Showing papers in "International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management in 2007"
TL;DR: Himachal Pradesh, in the Indian Himalaya, has a rich diversity of medicinal plants, which are widely used and many different plant parts are used for the treatment of various ailments.
Abstract: Himachal Pradesh, in the Indian Himalaya, has a rich diversity of medicinal plants, which are widely used. This paper brings together existing information with the results from recent field surveys. A total of 643 species of medicinal plants are identified; many different plant parts are used for the treatment of various ailments. The number of medicinal plant species decreased with increasing altitude. The plants are classified according to nativeness, endemism, and rarity, and prioritized for cultivation. Existing strategies for in-situ and ex-situ conservation, cultivation and propagation are reviewed and a range of actions for cooperative implementation by all stakeholders are suggested.
103 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that support at national and international level is critical for conserving biodiversity at local levels as benefits accrue to users beyond the local population, so must costs in order for conservation programmes to be economically viable.
Abstract: We randomly selected 103 households and conducted a face-to-face interview in one of the Important Bird Areas of Nepal during the summer of 2004. We used referendum-type questions to elicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the conservation of the critically endangered White-rumped vulture, Gyps bengalensis. The Logit Regression Model was used to predict variables that influence WTP. The mean and median WTP per household were NRs 115.2 and NRs 119.9, respectively. The estimated aggregate benefits of vulture conservation at local, district and national levels were NRs 125,994, NRs 5,989,882 and NRs 510,117,491, respectively. We also conducted benefit-cost analysis of two vulture conservation strategies: habitat protection and captive breeding. At a local level, the benefit-cost ratio of habitat protection was 0.35 while the ratios at district and national levels were much higher. Captive breeding at the national level cost more but remained economically viable. The results indicated that the economic burden of ...
34 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the contribution of medicinal plants to the livelihoods of rural people in Pondoland, South Africa was analyzed and the authors concluded that unclear and sometimes restrictive government policies and legislation, and the collectors' disadvantageous positions in the medicinal plant commodity chain mean that the overall benefit for individuals and households is limited.
Abstract: This paper analyzes data on the contribution of medicinal plants to the livelihoods of rural people in Pondoland, South Africa A total of 23 medicinal plant species were identified as being important to local livelihoods, either for domestic use or for trading purposes in the city markets The study explores complex ways in which benefits from medicinal plants are mediated, including by local social factors, ecological factors determining availability, and external forces that determine the actual cash income from the sale of plants in the cities The study concludes that unclear and sometimes restrictive government policies and legislation, and the collectors' disadvantageous positions in the medicinal plant commodity chain, mean that the overall benefit for individuals and households is limited
32 citations
TL;DR: Two case studies from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, recount the emergence of new communities through struggles to regain access to resources and the need to expand CBNRM research to examine community-driven initiatives as intensively as externally-driven ones.
Abstract: Struggles over resources may constitute new understandings of community, boundaries and rights (Moore 1998:403). Literature on community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has focused on intra-community differentiation and the roles of CBNRM in expanding state power. Where communities are forged through struggle, however, internal heterogeneity along lines of class, gender, age and so on, may be a less significant obstacle than the challenges of enforcing the boundaries and rules created by newly emergent communities. Moreover, rather than being created through state projects of territorialization and control, such communities may look to the state for enforcement of newly-formed boundaries and rules. Two case studies from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, recount the emergence of new communities through struggles to regain access to resources. The first concerns grazing in Cwebe Nature Reserve, while the second concerns a community woodlot. In each, tensions emerged related to new loyalties and boun...
28 citations
TL;DR: Drawing from the four case studies presented here, this article engages the continued interest in communities and conservation, with special attention to the changes that have occurred over the past eight years, especially the emergence of market-driven conservation.
Abstract: Nearly eight years since the publication of Agrawal and Gibson's seminal article 'Enchantment and Disenchantment: the role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation,' scholarly and public interest in the role of communities in conservation remains strong. Drawing from the four case studies presented here, this article engages the continued interest in communities and conservation, with special attention to the changes that have occurred over the past eight years, especially the emergence of market-driven conservation. It does so by addressing the following themes: the ways communities are historically constituted in the context of conservation interventions; the role of external actors/agencies (e.g. states, NGOs, private enterprise) in this process, and other types of communities not often acknowledged in the literature; the central role of networks of governance (as apposed to governments) in conceptualizing and implementing conservation; and the neoliberalization of conservation.
27 citations
TL;DR: Current knowledge of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Europe is reviewed, the existing European policy framework is examined with respect to the ways in which it can both promote and hamper biodiversity conservation during climate change, and priority targets are highlighted.
