A destruição de ambientes naturais é um dos mais reconhecidos problemas ambientais de âmbito global que, entre outras conseqüências, provoca impactos como perda de biodiversidade e degradação dos solos e da água. Tais impactos se refletem nos sistemas econômicos e sociais, o que tem conduzindo a discussão das estratégias de conservação da natureza por rumos que incluem, não somente questões técnicas, como também aspectos políticos. Além das estratégias de proteção baseadas em terras públicas, a conservação da biodiversidade e dos recursos hídricos em áreas sob domínio privado, é uma necessidade amplamente reconhecida. Seja em terras públicas ou particulares, a conservação de áreas naturais implica na imposição de limites às ações humanas, o que tende a gerar conflito de interesses. No Brasil, a chamada reserva legal - instrumento estabelecido pelo Código Florestal, Lei no. 7.441 de 1965, com a finalidade de garantir o uso sustentável dos recursos naturais, conservar biodiversidade e processos ecológicos limita o uso da propriedade rural e é foco de discussão entre proprietários, governos e setores da sociedade ligados à área ambiental. O presente trabalho analisa e propõe estratégias para a conservação da biodiversidade e dos recursos hídricos por meio do instrumento reserva legal, considerando critérios de alocação e aspectos de gestão, com ênfase na realidade dos biomas Mata Atlântica e cerrado. São analisados aspectos políticos, legais e institucionais relacionados à questão, identificados conflitos de interesses e sugeridos caminhos para o equacionamento desses conflitos. Sob o aspecto técnico, são propostos critérios e parâmetros para auxiliar o processo de tomada de decisão na escolha de áreas prioritárias para locação de reservas legais e apresentados cenários de ocupação do solo de uma região específica, considerando tais critérios. As informações levantadas permitem concluir que a estratégia brasileira baseada em instrumentos de comando e controle tem sido ineficaz no que tange à questão das reservas legais. Pontos de menor conflito entre os atores envolvidos, como a possibilidade de compensação de reservas legais fora dos limites das propriedades - utilizando instrumentos como o zoneamento ambiental e incentivos econômicos - podem tornar o instrumento reserva legal mais eficaz desde que: a) sejam definidos recortes territoriais adequados para a gestão compartilhada de florestas e água e b) sejam utilizados critérios técnicos claros para determinação de áreas prioritárias para locação de reservas legais, de modo a minimizar a subjetividade das normas gerais. Os resultados das simulações, materializados em oito cenários de ocupação, mostram que é possível, com a adoção de critérios técnicos objetivos, identificar locais mais propícios para implantação de reservas legais e, com isso, alterar parâmetros como tamanho, área central e conectividade entre fragmentos. Tais alterações podem tornar a paisagem mais favorável aos fluxos de fauna, à manutenção de espécies dependentes de grandes áreas de vida e de habitats sob menor efeito de borda, além de promover maior proteção dos solos e dos recursos hídricos. Questões como a responsabilidade por eventuais danos às reservas legais administradas em condomínios e aquelas relativas ao manejo de tais áreas para garantir sua conservação em longo prazo, entretanto, ainda exigem mais esforços para serem equacionadas. Esses esforços deverão se concentrar em estratégias inovadoras que, possivelmente, incluirão a participação da sociedade civil na gestão dessas áreas como, por exemplo, administradoras das reservas ou condomínios de reservas. / The destruction of natural environments is one of the most recognized worldwide environmental problems, which, among other consequences, causes impacts such as the loss of biodiversity and soil and water degradation. Such impacts reflect upon social and economic systems, which have lead the discussion on nature conservation strategies through paths which include not only technical but also political aspects. As well as protection strategies based on public land, biodiversity and water resource conservation in areas under private domain is a widely recognized need. On public or private land, the conservation of natural areas means imposing limits on human action, which tends to generate a conflict of interests. In Brazil, the so called legal reserve - a tool established by the Brazilian Forestry Code, Law 4,771 of 1965, with the aim of guaranteeing the sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, and ecological processes - limits the use of rural properties and is the focus of discussions among landowners, governments, and entities linked to the environmental arena. This paper analyzes and proposes strategies for biodiversity, soil and water resource conservation through the legal reserve tool, considering designation criteria and management aspects, with a focus on the Atlantic Rainforest and cerrado. Political, legal, and institutional aspects related to the