Green Web-II

Landscape information is of the out most importance to develop appropriate policies for environmental planning and nature conservation (Gulink et al., 2000). An example of recognition of landscape ecology as an essential field of science for territorial planning is the project of the metropolitan region of Barcelona (Forman, 2004), in which environmental principles based on landscape ecology and sustainable use of resources and basic spatial models are applied, even when lacking quantitative regional analysis.

This paper introduces the Special Issue of the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association on ‘Valuing the Quaternary – Nature Conservation and Geoheritage’, arising from the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Congress in Dublin, in July 2019. It presents an overview of the values of Quaternary geoheritage, which merit recognition as an integral part of nature conservation, to protect priority sites and features for scientific research and education, and to deliver wider ecological, cultural and aesthetic benefits. The paper highlights the benefits of incorporating knowledge and understanding of Quaternary geoheritage for nature conservation and society. Palaeoenvironmental, palaeoecological and palaeobiological archives are a key source of ecological and environmental data that allow learning from the past to help address contemporary conservation challenges such as biodiversity loss, anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Quaternary science plays a vital part in supporting the wider nature conservation agenda, including strengthening the role of protected and conserved areas in the sustainable management of natural capital and ecosystem services, climate change adaptation, marine conservation, nature restoration and recovery, connecting people and nature and informing nature-based solutions to threats faced by society. However, challenges remain to achieve protection of key geoheritage sites and landscapes globally, and to integrate better understanding of geodiversity in nature conservation research, policy development and practice to help address the twin crises facing nature conservation – biodiversity loss and climate change. Quaternary studies provide temporal and spatial perspectives to inform forward-looking nature conservation that is dynamic rather than static in outlook.

The intervention of the State in conservation policies as in public tourist infrastructure as in natural protected areas-NPA must be, in one way or another, assumed in financial terms by the users who perceive benefits of said interventions. These NPAs provide a wide variety of environmental goods and services that do not have a market price to determine their real economic value. The preference methods can be used to determine this economic value through the willingness to pay-WTP for the improvements associated with conservation change policies and tourism in a natural area such as Choquequirao-CHOQ. This economic instrument will raise funds to implement natural and cultural conservation policies and tourist policies in the NPA. The WTP proposed by the Cojoint Analysis (CJA) method shows results, by the implementation of joint improvements in conservation projects and tourist infrastructure an additional WTP to the entrance fee of 11.50 dollars per tourist, which would contribute to the fulfillment of the strategic objectives of conservation of the area. The economic benefits that would be reported, by the joint preference of the conservation and tourist policies of tourists, annually, would be an amount of 80,718.50 dollars.

The growing levels of industrialization, urbanization and environmental degradation have resulted in the fact that environmental protection has become one of the most important legal and policy challenges in contemporary India. The development of the Indian environmental law and policy can be seen as one of those changes that have been getting gradually transformed into ecological ethics to a legal and institutional framework oriented on the concept of sustainable development. Traditionally, the Indian civilization valued the role and balance of nature, which were manifested in ancient literature and social life where natural resources of land, water, air, and forest were sacred and vital to the existence of a man. The notion of environmental protection was exercised in the form of moral and religious obligations with overlay on the balance between human and nature. The contemporary history of environmental law in India however gained momentum in the second half of the twentieth century especially following the United Nations Conference on the human environment in Stockholm in 1972 as far as the international importance of environmental protection was raised and the linkage between development and environmental conservation was made. This foreign program affected India to have a more systematic approach to the law and policy of managing the environment. The environmental governance in India was influenced by a number of international conventions, declarations and agreements over the times like the Rio conference (1992), Kyoto Protocol (1997), and other global environmental efforts that promoted the incorporation of sustainable development principles into the national policies. On the national level, India has formulated a well-thought policy framework to resolve the environmental problems on both legislative and institutional levels and policy decisions. The National Forest Policy (1988), Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution (1992), National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development (1992) and the National Environment Policy (2006) are important policy instruments. These policies are targeted to protect the environment, to reduce pollution and to maintain the sustainable management of the natural resources and economic development along with preservation of the environment. The National Environment Policy, 2006 specifically is a major stride in mainstreaming the environment issue in all developmental undertaking and enhancing the regulation reform and governance structures. The environmental legal system of India is also enhanced by the provisions of the constitution that places responsibilities on both the state and the citizens to preserve and even enhance the environment like Articles 48A and 51A(g). There are also pioneering legislations such as the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, which are the center of the environmental regulatory regime in India. These laws and judicial activism and litigation on public interest have played a larger role in the implementation of environmental rights and the establishment of the right to clean and healthy environment as a fundamental right to life as provided by Article 21 of the Constitution. Although these have happened, there are still a number of issues that remain in the successful enforcement of environmental laws and policies. The problem of rapid industrialization, population increase, urban pollution and poor enforcement mechanisms remain a threat towards environmental sustainability. Thus, a critical analysis of environmental law and policy framework in India indicates that there should be better institutional coordination, involvement of the people, and enforcement of stricter regulations to attain sustainable development. To sum up, the development of environmental law and policy in India is a dynamic process that is predetermined by the historical traditions, the global environmental movements, constitutional requirements, and the national policy practices. An integrated and broad approach that will ensure ecological conservation and social-economic development is still the key point in overcoming the modern environmental issues and providing environmental justice that will be an inseparable part of the current and future generations.