Abstract: Climate change is already impacting upon global biodiversity, and projections of climate change impacts indicate that very significant future changes will occur, although such projections are associated with key areas of uncertainty. In order to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies for the conservation of biodiversity during climate change it is necessary to 1) understand the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, 2) understand the problems associated with the implementation of policies promoting the conservation of biodiversity during climate change, and 3) highlight key areas for action, both to address gaps in our understanding of the potential impacts of climate change and to develop the necessary levels of communication between scientists and policy-makers. This paper provides a European case study of these issues. We review current knowledge of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Europe, examine the existing European policy framework with respect to the ways in which it can ...
26 citations
TL;DR: Mountain reindeer habitats, coastal and mountain areas where commercial development competes with traditional outdoor recreational activities, and environmental assessments were nearly absent in most cases, suggesting an urgent need for regional level land-use planning to avoid future undesirable environmental and social impacts.
Abstract: Second homes are increasing rapidly throughout Norway. With an annual increase of nearly 5000 private units, the national total is approaching 400,000 second homes. A large share of this development is taking place in the winter habitats of migratory species like mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) that are sensitive to human development, as well as in coastal and mountain areas where commercial development competes with traditional outdoor recreational activities. Municipalities, the lowest level of public administration, carry the responsibilities for land-use planning and management of the second home sector. In this study, we investigate the capability of the municipal administrations to coordinate and assess large-scale second home development. A survey of 33 municipalities revealed that while 64% of the administrations had updated databases of planned second home units, most of the administrations were short of staff, time and resources. Only 6% of the municipalities cooperated with adjacent munic...
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on resource management, and highlight three major processes that threaten both the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of nature per se: (i) intensified use of biomass as a fuel resource, (ii) inappropriate pasture management and (iii) increased pressure on endangered wildlife.
Abstract: In the Tajik National Park (TNP) – a high-altitude area of nearly 26,000 km2 in Central Asia – past and present human activities visibly contrast with standard conservation requirements for protected areas worldwide. This paper focuses on resource management, and highlights three major processes that threaten both the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of nature per se: (i) intensified use of biomass as a fuel resource, (ii) inappropriate pasture management, and (iii) increased pressure on endangered wildlife. From analysis of these processes – their historical background, root causes, trends and interrelationships – options and needs to improve park management are proposed and discussed.
18 citations
TL;DR: The cultivation and processing of Murta has great potential for the rural economy of such areas of Bangladesh, and middlemen make significant profits, due to lack of marketing knowledge and available market information and marketing facilities of the villagers.
Abstract: Schumannianthus dichotoma (Murta) is widely grown in wetland areas of Bangladesh, providing the raw material for prayer and bed mats and also minimizing flood risk and soil erosion. The study was carried out in two villages in Gowainghat Thana (subdistrict) in Sylhet district, to determine techniques for traditional management of Murta plantations and its role in the household economy. On average, about 13% of the total homestead area is used for Murta plantations. Propagation was from rhizomes and branch cuttings, and little intensive management was required. Harvesting was usually done annually, from mid-September to the end of March. Three-quarters of respondents were directly involved in Murta-based cottage enterprises, providing an average annual income of US$216: 43% of total income. Net average profit per man-day from selling articles varies from US$0.23 to 0.73. Middlemen make significant profits, due to lack of marketing knowledge and available market information and marketing facilities of the v...
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that government officials and foreign donors frequently 'black-box' CFUG communities, ascribing them a false homogeneity, leading to user group domination by local elites.
Abstract: Community forests in Nepal are organized by government foresters, who enroll local forest resource users into Community Forest User Groups (CFUG). These identified users become the 'community' in community forestry. Because these users are defined by their relationship to forest resources, they appear to escape some of the problems associated with myths about community. However, government officials and foreign donors frequently 'black-box' CFUG communities, ascribing them a false homogeneity. In fact, the government's user group formation process reflects and exacerbates existing divisions within communities, leading to user group domination by local elites. The resulting power disparities have apparently mixed effects, limiting the potential for poverty alleviation but allowing, perhaps even enabling, forest conservation.
14 citations
TL;DR: An exploratory study was conducted on the hunting and gathering of wildlife by the Mro tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, highlighting the target animals, preference, frequency and various indigenous techniques of hunting.
