DOCSLIB.ORG

The Futures of Privately Protected Areas

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Futures of Privately Protected Areas The Futures of Privately Protected Areas Sue Stolton, Kent H. Redford and Nigel Dudley, with the assistance of: William (Bill) M. Adams, Elisa Corcuera and Brent A. Mitchell Developing capacity for a protected planet Protected Area Technical Report Series No.1 IUCN WCPA Protected Area Technical Report Series IUCN WCPA Protected Area Technical Reports are intended to be timely, peer reviewed syntheses of issues of global importance to protected area managers, policy makers, and scientists. These reports define critical issues or problems facing protected areas now and into the future, place the issue or problem within the broader context of protected area management, and make recommendations for how the issue or problem may best be addressed in the future. The audience for these reports includes national and sub-national governments, protected area agencies, non- governmental organizations, communities, private-sector partners, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and other interested parties striving to reach goals and commitments related to advancing protected area establishment and management. A full set of technical reports are available at: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_ capacity2/gpap_pub/ Complementary resources are available at: www.cbd.int/protected/tools/ Contribute to developing capacity for a Protected Planet at: www.protectedplanet.net/ IUCN PROTECTED AREA DEFINITION, MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES AND GOVERNANCE TYPES IUCN defines a protected area as: A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. The definition is expanded by six management categories (one with a sub-division), summarized below. Ia Strict nature reserve: Strictly protected for biodiversity and also possibly geological/ geomorphological features, where human visitation, use and impacts are controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values Ib Wilderness area: Usually large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character and influence, without permanent or significant human habitation, protected and managed to preserve their natural condition II National park: Large natural or near-natural areas protecting large-scale ecological processes with characteristic species and ecosystems, which also have environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities III Natural monument or feature: Areas set aside to protect a specific natural monument, which can be a landform, sea mount, marine cavern, geological feature such as a cave, or a living feature such as an ancient grove IV Habitat/species management area: Areas to protect particular species or habitats, where management reflects this priority. Many will need regular, active interventions to meet the needs of particular species or habitats, but this is not a requirement of the category V Protected landscape or seascape: Where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced a distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value: and where safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the area and its associated nature conservation and other values VI Protected areas with sustainable use of natural resources: Areas which conserve ecosystems, together with associated cultural values and traditional natural resource management systems. Generally large, mainly in a natural condition, with a proportion under sustainable natural resource management and where low-level non-industrial natural resource use compatible with nature conservation is seen as one of the main aims The category should be based around the primary management objective(s), which should apply to at least three-quarters of the protected area – the 75 per cent rule. The management categories are applied with a typology of governance types – a description of who holds authority and responsibility for the protected area. IUCN defines four governance types. Governance by government: Federal or national ministry/agency in charge; sub-national ministry/agency in charge; government-delegated management (e.g. to NGO) Shared governance: Collaborative management (various degrees of influence); joint management (pluralist management board; transboundary management (various levels across international borders) Private governance: By individual owner; by non-profit organisations (NGOs, universities, cooperatives); by for-profit organsations (individuals or corporate) Governance by indigenous peoples and local communities: Indigenous peoples’ conserved areas and territories; community conserved areas – declared and run by local communities For more information on the IUCN definition, categories and governance type see the 2008 Guidelines for applying protected area management categories which can be downloaded at: www.iucn.org/pa_categories The Futures of Privately Protected Areas Sue Stolton, Kent H. Redford and Nigel Dudley With the assistance of: William (Bill) M. Adams, Elisa Corcuera and Brent A. Mitchell A project funded by the Linden Trust for Conservation published by IUCN WCPA with the CBD and UNEP-WCMC 2014 IUCN (International Union for Protected Planet Conservation of Nature) Protected Planet is a partnership between IUCN, IUCN-WCPA IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most and UNEP-WCMC that envisages a world that recognizes the pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN value of protected areas and is empowered to take positive works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human action to maintain and improve their integrity in the face of livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting global change. The partnership includes the development of scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, a global platform for the acquisition, analysis, exchange and and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies communication of data and knowledge on the status and together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN trends of protected areas that engages the full spectrum of is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental stakeholders, and is instrumental in the achievement of the organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Millennium Development Goals, the CBD Strategic Plan for members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 Biodiversity, informed decision-making and enhanced action. countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 