Advocating a Larger Role for Environmental Nongovernment Organizations in Developing a Network for Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) adopted a conservation measure for establishing a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in 2011. Since then, a number of proposals have been submitted to the Commission, but their designation has been consistently opposed by some pro-fishing CCAMLR member countries. This article provides an analysis of CCAMLR institutional and decision-making processes in an attempt to explain the obstacles preventing the creation of a network of MPAs. The role of environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) is examined through their track record in Antarctic environmental governance as well as the extent of their participation within the CCAMLR MPA process.     

First Nations Values in Protected Area Governance: Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Over the past few decades there has been increasing attention paid to ‘shared’ forms of governance and to the creation of new protected areas (PAs) that are designed to address ‘non-biological’ goals and values. The rationale for these initiatives has, in part, been based on the belief that well-designed systems of protected area governance will help to deliver desired outcomes and meet linked sociocultural, economic and environmental objectives. Addressing these questions has become increasingly important in British Columbia, where a number of First Nations are asserting increasing control over existing state-run protected areas, as well as establishing new protected areas and designing governance systems for them that deliver outcomes consonant with cultural beliefs, values and goals. This paper reports on an in-depth case study of the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, with a focus on comparing how these physically adjacent protected areas with different objectives each attempt to meaningfully engage the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in PA governance.     

Indicators for demonstrating sustainable forest management in British Columbia,Canada: An international review

Many organizations and individuals are developing sustainable forestry criteria and indicator (C&I) research and monitoring initiatives at various scales. In support of Canada's international commitments, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) recently (2003) revised a set of national C&I, broadly based on the Montreal Process. Meanwhile, the Province of British Columbia, Canada, has implemented new, results-based, legislation, the Forest and Range Practices Act 2003, which sets objectives for 11 public ‘Values’ that require appropriate C&I for effectiveness evaluation. At the local-level, British Columbia's forest industry requires indicators to achieve third-party certification. Each of these parties seeks to assess and report on performance. There is, therefore, a recognized desire to define a collaborative approach to C&I research and monitoring frameworks in British Columbia. This paper discusses the results of a rigorous review of indicators related to sustainable forest management (SFM) in British Columbia. Based on the 6 CCFM indicators, 47 SFM questions were developed to guide the selection of potential indicators for British Columbia. A hierarchical framework of proposed SFM indicators was then proposed to provide trend information on resource condition at both the macro (landscape) and local (management unit) levels of forest management. However, a number of key challenges remain for British Columbia as it continues towards a scientifically sound, useful, and effective indicator framework that will demonstrate progress towards SFM at the provincial level. These include stakeholder consultation, practicality, data interpretation and long-term commitment.     

A rapid ecological network assessment tool and its use in locating habitat extension areas in a changing landscape

An understanding of the ecological systems which dictate landscape form and function must be achieved in order to objectively view development led landscape ecological change. Habitat fragmentation, loss and isolation of habitat patches and reduced connectivity are having a significant detrimental effect on the way our landscapes function. A conservation planning tool which considers these issues in tandem with planned landscape level change, whilst incorporating species and habitat specific details, is necessary if we are to ameliorate the ecological impact of built development.A landscape scale modelling approach was developed for a case study area in the South Midlands of the UK to investigate spatial targeting of habitat extension areas. Habitat extension opportunities currently arise as a consequence of existing planning regulations and conditions and are likely to increase as the concept of habitat “banking” is embraced. Ecological networks and ecoprofiles were employed to guide the location of these extension areas via an examination of the landscape ecology effects of area composition, size and location. The ability of extension areas to contribute to landscape functionality was determined spatially. Habitat extension areas identified by the approach increased the existing ecological network size by a factor of over 2.7:1 and were able to deliver the majority of habitat creation targets set out in regional Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs). 100% of wetland, unimproved grassland and broadleaf and mixed woodland creation targets were met, whilst 75% of the lowland heath target could be achieved. Semi-natural habitat mosaic areas of over 3700 ha which incorporated habitat of more than one type were identified, with such areas determined to be of importance in achieving landscape improvements for a wide range of species. We conclude that rapid assessment tools such as that employed in this research will have increased utility in conservation planning as the British landscape continues to experience both sustained and elevated levels of built development pressure.     