issue are analyzed, conflicts of interest are identified, and paths for the balance of these conflicts are suggested. Under a technical aspect, criteria and parameters to aid in the decision-making process for designating priority areas for legal reserves are proposed and scenarios for soil occupation of a specific region are presented, considering such criteria. The information gathered lead to the conclusion that the brazilian strategy is inefficacious. Points with less conflict among those involved, with the possibility of compensation for legal reserves outside property limits - based on tools like environmental zoning and economic incentives - could make the legal reserve instrument more efficient as long as: a) adequate territorial patches are defined for the co-management of forests and water and b) clear technical criteria are used to determine the priority areas designated as legal reserves, in a manner which minimizes the subjectivity of the general norms. The results of simulations, materialized in eight occupation scenarios, show that it is possible, with the adoption of objective technical criteria, to identify areas more susceptible to the implementation of legal reserves and thus change parameters such as size, central area, and connectivity between fragments. Such changes can make the landscape more favorable for fauna fluxes, for the maintenance of species dependent upon large area and habitats with less border effect, as well as promote greater protection of soils and water resources. Issues such as the responsibility for subsequent damage to legal reserves managed in shared natural areas and those related to the management of such areas to guarantee long-term conservation, however, still require more effort to be calculated. These efforts should concentrate on innovative strategies, which will include, for example, the participation of civil society in the management of reserves or shared natural areas.

This research examines tensions between Latino/a farmworkers, who rely on the seasonal harvest of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens [W. Bartram] Small) berries for increased livelihood security, and conservationists and land-managers who view harvesting as detrimental for wildlife. Informal harvesting occurs on public and private lands, sometimes without permission. Berries, though ubiquitous on the landscape, have become a contested resource. The rapid conversion of rural wildlife habitat into suburban development has increased State urgency to bring natural areas into protection along the Florida Ecological Greenways Network. Habitat infringement and associated pressures on wildlife by development has led to the promotion of the state-wide Florida Wildlife Corridor, based on the FEGN. This corridor would connect isolated Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) populations and Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) with other populations. The scale of the commercial berry industry is unknown, but is estimated at millions of pounds annually. State and wildlife conservationists are increasingly concerned with the perceived scale of the harvest and its possible associated effects on wildlife, particularly Florida black bears. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

In the face of biodiversity loss due to agricultural expansion and intensification, agroforestry has been proposed as an environmentally friendly form of agriculture capable of conserving biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. However, how social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes affect the potential of agroforestry systems to serve as reservoirs for native species diversity and community composition is unclear. This dissertation aims to describe patterns of tree diversity and community composition in coffee (Coffea arabica) agroforestry systems as they compare to surrounding forests, and uncover the social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes giving rise to those patterns. Worldwide, there is an extensive overlap between coffee-growing areas and regions with high species richness and endemism considered biodiversity hotspots. This renders the issue of clarifying the sustainability and conservation value of shade coffee even more urgent. Otherwise, we risk losing important late-succession and conservation concern tree species, and simplifying the structural and floristic composition of mature forests. To uncover how the social factors related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological factors drive tree diversity and community composition in coffee agroforestry systems, a series of empirical studies were conducted based on surveys and field data collected in La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, between 2009-2013. Field research took place in two coffee farming communities within the reserve, where 50 farmers were interviewed, and 31 coffee agroforest sites and 10 forest sites were sampled. Forests were sampled to provide