Biosphere Reserves are the focal point for a wide range of academic research into conservation and sustainable development. Much of this is now freely available on the web. The selection below highlights some interesting research conducted in UNESCO Biosphere reserves and published in 2018.
Espinosa S, Celis G, Branch LC (2018) When roads appear jaguars decline: Increased access to an Amazonian wilderness area reduces potential for jaguar conservation. PLoS ONE 13(1): e0189740. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189740
The jaguar is the top terrestrial predator in the Amazon; new work carried out in the Yasuni Bisophere reserve in Ecuador, however, suggests that the species may be severely impacted by the development of modern infrastructure. The research, conducted by a team from the University of Florida, explores the impact of roads on jaguar populations in the Biosphere. They argue that roads allow hunters to access previously unreachable areas; while the hunters do not directly target the jaguars, they do hunt the bird species that are the jaguar’s primary source of prey, disrupting the ecosystem. The authors demonstrate that the density of Jaguar populations is 18 times as high in the most remote portion of the Biosphere Reserve compared to the most accessible, and point out that disrupting the distribution of apex predators in this way has far reaching effects and can alter ‘the composition, structure and functionality of entire ecosystems’.
Ainara Cortes-Avizanda, Berta Martin-Lopez, Olga Ceballos, Henrique M. Pereira, 'Stackeholders' perceptions of the endangered Egyptian Vulture: Insights for conservation', Biological Conservation, 218, Feb 2018, pp. 173-180.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.09.028
It is now a widely accepted principle that any strategy for the long-term protection of endangered species must take account of the perceptions, needs and interests of all stakeholders in order to be successful. New research conducted in the Bardenas Reales BR in Northern Spain explores the attitudes of various groups – hunters, farmers, tourists – to the Egyptian Vulture, for whom the reserve is an important breeding ground. Vulture populations across the world have declined dramatically in recent years, partly due to active persecution and poisoning, partly to loss of habitat, and partly because changes in traditional farming practices have removed a key source of food. The Egyptian Vulture is no exception to the trend, but the authors of the article, drawn from universities in Spain, Portugal and Germany, found that the stakeholder groups they interviewed had very different perceptions of what conservation actions might work. Many of these have not been attempted before in the current context, and so the authors conclude that a multi-programmed conservation approach should be implemented to protect the Egyptian Vulture.
Sharma, Lipika; Sarmant, SS; et al, ‘Diversity, distribution pattern, endemism and indigenous uses of wild edible plants in Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve of Indian Trans Himalaya’, Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 17 (2018); http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/43141
A research team from the GB Pant National Institute of Himalyan Environment & Sustaiable Development have published a fascinating article on the wild edible plants to which native communities turn in times of scarcity. The study was conducted in the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR) of Trans Himalaya and focused on a total of 91 wild edible plants; for each, the team assessed its nutritional content, the use made of it by indigenous populations – some were eaten raw, for example, others boiled or roasted; and finally offered notes on how the species might be managed to advantage. Wild plants, they conclude, often form an important food source for tribal people, and wider knowledge of their cultivation and care is essential.
Schüttler E, Saavedra-Aracena L, Jiménez JE. (2018) Domestic carnivore interactions with wildlife in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile: husbandry and perceptions of impact from a community perspective. PeerJ 6:e4124
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4124
The impact of domestic carnivores (such as cats and dogs) on their environment, especially when they are free roaming, can be massive. A new study by a team from the Universidad de Magallanes cross references popular perceptions of pet owners regarding their animals’ hunting predilections with the evidence contained in the animals’ own faeces. The study focuses on the Cape Horn BR in Chile. Despite the evidence of livestock, beaver and bird remains in dog faeces, and avian remains in that of cats, they demonstrate that dogs and cats, even in this wilderness region, ‘are perceived predominantly in an anthropological context (ie as pets) and not as carnivores interacting with wildlife’.
Malek Jeremiah and Robert Powell World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Social and Tourism Sciences, Vol:12, No:1, 2018
urn:dai:10.1999/1307-6892/77293
How can tourism cope with climate change? In Jordan, as a recent article by Malek Jeremiah and Robert Powell makes clear, climate change is a reality: higher temperatures, decreased precipitation and increased severity and frequency of drought have all been observed. In order to explore the mitigation strategies used to protect valuable tourism, they conducted research in the Dana Biosphere Reserve (DBR), the largest protected area and the major eco-tourism destination in Jordan. The DBR, is facing climate change, which is gradually degrading environment, shifting tourism seasons and changing the livelihood and lifestyle of local communities. Their study found that DBR has implemented a wide range of adaptation practices, including infrastructure development, diversification of tourism products, environmentally-friendly practices, visitor management, land use management, rainwater collection, environmental monitoring and research, environmental education and collaboration with stakeholders. In sum, the study demonstrated that climate change adaptation is closely related to sustainable management of eco-tourism.
Brian McFarland explores the role played by Ecotourism in The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, located in the South of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico’s State of Quintana Roo.
