What is a fragile ecosystem and how are ecosystems vulnerable?
One that lacks resilience to a change in conditions.
Ecosystems are vulnerable to change - human activity, introduction of foreign species and natural events e.g. flooding or drought.
What are some examples of a fragile environment?
Includes arid/semi-arid, mountainous. polar, freshwater, intertidal, TRF and coral reef areas.
Some are regional in scale
Others are at a small scale - isolated fragmented pockets.
What has happened to Brazil’s TRFs over the last century?
THE CENTRAL AMAZON CONSERVATION COMPLEX CASE STUDY.
Degraded/destruction of TRFs - severe impact on natural habitats and biodiversity.
Some bits remain intact/undisturbed - protected by law e.g. the Central Amazon Conservation Complex.
Where is the Central Amazon Conservation Complex located, and what are the 3 separate reserves called?
How big is it?
CASE STUDY.
North/northwest of Manaus.
Within the watershed of the Rio Nero.
6 million hectares.
- Jau National Park.
- Mamiraua Sustainable Development Reserve Focal Zone.
- Amana Sustainable Development Reserve.
What organisations are involved regarding the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
UNESCO World Heritage site.
Designated a WWWF priority region for conservation.
What are the characteristics of the protected region regarding the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
Second largest area of protected TRF in the world.
Sparsely populated.
Small settlements live close to the river.
Limited transport - only by boat - 18 hour journey from Manaus.
What are the characteristics of the natives living in the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
Idigenous Amerindians.
Traditional way of life - use small plots of land for crops.
Meat, fish and fruit collected from the forest.
Small number of Portuguese descent - rubber tappers.
Hunting/poaching banned for outsiders only.
What is the development like regarding the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
Little pressure faced regarding development.
Due to isolated location.
Little tourism - only a few thousand per year.
The Carabinani Falls in the Jau National Park provide the main tourism focus.
What does the fauna include for the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
180 tree species every hectare.
200 mammal species - 100 bat species alone.
500 bird species e.g. parrots and macaws.
Reptiles and amphibians e.g. boa constrictors and iguanas.
300 fish species.
Countless insects e.g. ants and termites.
What are some endangered animal species in the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
CASE STUDY.
Anteater. Spider monkey. Tortoise. Turtle. Alligator. Dolphin.
What are the 3 management aims regarding the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?
+ MAIN AIM.
AMAZON CASE STUDY.
- To protect the land and to minimise the impact of human activity.
- To research, catalogue and protect biodiversity.
- To manage specific activities e.g. tourism.
MAIN AIM - to manage the natural resources sustainably, protecting flora and fauna.
What does the zoning plan of the Central Amazon Conservation Complex include?
AMAZON CASE STUDY.
- Primitive zone - land of great natural value where there has been minimum human activity. Greatest level of protection.
- Extensive use zone - small amount of activity.
- Intensive zone - environment has already been significantly altered by human activity. Still protected, but some economic activity is allowed.
- Special use zone - land on which the core services required to monitor and protect the natural rainforest are located.
What is the majority of the Marimaua Sustainable Development Focal Zone under, regarding the different zoning plans?
AMAZON CASE STUDY.
‘Intensive use’.
Population 5,000.
23 settlements.
Which groups developed a management plan regarding the Marimaua Sustainable Development Focal Zone?
AMAZON CASE STUDY.
Local communities Mining and tourism representatives. Local government officials. IBAMBA members. International research officials.
What did the management plan regarding the Marimaua Sustainable Development Focal Zone include? 4
AMAZON CASE STUDY.
- Prohibition of hunting/logging for commercial gain.
- Inhabitants receive environmental education and improved healthcare.
- Increased economic production from the available natural resources is promoted to ensure a sustainable future for those living within the rainforest.
- Zoning and protection have been established, and have resulted in an increase in the productivity of forest and aquatic resources.
Where is the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania located?
+ general characteristics.
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Form a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. World Heritage sites. North of Tanzania. 2.3 million hectares. Open plains and volcanic uplands.
What animals are featured in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
1.3 million wildebeest. 400,000 Thomson's gazelle. 200,000 plains zebra. All follow a seasonal migration pattern. Pursued by natural predators e.g. lions and cheetahs.
What endangered animals are featured in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
African elephant - 2,000. Rhinos and hippos. Giraffe. 500 bird species. 34 raptors and 6 vultures. Ostrich, stork and flamingo.
What natives live in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
The Masai Mara - normadic herdsmen.
Lived here for thousands of years.
Cultural code forbids the eating of wild animals.
Therefore, the biodiversity is protected.
What was Tanzania like in the early 20th century?SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Under British rule.
Wild game was hunted for fur and ivory.
Serengeti plains weren’t settle on extensively by Europeans - the tsetse fly and a low seasonal rainfall deterred commercial cattle ranching and crop plotting.
When was the first 3 game reserves established?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
1921.
To protect lions - viewed by Europeans as vermin.
The Serengeti Park was created 30 years later.
Controversial legislation resulted in the Masai Maura losing their right to live/graze their cattle on the Serengeti plain.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area - 1959.
Aim was to promote the interests of both the Masai Maura and the wildlife.
How many Mausi Mauras live in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania today?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
52,000.