a reference for tree diversity and community composition in the absence of coffee management. Although a higher sample size would have permitted the inclusion of more covariates in statistical analyses without losing statistical power, there is no reason to believe that the results of this dissertation would change if a larger sample size were considered. This is because the magnitude of the effects detected were large and the p-values small, which underscore the robustness of the results of this dissertation. The three chapters in this dissertation correspond to individual studies. Chapter One investigates tree floristic patterns in coffee agroforestry systems and compares them to those in surrounding forests. Findings indicate that although at the landscape level coffee agroforestry systems hold similar tree species richness compared to forests, tree species community composition is significantly distinct. Coffee agroforests had a lower proportion of trees of conservation concern, a higher proportion of pioneer trees, were dominated by Inga spp., harbored lower tree species diversity at the plot level, and were composed of different tree species compared to native forests. This chapter raised questions with regards to whether these results were the result of farmers’ intentional tree selection criteria and preferences, or an unintended consequence of management practices. Chapter Two addressed these questions by examining the use of knowledge by farmers to manage coffee agroforests and the consequences on tree community composition relative to forests. In Chapter Two, results indicate that differences between agroforests and forests are primarily driven by farmers’ manipulation of tree community composition, which occurs according to their beliefs about the benefits and disservices of trees for coffee production. Tree community composition in coffee agroforest is dominated by the trees that farmers prefer and practically void of the trees they dislike as compared to the trees’ natural abundances in forests. These findings are novel and important because they clarify that the community composition changes observed in coffee agroforests are mostly an intentional consequence of management and not a byproduct. Finally, Chapter Three focuses on a subset of trees of particular conservation importance, trees of conservation concern (CC) and typical of old growth or late succession (LS) forests. This chapter investigates how management practices that affect shade tree density, basal area, and the proportion of Inga trees, mediated by land use legacies, affect the proportions of CC and LS trees in coffee agroforests. Findings indicate that management practices that sought to increase the proportion of Inga spp. trees had the largest negative impact on the proportions of trees of LS and CC, but the magnitude of the effects were dependent on land-use legacy. Among farms established on land previously used for pastureland or crop cultivation, the impact of farmers’ tree preferences and selection criteria on LS and CC trees were significantly higher than on farms established on forests without an agricultural history. These findings underscore that farmers’ sharp preference for Inga spp. trees undermines the potential of agroforests to conserve higher proportions of CC and LS trees. The results presented in each chapter of this dissertation allow for a more thorough understanding of the tree diversity patterns conserved in coffee agroforestry systems and the underlying social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological drivers that generate such patterns. The results of this dissertation seek to contribute new knowledge not only to the scientific community, but also to society so that better policies and strategies be devised that successfully conserve floristic diversity in the biodiverse areas of the world where coffee is cultivated.

No Brasil, o surgimento da primeira versão do Código Florestal em 1934 pelo Decreto 23.793 e posteriormente do Novo Código Florestal (CF) em 1965 (Lei 4.771) refletem a preocupação da sociedade em utilizar de forma racional o território nacional. No que se refere à conservação e gestão de recursos naturais, o CF vigente estabelece dois importantes instrumentos de conservação: as Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs) e as Reservas Legais (RLs). A localização das APPs é imutável e as RLs podem ser locadas de diferentes formas, segundo critérios estabelecidos pela Lei e complementados pelos Estados. Os critérios gerais para a localização das RLs, bem como sua aplicação na prática, podem, porém, gerar subjetividades. Evidencia-se, assim, a necessidade de buscar instrumentos mais precisos para este fim. Nesse sentido, estudos vêm sendo realizados no intuito de auxiliar os tomadores de decisão quanto à localização das RLs, de forma que essas cheguem o mais próximo possível de cumprir as funções de utilização sustentável dos recursos naturais e a conservação da biodiversidade. Por outro lado, os