Abstract: An exploratory study was conducted on the hunting and gathering of wildlife by the Mro tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, highlighting the target animals, preference, frequency and various indigenous techniques of hunting. The farmers are primarily dependent on shifting cultivation and hunting is a secondary occupation, particularly important for poor people. Though the tribe rears some domestic animals for sacrificing on special occasions, game meat appears to be a highly welcomed dietary supplement. A total of 34 species of wildlife were harvested from forests, from insect larvae to elephants. Wild boar ranked first for rich and medium farmers, and monitor lizards were ranked second by all the farmers. The indigenous knowledge about their living patterns and animals has potential for use in commercial animal farming to fulfil the protein demand and improve the socio-economic condition of the Mro.
TL;DR: The authors examined public attitudes to and support for sustainable harvesting of wildlife by surveying a sample of the Australian public and found that the relationship between respondents' support for the sustainable commercial harvesting of the species and the species' degree of endangerment is inverse.
Abstract: If sustainable use of wildlife is to be adopted as a strategy for nature conservation, it is important that it be supported by the public. This paper examines public attitudes to and support for sustainable harvesting of wildlife by surveying a sample of the Australian public. Participants' attitudes to sustainable commercial harvesting of wildlife in general and to the possible sustainable commercial harvesting of 24 Australian animal species is evaluated. The relationship between respondents' support for the sustainable commercial harvesting of the species and the species' degree of endangerment is found to be inverse. Support for sustainable commercial harvesting is also inversely related to respondents' allocation of funds for the conservation of each of the species. In turn, this allocation of funds increased with the degree of endangerment of the species. Harvest was supported only for some abundant species. None of the species listed in the Red List received majority support for harvesting. This su...
TL;DR: Given the sparse vegetation and status of rare, endemic and threatened plants, effective strategies are required for sustainable management and conservation of plant species in the Spiti cold desert.
Abstract: This paper addresses the diversity status and distribution of higher plants in the Spiti cold desert of the trans-Himalaya in India. Ecological surveys to measure species richness were conducted us...
TL;DR: This paper reflects on the principal lessons from ten years of work with rural communities on natural resource management, carried out through a non-governmental organization, Programa de Acción Forestal Tropical, which emphasized a holistic and integral approach, known as social learning.
Abstract: This paper reflects on the principal lessons from ten years of work with rural communities on natural resource management, carried out through a non-governmental organization, Programa de Accion Forestal Tropical. The community work experiences originate from 24 small projects in 14 small communities in seven states of southern Mexico. The work emphasized a holistic and integral approach, known as social learning. Two elements required for community work were analysed: theoretical concepts and practical applications. The theoretical concepts are: dialogue, empowerment, plurality, validity of local knowledge and co-responsibility. The practical applications are: diversification of activities in projects, training, monitoring and feedback. Analysis revealed the need to pay attention to the above social elements in the community to achieve resource management, and emphasized the social learning process. The analysis was the result of observations on the development of each project and interchanges between re...
TL;DR: It was concluded that there is a need for concerted efforts for conservation, as no single sector, private or public, can undertake the conservation of medicinal plants alone.
Abstract: Large numbers of people, mostly in developing countries, rely on traditional medicines for their primary healthcare needs. This paper focuses on conservation of medicinal plants used for skin infections, one of the most common sources of health problems in Kenya. An ethnobotanical study was carried out in the Makueni district of southern Kenya to explore the utilization and conservation of medicinal plants used for skin infections and to determine whether levels of harvesting are sustainable. Data were collected through open-ended semi-structured questionnaires. Consensus, as a quantitative criterion, was used in recording field information. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was used in determining the community's conservation, plant use and healthcare needs. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. The research revealed that 34 plant species from 31 genera and 22 families were of ethnomedical interest in treating at least eight different skin infections. The study showed that seven plant spec...
TL;DR: Canada has inadequate legislative provisions for native pollinator conservation at the federal and provincial level, and existing legislation pertains to the protection of managed pollinators, especially the western honeybee (Apis mellifera).
Abstract: Declining pollinator numbers in Canada is an issue of concern requiring active conservation of native, wild, and managed species. Federal and provincial legislation was examined to determine whether Canada has the capacity to manage native pollinators. Hard legislation was chosen based on its potential to contain provisions for pollinator protection. The wording, specific statements within each act, and the context in which they are used, were examined. The legislation was categorized into one of three classes: a) has explicit provisions for pollinator conservation, b) is related to, but no explicit provisions are present, c) has nothing to do with pollinator conservation. Results showed that Canada has inadequate legislative provisions for native pollinator conservation at the federal and provincial level. There are few specific provisions dealing directly with native pollinators, but some legislation alludes to it. Existing legislation pertains to the protection of managed pollinators, especially the we...
