Cunningham - Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed. Parks and Nature Preserves

Cunningham - Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7th Ed.

Parks and Nature Preserves


Outline

• Parks and Nature Preserves History Problems Size and Design

• Wilderness Areas• Wildlife Refuges• Wetlands

Values Destruction


PARKS AND NATURE PRESERVES

• Origins and History

Sacred groves were set aside for religious purposes, and grounds preserved for royalty.

Natural landscaping popular in England in 1700s; created illusion of nature.

Aristocrats excluded peasants’ harvesting within hunting estates


Central Park

• New York’s Central Park 1844

Provide healthful open space.- Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.

father of landscape architecture.

Became original commissioner of Yosemite in California.


Yellowstone

• First US area set aside to protect wild nature.

- Designated the first National Park in the world in1872.

National Park Service founded in 1916.

Eliminated evidence of human use.



U.S. National Parks

• US national park system has grown to 376 parks, monuments, historic sites and recreation areas.

300 million visitors annually.

- State and local parks have 1/16th the area of national parks, yet 2x visitors.


Park Problems

• Islands of nature surrounded and threatened by destructive land uses and growing human populations.

• Number of visitors increased by 1/3rd in past decade, park budgets decreased by 25%

Estimated $6-8 billion for overdue repairs and restoration alone.


Park Problems

• Air Pollution Acid Rain Photochemical Smog

• Mining and Oil Interests

• Incompatible uses.


Wildlife

• Historically, parks killed “bad” animals (wolves) in favor of “good” animals (elk). Unbalanced ecosystems, created false

illusion of nature.

• Today’s policy of “natural regulation.”

Bison populations- Hunted off park property- Brucellosis and domestic cattle


Buffalo killing at Yellowstone

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Buffalo killing at Yellowstone


New Directions

• Several parks removed facilities that conflict with natural values.

• Proposals to close a number of parks to tourists to protect ecosystems. Airsheds, watersheds, and animal

territories and migration routes often extend far beyond official boundaries.

- Biogeographical area must be managed as a unit.


New Parks and Monuments

• Solution to to create new parks. Grand Staircase-Escalante

- Desert canyonlands in southern Utah. Sits atop potentially trillions of dollars

worth on natural resources.


World Parks, Preserves and Refuges

• 4% of landmass• North and Central America have the largest

fraction (10% of their land area - 33% of total protected area). Former Soviet Union only has 3% of total.

• Currently about 300 world biosphere reserves in 75 countries.


Sustainable Human useand benefit


Size and Design of Nature Preserves

Ideally, a reserve should be large enough- To support viable populations of

endangered species,- To keep ecosystems intact- To isolate critical core areas from

external forces.




Size and Design of Nature Preserves

• For some species, several small isolated refuges can support viable populations.

But cannot support species requiring large amounts of space.

- Corridors of natural habitat to allow movement of species from one area to another can help maintain genetic exchange in fragmented areas.



Conservation and Economic Development

• Ecotourism can be more beneficial to over the long-term than extractive industries.

- Wildlife watching, outdoor recreation can be source of income.

- But ecotourism can extend impacts into new untouched areas.


Indigenous Communities and Reserves

• Areas chosen for nature preservation are often traditional lands of indigenous people.

Often hurt traditional economies by restricting access or cultural practices.


Maasai herders and Tanzania national parks


WILDERNESS AREAS

• A belief in wilderness is deeply embedded in our culture.

• 1964 - Wilderness Act defined wilderness: “An area of undeveloped land affected

primarily by the forces of nature, where man is a visitor who does not remain…”


Wilderness Areas

• Most of areas meeting these standards are in the Western US and Alaska.

“Pure” interpretation of area with no history of development, only 1/4th of roadless areas qualify.

- Prolonged battle has been waged over de-facto wilderness areas.


Wilderness Areas

• Arguments for preservation: Refuge for endangered wildlife. Solitude and primitive recreation. Baseline for ecological research. Area left in natural state.

• For many people in developing countries, the idea of pristine wilderness is neither important or interesting.


WILDLIFE REFUGES

• 51 national wildlife refuges in US, 1901. Now 511 refuges in every major biome in NA.

• Refuge Management Originally intended to be sanctuaries in

which wildlife would be protected from hunting or other disturbances.

- 1948 - Hunting allowed in refuges.


Wildlife Refuges

• Over the years, a number of other uses have been allowed to operate within wildlife refuge boundaries. Oil and Gas Drilling Cattle Grazing Motor-boating

• Refuges also face threats from external sources - expanding human populations, water pollution


WETLANDS

• Wetland - Shallow water body or an area where the ground is wet long enough to support plants specialized to grow under saturated soil conditions.

Wetland Values- Highly productive habitat for wildlife.- Occupy 5% of US land, but at least 1/3rd

of endangered species use wetlands.


Wetland Values

• Storage of flood waters.• Natural water purification systems.• Coastal Wetlands

Used by nearly two-thirds of all marine fish and shellfish.

Stabilize shorelines and help reduce flood damage.

Recreational Opportunities.


Wetland Destruction

• Throughout much of history, wetlands have been considered disagreeable and useless.

- 1850s to 1990s-- governments encouraged wetland drainage.

2/3rds of original wetlands destroyed.


Wetlands Destruction


Wetland Destruction

• Clean Water Act (1972) protected wetlands by requiring discharge permits.

• Farm Bill (1985) blocked agricultural subsidies to farmers who drain or damage wetlands.

These laws are not necessarily effectively enforced.


Wetlands and Flood Control

• Floodplains - Low lands along riverbanks, lakes, and coastlines subjected to periodic inundation. Valuable due to rich soil, level topography,

convenient water supply, access to shipping, and recreational potential.

- River control systems have protected communities, but tend to channelize rivers, speeding flow of water and exacerbating flooding downstream.


Summary

• Parks and Nature Preserves History Problems Size and Design

• Wilderness Areas• Wildlife Refuges• Wetlands

Values Destruction

Documents

Cunningham - Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed. Parks and Nature Preserves