scholarly journals Faunistic analysis of insects of Deva Vatala National Park and agroecosystem of Gujrat Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Umar ◽  
◽  
Mubashar Hussain ◽  

Insect biodiversity drives ecological functioning and provides ecosystem services in different landscapes. Protected areas with the least anthropogenic disturbances provide resources with the least disturbance in habitat favouring insect species belonging to different guilds to coexist and contribute to the ecosystem processes. Studies have highlighted the significance of anthropogenic landscapes including agricultural ecosystems for harboring rich native biodiversity. To understand the species composition and abundance agricultural landscape, we explored insect fauna in Deva Vatala National Park (DVNP), Bhimber (Azad Kashmir), and associated croplands of Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. We aimed to assess the abundance, richness and diversity of the insect orders, families and species found in the two habitats i.e. national park and croplands. Fortnightly surveys were conducted during 2017-2019. Sampling methodology consisted of handpicking, using sweep nets, light traps, pitfall traps and insect collection was identified by using taxonomic keys. A total of 239 insect species representing 10 orders and 69 families were collected and identified from both habitat types. For both diversity and abundance, we detected a significant difference in community composition at species, family and order levels. Several insect orders and families demonstrated significant differences (p< 0.05) in either abundance or richness or both between the two types of habitats. Several families of Coleoptera, which contains dung beetles, ground beetles, ladybird beetles showed greater richness in DVNP. However, we also detected that several insect orders showed greater richness in the croplands of Gujrat. But we observed the pattern of the greater abundance of insect orders in DVNP. Both types of habitat can have important consequences on insect fauna having great importance in the ecosystem services and functions. Protected areas nearby associated croplands have the potential to contribute immensely to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision both at the local scale and the landscape scale.

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan POPA ◽  
Claudiu COMAN ◽  
Stelian A. BORZ ◽  
Dan M. NITA ◽  
Codrin CODREANU ◽  
...  

In the last two decades different methodologies for assessing the economic implications of protected areas have been developed within the framework of "Total Economic Value", taking into account not only goods and services that have a price and a market but also those not priced or marketed. The present paper, by using a number of recognized methodologies applied by environmental economists around the world, estimates the economic value of ecosystem services of Piatra Craiului National Park, in one of the first attempts to frame ecosystem services valuation in Romania. The approach and results include a benefit distribution analysis, for both the economic sectors and the groups of beneficiaries. Even if the data are not comprehensive and depend on several assumptions, the paper provides very important practical and policy-relevant information on the economic value of Piatra Craiului National Park, in an attempt to stimulate increasing of the budgetary allocation and economic policy priority for protected areas in Romania.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla N. M. Polaz ◽  
Fabio C. Ferreira ◽  
Miguel Petrere Júnior

ABSTRACT Considering the need for the Brazilian government to develop tools for environmental monitoring for biodiversity conservancy purposes in the national protected areas system, this paper focuses on determining reference site metrics (or baselines) for adapting the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) based on the fish assemblages in the Pantanal National Park (PNP). The habitats in the PNP were grouped into four categories: main rivers, corixos (channels connecting the floodplain), permanent bays, and temporary bays. Fish samplings were performed at 12 points during the dry season (Oct-Nov 2010 and 2011). 146 fish species were identified from the total 18,954 individuals collected with standardized fishing gear. There was no association between the structure of the fish assemblage and categories, suggesting a theory on homogeneity of habitats. The final IBIPNP consists of nine metrics, most of them were framed in excellent class, some in fair, and none in poor. There was no significant difference in IBIPNP scores between the two sampled years. This approach provides a direct application for wetland management purposes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 675-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Tobias Rannestad ◽  
Torbjørn Danielsen ◽  
Stein R. Moe ◽  
Sigbjørn Stokke

The small size of many African protected areas makes adjacent rangelands potentially important in the local survival of wild animals. In order to assess the importance of pastoral areas to wild ungulates, we studied density and habitat choice of wild ungulates and cattle in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, the adjacent exclusively pastoral Nshara Dairy Ranch and on private land consisting of a mixture of ranching and subsistence farms. Transects, in the three land-use zones, were walked during the wet season and the data were analysed by DISTANCE sampling technique. We found significantly higher total density of wild ungulates on the dairy ranch compared with the National Park and private land. There was no significant difference in total wild animal density between the National Park and private land. Impala (Aepyceros melampus), zebra (Equus quagga), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) had significantly higher densities on the dairy ranch compared to the National Park. Only eland (Taurotragus oryx) density was higher in the National Park compared to private land. Wild ungulates and cattle showed a high degree of habitat overlap, generally preferring open grassland. Our study shows that high densities of wild ungulates are not necessarily associated with protected areas. Pastoral areas may be important for populations of wild herbivores during the growing season despite a pronounced presence of livestock.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Maria Tsakiri ◽  
Eleni Koumoutsou ◽  
Ioannis P. Kokkoris ◽  
Panayiotis Trigas ◽  
Eleni Iliadou ◽  
...  

