International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

About: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is a nonprofit organization based out in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Biodiversity & Population. The organization has 1317 authors who have published 1870 publications receiving 97588 citations.

An ecosystem risk assessment of temperate and tropical forests of the Americas with an outlook on future conservation strategies

Abstract: Centro de Estudios Botánicos y Agroforestales, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Maracaibo, Venezuela Provita, Caracas, Venezuela IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, Gland, Switzerland Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia GTSA de la Amazonia Wataniba, sede Caracas, Venezuela IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia Fundación EcoCiencia, Quito, Ecuador EcoHealth Alliance, New York, USA IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, Nairobi, Kenya Correspondence José Rafael Ferrer-Paris; Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas. Av8 (Santa Rita) Entre calles 79 y 80, Edificio MICA, 4005 Maracaibo, Venezuela. Email: jr.ferrer.paris@gmail.com; jferrer@ivic.gob.ve Funding information Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 3123; MAVA Fondation pour la Nature; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT program Editor Javier Simonetti Abstract Forests of the Americas and the Caribbean are undergoing rapid change as human populations increase and land use intensifies. We applied the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) criteria and simple cost-efficiency analyses to provide the first regional perspective on patterns of relative risk integrated across multiple threats. Based on six indicators of ecosystem distribution and function, we find that 80% of the forest types and 85% of the current forest area is potentially threatened based on RLE criteria. Twelve forest types are Critically Endangered due to past or projected future deforestation, and Tropical Dry Forests and Woodland have highest threat scores. To efficiently reduce risks to forest ecosystems at national levels, scenario analyses show that countries would need to combine large forest protection measures with focused actions, tailored to their sociopolitical context, to help restore ecological functions in a selection of threatened forest types.

Biofuels and ecoagriculture: can bioenergy production enhance landscape-scale ecosystem conservation and rural livelihoods?

Abstract: Global development of the biofuel sector is proceeding rapidly, driven by national policy mandates, government subsidies, and profit opportunities for farmers, agribusiness and energy companies. To date, most investment in—and dialogue on—biofuels has focused on large-scale production of liquid transport fuels. A smaller set of efforts has explored the potential of biofuels to promote rural development by reducing energy poverty among the world's two billion poorest people. Here, we consider the potential of these diverse approaches to promote the goals of ecoagriculture: namely, sustainable agricultural production (including biofuel feedstocks), conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and viable rural livelihoods. Using a landscape planning framework, we review empirical evidence and identify criteria for designing biofuel production systems that promote this trio of goals. Biofuel development has the greatest potential when biomass production is an ‘interstitial’ activity and when processing...

Mitigation of negative ecological and socio-economic impacts of the Diama dam on the Senegal River Delta wetland (Mauritania), using a model based decision support system

Abstract: . Abstract: The delta of the River Senegal was modified substantially by the construction of the Diama dam in 1986 and the floodplain and estuarine areas on the Mauritanian bank were affected severely by the absence of floods. In 1994, managed flood releases were initiated in the Bell basin (4000 ha) of the Diawling National Park, as part of a rehabilitation effort. The basin was designated as a joint management area between traditional users and the Park authority and a revised management plan was developed through a participatory approach based on a topographical, hydro-climatic, ecological and socio-economic data. Hydraulic modelling was developed as a tool to support stakeholder negotiations on the desired characteristics of the managed flood releases. Initially, a water balance model was developed. The data were then integrated into a one-dimensional hydraulic model, MIKE 11 (DHI, 2000). When associated with a Digital Elevation Model and a Geographic Information System, (Arc View), the model provided a dynamic description of floods. Flood extent, water depth and flood duration data were combined with ecological and socio-economic data. The water requirements of the different stakeholders were converted to flood scenarios and the benefits and constraints analysed. A consensus scenario was reached through a participatory process. The volume of flood release required to restore the delta does not affect hydro-power generation, navigation or intensive irrigation, for which the dams in the basin were constructed. Hydraulic modelling provided useful inputs to stakeholder discussions and allows investigation of untested flood scenarios. Keywords: wetland restoration, water use conflicts, equity, Senegal River delta, Mauritania, Diawling National Park