Basic Concepts in Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: An Information Kit (IIRR, 1993, 151 p.): Forest ecosystems: Protected areas: a tool for biological diversity conservation

Basic Concepts in Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: An Information Kit (IIRR, 1993, 151 p.)

Introduction

Use of workshop

Workshop participants

Support staff

Glossary of commonly used environmental terms

List of references

Ecological basics

Ecosystem degradation

Habitat and niche

The food chain

Biological magnification

Nitrogen cycle

Society and the carbon-oxygen cycle

Health consequences of environmental degradation

Population and the environment

Freshwater and marine ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems

Estuarine-mudflat ecosystems

Seagrass ecosystems

Mangrove ecosystems

Coral reef ecosystems

Human intrusions into the water cycle

Diversity of coastal and marine resources

Philippine marine fisheries

Marine turtles

Marine food web

Ocean pastures

The menace of algal bloom

Red tide (Dynamics and public health aspects)

Forest ecosystems

Tropical forest -ecosystems

Protected areas: a tool for biological diversity conservation

Environmental effects of overexploitation for fuelwood in nearshore coastal resources

Biological diversity: and wildlife conservation

Wildlife trade

Global warming and acid rain

Climate change and the greenhouse effect

How deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect

Acid rain

Pollution

Toxic and hazardous wastes

Pollution and long-term effects on the human body

Urban pollution: The metro Manila environment

Mining operations: environmental effects on soil, water, communities and atmosphere

Pesticides: environmental and health effects

Others

Philippine commercial energy sources, 1990

Common property resources in crisis

Degradation of the uplands

Lowland degradation

Environmental issues in animal production

Plant genetic resources

Natural hazards

Protected areas: a tool for biological diversity conservation

PROTECTED AREAS: A TOOL FOR BIOLOGICAL DIYERSITY-CONSERVATION

1. The Philippines, through-the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), has adopted eight categories of protected areas: strict nature reserves, nature parks, natural monuments, wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes/seascapes, resource reserves, natural biotic areas and multiple-use areas. These categories represent a range of varying level of human use:

2. Strict Nature Reserves. To protect nature and maintain/natural processes in an undisturbed state. They provide ecologically representative examples of the natural environment and make these areas available for scientific stubby, environmental monitoring and education and for the maintenance of genetic resources in a dynamic and evolutionary state.

3. Nature Parks. - To protect outstanding natural and scenic areas of national or international significance for scientific, educational and recreational use. These are relatively large natural areas not materially altered by human activity and where commercial extractive uses are not permitted.

4. Natural Monuments. To protect and preserve nationally significant natural 'features because of their special interest or unique characteristics. These are relatively small areas focused on protection of specific features.

5. Wildlife Sanctuary. To ensure the natural condition necessary to protect nationally significant species, groups of species, biotic communities or physical features of the environment where these require specific human manipulation for their perpetuation.

6. Protected Landscapes/Seascapes. To maintain nationally significant areas which are characteristic of the harmonious interaction of resident people and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment ' through recreation and tourism within the normal lifestyle and economic activity of these areas.

7. Resource-Reserve. To protect the natural resources of the area for future designation and prevent or contain development activities that could affect the resource pending the establishment of objectives based on appropriate knowledge and planning.

8. Natural Biotic Area; To foster the way of life of societies living in harmony with the environment to adapt to modern technology at their pace.

9. Multiple-Use Area (i.e., Extractive Reserve? Game Ranch and Recreation Area). To provide for the sustained production of water, timber, wildlife, pasture and outdoor recreation, with the conservation of nature primarily oriented to the system of economic activities.

Benefits of protected :areas

Protected areas provide the following year-round benefits:

· Protect ecosystems essential to maintain life-support cervices, to conserve wild life and to advance scientific research.:

· Protect culturally important landscapes and traditional sites of activities of great significance to indigenous people, including sacred places and historic monuments built on them.

· Protect recreational and educational uses of natural, modified 'end cultivated ecosystems.

· Protect ecologically important areas which, when damaged, endanger public welfare. Example: watersheds.

· Protect species and population that are highly sensitive to human disturbance, those important in medicine and those which enhance the attractiveness of landscapes.

· Protect ecologically important areas
· which, when damaged, endanger public
· welfare.
· Protect the habitats critical to harvested, migratory or threatened species.
· Protected area management

· Management of protected areas is to be done by a protected area management board. The board is madeup of local representatives, DENR officials, NGOs and indigenous cultural communities. Management plans are to be designed using various management zones to regulate activities within the protected area.