protected areas
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Protected Areas
What is a protected area?
“An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection of biological diversity and natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means (IUCN 1996).”
Benefits provided by protected areas
– Conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity
– Recreation
– Prevention of erosion on watersheds
– Provision of clean water to cities
– Provision of clean air
– Control of biological pests
– Preservation of medicinal and genetic resources
– Maintenance of harvestable resources
– Soil regeneration
– Nutrient cycling
– Carbon sequestration/climatic regulation
Terrestrial protected areas
105,000 protected areas18.4 million km2 land
IUCN’s* Six Protected Areas Management Categories
Category I. Strict Nature Reserve: managed for science or wilderness
Category II. National Park: managed primarily for ecosystem protection and recreation
Category III. Natural Monument: managed primarily for conservation of specific natural features
Category IV. Habitat/Species Management Area: managed for conservation through active intervention
Category V. Protected Landscape/Seascape: Managed for cultural and scenic integrity, conservation, and recreation; human settlements and agricultural areas are accommodated
Category VI. Managed Resource Protected Area: Managed primarily for the sustainable use of ecosystems
IUCN = The World Conservation Union, previously known as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Goals of Protected areas
Protect particular species
Preserve biodiversity: focus on areas of high species richness/endemism
Preserve large and functioning ecosystems and their services
What should be protected?
How would you prioritize what/where is
Protected given constraints on
$$/current land-use/other pressures
What are your criteria?
Systematic conservation planning
ComprehensivenessReserve system contains
Many species Many habitatsMany ecological processes
Representativeness
Reserve contains populations/habitats that cover range of variation in that spp/habitat
9 principal factors to consider
Systematic conservation planning
AdequacyFeatures within reserve will persist
Shapelarge with low edge:area ratios
Better than
Systematic conservation planning
Connectivityfor animals
gene flow, greater arearesponse to climate change
for ecosystem processeseg water flow, fire
Risk spreading
connectivity vs vulnerability
Systematic conservation planning
Efficiency
least possible cost (purchase,management, economic loss)
Flexibilityoptions/opportunities
Systematic conservation planning
IrreplaceabilityImportance of an area in meeting the objectives of the reserve system
Global Gap Analysis Project
if conservation goal is species representation
we should also consider urgency = threat
Global Gap Analysis Project
Priority sites for protected areas based on irreplaceability and threat
Protected areas and climate change
• Protected areas are an essential part of the global response to climate change
• They can contribute to the two main responses to climate change through both:
Adaptationand
Mitigation
Principal of comprehensiveness requires that reserve systems include and sustain ALLbiodiversity and ecosystem processes of the region
But - the knowledge base is limited and
DECISIONS ARE NEEDED NOW
Protected areas in Egypt1983: Passage of Law 102 concerning protected areas1983: Declaration of the first Protected Area, Ras Muhammad National
Park1992: Establishment of the Nature Conservation Sector1992: Egypt signed the Convention on Biodiversity, ratified in 19941993: Passage of Law 4 concerning environmental protection1998: Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan1998: Formulation of the Protected Area System Plan2001: Inclusion of all existing and proposed protected areas on the official
GOE Land Use Map issued by Presidential Decree 2002: First Protected Area management plan, for Wadi El Rayan2002: First Egyptian International Conference on Protected Areas and
Sustainable Development, Sharm El Sheikh2004: Declaration of the 24th Protected Area, Wadi El Gemal National Park2005: Declaration of Wadi El Hitan as the first Natural World Heritage Site
in Egypt
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