The Protected Planet report, IUCN WCPA’s Best Practice offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private Guidelines and PARKS journal are all part of empowering sectors around the world. this action. www.iucn.org www.protectedplanet.net IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Convention on Biological Diversity IUCN WCPA is the world’s premier network of protected area The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which entered expertise. It is administered by IUCN’s Global Programme into force in December 1993, is an international treaty for on Protected Areas and has over 1,400 members, spanning the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the 140 countries. IUCN WCPA works by helping governments components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the and others plan protected areas and integrate them into all benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With sectors; by providing strategic advice to policy makers; by 193 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation strengthening capacity and investment in protected areas; among countries. The Convention seeks to address all threats and by convening the diverse constituency of protected area to biodiversity and ecosystem services through scientific stakeholders to address challenging issues. For more than 50 assessments, the development of tools, incentives and years, IUCN and WCPA have been at the forefront of global processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices, action on protected areas. and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders www.iucn.org/wcpa including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, held in 2010, adopted a revised and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for 2011- 2020, comprising five strategic goals and 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Plan is the overarching framework on biodiversity, not only for the biodiversity-related conventions, but for the entire United Nations system. www.cbd.int ii | The Futures of Privately Protected Areas Linden Trust Equilibrium Research Linden Trust’s mission is to help stabilize Earth’s Equilibrium Research promotes positive environmental and biodiversity and ecological processes for the benefit social change by linking targeted research to field application. of humanity, by raising the quantity and improving the Sue Stolton and Nigel Dudley established Equilibrium in 1991. effectiveness of financial resources - public and private Equilibrium works with groups ranging from local communities - brought to bear. Specifically, we seek to advance the to United Nations agencies. Major issues include protected use of conservation finance and environmental markets areas and broadscale approaches to conservation. Equilibrium in ways that address
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Research on the Homogenization Development of Beihai-Qinzhou-Fang Chenggang Urban Industries Under Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomerations in China
    Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online) Vol.11, No.8, 2020 Research on the Homogenization Development of Beihai-Qinzhou-Fang Chenggang Urban Industries under Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomerations in China Zhan Jingang Naminse Eric Yaw * School of Economics and Management, Beibu Gulf University, No. 12, Binhai Avenue, Qinzhou 535011, Guangxi Province, P.R. China Abstract This study examines the homogenized development of three closely related cities in Guangxi Province of China. The cities are Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fang Chenggang (otherwise called Beiqinfang ), as an important part of Beibu Gulf urban agglomerations in China.The paper explored the current situation of Beiqinfang urban industries through quantitative research methods, applied correlation degree measurement index to conduct effective measurement on the isomorphism of Beiqinfang urban industrial development, in order to understand the current situation of industrial isomorphism among those areas, establish industrial dislocation development among Beiqinfang cities, and how to achieve sustainable development.We recommend that the three cities should actively avoid the mutual competition among them, so as to achieve effective resource allocation and prevent industrial homogenization. Keywords: Urban agglomeration, City industry, Homogenization development, Beibu Gulf, China DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-8-05 Publication date: April 30 th 2020 1. Introduction On January 20 th 2017, the State Council of China approved the construction
    [Show full text]
  • Angolan Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis Ssp
    Angolan Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis ssp. angolensis) Appendix 1: Historical and recent geographic range and population of Angolan Giraffe G. c. angolensis Geographic Range ANGOLA Historical range in Angola Giraffe formerly occurred in the mopane and acacia savannas of southern Angola (East 1999). According to Crawford-Cabral and Verissimo (2005), the historic distribution of the species presented a discontinuous range with two, reputedly separated, populations. The western-most population extended from the upper course of the Curoca River through Otchinjau to the banks of the Kunene (synonymous Cunene) River, and through Cuamato and the Mupa area further north (Crawford-Cabral and Verissimo 2005, Dagg 1962). The intention of protecting this western population of G. c. angolensis, led to the proclamation of Mupa National Park (Crawford-Cabral and Verissimo 2005, P. Vaz Pinto pers. comm.). The eastern population occurred between the Cuito and Cuando Rivers, with larger numbers of records from the southeast corner of the former Mucusso Game Reserve (Crawford-Cabral and Verissimo 2005, Dagg 1962). By the late 1990s Giraffe were assumed to be extinct in Angola (East 1999). According to Kuedikuenda and Xavier (2009), a small population of Angolan Giraffe may still occur in Mupa National Park; however, no census data exist to substantiate this claim. As the Park was ravaged by poachers and refugees, it was generally accepted that Giraffe were locally extinct until recent re-introductions into southern Angola from Namibia (Kissama Foundation 2015, East 1999, P. Vaz Pinto pers. comm.). BOTSWANA Current range in Botswana Recent genetic analyses have revealed that the population of Giraffe in the Central Kalahari and Khutse Game Reserves in central Botswana is from the subspecies G.