Under strict regulations.
Forbidden to cultivate (plot) the land or build permanent settlements.
Must live in traditional homes - bomas.
The only people allowed to live in the park are those employed as rangers, park workers or tourist workers.
How did the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, suffer in the 1960s/1970s?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Independently managed by the Tanzanian government.Economic recession meant there was a lack of finance for conservation projects.
Workers weren’t paid - ill-equipped to protect the wildlife.
Elephant/rhino populations depleted.
Bleak outlook.
How did the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. improve in the 1980s?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Economic situation improved.
Tourism boomed - rise in park income.
Allowed park authorities to rebuild the infrastructure and re-establish anti-poaching units.
How is tourism important for the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
What is still an ongoing problem in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area,
Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Important revenue source.
9,000 visitors per year.
Despite sustainable management, approx. 200,000 animals are illegally killed by poachers every year.
Declining number of warthogs, giraffes, buffalos ect.
What has recently happened regarding management for the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Buffer zones - Community Wildlife Management Areas.
Local people are encouraged/have legal rights, to make decisions regarding the management of wildlife.
Hoped to help curb poaching.
How are the normadic pastoralists of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, being threatened?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Traditional way of life is being threatened.
Scarce grazing land.
Pop. pressure - 2% annual growth.
BR - 36 per 1,000 women per year.
36% live below the poverty line - increased pressure on resources
How has agriculture changed regarding the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
Development of irrigation systems - enabled commercial agriculture.
TNCs have offered incentives to village communities to grow biofuels.
Sedentary farming threatens traditional migration routes of both wildlife and normadic pastoralists.
Natural grasslands threat - non-native Mexican poppy.
Prickly, and rapidly overtakes overgrazed land.
How much land has Tanzania committed to protecting?
What is the general aim of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania?
SAVANNA GRASSLAND CASE STUDY.
42,000km-2 land.
1/3 of its territory.
UK - only 1/10 is protected.
The main aim is to preserve the country’s natural rich heritage and to provide secure breeding grounds for its flora and fauna, safe from the conflicting interests of a growing human population.
Where is the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh, located?
How big and why?
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
Delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers of the Bay of Bengal.
21st century - 10,000km-2.
Roughly half the size it was 200 years ago.
Intense population pressure in Bangladesh.
1,000 people per square km, compared to 200 in 1901.
Large areas have been cleared.
What threats are faced in the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh? 1/3. 3.
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
- Climate change - sea levels are rising 3mm year-1. Will cause flooding of low-lying delta land, retreating shorelines, soil salinisation and water table changes.
- Water abstraction - from upstream rivers for irrigation when dry. E.g. The Farraka Barrage 1974, Ganges River.
Resulted in 40% reduction in flow when dry. Increased salinity of the land/water. - Deforestation - Himalayas. Greater silt volumes - deposited by the delta. Alters ecosystem balance.
What threats are faced in the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh? 2/3. 2.
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
- Population - 3 million live in small villages around the Sundarbans. The area provides livelihoods for 500,000 fishermen, woodcutters and grass/honey gatherers.
- Fishing camps - major disturbance. Illegal hunting/trapping e.g. turtles.
Nutrient-rich waters - rich harvest of shellfish e.g. shrimp and prawn. Crustaceans form the largest biomas proportion.
What threats are faced in the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh? 3/3. 2.
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
- Water pollution - industries around the ports of Khulna and Mongla have particularly affected aquatic wildlife.
- Natural disasters - November 2007 cyclone killed 3,000. Cyclone Sidr caused damage to 40% forest.
Foliage stripped from branches, larger trees uprooted.
The Forest Department’s entire operational capacity was lost when all equipment was destroyed.
Without outside help - may take 15 years for parts to recover.
What is the vegetation of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh, like?
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
Vast netowrk of rivers, mudflats and islands - chars.
Vegetated by mangroves - salt-tolerant trees.
Are restricted to the intertidal zone along the coast.
Act as natural buffers against storm surges.
Protects land from tropical cyclones.
What are the animals of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh, like?
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
Royal Bengal tiger - 350.
Estuarine crocodile.
Indian python.
Spotted deer/wild boar - tiger prey - ‘man-eater’ reputation.
9 species of kingfisher, eagles, herons, storks.
Mudskippers (fish that can climb out of the water).
Turtles.
Gangetic freshwater dolphin.
Locally extinct - Javan rhino, water buffalo, swamp deer and gaur.
How is the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh, managed?
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
Biosphere Reserve in 2001.
Its protection is considered to be of international importance.
7 conservation areas, including 3 wildlife sanctuaries.
Managed by the Forest Department.
Make up 15% of the eco-region.
Wildlife 1974 act - illegal to cultivate land within the conservation areas, or to introduce domestic animals, hunt, damage or set fire to the vegetation.
What are the management struggles regarding the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh?
TROPICAL MONSOON FOREST CASE STUDY.
Not enough staff/structures in place to enforce the law.
Require more cross-boarder cooperation with India.
More financial support from official aid sources and NGOs.
Plans need to include a high degree of local community involvement to allow sustainable use of the forest.
Schemes to generate income e.g. aquaculture, the development of alternative energy sources, local crafts and animal husbandry are required.