This study highlights the importance of including detailed (local-scale) biodiversity and ecosystem services data for land-use management and promotion of protected areas using the National Park and UNESCO Global Geopark of Chelmos-Vouraikos (Greece) as a case study. Along with the conducted field surveys and literature review for the National Park’s flora documentation, ecosystem type mapping and assessment of ecosystem services have been performed, following National and European Union (EU) guidelines for the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) implementation across EU Member States. Main results include floristic diversity indicators, ecosystem type mapping and assessment, and ecosystem services identification and assessment of their actual and potential supply. By this, a scientifically informed baseline dataset was developed to support management and policy needs towards a holistic National Park management and a sustainable spatial planning for protected areas. Additionally, local scale ecosystem type and ecosystem services data have been produced as input for the MAES implementation in Greece and the EU.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11726
Author(s):  
Domenico Pisani ◽  
Pasquale Pazienza ◽  
Enrico Vito Perrino ◽  
Diana Caporale ◽  
Caterina De Lucia

Protected areas play an important role in the conservation and protection of biodiversity of particular territories, especially of ecosystems that provide resources for living organisms, including human beings. Different studies highlight the importance of biodiversity and its associated benefits in terms of ecosystem services of protected areas. The economic assessment of ecosystem services and biodiversity becomes a viable solution to help the policy maker to make decisions on the environmental preservation of these areas according to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Nonetheless, very few studies provide an economic evaluation of the benefits of protected areas. To advance the current debate on the economic evaluation of the benefits provided by protected areas, the present paper purposes an integrated approach. It presents an overview of main ecosystem services’ mapping techniques currently available to researchers and policy makers and offers a systematic review carried out for the period 2015–2020 at an international level. The main findings are particularly attractive for the Gargano National Park (GNP) in the south of Italy, which is recognised as being a biodiversity hot spot at global level. The current study provides useful guidance for the assessment of trade-offs, the support to policy makers, and the provision of efficient allocation of public resources for protected areas.


Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Wai Soe Zin ◽  
Aya Suzuki ◽  
Kelvin S.-H. Peh ◽  
Alexandros Gasparatos

Protected areas offer diverse ecosystem services, including cultural services related to recreation, which contribute manifold to human wellbeing and the economy. However, multiple pressures from other human activities often compromise ecosystem service delivery from protected areas. It is thus fundamental for effective management to understand the recreational values and visitor behaviors in such areas. This paper undertakes a rapid assessment of the economic value of cultural ecosystem services related to recreation in a national park in Myanmar using two valuation techniques, the individual travel cost method (TCM) and the Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA v.1.2). We focus on the Popa Mountain National Park, a protected area visited by approximately 800,000 domestic and 25,000 international tourists annually. Individual TCM estimates that each domestic visitor spent USD 20–24 per trip, and the total annual recreational value contributed by these visitors was estimated at USD 16.1–19.6 million (USD 916–1111 ha−1). TESSA estimated the annual recreational expenditure from domestic and international visitors at USD 15.1 million (USD 858 ha−1) and USD 5.04 million (USD 286 ha−1), respectively. Both methods may be employed as practical approaches to assess the recreational values of protected areas (and other land uses with recreational value), and they have rather complementary approaches. We recommend that both techniques be combined into a single survey protocol.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 823
Author(s):  
Siyuan He ◽  
Louise Gallagher ◽  
Qingwen Min

This research examines perceptions of ecosystem services (ES) and social well-being in the Wuyishan National Park, China. This study analyses the importance of and linkages between them based on the impact of new designation of protected areas on this social-ecological system. Realisation of rural well-being is critical to park-people relations in populated protected areas, and effective resolution is needed to achieve positive conservation outcomes. We conducted 372 structured interviews with community members with different livelihood strategies. Key findings from the research include: (1) the importance of provisioning (e.g., tea, rice, timber) and cultural ES (e.g., local culture, eco-tourism) is related to both current livelihood necessity and future development pursuit. (2) The perceived material well-being is higher than spiritual well-being, and high social well-being is closely related to high-income groups and those that think highly of cultural services, i.e., those engaged in non-agricultural activities (e.g., tourism) and tea cultivation. (3) Cultural values are better preserved in tea and rice cultivation and tourism, but in general, they are not incorporated to improve social well-being. The results suggest that Protected area (PA) management of local communities must seek cultural valorisation for differentiated livelihood strategies for rural people’s sustainable livelihood and stability of the social-ecological system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 238-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izak P.J. Smit ◽  
Dirk J. Roux ◽  
Louise K. Swemmer ◽  
Nelius Boshoff ◽  
Peter Novellie

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Nikodinoska ◽  
Alessandro Paletto ◽  
Pier Paolo Franzese ◽  
Christer Jonasson

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