    [Show full text]
  • Selous Game Reserve Tanzania
    SELOUS GAME RESERVE TANZANIA Selous contains a third of the wildlife estate of Tanzania. Large numbers of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippopotamuses, ungulates and crocodiles live in this immense sanctuary which measures almost 50,000 square kilometres and is relatively undisturbed by humans. The Reserve has a wide variety of vegetation zones, from forests and dense thickets to open wooded grasslands and riverine swamps. COUNTRY Tanzania NAME Selous Game Reserve NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE 1982: Inscribed on the World Heritage List under Natural Criteria ix and x. STATEMENT OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE The UNESCO World Heritage Committee issued the following Statement of Outstanding Universal Value at the time of inscription: Brief Synthesis The Selous Game Reserve, covering 50,000 square kilometres, is amongst the largest protected areas in Africa and is relatively undisturbed by human impact. The property harbours one of the most significant concentrations of elephant, black rhinoceros, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus and crocodile, amongst many other species. The reserve also has an exceptionally high variety of habitats including Miombo woodlands, open grasslands, riverine forests and swamps, making it a valuable laboratory for on-going ecological and biological processes. Criterion (ix): The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Africa, with relatively undisturbed ecological and biological processes, including a diverse range of wildlife with significant predator/prey relationships. The property contains a great diversity of vegetation types, including rocky acacia-clad hills, gallery and ground water forests, swamps and lowland rain forest. The dominant vegetation of the reserve is deciduous Miombo woodlands and the property constitutes a globally important example of this vegetation type.
    [Show full text]
  • Tulbagh Renosterveld Project Report
    BP TULBAGH RENOSTERVELD PROJECT Introduction The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is the smallest and richest floral kingdom of the world. In an area of approximately 90 000km² there are over 9 000 plant species found (Goldblatt & Manning 2000). The CFR is recognized as one of the 33 global biodiversity hotspots (Myers, 1990) and has recently received World Heritage Status. In 2002 the Cape Action Plan for the Environment (CAPE) programme identified the lowlands of the CFR as 100% irreplaceable, meaning that to achieve conservation targets all lowland fragments would have to be conserved and no further loss of habitat should be allowed. Renosterveld , an asteraceous shrubland that predominantly occurs in the lowland areas of the CFR, is the most threatened vegetation type in South Africa . Only five percent of this highly fragmented vegetation type still remains (Von Hase et al 2003). Most of these Renosterveld fragments occur on privately owned land making it the least represented vegetation type in the South African Protected Areas network. More importantly, because of the fragmented nature of Renosterveld it has a high proportion of plants that are threatened with extinction. The Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) project, which works with civil society groups in the CFR to update information on threatened plants, has identified the Tulbagh valley as a high priority for conservation action. This is due to the relatively large amount of Renosterveld that remains in the valley and the high amount of plant endemism. The CAPE program has also identified areas in need of fine scale plans and the Tulbagh area falls within one of these: The Upper Breede River planning domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting 30% of the Planet for Nature: Costs, Benefits and Economic Implications