TL;DR: Agarwal et al. as discussed by the authors examined the language and practice of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park's management and, in particular, the incorporation of stakeholder-based approaches to decision making, arguing that the stakeholder concept serves to legitimate certain outside interests while making Aboriginal claims to certain other rights illegitimate.
Abstract: In 1981, Garig Gunak Barlu National Park became the first of several parks in Australia to be jointly managed by a park agency and the traditional owners to whom the park land had been returned. While this joint management arrangement marks an encouraging step forward in the level of involvement available to traditional owners and local communities, significant conflicts still exist between the Aboriginal owners and government park administrators. These conflicts are primarily rooted in the control and management of natural resources, not just in terms of capturing their economic value, but ultimately reflecting the need to balance diverse values and use rights. This paper examines the language and practice of the park's management and, in particular, the incorporation of stakeholder-based approaches to decision making, arguing that the stakeholder concept serves to legitimate certain outside interests while making Aboriginal claims to certain other rights illegitimate. Conservation in this context involv...
TL;DR: It is suggested that conservationists should focus limited funds on managing wild crayfish stocks in Madagascar, and by considering available information, projects can avoid investing limited conservation resources in risky aquaculture schemes likely to have little conservation benefit.
Abstract: Aquaculture of native species appeals to conservation projects in developing countries. It promises to raise local incomes while taking pressure off native stocks, without the risks associated with introducing exotic species into an area of conservation concern. We consider the case of native freshwater crayfish in Madagascar, a proposed target for native species aquaculture. We suggest three questions which should be considered by a conservation programme considering investment in such a project: 1) are the available species likely to be biologically suitable for aquaculture? 2) is aquaculture likely to be profitable relative to other land uses? 3) would successful aquaculture reduce wild harvesting? Using the available information on Malagasy crayfish and the local socio-economic context, we suggest that conservationists should focus limited funds on managing wild crayfish stocks. Research into native species whose characteristics make them suitable candidates for aquaculture should be encouraged. Howev...
TL;DR: Fieldwork in Oze, Ogasawara Islands and Yakushima Island led to a stakeholder analysis, focusing on the dynamics that divide communities in many rural areas and which reflect complex social, economic and political circumstances in contemporary Japan.
Abstract: Land in Japanese parks is not set aside for nature conservation; instead park land is managed through a system of zoning and regulations, regardless of existing ownership and use, to preserve 'scenic beauty.' Although this system faces numerous challenges, it contains a built-in mechanism for facilitating community and stakeholder participation in park management. Fieldwork in Oze, Ogasawara Islands and Yakushima Island, led to a stakeholder analysis, focusing on the dynamics that divide communities in many rural areas and which reflect complex social, economic and political circumstances in contemporary Japan. These dynamics have profound implications for park management, because those with the largest stake have the least influence over local-level decision making. Understanding these types of dynamics is critical for facilitating community conservation and sustainable protected area management.
TL;DR: The project has provided evidence for development of a successful reintroduction and captive breeding programme for white-clawed crayfish that will enable the conservation strategy to be undertaken more effectively.
Abstract: The current strategy for conserving white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, contained in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan includes reintroduction to isolated water, free of signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus. The purpose of this project was to improve the chances of successful reintroduction of white-clawed crayfish into the River Lathkill in the Peak District National Park and to demonstrate how the method might be applicable to other reintroduction and captive breeding schemes. The method focussed on the habitat requirements of white-clawed crayfish, in particular the need of younger crayfish to conceal themselves from predators. Cages were built which provided juvenile crayfish with hides. The cages were tested in the river and juvenile growth and survival were recorded. Adult crayfish survival was only 50% annually whilst survival of juveniles was much less. Despite this, the habitat within the cages protected crayfish during moult and is thought to have increased their sur...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on regional adjustment of rewards for ecological goods on grassland and compare the particular attributes of grassland communities of two contrasting study areas in Germany (Doberan and Northeim), the necessary adjustment measures were identified and implemented.
Abstract: In Germany, there is an increasing tendency to focus on outcome-oriented agrienvironmental schemes (AES) as future concepts to reward farmers. The new concepts are designed to be better in terms of economic–ecological efficiency, acceptance and practicability. Once developed, such schemes cannot be transferred directly from one region to another. The schemes require regional adjustment of the rewarded ecological goods as well as a regional adjustment of the rewarding criteria. This paper focuses on regional adjustment of rewards for ecological goods on grassland. By comparing the particular attributes of grassland communities of two contrasting study areas in Germany (Doberan and Northeim), the necessary adjustment measures were identified and implemented.