Ecological restoration: A new frontier for nature conservation and economics

Abstract. 1. The European Habitats Directive is the main legislative work regarding Europe’s nature conservation policy. It lists the protected habitats and species in the European Union. The species lists include 122 arthropods. 2. The current lists of arthropods (Annexes II and IV) present, possibly among other, five obvious biases: taxonomic, geographic, range, size and aesthetic biases. Species of selected taxa (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Odonata and Orthoptera), from Northern or Central Europe, relatively widespread, of a large body size and attractive are favoured over species of other taxa, from southern and Mediterranean Europe, endemic or relatively small or inconspicuous. Such biases are obstacles to the effective protection of the European fauna. 3. Two main strategies should be followed to avoid these problems and therefore increase the effectiveness of conservation policies: (i) the adoption of objective and transparent criteria for the listing of protected species, and (ii) implement regular updates and amendments to the lists based on such criteria.

Globally, grassy ecosystems (including grasslands, savannas, shrublands, woodlands, and tundra) cover 30 to 40% of the land and provide important benefits such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, livestock production, and cultural services. However, despite their importance, the conservation of grassy ecosystems-compared with that of forests-has been neglected around the world, leading to a greater loss rate than forest ecosystems in many regions. Here, we examine this bias in public conservation discourse and policies that give priority to forests and neglect the conservation of grassy ecosystems worldwide. We argue that grassy ecosystems need stronger legal safeguards and global recognition to match forest conservation efforts.

Simple SummaryAbundance is a hallmark of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). They are exceedingly common in both natural and artificial environments and they constitute a conspicuous part of the terrestrial ecosystem; every 3 to 4 out of 10 kg of insects are given by ants. Due to their key role in natural habitats, they are at the basis of any nature conservation and pest management policy. Thus, the first step in developing adequate management strategies is to build a precise faunistic inventory. More than 16,000 valid ant species are registered worldwide, of which 126 are known to occur in Hungary. Thanks to the last decade’s efforts in the Hungarian myrmecological research, and because of the constantly changing taxonomy of several problematic ant genera, a new checklist of the Hungarian ants is presented here. A comparison of the Hungarian myrmecofauna to other European countries’ ant fauna is also provided in this paper. The current dataset is a result of ongoing work on inventorying the Hungarian ant fauna, therefore it is expected to change over time and will be updated once the ongoing taxonomic projects are completed.Ants (Hymenoptera: Forimicidae) are exceedingly common in nature. They constitute a conspicuous part of the terrestrial animal biomass and are also considered common ecosystem engineers. Due to their key role in natural habitats, they are at the basis of any nature conservation policy. Thus, the first step in developing adequate conservation and management policies is to build a precise faunistic inventory. More than 16,000 valid ant species are registered worldwide, of which 126 are known to occur in Hungary. Thanks to the last decade’s efforts in the Hungarian myrmecological research, and because of the constantly changing taxonomy of several problematic ant genera, a new checklist of the Hungarian ants is presented here. The state of the Hungarian myrmecofauna is also discussed in the context of other European countries’ ant fauna. Six species (Formica lemani, Lasius nitidigaster, Tetramorium immigrans, T. staerckei, T. indocile and Temnothorax turcicus) have been reported for the first time in the Hungarian literature, nine taxon names were changed after systematic replacements, nomenclatorial act, or as a result of splitting formerly considered continuous populations into more taxa. Two species formerly believed to occur in Hungary are now excluded from the updated list. All names are nomenclaturally assessed, and complete synonymies applied in the Hungarian literature for a certain taxon are provided. Wherever it is not self-evident, comments are added, especially to explain replacements of taxon names. Finally, we present a brief descriptive comparison of the Hungarian myrmecofauna with the ant fauna of the surrounding countries. The current dataset is a result of ongoing work on inventorying the Hungarian ant fauna, therefore it is expected to change over time and will be updated once the ongoing taxonomic projects are completed.