    Protecting 30% of the planet for nature: costs, benefits and economic implications Working paper analysing the economic implications of the proposed 30% target for areal protection in the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Anthony Waldron1; Vanessa Adams2; James Allan3; Andy Arnell4; Greg Asner5; Scott Atkinson6; Alessandro Baccini7; Jonathan EM Baillie8; Andrew Balmford1; J Austin Beau9; Luke Brander10; Eduardo Brondizio11; Aaron Bruner12; Neil Burgess4; K Burkart13; Stuart Butchart14; Rio Button15; Roman Carrasco16; William Cheung17; Villy Christensen18; Andy Clements19; Marta Coll20; Moreno di Marco21; Marine Deguignet4; Eric Dinerstein22; Erle Ellis23; Florian Eppink24; Jamison Ervin25; Anita Escobedo26; John Fa27; Alvaro Fernandes-Llamazares28; Sanjiv Fernando22; Shinichiro Fujimori29; Beth Fulton30; Stephen Garnett31; James Gerber32; David Gill33; Trisha Gopalakrishna34; Nathan Hahn22; Ben Halpern35; Tomoko Hasegawa36; Petr Havlik37; Vuokko Heikinheimo28; Ryan Heneghan38; Ella Henry39; Florian Humpenoder40; Harry Jonas41; Kendall Jones42; Lucas Joppa43; A.R. Joshi44; Martin Jung37; Naomi Kingston4; Carissa Klein45; Tamas Krisztin37; Vicky Lam46; David Leclere39; Peter Lindsey47; Harvey Locke48; TE Lovejoy49; Philip Madgwick50; Yadvinder Malhi34; Pernilla Malmer51; Martine Maron52; Juan Mayorga53; Hans van Meijl54; Dan Miller55; Zsolt Molnar56; Nathaniel Mueller57; Nibedita Mukherjee1; Robin Naidoo58; Katia Nakamura59; Prakash Nepal60; RF Noss61; Beth O’Leary62; D Olson63; Juliano Palcios Abrantes64; Midori Paxton65; Alexander
    [Show full text]
  • Summer Meetings 2019
    Somerset Rare Plants Group: Summer Meetings 2019 Please email or ring the leader before each meeting to say you are coming. This helps with planning and can be useful if there are changes to the programme. Parking is sometimes limited so please lift share where possible. Please bring your GPS/Mobile phone if you have one. Meetings usually start at 11am. Please note that the Meeting on 1st April at Taunton Herbarium starts at 9.45am. Meetings on 9th June at Fivehead Arable Fields and on 31st August at Shapwick Heath NNR will start at 10am and Meetings on 1st June at Flax Bourton and on 11th August at Holford Combe will start at 10.30am. Monday 1st April Taraxacum meeting (Taunton Herbarium; Somerset Heritage Centre) (VC5) Aimed at those currently collecting/recording dandelions or those wishing to do so. Although dandelions are often seen as difficult (and it’s true: they’re not easy!) they nevertheless have a significant number of identification features that, with the help of keys and an ‘expert eye’, make them readily identifiable to species level. Collecting and pressing dandelions can be a tremendously satisfying pastime – an art as much as a science – and a nicely mounted and correctly named specimen is always a source of tremendous satisfaction. This meeting will comprise a short introductory talk on Taraxacum, followed by a visit to the Herbarium (same building). In the afternoon we will venture onto road verges and waste ground adjoining the Heritage Centre to collect specimens, then return to the Centre to work through keys and press plants for eventual determination/confirmation by the national expert John Richards.
