Treesearch

South Africa is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world, with much valuable biodiversity situated on a range of different land tenure types, including state, private and communal land. Despite this, these wild lands are being lost at an unprecedented rate, with the resultant loss of natural areas and associated ecosystem services. The challenge lies in the need to protect the unique biodiversity, by integrating the development needs of poverty-stricken communities with the need to secure the remaining natural wild places, and thereby secure the very areas on which these...

The Wilderness Foundation, in partnership with South African National Parks has initiated a two year project in the Karoo; The Mountain Zebra-Camdeboo Corridor Project. Through either voluntary Contractual National Park or Protected Environment agreements, the project aims to work with, rather than displace, current conservation-compatible land-use practices such as ecotourism, livestock grazing and other sustainable resource use. Less formal conservation options, such as biodiversity agreements, will also be offered to landowners. These agreements provide benefits to landowners in terms...

We have demonstrated the use of an advanced Gaussian-Process (GP) emulator to estimate wildland fire emissions over a wide range of fuel and atmospheric conditions. The Fire Emission Production Simulator, or FEPS, is used to produce an initial set of emissions data that correspond to some selected values in the domain of the input fuel and atmospheric parameters for the purpose of training the emulator. The emulated emissions are found to be within ±5% of the FEPS simulated emissions, providing confidence in the potential use of the GP-emulator for this and other similar applications....

The winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.; Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is an inchworm caterpillar that hatches coincident with bud-break on its hosts and feeds on a wide range of deciduous trees. It is one of a group of geometrid species that feed in early spring and then pupate in the top layer of the soil or litter beginning in mid-May. As postulated by Feeney (1970), the early spring feeding strategy of such larvae allows them to take advantage of the high nitrogen content and low concentrations of defensive compounds, such as condensed tannins, in newly formed leaves.

Antarctica is certainly what most people would consider being the world's last great wilderness; largely untouched and undeveloped by humans. Yet it is not inviolate - there are scientific bases, tourist operations, expeditions, airstrips and even roads. Although these impacts are by and large limited in extent, their very presence in an otherwise "blank" landscape can have effects on the wilderness that far outweigh their relatively small physical footprint. The vastness of Antarctica and the relatively small size and sparseness of human infrastructure presents its own set of special...

This paper summarizes preliminary results of a research study that investigated university students' perceptions of Antarctic wilderness and reports on discussions of these results at a workshop held at the 10th World Wilderness Congress. The purpose of the research study was to determine whether nationality and cultural differences were associated with beliefs about Antarctica, relationships between humans and the Antarctic environment, and support for resource development and tourism activities - a small but important step in deciding how to best meet the requirements of the Protocol on...

The study aims to investigate the premise that the implementation of a buffer zone around a national park provides opportunities for local communities to become active in the management of such areas. The study focuses on the Etosha National Park in Namibia, where the implementation of a buffer zone has been proposed, since the park fence is a potential barrier for ecosystem and social-ecological integrity. The research explores the extent to which the park fence influences the livelihoods of landowners and resource users in selected areas, by assessing local perspectives on the artificial...

The Bundian Way is a shared history pathway that connects the highest part of the Australian continent and the south-eastern coast via an ancient Aboriginal route that brought together the people of the greater region. The Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council has long worked towards its use for educational/ tourism purposes and recognition for heritage protection. In 2010 the Land Council began a survey of the route which resulted in New South Wales State Heritage listing on 18th January 2013. While the Bundian Way is defined as a physical route, its stories link a variety of Aboriginal...

This paper describes the Australian State of Tasmania's management effectiveness Monitoring and Reporting System for national parks and reserves. This jurisdictional performance measurement system is designed to provide all interested parties with reliable factual information and measured evidence about reserve management achievements, progress and challenges. Key features of the system are that it is outcomes-focused, evidence-based, operationally practical, and transparent to the public. The system fosters an organizational culture of measuring and demonstrating the results achieved from...

Conservation, reserve management within an interstate context is not unique in or to Australia. Nevertheless, the policy and procedures derived from various, state legislation often creates ambiguity for interstate, land management agencies. This compels such agencies to adopt specific approaches and strategies to landscape management. This paper provides a context for wilderness management in south-east Australia and outlines how the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Parks Victoria have assembled the Genoa River Interstate Liaison Committee, a committee of people focusing on a...