conservation Archives - Page 5 of 71 - Resilient Landscapes (RL)

Incentives and financing mechanisms for improved landscape management, biodiversity conservation, nature-based solutions and livelihood development

This study employed a multifaceted approach to evaluate existing incentives and provide financing mechanism recommendations for sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation in Rwanda. The approach used included a comprehensive literature review to gain a foundational understanding of the existing landscape; the administration of semi-structured questionnaires to 22 key actors; a stakeholder consultation workshop for district forest and natural resources officers from nine Congo-Nile Ridge (CNR) landscape districts; and focus group discussions with 15 sector forest officers and 21 lead farmers.

Synthesis report can be accessed: here

Tree improvement: Improving planting material used in forest management and restoration in Rwanda

The objective of the current study is to review and provide recommendations for tree improvement in Rwanda, including identifying potential improvements in the productivity of current privately- and publicly-owned forests, by addressing, among other things, low stocking of existing forests and the poor genetic quality of planting material.

Synthesis report can be accessed: here

Measuring, monitoring and conserving biodiversity in managed tropical forests

Discusses methods for measuring and monitoring different components of biodiversity in tropical forests. Considers the conservation of biodiversity in tropical forests including the use of criteria and indicators, the zonation concept of management, the use of buffer zones, and extractive reserves. Prospects for future conservation and management are discussed.

Unlocking economic value of peatland ecosystem services and implications for effective peatland management: A case study from Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia

Peatlands are among the most valuable yet vulnerable ecosystems on our planet. They serve as vast carbon stores, biodiversity hotspots, and crucial hydrological regulators. However, despite their ecological importance, they have often been undervalued in economic decision-making. As a result, peatlands—especially those in the tropics, such as Riau in Sumatra, Indonesia—face relentless pressures from agricultural expansion, land conversion, and unsustainable resource extraction.
The booklet entitled “Unlocking Economic Value of Peatland Ecosystem Services and Implications for Effective Peatland Management in Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia” provides a timely and insightful exploration into the multifaceted benefits of peatland ecosystems and the potential for integrating their value into policy and management frameworks. By bridging ecological science, economics, and governance, this book illuminates the pathways through which peatland conservation can align with economic incentives, ensuring sustainable livelihoods while preserving critical ecosystem functions.
The case from Riau, Sumatra, is particularly compelling, given its vast peatland landscapes that have historically played a vital role in both local economies and global environmental stability. This book carefully illustrates the ways in which ecosystem services—such as food provisioning, carbon sequestration, water regulation, and biodiversity conservation—can be translated into quantifiable economic terms, making a strong case for investment in peatland protection and restoration. It also highlights policy mechanisms, market-based solutions, and community-driven approaches that can support effective peatland governance.

Community-based monitoring in the context of sustainable wildlife management and biodiversity conservation in tropical countries

This document is addressed to communities and their partners, and features eight main key lessons learned that emerge from the implementation of community-based monitoring in the context of wildlife management and biodiversity conservation, across 15 countries in Africa, the Guyana Shield and the Pacific Region in which the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme is implemented. The examples involve diverse forms of community-based monitoring and include different ecosystems (forests, savannahs, wetlands) and taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish). We further provide a more focused description of five case studies, including the multitaxa community-based monitoring process implemented by community wildlife and fisheries committees in the Rupununi (Guyana), the human-wildlife coexistence monitoring programme implemented by communities in Mucheni Community Conservancy (Zimbabwe), the co-managed monitoring system implemented for sustainable hunting around Lastoursville (Gabon), and the citizen science process implemented in communities around the Dja Reserve (Cameroon) to monitor and alert emergence of zoonotic diseases and the community-based monitoring system implemented in Namibia in the context of community-based conservancies (Namibia).

Weaving the Middle Spaces Between Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecology

Africa’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage are deeply rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), which offers essential insights for conservation and sustainability. This editorial underscores the active role of African IP in safeguarding biodiversity and strengthening food system resilience, calling for equitable partnerships that value TEK alongside scientific knowledge. Grounded in centuries of observation and cultural practice, TEK supports sustainable resource use and ecological understanding. Yet, climate change, land dispossession, and cultural erosion threaten both these knowledge systems and the communities that uphold them. To address this, conservation efforts must respect Indigenous sovereignty and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. This aligns with global frameworks like the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which affirms IP rights across conservation targets, including land tenure, traditional knowledge, and access to justice. The pressing challenge is translating these international commitments into rights-based, equitable conservation on the ground. Upholding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and engaging in open, trust-building dialogue with IP communities are essential steps. By embracing these principles, conservation science can move from rhetoric to meaningful, participatory action that honors Indigenous stewardship of nature.