avanços historicamente obtidos no Brasil contemplados pelo CF vigente, podem sofrer profundas alterações caso seja aprovado o Projeto de Lei 1.876-C de 1.999 (PL), apresentado à Câmara Federal e aprovado em 24 de maio de 2011, encaminhado ao Senado como PL 30/2011. O PL propôs significativas reduções nas dimensões das APPs e RLs, bem como a flexibilização da obrigatoriedade de aplicação desses instrumentos legais em diversas situações. Este fato gerou contestações da comunidade científica (representada pela Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência SBPC e pela Academia Brasileira de Ciências ABC), que argumenta que apenas aspectos econômicos imediatistas foram considerados na elaboração do PL, desconsiderando-se aspectos ambientais e negligenciando o devido aporte dos conhecimentos científicos e tecnológicos na revisão de uma Lei de grande interesse para toda a sociedade. Frente a este contexto, esta investigação teve como objetivos analisar métodos para definir áreas prioritárias para a localização de RLs e comparar diferentes posicionamentos em relação à atual polêmica sobre alterações do CF vigente. Para tanto foram definidos os seguintes objetivos específicos: 1. Aplicar três métodos para localização de RL com base no CF vigente, considerando a possibilidade de compensação entre propriedades, de modo a identificar qual método mais favorece o cumprimento das funções designadas a esse instrumento legal. 2. Eleger um dos métodos testados para gerar cenários e comparar as orientações contidas no CF vigente com as propostas apresentadas para sua revisão, tanto o Projeto de Lei 1.876-C de 1999 e o PL 30/2011, como as propostas da SBPC e ABC. O recorte territorial foi o município de São Carlos-SP, o SIG utilizado foi o IDRISI e o software utilizado para cálculo das métricas de paisagem foi o FRAGSTATS. Os resultados demonstraram que: métodos de fácil aplicação podem auxiliar na definição da localização de RLs para que suas funções sejam satisfatoriamente cumpridas; e, o PL traria consequências extremamente negativas à conservação da biodiversidade, solos e recursos hídricos e, portanto, sua revisão deve ser postergada e devidamente pautada na participação da sociedade e da comunidade científica. / In Brazil, the first version of Forest Code in 1934, created by the Decree 23.793, and latter the New Forest Code (FC) in 1965 (Law 4.771) shows the concerns of the society for the rational use of national territory. Concerning to the management and conservation of natural resources, the present FC establishes two important conservation tools: Permanent Preserved Areas (PPA) and the Legal Reserves (LR). The PPA\'s location is immutable and the LR can be located in different ways, according to criteria defined by Federal Law and complemented by the States. The general criteria for LR location can, however, create subjectivities. It becomes clear the needing of searching more precise instruments for achieving its goals. For that, researches have been done to help decision makers to define LR\'s location, intending to achieve properly its functions of sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity conservation. Although the historical advances obtained in Brazil with the FC, it can deeply retrocede if the Law Project 1876-C/99 (LP), presented and approved by the Congress and sent to Senate as LP 30/2011, became approved. The LP proposes significant reductions on the PPA and RL dimensions, as well as facilitates the non obligation of laws application. This fact has sparked contestations of the science community, represented by the Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência (SBPC) and the Academia Brasileira de Ciências (ABC), that says only short term economical components were considered on the LP, desconsidering environmental components and neglecting the support of science and technology knowledge when rewriting such important law for the society, as the FC. This researchs goals are to analyze methods for LR\'s location and to compare different views of changes on FC. For that, were defined two specific goals: 1 Apply three methods for LR\'s location according to the FC, considering the possibility of compensation of LR between properties, intending to identify witch method better achieve the LR functions. 2 Elect one of the tested methods and create scenarios to compare the FC directions with the proposals presented to its review suggested by the LP 1.876-C/1999 (and LP 30/2011) and the SBPC/ABC. The scenarios were designed for the São Carlos city located on São Paulo State, the GIS used was IDRISI and the software used to calculate the landscape metrics was the FRAGSTATS. The results shows that: easy application methods can help on the definition of LRs location in manner to achieve its goals; the LP would bring strong negatives consequences for the biodiversity, soil and water resources conservation, and, for that, its reviewing should be postponed and properly supported by society and scientific community participation.