Objective: This study evaluates the influence of land use and land cover patterns on the water quality of the Irurá stream, an urban water body located in Santarém, Pará, aiming to understand its environmental impacts and challenges for water resource management. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the principles of environmental management and water resource conservation policies, relying on Brazilian environmental legislation and water quality concepts as defined by CONAMA Resolution 357/2005. Method: Four sampling campaigns were conducted between 2019 and 2020 at six different points along the stream, during periods of high and low rainfall. Eleven physicochemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed and correlated with current environmental regulations. Results and Discussion: The results indicated variations in water quality due to seasonality and the level of urbanization in adjacent areas. Sampling points closer to urbanized zones showed higher levels of thermotolerant coliforms, turbidity, and dissolved solids, reflecting the influence of irregular discharges and the lack of proper sanitation. Research Implications: The findings highlight the need for public policies for integrated water resource management, including basic sanitation measures, riparian forest restoration, and monitoring of irregular discharges. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the environmental literature by presenting an analysis of water quality in an urban water body in the Amazon, providing insights for environmental management and water conservation policies.

<p>Displacement of people has often been driven by large scale development projects, wars, disease and ecological disasters such as famine and drought. However, there is another category of displaced people who have often been ignored. These people who are victims of a much more noble cause are referred to as conservation refugees. Conservation refugees are people displaced from protected areas. Despite the existence of conservation refugees and their plight, only Brockington and Igoe (2006) have attempted a global literature review on the problem. While their study explains who conservation refugees are as well as when and where the displacements have occurred, my study goes further and critiques the international law and declaration designed to protect the rights of conservation refugees. I also examine conservation policies and the impacts of displacement on conservation refugees based on the Impoverishment Risk Reconstruct Model (IRR) of Cernea (1997). My literature review explains who conservation refugees and describes their global distribution. The review of literature in English and French uncovers 170 relevant articles, of which 73 dealt with issues directly related to conservation refugees. I find that most of the approximately 3,058,000 conservation refugees are members of 28 different indigenous groups displaced across 48 protected areas. I also introduce and discuss international law and declarations aimed at protecting conservation refugees and point out that it is not their inadequacy as laws in protecting conservation refugees but rather a local failure to enforce them. Conservation policies themselves are also a major factor in protecting inhabitants of protected areas. Often conservation organizations are more sensitive to the protection of flora and fauna rather than the well-being of the area’s inhabitants. Therefore, the goal of double sustainability is not met and this affects the relationship between local people and protected areas in a negative way. One thing we have learned is that protected areas across the world operate much more successfully when they are managed with or by indigenous peoples themselves.</p>

In this chapter, and moving on from the example of the globally mobile and invasive Knapweed, I explore how the idea of nativism structures both conservation policy and the publics' sanctioned relationships with nature. This is a highly contested terrain, receiving critique and debate from a wide variety of natural scientists, social scientists, activists and stakeholders. It continues to be a difficult dialogue, with tempers flaring on all sides. Debates about the definition of what is “natural”, and about the separation of humans and nature, take a specific and meaningful form in the biosecurity context. This chapter therefore considers the language and definitions used to structure nativist concerns, the suitability of classification criteria, the underpinning science, and the pragmatic justifications for nativist policies. Crucially, it discusses the discursive and political implications of the ‘nativist paradigm', the ideological assumptions and cultural motivations for nativist policies, including the degree to which the 'native good, aliens bad' discourse might be a barrier to all citizens' participation in environmental conservation, including ethnic minorities. Concrete examples draw from other research carried out in Switzerland where the issue of invasive species was specifically raised on the political agenda following the arrival of Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), a North American plant with human health impacts. It ends with a discussion of what happens when policies are put into practice, indicating that on the ground categories are much less fixed than current academic debates might suggest.

A critique of development and conservation policies in environmentally sensitive regions in Brazil

Explanations of why nature conservation governance, policies, and institutions fail to achieve their aims sometimes highlight a disconnect between legal designations generally intended to protect p...

Imperiled Invertebrates: Introduction and Overview

Policy development and implementation for rangeland ecosystem conservation must span spatial and temporal scales and encompass a wide diversity of social, cultural, economic and biological systems. While government policy and its effects on private and publicly held lands remains important, the policies of conservation and farmer organisations and large landholders are increasingly influential. Sustainable ecosystem management will require an integrated approach that recognises varied objectives and constraints on policy. This session will explore the emerging influences on land use and management policy and examine ways in which varied interests can contribute to the conservation of rangeland ecosystems.