdeter Arten besonders hoch. Die in Forstwirtschaftskreisen weit verbreiteten Methoden der forstlichen Standortcharaktersierung mittels Zeigerwerten und Hemerobiegraden von Artenlisten führen über auch aus anderen naturräumlichen Daten zu gewinnende Erkenntnisse hinaus kaum zu weiterführenden Einsichten. Erst eine räumlich kleinskaligere Auswertung (hier auf Basis von Rasterfeldern zu 100 m x 100 m) bzw. Verwendung der in aktueller Literatur als künftig nicht mehr zu nutzen empfohlener Toxitoleranzzahlen sowie des aus anderen Zeigerwerten zu berechnenden KO-Wertes erbringt für die naturschutzfachliche Planung wichtige Zusatzinformationen über Ballungsräume seltener Arten bzw. aus Artenschutzgründen umgehend anders als bisher zu behandelnder Teilgebiete. Erstmals für deutsche bzw. niedersächsische Verhältnisse anwendbar gemacht wird eine Bewertung von Waldgebieten unter Verwendung der in ihnen erhobenen Flechtenartenlisten mit Hilfe des in Großbritannien entwickelten Revised Index of Ecological Continuity (RIEC). Er erlaubt die Ansprache eines Untersuchungsgebietes als naturschutzfachlich besonders wertvoller historisch alter Wald. Dabei bietet er die Vorteile, mittels einer vergleichsweise einfach und ganzjährig zu erhebenden Artengruppe verlässliche Aussagen zu erhalten und gleichzeitig stellvertretend für andere, schwieriger zu untersuchende Artengruppen zu stehen. Auch der britische New Index of Ecological Continuity (NIEC) wird für hiesige Verhältnisse weiterentwickelt. Beide Verfahren sind für eine Übertragung auf andere Bundesländer geeignet, bedürfen dort wie auch in Niedersachsen aber noch der statistisch abgesicherten Optimierung mittels weiterer vergleichender Untersuchungen. Angesichts des Status des Reiherbachtales als Teil des Flora-Fauna-Habitat- und Vogelschutz-Gebietes „Wälder im südlichen Solling“, dem im Gebiet anzuwendenden Erlass des Landes zur langfristigen ökologischen Waldentwicklung (LÖWE) sowie weiterer naturschutzrechtlicher Rahmenbedingungen einerseits und der „Problematik“ der Naturverjüngung der Eiche in weiten Teilen Mitteleuropas sowie den positiven Erfahrungen und Literaturanregungen hierzu, insbesondere bei Anwesenheit großer Pflanzenfresser andererseits wird für die Fortführung der begonnenen Waldbeweidung dringend plädiert. Zumindest ist das so genannte „Habitatbaum-Konzept“ der Niedersächsischen Landesforsten ebenso als nicht ausreichend zu verwerfen wie die nicht zielführende, sondern im Gegenteil sogar schädliche Verjüngungspraxis der Forstbehörden. Ein weiterführendes, an den naturschutzfachlichen Konditionen orientiertes Zukunftsszenario für das Reiherbachtal könnte nach Ansicht des Verfassers ferner die Schaffung eines großflächigen modernen Hutewaldgebietes im Sinne des in Amerika und Sibirien diskutierten „Pleistocene Re-wilding“ sein.