Nous traversons actuellement une crise de perte de la biodiversité sans précédant. La dégradation des sols et la perte d’habitat, la pollution, la surexploitation et les invasions biologiques contribuent à cette perte mondiale de biodiversité. Par ailleurs, le changement climatique et ses interactions avec les autres menaces, sont probablement l’un des défis majeurs des prochaines décennies pour la biodiversité. À l’heure actuelle, en raison de la multiplication des études et des approches employées, il est difficile d’avoir une vision synthétique des conséquences potentielles de ces changements sur la biodiversité. L’objectif principal de ce travail de thèse a été d’améliorer la caractérisation et la quantification des différents impacts des changements climatiques sur la biodiversité, à l’échelle mondiale par des approches de modélisations et de méta-analyses. Une première partie de mes travaux a ainsi porté sur les conséquences potentielles de la hausse du niveau des mers sur les hotspots insulaires, au cours de laquelle j’ai mis en évidence les conséquences majeures d’une telle hausse pour certains de ces hotspots. Je me suis ensuite intéressée à l’étude des effets conjugués des changements climatiques et des changements d’utilisation des sols sur les invasions biologiques à l’échelle mondiale. Cette partie a permis de mettre en évidence que les conséquences des changements climatiques et des changements d’utilisation des sols sur les espèces invasives dépendent de la région, du taxon et de l’espèce considérée. Ainsi, j’ai mis en évidence que certaines régions pourraient être moins favorables à la présence d’espèce invasives dans le futur. En outre, cette partie a également mis en évidence que les hotspots majoritairement composés d’îles étaient particulièrement favorables à la présence de ces espèces invasives. Finalement, dans une dernière partie, j’ai étudié les conséquences des menaces futures pour les hotspots de biodiversité dans une perspective de conservation. Cette partie a notamment permis d’établir des priorités de recherche et de conservation entre les hotspots de biodiversité en tenant compte des futures menaces qui pèsent sur la biodiversité à l’échelle des hotspots, mais également au sein même des hotspots de biodiversité. Cependant, la mise en œuvre de plans de gestion de sauvegarde d’habitats ou d’espèces ne pourra se faire qu’en intensifiant les collaborations avec l’ensemble des acteurs impliqués. Plus généralement, la mise en œuvre de stratégies d’atténuation et d’adaptation efficaces aux changements climatiques ne pourra pas avoir lieu sans un soutien du grand public. / Global biodiversity is changing at an unprecedented rate due to loss of habitat, biological invasions, pollution, overexploitation. Furthermore, climate changes and their synergies with other threats will probably become the main drivers of biodiversity loss in the next century. Nowadays, the multiplicity of approaches and the resulting variability in projections make it difficult to get a clear picture of the future of biodiversity due to climate change. Yet, the majority of models indicate alarming consequences for biodiversity, with the worst- case scenarios leading to an increase of extinction rates. The aim of this thesis was to improve the knowledge about of the different consequences of climate change on biodiversity worldwide. To do that I mainly used modelisation and meta-analyses approaches. The first part of my work was to investigate the consequences of sea level rise for the ten insular biodiversity hotspot and their endemic species, during which I highlighted that between 6 and 19% of the islands would be entirely submerged. Then I studied the effects of climate and land use changes on biological invasions worldwide. The results showed that invasives species response to climate and land use changes depend on region, taxa and species considered. We also emphasized that some regions could lose a significant number of invasive alien species. Besides, we also found that hotspot that are mainly islands or group of islands are highly suitable for invasive species. Finally, in the last part, I quantified the exposure of biodiversity hotspots to the combined effects of climate change, land use change and biological invasions. This work highlighted the pressing need to consider different drivers of global change in conservation planning. In addition, we established some prioritization framework among the hotspot. Finally, conservation strategies to protect habitat and species under global changes, can only be achieved through closed collaboration with park managers. Overall, implementation of effective adaptation strategies to climate change can only succeed with public support.