State of knowledge of research in the Guinean forests of West Africa region

The Guinean forests of West Africa (GFWA) region is of highest conservation value in Africa and worldwide. The aims of this review are to systematically identify and collate studies focusing on the environment in the region. We found that, after Google Scholar search, in over 112,000 results for 17 disciplines, three countries (Nigeria, Cameroon and Togo) were subjected to much more investigations than the other countries. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were the least studied countries, and overall there was a significant West to East increasing trend for all seven considered disciplines (Ecology, Zoology, Botany, Conservation biology, Pollution, Climate change and Ecological economy) in terms of number of results. Within ‘Ecology’ ‘macroecology and biodiversity’ was the most studied subdiscipline. Baseline taxonomic studies in ‘Zoology’ and ‘Botany’ received little interest, particularly in 2006-2016. For ‘Conservation biology’, studies focusing on ‘protected areas’ were more numerous than for any other subsector, followed by ‘biodiversity surveys’. Our analysis revealed that there were significantly more studies focusing on forests than on mangrove areas. Our results pointed out that, there is an urgent need for more rigorous taxonomical and fine-scale distribution studies of organisms across the whole region, not only for the traditionally overlooked groups (e.g. invertebrates). It is also stressed that studies of macropatterns in conservation biology research for the region should be performed by more reliable data at the more local scale, given the misuse that has been done by general studies of these limited/biased data for inferring patterns. Long-term longitudinal studies on biodiversity patterns of important forest sites and population biology of selected populations are urgently needed, as these have been almost entirely neglected to date. Crucial issues are still to be solved: for instance, it remains fully unresolved whether wildlife can best be protected through the promotion of human economic development or through integral conservation of important biodiversity areas.

Yi Ethnomycology: Wild Mushroom Knowledge and Use in Yunnan, China

Local ethnobiological knowledge offers critical insights into ecological processes, species diversity, and abundance, as well as changes in environmental conditions. Although ethnomycological knowledge remains understudied compared to local knowledge about plants and animals, wild fungi are important components of healthy, functioning ecosystems. Wild fungi are also integral to many social and economic systems. Yunnan Province, China, is home to both a wide diversity of wild edible mushrooms and extensive human-fungi relationships. Understanding local ecological and mycological knowledge is critical for conserving ecological systems and promoting sustainable livelihoods. This study investigates indigenous Yi ethnomycological knowledge in four communities in Nanhua County using both interviews and harvesting observations. The comparative merits and limitations of each method are assessed. Around 90 unique, named folk species were reported or observed in the study communities, with 54 species reported multiple times. Local mushroom names encode information about local ecology, species morphology, and abstract metaphorical ideas. In addition, harvesters variably referred to mushrooms in Yi, Mandarin, or with general descriptive categories, suggesting a link between species use, value, and naming conventions. This study found that directly observing mushroom harvests captured more detailed knowledge compared to recall-based interviews, including both a greater number of species and a more nuanced, multi-leveled taxonomic system. However, interviews revealed the cultural salience, economic values, and culinary preferences for many local mushroom species. These results highlight the importance of mixed-methods approaches to ethnoecological knowledge, as both recall and observational data may lead to different conclusions about local species abundance and diversity.

Blueprints of effective biodiversity and conservation knowledge products that support marine policy

Biodiversity and conservation data are generally costly to collect, particularly in the marine realm. Hence, data collected for a given-often scientific-purpose are occasionally contributed toward secondary needs, such as policy implementation or other types of decision-making. However, while the quality and accessibility of marine biodiversity and conservation data have improved over the past decade, the ways in which these data can be used to develop and implement relevant management and conservation measures and actions are not always explicit. For this reason, there are a number of scientifically-sound datasets that are not used systematically to inform policy and decisions. Transforming these marine biodiversity and conservation datasets into knowledge products that convey the information required by policy- and decision-makers is an important step in strengthening knowledge exchange across the science-policy interface. Here, we identify seven characteristics of a selection of online biodiversity and conservation knowledge products that contribute to their ability to support policy- and decision-making in the marine realm (as measured by e.g., mentions in policy resolutions/decisions, or use for reporting under selected policy instruments; use in high-level screening for areas of biodiversity importance). These characteristics include: a clear policy mandate; established networks of collaborators; iterative co-design of a user-friendly interface; standardized, comprehensive and documented methods with quality assurance; consistent capacity and succession planning; accessible data and value-added products that are fit-for-purpose; and metrics of use collated and reported. The outcomes of this review are intended to: (a) support data creators/owners/providers in designing and curating biodiversity and conservation knowledge products that have greater influence, and hence impact, in policy- and decision-making, and (b) provide recommendations for how decision- and policy-makers can support the development, implementation, and sustainability of robust biodiversity and conservation knowledge products through the framing of marine policy and decision-making frameworks. © 2007 – 2015 Frontiers Media S.A. All Rights Reserved.

The roles of traditional knowledge systems in orang-utan Pongo spp. and forest conservation: a case study of Danau Sentarum, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

The orang-utan Pongo spp. is protected by national and international legislation, yet populations continue to decline. Many reports implicate local people in the poaching and illegal trade in orang-utans, yet community participation has been promoted as an alternative conservation strategy. To explore how community-based orang-utan conservation could be developed, we conducted a study to understand informal institutions, particularly local people’s perceptions, traditional beliefs, taboos, norms and knowledge, related to orang-utan conservation within and around the wetlands of Danau Sentarum. The majority of Dayak communities interviewed practised traditional taboos, which supported the protection of orang-utans and their habitat. Statistical analysis using generalized linear modelling indicated that more orang-utan nests were found in areas with both good habitat condition and strong informal institutions. Despite applying traditional systems that are similar to conservation, local people have negative perceptions about the term ‘conservation’. We describe the underlying causes of these negative perceptions and highlight their implications for conservation programmes and policies. We conclude that conservation of orang-utans and other species should not focus on single species but on maintaining social and natural capital, cultural diversity and ecological functions at various institutional levels and across geographical scales.

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