Conservation On Productive Landscapes

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Terence Hay-Edie and Bilgi Bulus, GEF Small Grants Programme, Dominique Bikaba, Strong Roots,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 10) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 10. Verbatim.

Cerulean warbler.

© Jerry Oldenettel/www.flickr.com

Coffee beans.

© Jeff Chevrier

Opposite page

A shade-grown coffee plantation is an example of a productive

landscape that also provides habitat for other forms of

biodiversity. this Colombian coffee farm provides critical winter

habitat for declining species such as the cerulean warbler.

Coffee plantation.

© Brian Smith/American Bird Conservancy

While protected areas and parks remain a cornerstone for biodiversity conservation worldwide, conservation efforts are not limited to these places. Large productive landscapes with no specific conservation objective can contain lots of biodiversity while offering food, shelter and other ecosystem services for humanity.

Agricultural lands, timber forests, grasslands, rivers and marine areas are productive landscapes that are also important for biodiversity. These landscapes are managed with the aim of producing and harvesting food, timber, energy and marine resources. Even though biodiversity conservation is not the main objective, the management of these landscapes must be sensitive to biodiversity. 

If it’s not, resource exploitation can harm the long-term health of the ecosystem and its ability to supply food, timber, energy and other resources. This recognition has led to the promotion of sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, sustainable grassland management and sustainable fisheries.

Monitoring

Close monitoring of biodiversity is another important conservation practice; it involves regular checking of the overall health of ecosystems and the species living within it. The data collected from ongoing monitoring programmes can help inform management plans and improve the sustainability of activities in productive landscapes. Monitoring is especially important when the activities are carried out on an industrial scale because their impact is greater than the impact of similar activities carried out on a smaller subsistence scale by local communities.

Law and community enforcement Conservation mechanisms may include law or community enforcement. Biodiversity conservation officers make sure the communities relying on the site’s natural resources are totally involved in conservation initiatives. Officers enforce the laws and record the details of community participation. When the laws are not respected, illegal logging, mining andbushmeat hunting erode the benefits of conservation efforts.

 Traditional Knowledge and Practices

In many cases, traditional knowledge has contributed to protecting wildlife and ecosystems and to ensuring a “natural balance”. Traditional knowledge comprises of “knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities around the world, developed from experience gained over centuries and adapted to the local culture and environment, which is transmitted orally from generation to generation”, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Traditional knowledge is collectively owned and takes the form of stories, songs, folklore, proverbs, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, community laws, local languages and agricultural practices, including the development of plant species and animal breeds. Article 8(j) of the CBD calls for countries to respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. 

Biodiversity conservation practitioners must therefore ensure that the communities relying directly on natural resources are involved in conservation initiatives, and guarantee their active participation during the whole conservation process. Some form of community engagement is essential for the success of any biodiversity conservation project. 

There are also many good examples of community conserved areas around the world. These sites have been managed by communities for generations for the sustainable use of natural resources such as medicinal plants and water springs, or even for religious purposes. These sites may or may not have government protection or written management regulations. However, the community members have developed well-recognised and respected rules that are often stronger than any law and have been practised for generations. The end result is the conservation and sustainable use of resources. Some governments now legally recognise traditional practices and treat indigenous and local communities as the customary stewards of the biodiversity.