Information centers as an instrument for behavioral change in order to prevent HIV infection

The importance of information and behavioral changes in preventing HIV infection in three different groups of people is shown. The content of one of such strategies, the Prochaska-DiClemente model of behavior changing, which proved to be good in popular programs realized in many countries, including Russia, is demonstrated. In this model the change of behavior is presented as a process consisting of 5 stages of making definite decisions. The realization of the program has started by such organizations as "Médecins sans Frontières" (Holland) and "SPID-infosvyaz" (Russia) in the prevention of HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases (including hepatitides) and drug dependence in 6 regions of Russia. The prospect lying before these activities is the creation in Russia of a network of organizations working in the above-mentioned field.     

Development of common indicators of sustainable forest management

The scope of sustainable forest management has been defined by a range of criteria and indicators, each applicable to certain local needs and situations. At the same time, public expectation of forest management have been evolving, and new indicators are constantly being proposed. It is possible to draw on the expertise represented by different criteria and indicator schemes to identify a set of indicators that are likely to be relevant to most situations. When this was done for British Columbia, Canada, it became apparent that there were many gaps in our understanding of indicators, and that there were also some areas that were poorly developed. Here we identify that socio-economic and cultural indicators of sustainable forest management are particularly weak and suggest the use of indices of social capital and the creation of a criterion dealing specifically with Aboriginal issues would help remedy these deficiencies.     

Is it functional?

This report describes the first scientific meeting of the British Society for Proteome Research (BSPR), which was organised jointly with the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and held in July 2004. The focus of the conference was functional proteomics with an emphasis on possible clinical application. The main subjects described here are: the need to simplify samples, the use of biological fluids versus tissue, consideration of biological and experimental variation and the creation of databases to achieve meaningful functional analysis.     

Holocene climate changes and warm man-made refugia may explain why a sixth of British butterflies possess unnatural early-successional habitats

Analyses of their habitats indicate that 18% of British butterfly species are restricted to the earliest seral stages of ecosystems, whereas the same species occupy later seral stages in central Europe, where spring and summer temperatures are warmer. The microclimates of their British habitats are exceptionally warm, compensating for the cooler climate. Most of these British habitats are also ephemeral, and have long depended on man for their creation and regeneration This poses the question of where these species lived before man created their habitats, roughly 6000 BP, I suggest that they are relics from a period when British summers were warmer than today, and that they avoided extinction when the climate cooled by moving into warm refugia created by prehistoric man within three types of ecosystem If summer temperatures become warmer, these species should return to later seral stages that are commoner and less dependent on man.     

Fifty years of Bird Study

Capsule Field ornithology is alive and well, and in the future can contribute much more in Britain and elsewhere.

Aims To review the progress of field ornithology in Britain in the context of Bird Study and the British Trust for Ornithology.

Methods An overview was taken of the main subject areas published in Bird Study to characterize progress over 50 years. Some quantification of data on the main bird organizations was performed.

ResultsKnowledge of status and trends of British birds has moved from the qualitative to generally well detailed quantitative over the past 50 years. Causes of distribution and changes are increasingly well understood in terms of habitat and of population processes. Behaviour and ecology have grown to be separate disciplines in their own right although birds have been major subjects of study within them. Migration studies have lagged somewhat in Britain but advanced elsewhere in recent decades. Amongst the main bird organizations, the BTO still has a growing membership, that of the RSPB has reached an astonishing level but may be nearing a plateau while the BOU's membership is clearly in decline.

Conclusions Field ornithology has made a large contribution to the environmental debate and the future is set for further integration across disciplines in answering large-scale questions. Great public interest has supported the growth of ornithology with a big switch from amateur to professional workers. There is a major challenge to exploit the value of birds in promoting interest in the environment and delivering sound facts to support the biodiversity debate elsewhere on Earth. Fifty years of history in Britain indicate what is possible.     

The effects of gap creation on competitive interactions: separating changes in overall intensity from relative rankings

A central assumption of disturbance ecology equates gap creation with the reduction of overall competitive intensity. I develop the idea that gap creation, due to changes in addition to biomass removal, could also alter the relative competitive rankings among species. I present a quantitative review using meta-analysis in which I separate the effect of gap creation from the effect of competition for species characteristic of different disturbance regimes. Twenty-one studies (with a total of 136 comparisons) directly examined species competitive abilities under gap (disturbed) and matrix (undisturbed) conditions. Overall competitive intensity generally declined in gap conditions, although species characteristic of gap areas responded more strongly to gap creation than did species characteristic of undisturbed matrix areas. Under matrix conditions, matrix species were less affected by competition than gap species, supporting one widespread assumption. However, under gap conditions, matrix and gap species were inhibited to a similar degree by neighbor biomass. These results suggest that gap creation, in addition to decreasing overall competitive intensity, may affect species competitive rankings, possibly due to changes in the environment where the interactions occur.