    [Show full text]
  • Current Vegetation Data from the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve
    Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e71266 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e71266 Data Paper Current vegetation data from the Prioksko- Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve Mikhail Shovkun‡, Natalya Ivanova§§, Larisa Khanina , Michael S. Romanov§‡, Vasily Demidov ‡ Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve, Danki, Russia § Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology RAS – branch of the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia Corresponding author: Mikhail Shovkun ([email protected]), Natalya Ivanova ([email protected]), Larisa Khanina ([email protected]), Vasily Demidov ([email protected]) Academic editor: Ivan Chadin Received: 08 Jul 2021 | Accepted: 17 Aug 2021 | Published: 25 Aug 2021 Citation: Shovkun M, Ivanova N, Khanina L, Romanov MS, Demidov V (2021) Current vegetation data from the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve. Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e71266. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e71266 Abstract Background Here we present the sampling event dataset that contributes to the knowledge of current vegetation of the Prioksko-Terrasnyi Biosphere Reserve (part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves), Moscow Region, Russia. The Reserve is situated on the terraces of the Oka River in the zone of mixed coniferous forests. New information The dataset provides 269 relevés (9174 associated occurrences) of renewed vegetation collected in 2019-2020. It is aimed at sampling vegetation data from the Reserve area with particular interest to sites with invasive species and sites with recent deadfall in the spruce stands caused by the bark beetle-typographer. The dataset contains representative information on plant communities in localities with assigned GPS coordinates, sampled using the standard relevé method with the Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale.
    [Show full text]
  • Nature Reserve of Orange County
    NATURE RESERVE OF ORANGE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release June 13, 2016 Irvine, California-- Between June 18 to June 24 and July 5 to July 12, the Nature Communities Coalition (NCC), in collaboration with OC Parks, Irvine Ranch Conservancy, and The Nature Conservancy will conduct an aerial weed survey during daylight hours using a small, low-flying helicopter to document and map the distribution of over 30 weed species located within selected inland parks and open space areas. The resulting information will provide details about the abundance and distribution of invasive weeds and help land managers evaluate the effectiveness of current weed monitoring practices, identify emerging weed problems, and strategically plan future weed management actions. Notices describing the aerial weed survey will be posted at trailheads at participating parks and open space areas during the project period. The aerial weed survey will be focused on mapping the distribution of artichoke thistle and a minimum of 30 other established and emerging invasive weeds which degrade natural habitat values important to wildlife and the park visitor experience. The survey will cover nearly 32,000 acres and involve the following land areas (also see attached map): Aerial Survey Area Ownership Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park OC Parks Siphon Reservoir Irvine Ranch Water District City of Irvine Open Space Preserve North City of Irvine Irvine Ranch Open Space OC Parks Irvine Regional Park OC Parks Peters Canyon Regional Park OC Parks Santiago Oaks Regional Park OC Parks Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve California Department of Fish and Wildlife -OVER- The aerial survey will be conducted by an experienced team, Wildlands Conservation Science LLC, using a small helicopter (Schweizer-333) and a crew of three (an experienced pilot and two biologists conducting the survey).
    [Show full text]
  • Accounting for National Nature Reserves
    Natural England Research Report NERR078 Accounting for National Nature Reserves: A Natural Capital Account of the National Nature Reserves managed by Natural England www.gov.uk/naturalACCOUNTING FOR-england NATIONAL NATURE RESERVES Natural England Research Report NERR078 Accounting for National Nature Reserves: A Natural Capital Account of the National Nature Reserves managed by Natural England Tim Sunderland1, Ruth Waters1, Dan Marsh2, Cat Hudson1 and Jane Lusardi1 Published 21st February 2019 1 Natural England 2 University of Waikato, New Zealand This report is published by Natural England under the Open Government Licence - OGLv3.0 for public sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject to certain conditions. For details of the licence visit Copyright. Natural England photographs are only available for non commercial purposes. If any other information such as maps or data cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the report. ISBN 978-1-78354-518-6 © Natural England 2018 ACCOUNTING FOR NATIONAL NATURE RESERVES Project details This report should be cited as: SUNDERLAND, T., WATERS, R.D., MARSH, D. V. K., HUDSON, C., AND LUSARDI, J. (2018). Accounting for National Nature Reserves: A natural capital account of the National Nature Reserves managed by Natural England. Natural England Research Report, Number 078 Project manager Tim Sunderland Principal Specialist in Economics Horizon House Bristol BS1 5TL [email protected] Acknowledgements We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this report both within Natural England and externally. ii Natural England Research Report 078 Foreword England’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are the crown jewels of our natural heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Midas
    Managing MIDAs Managing MIDAs Harmonising the management of Multi-Internationally Designated Areas: Ramsar Sites, World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks Thomas Schaaf and Diana Clamote Rodrigues INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE WORLD HEADQUARTERS Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland, Switzerland Tel +41 22 999 0000 Fax +41 22 999 0002 www.iucn.org IUCN IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 Member organisations and the input of more than 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. www.iucn.org Ramsar Convention The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Its mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. Under the “three pillars” of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to: work towards the wise use of all their wetlands; designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective management; and cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species. www.ramsar.org NIO M O UN IM D R T IA A L • World Heritage Convention P • W L O A I R D L D N H O E M R I E TA IN G O The 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage recognises that certain E • PATRIM United Nations World Educational, Scientific and Heritage places on Earth are of “outstanding universal value” and should form part of the common heritage of humankind.
