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After taking note of high-diversity areas and species at greatest risk of extinction, park designers must consider
other factors before designating a protected area. It is always important to monitor human use of forest lands
before the designation of a national park. The presence of trails, the location of current and predicted human
settlement, and land and resource use are all consequential in determining whether the forest land is suitable
for protection. If local people are unhappy with restricted access to parklands, chances are they will not respect
park boundaries. Along these same lines, planners generally attempt to measure the economic potential of natural
forest management of the area as an alternative to deforestation. Also of great importance is the spatial distribution
and quality of habitat, Clearly, when given a choice between degraded and natural habitat, it is better to protect
the higher-quality area. Researchers also look at species distributions when determining what areas to declare
off-limits.
TYPES OF PROTECTED AREA
Studies of isolated forest reserves have shown (Lovejoy experiment, Barro Colorado Island, and others) that it will
not be possible to conserve all or even some of their species diversity, genetic resources, and ecological processes.
Thus, new approaches to linking protected areas to surrounding lands (buffer zones) are required. Land management
must not be only planned for the reserve, but also the land surrounding it. If the land around a reserve is stripped,
locals will have no choice but to seek out game, fuelwood, and more fertile soils in the reserve. Therefore it
is quintessential for protected areas to accommodate the local populations. The best approach for accommodation
is to design and manage a range of protected areas, known as a multipleuse reserve.
A multiple-use reserve consists of several zones with varying degree of human occupation. The outermost zones,
known as buffer zones, are areas to be used sustainably by the inhabitants. Here they can practice sustainable
harvesting of fuelwood, animals, and native plants and even practice a degree of small-scale agriculture. The outermost
zone could be the site of commercial activities like low-impact logging. The area beyond the buffer zone could
serve as the site of reforestation projects with seeds and seedlings provided from the reserve. Eventually the
outer regions would again support forest and the expanded area could be used for further sustainable practices.
The inner zones could be set aside for indigenous peoples, who could continue their traditional way of life, without
interference from outsiders. Also in this zone could be an area for forest-friendly eco-tourism with indigenous
peoples (if they so desired) serving as guides. The core area should have access restricted to all but research
scientists and could serve as the base for forest study. The core area would only make up a small portion of the
total protected area, but be placed so as to protect the forest "hot-spots."
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has devised eight
categories of protected area, in order to protect biodiversity,
yet contribute to sustainable development. These follow a structure like the one mentioned above with buffer zones
around the park slated for partial development and two small, strictly protected categories (I and II) set aside
for research only. Such a core area is exemplified by Manu National Park in the Manu Biosphere Reserve which serves as a reserve base for scientists and as a storehouse for information on the rich biodiversity
of the Amazon Basin. In the surrounding buffer zones are areas for tourist activities and local use.
World's first video of the elusive and endangered bay cat
(11/05/2009) Rare, elusive, and endangered by habitat loss, the bay cat is one of the world's least studied wild cats. Several specimens of the cat were collected in the 19th and 20th Century, but a living cat wasn't even photographed until 1998. Now, researchers in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, have managed to capture the first film of the bay cat (Catopuma badia). Lasting seven seconds, the video shows the distinctly reddish-brown cat in its habitat.
Photos: Palm oil threatens Borneo's rarest cats
(11/04/2009) Oil palm expansion is threatening Borneo's rarest wild cats, reports a new study based on three years of fieldwork and more than 17,000 camera trap nights. Studying cats in five locations—each with different environments—in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, researchers found that four of five cat species are threatened by habitat loss due to palm oil plantations. "No other place has a higher percentage of threatened wild cats!" Jim Sanderson, an expert on the world's small cats, told Mongabay.com. Pointing out that 80 percent of Borneo's cats face extinction, Sanderson said that "not one of these wild cats poses a direct threat to humans."
Gucci drops APP in pledge to save rainforests
(11/03/2009) One of the world's largest and most prestigious fashion brands has stated it will stop sourcing paper from Indonesian forests and will drop Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) as a supplier, which has become notorious for tropical deforestation. The move comes after pressure from the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) on the fashion industry to stop sourcing paper from threatened rainforests for their shopping bags.
Crisis averted for now, Peruvian natives will meet with Hunt Oil
(10/28/2009) Indigenous groups in a dispute with Hunt Oil, over the company performing seismic tests their land, have scheduled a meeting with the Texas based oil corporation, according to Reuters.
Will Ecuador's plan to raise money for not drilling oil in the Amazon succeed?
(10/27/2009) Ecuador's Yasuni National Park is full of wealth: it is one of the richest places on earth in terms of biodiversity; it is home to the indigenous Waorani people, as well as several uncontacted tribes; and the park's forest and soil provides a massive carbon sink. However, Yasuni National Park also sits on wealth of a different kind: one billion barrels of oil remain locked under the pristine rainforest.
