Habitat Conservation (Cambridge (CIE) AS Environmental Management)

Habitat Conservation & Creation

• Habitat conservation involves the protection and management of ecosystems and habitats

• This approach recognises that the survival of many species is dependent on the preservation of their habitat:

  • For example, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia uses a habitat conservation approach

  • The park is managed to protect the reef and its inhabitants by controlling the impact of human activity, such as fishing and tourism, and managing water quality

• Habitat conservation can be achieved using many different approaches, including:

  • Rewilding

  • Extracted reserves

  • Protection of habitats

  • Protected areas

  • Nature reserves

  • National parks

  • Conservation zones

Rewilding

• Rewilding is a conservation approach that aims to restore natural ecosystems by allowing natural ecological processes to return to the landscape and function without human intervention

• Rewilding projects may involve reintroducing keystone species, such as predators or large herbivores, to restore ecological balance:

  • An example of a successful rewilding initiative is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, USA

• Rewilding can be active or passive:

  • Active rewilding involves some human intervention e.g. removing human features such as roads, and reintroducing locally extinct species

  • Passive rewilding means leaving an area alone to allow ecological processes to gradually restore themselves e.g. stopping the management of land to allow natural succession to occur:

    • Note that passive rewilding will not work for the restoration of some habitat types e.g. grassland habitats often require grazing (carried out by introduced herbivores) to prevent tree species from growing and dominating the landscape

Extracted Reserves

• Extracted reserves are areas where natural resources, such as minerals, timber or oil, have been extracted but are subsequently managed for conservation purposes to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services

• Extracted reserves may involve rehabilitating degraded landscapes, reforesting mined areas, restoring waterways and implementing sustainable land management practices to mitigate the environmental impacts of resource extraction

• Examples of extracted reserves include:

  • Former mining sites that have been converted into wildlife reserves or conservation areas

  • Reclaimed oil sands landscapes

  • Restored wetlands on former agricultural land

Extractive Reserves

• On the other hand, extractive reserves are a type of protected area, typically owned by the state, where access and usage rights, including the extraction of natural resources, are assigned to local groups or communities:

  • These types of reserves are often established in tropical forests, primarily in the Amazon region

• These reserves are managed sustainably by local communities who depend on the forest for their livelihoods:

  • Extractive reserves allow for the extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as rubber, nuts, fruits and medicinal plants, while maintaining the integrity of the forest ecosystem and supporting the socio-economic needs of local communities

Protected areas

• A protected area is a defined geographical space, such as a national park or nature reserve, that is managed and protected for the purposes of conservation

• National parks are government-controlled areas within countries where the wildlife and environment are protected

• Nature reserves are usually smaller than national parks, and can be on privately or publicly owned land

• Restrictions inside protected areas can include:

  • Human access being strictly controlled

  • Industrial activities such as agriculture and building being tightly regulated

  • Hunting being limited or completely prohibited

Conservation Zones

• Conservation zones are designated areas within protected landscapes or seascapes managed for the conservation of specific habitats, species or ecological processes, often with varying levels of protection and land-use restrictions

• Conservation zones aim to enhance biodiversity conservation, support habitat restoration, maintain ecosystem services and facilitate sustainable resource management within larger protected areas:

  • They may include special management zones, ecological reserves, buffer zones, no-take zones and wildlife corridors, each with specific conservation objectives and management strategies

• Examples of conservation zones include:

  • Marine protected areas (MPAs) with no-take zones to conserve coral reefs and fish populations

  • Buffer zones around national parks to minimise human-wildlife conflicts

  • Ecological reserves designated to protect rare or endangered species and habitats