    [Show full text]
  • World Environment Day
    'Swachh Bharat Pakhwada' by ENVIS Centres (1st June- 15th June, 2016) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan - A Brief Report Conceptualized by ENVIS Secretariat, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India World Environment Day The celebration of World Environment Day (WED) is a forty-four year old concept in world history. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) initiated the observance of this day to globally celebrate the spirit of positive environmental action. Every year, millions of individuals and organizations engage in various activities on this day which includes tree-planting drives, art exhibitions, social media campaigns, etc. This way, there is a build-up of a collective power of people belonging to different walks of life, leading to the generation of an exponential positive impact on the planet. The UN General Assembly declared June 5 as World Environment Day in the year 1972. Two years later in 1974, WED was celebrated for the first time, with the United States hosting it. The theme for this first ever WED was 'Only One Earth'. Since then, WED has been trending every year with a different theme. The most recent theme of WED (for 2016) was 'Go Wild for Life: Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife Trade'. Angola was the global host country of WED 2016. As a consequence of man's insatiable greed, illegal trade in wildlife product is booming in an alarming rate. Ecosystems are getting corrupted and, the killing and smuggling of different species are leading them to extinction. Wildlife crime is endangering a number of species of elephants, rhinos, tigers, gorillas and sea turtles, along with many other lesser-known victims.
    [Show full text]
  • Overwintering Habitat Selection of Asiatic Toad, Bufo Gargarizans in Southwestern China
    Biharean Biologist (2010) Vol. 4, No.1, Pp.: 15-18 P-ISSN: 1843-5637, E-ISSN: 2065-1155 Article No.: 041103 Overwintering habitat selection of Asiatic toad, Bufo gargarizans in southwestern China Tong Lei YU1 and Yan Shu GUO2 1. Department of Zoology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 Hubei Province, China. E-mail: [email protected] 2. College of Life Sciences, China West Normal University, Sichuan, China. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. We studied overwintering habitats selection of Bufo gargarizans during 2005-2008 in southwestern China. Our results showed most toads buried themselves in the ground. By comparing hibernation and post-reproductive dormancy sites, we found that the latter was closer to ponds with higher vegetable cover and shallower than hibernation sites. It indirect proves that toads consume large energy in the breeding season and a small quantity remains for the dormancy period. Keywords: Bufo gargarizans; hibernation site; post-reproductive dormancy site. Introduction snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 98.22 ± 1.43 mm (range 73.6 - 137 mm), and the males have 87.32 ± 0.94 mm Anurans are haematocryal animals without body (range 66 - 117 mm). The body mass of females can temperature regulative capability (Pinder et al. 1992), so reach 160.72 ± 18.73 g (range 112 - 315 g), males have they are vulnerable to freezing conditions and must 83.12 ± 4.2 g (range 52.1 - 138.59 g) in the breeding select suitable habitats unlikely to freeze. Some species period (Yu & Lu 2010). B. gargarizans is mainly of toads are known to burrow into loose soils or under- insectivorous and rarely feeds on vegetation (Yu et al.
    [Show full text]