Climate change is a major threat to global biodiversity. From the tropics to the Poles, the worlds ecosystems are all under pressure. A study published in the scientific journal Nature posited that 15 to 37% of terrestrial animal and plant species could be at risk of extinction because of human-induced impacts on climate (Thomas et al., 2004). Scattered across the four corners of the Earth, European Union overseas entities, are home to a biological diversity that is as rich as it is vulnerable.
The Convention on Biological Diversity has been adopted by many countries, resulting in the development of national biodiversity strategies. This illustrates the international recognition of the importance of protecting ecosystems. However, ecosystems still face many threats, some of them growing and spreading so rapidly as to cause irreversible deterioration in many countries and areas.
Protected areas are a key component of any global conservation strategy. tourism provides a crucial and unique way of fostering visitors' connection with protected area values, making it a potentially positive force for conservation. Visitor experiences can be transformative. Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: Guidelines for sustainability. Tourism for an individual's personal growth and well-being, while instilling an increased sense of stewardship and support for protected area values
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence
of biodiversity. The criteria used to identify KBAs
incorporate elements of biodiversity across genetic, species
and ecosystem levels, and are applicable to terrestrial, freshwater, marine and subterranean systems.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 155 p
Critical issues for all meetings will be the global effort in the remaining 18 months to achieve the 2020 Aichi Targets of the CBD. Target 11 is of particular importance to WCPA and indeed we would argue it is the fundamental goal to achieve biodiversity and underpins many other goals.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 14 p
The Oceania region is very prone to natural disasters having experienced two Category 5 cyclones in as many years; Tropical Cyclone (TC)Pam struck Vanuatu on 13 March 2015 and TC Winston struck Fiji on 20 February 2016.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 92 p
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis. Nowhere is that more apparent than on oceanic islands where invasive species are a major threat for island biodiversity. Rats are one of the most detrimental of these and have been the target of numerous eradication programmes; a well-established conservation tool for island systems.
The impacts of house mice (Mus musculus), one of four invasive rodent species in New Zealand, are only clearly revealed on islands and fenced sanctuaries without rats and other invasive predators which suppress mouse populations, influence their behaviour, and confound their impacts. When the sole invasive mammal on islands, mice can reach high densities and influence ecosystems in similar ways to rats.
Following the incursion of rats (Rattus rattus) on Taukihepa (Big South Cape Island; 93.9 km²) off southern New Zealand in 1963, and the subsequent extirpation of several endemic species, the New Zealand Wildlife Service realised that, contrary to general belief at the time, introduced predators do not reach a natural balance with native species and that a safe breeding habitat for an increasing number of at risk species was urgently needed.
Rat eradication is a highly effective tool for conserving biodiversity, but one that requires considerable planning eff ort, a high level of precision during implementation and carries no guarantee of success. Overall, rates of success are generally high but lower for tropical islands where most biodiversity is at risk. We completed a qualitative comparative review on four successful and four unsuccessful tropical rat eradication projects to better understand the factors influencing the success of tropical rat eradications and shed light on how the risk of future failures can be minimised.
Invasive species, particularly animals, are being eradicated from islands at ever more ambitious scales. In order to protect island biodiversity and the essential ecosystem functions that it provides, however, plant invasions should be given more management attention. While many advances have been made, plant eradication is inherently more difficult than animal eradication due to persistent seed banks, and eradication may not be possible for more extensive populations.
The Baja California Pacifc Islands, Mexico, are globally important breeding sites for 22 seabird species and subspecies. In the past, several populations were extirpated or reduced due to invasive mammals, human disturbance, and contaminants. Over the past two decades, we have removed invasive predators and, for the last decade, we have been implementing a Seabird Restoration Programme on eight groups of islands: Coronado, Todos Santos, San Martín, San Jerónimo, San Benito, Natividad, San Roque, and Asunción.
Considerable bene?ts can be achieved for indigenous biodiversity when invasive vertebrates are removed from islands. In New Zealand, two logistically challenging eradications were undertaken, one to remove cats (Felis catus) and the other Paci?c rats (Rattus exulans) from Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). Here we document the short- and long-term impacts of these interventions on the biodiversity of Hauturu. We also assess the extent to which predicted outcomes were re?ected in the measured responses for a wide range of species.
As environmental problems continue to increase at an ever more rapid rate, exacerbated by the major threat of global climate change, the need for widespread remedial action is becoming ever more pressing. Scientific consensus on both the root causes of these problems and the measures required to tackle them is growing, while mass media and public interest has reached fever pitch.
To introduce this collection of studies, a logical first question to ask is why produce a “lessons learned” publication?
The geographic scope of this report is defined in terms of the freshwater hydrology of the northern African region and is based on major river catchment delineations within the countries of Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco and Tunisia. The assessment region also includes parts of Mauritania, Mali, and the northern tip of Chad, and stops at the northern tip of Lake Nasser in southern Egypt. Freshwater species native to northern Africa and those introduced to the region before 1500 AD are included in this report.
Protected areas for Pacific Island Communities - Managing natural resources now and for the future (Poster)
Online - Poster
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 1p. : ill, (col.)
The Governance Assessment for Protected Areas and Conserved Areas (GAPA) methodology manual is the product of four years work
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-78431-733-1
Physical Description: 160 p
At the World Conservation Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2004, the IUCN Membership requested a worldwide consultative process to agree a methodology to enable countries to identify Key Biodiversity Areas.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-2-8317-1835-4
Physical Description: 46 p
The IUCN categories are applicable to all types of protected areas, whether terrestrial or marine. the 2008 Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories (2008 Guidelines) provide considerable detail on the use and application of the categories, including for marine protected area (MPAs).
Online only
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-2-8317-1524-7
Physical Description: 36p. : ill. (col.) ;