McFarland B.J. (2018) Ecotourism and Private Reserves. In: Conservation of Tropical Rainforests. Palgrave Studies in Environmental Policy and Regulation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 431-86.
Espinosa S, Celis G, Branch LC (2018) When roads appear jaguars decline: Increased access to an Amazonian wilderness area reduces potential for jaguar conservation. PLoS ONE 13(1): e0189740. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189740
The jaguar is the top terrestrial predator in the Amazon; new work carried out in the Yasuni Bisophere reserve in Ecuador, however, suggests that the species may be severely impacted by the development of modern infrastructure. The research, conducted by a team from the University of Florida, explores the impact of roads on jaguar populations in the Biosphere. They argue that roads allow hunters to access previously unreachable areas; while the hunters do not directly target the jaguars, they do hunt the bird species that are the jaguar’s primary source of prey, disrupting the ecosystem. The authors demonstrate that the density of Jaguar populations is 18 times as high in the most remote portion of the Biosphere Reserve compared to the most accessible, and point out that disrupting the distribution of apex predators in this way has far reaching effects and can alter ‘the composition, structure and functionality of entire ecosystems’.
Ainara Cortes-Avizanda, Berta Martin-Lopez, Olga Ceballos, Henrique M. Pereira, 'Stackeholders' perceptions of the endangered Egyptian Vulture: Insights for conservation', Biological Conservation, 218, Feb 2018, pp. 173-180.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.09.028
It is now a widely accepted principle that any strategy for the long-term protection of endangered species must take account of the perceptions, needs and interests of all stakeholders in order to be successful. New research conducted in the Bardenas Reales BR in Northern Spain explores the attitudes of various groups – hunters, farmers, tourists – to the Egyptian Vulture, for whom the reserve is an important breeding ground. Vulture populations across the world have declined dramatically in recent years, partly due to active persecution and poisoning, partly to loss of habitat, and partly because changes in traditional farming practices have removed a key source of food. The Egyptian Vulture is no exception to the trend, but the authors of the article, drawn from universities in Spain, Portugal and Germany, found that the stakeholder groups they interviewed had very different perceptions of what conservation actions might work. Many of these have not been attempted before in the current context, and so the authors conclude that a multi-programmed conservation approach should be implemented to protect the Egyptian Vulture.
Sharma, Lipika; Sarmant, SS; et al, ‘Diversity, distribution pattern, endemism and indigenous uses of wild edible plants in Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve of Indian Trans Himalaya’, Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 17 (2018); http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/43141
A research team from the GB Pant National Institute of Himalyan Environment & Sustaiable Development have published a fascinating article on the wild edible plants to which native communities turn in times of scarcity. The study was conducted in the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR) of Trans Himalaya and focused on a total of 91 wild edible plants; for each, the team assessed its nutritional content, the use made of it by indigenous populations – some were eaten raw, for example, others boiled or roasted; and finally offered notes on how the species might be managed to advantage. Wild plants, they conclude, often form an important food source for tribal people, and wider knowledge of their cultivation and care is essential.
Schüttler E, Saavedra-Aracena L, Jiménez JE. (2018) Domestic carnivore interactions with wildlife in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile: husbandry and perceptions of impact from a community perspective. PeerJ 6:e4124
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4124
The impact of domestic carnivores (such as cats and dogs) on their environment, especially when they are free roaming, can be massive. A new study by a team from the Universidad de Magallanes cross references popular perceptions of pet owners regarding their animals’ hunting predilections with the evidence contained in the animals’ own faeces. The study focuses on the Cape Horn BR in Chile. Despite the evidence of livestock, beaver and bird remains in dog faeces, and avian remains in that of cats, they demonstrate that dogs and cats, even in this wilderness region, ‘are perceived predominantly in an anthropological context (ie as pets) and not as carnivores interacting with wildlife’.
Malek Jeremiah and Robert Powell World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Social and Tourism Sciences, Vol:12, No:1, 2018
urn:dai:10.1999/1307-6892/77293
How can tourism cope with climate change? In Jordan, as a recent article by Malek Jeremiah and Robert Powell makes clear, climate change is a reality: higher temperatures, decreased precipitation and increased severity and frequency of drought have all been observed. In order to explore the mitigation strategies used to protect valuable tourism, they conducted research in the Dana Biosphere Reserve (DBR), the largest protected area and the major eco-tourism destination in Jordan. The DBR, is facing climate change, which is gradually degrading environment, shifting tourism seasons and changing the livelihood and lifestyle of local communities. Their study found that DBR has implemented a wide range of adaptation practices, including infrastructure development, diversification of tourism products, environmentally-friendly practices, visitor management, land use management, rainwater collection, environmental monitoring and research, environmental education and collaboration with stakeholders. In sum, the study demonstrated that climate change adaptation is closely related to sustainable management of eco-tourism.
Brian McFarland explores the role played by Ecotourism in The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, located in the South of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico’s State of Quintana Roo.
McFarland B.J. (2018) Ecotourism and Private Reserves. In: Conservation of Tropical Rainforests. Palgrave Studies in Environmental Policy and Regulation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 431-86.
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