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2017-04-05T20:22:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012 - Laila Thomaz Sandroni.pdf: 1078751 bytes, checksum: 13644c723f6b656012ad433b93ca1f81 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-05T20:22:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012 - Laila Thomaz Sandroni.pdf: 1078751 bytes, checksum: 13644c723f6b656012ad433b93ca1f81 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09-17 / CNPq / This study attempts to identify the main issues under discussion in the Brazilian social sciences on the subject of biodiversity conservation. The research started from a systematic review of the literature accessed by a careful survey of the articles published in the leading journals of social sciences in Brazil between 1992 and 2010. It was observed that the late inclusion of social sciences in this context is pervaded by their relationship with the natural sciences, since it is an inherently multidisciplinary theme built from various epistemological. The goal is to make an investigation that serve the social sciences as a means of reflection and self-knowledge, in an attempt to explain the discursive specificity of this type of knowledge in the setting of the arguments about the biodiversity conservation. Making a cross-sectional analysis of the main arguments advanced by the authors in the survey, it was revealed that there is heterogeneity in the formulation of problems and research procedures used, which is linked to a variety of disciplinary training, the research centers where they work and context of the field. This heterogeneity has demanded a greater reflection on the relationship between social sciences and natural sciences and on the practical consequences of forms of representation used. / A presente pesquisa objetiva identificar as principais quest?es em debate nas ci?ncias sociais brasileiras sobre o tema da conserva??o da biodiversidade. Partiu-se de uma revis?o sistematizada da bibliografia proveniente de um levantamento criterioso dos artigos publicados nos principais peri?dicos de ci?ncias sociais brasileiros entre 1992 e 2010. Observou-se que a inser??o tardia das ci?ncias sociais neste contexto ? perpassada pela rela??o destas com as ci?ncias naturais, posto que se trata de uma tem?tica intrinsecamente multidisciplinar constru?da a partir de variados fundamentos epistemol?gicos. A meta ? fazer uma investiga??o que sirva ?s ci?ncias sociais como forma de reflex?o e autoconhecimento, numa tentativa de explicita??o da especificidade discursiva deste tipo de conhecimento no cen?rio dos argumentos sobre a conserva??o da biodiversidade. Fazendo uma an?lise transversal dos principais argumentos propostos pelos autores no levantamento, foi poss?vel perceber que h? uma heterogeneidade na formula??o de problem?ticas e nos procedimentos de pesquisa utilizados, que est? ligada ? variedade de forma??o disciplinar dos autores, aos centros de pesquisa onde trabalham e ao contexto do campo na contemporaneidade. Essa heterogeneidade exigiu uma reflex?o maior sobre as rela??es entre as ci?ncias sociais e as ci?ncias naturais e sobre as consequ?ncias pr?ticas das formas de representa??o utilizadas.

Freshwater ecosystems are extremely important, both socially and ecologically, in Aotearoa/New Zealand. However, through detrimental practices of land-use change and the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species, the health of freshwater areas is increasingly under threat. Coarse fish are one group of non indigenous fish that are largely perceived to have a negative effect on freshwater biodiversity and water quality. Despite this, there are people in New Zealand that value coarse fish highly, and consider their lives to be enriched through the practice of coarse angling. This thesis examines the diversity of perceptions and values ascribed to coarse fish by a variety of different environmental managers and resource users to understand how these multiple meanings influence approaches to freshwater biodiversity management in Aotearoa/New Zealand. As coarse anglers are often considered responsible for deliberate translocation of coarse fish, a space for communication and compromise between these stakeholder groups is also identified. Additionally, appropriate and effective educational methods to raise awareness of freshwater ecosystem restoration and non-indigenous invasive fish are discussed. Social factors are often the primary determinants of whether conservation efforts succeed or fail. Grounded in the theoretical perspectives of social construction, environmental perception, political ecology, and critical environmental adult education, this thesis provides an important contribution to the practice of interdisciplinary research by demonstrating the ways in which social science complements scientific approaches to environmental management. Utilising semi structured interviews with multiple stakeholder groups and an internet survey targeted at coarse anglers this research found that, while a multitude of perceptions of coarse fish exist, there is also willingness on both sides to engage in communication and develop effective practices to aid in managing the freshwater environment. A number of suggestions for improving legislation that addresses invasive freshwater fish, and several ideas regarding education and compliance, also emerged.

<p>Approaches to conserving biodiversity have traditionally left humans out of the picture. However, to separate between humans and protected areas has become increasingly criticized for being ethically problematic and ineffective. As a result, the political landscape for how biodiversity should be conserved has changed during the last 30 years. Instead of exclusive conservation practices, there is a request for so-called people-centered practices that tackle development and conservation jointly. However, several studies show a gap between public policies with people-centered ambitions and what is happening on areas assigned for biodiversity conservation. This study aims to understand if people-centered ideas are converted into conservation practices at four nature reserves in Cape Town, South Africa. The study also hopes to explain if the public-civil partnership Cape Flats Nature (CFN) is a useful arrangement in order to convert people-centered ambitions into practices. Using an ideal type analysis, conducting informant interviews and gathering documents, the findings suggest that people-centered practices are found at all four nature reserves. However, there are significant differences and the two nature reserves partnering with CFN have the most people-centered practices. In these cases, human well being is, for example, viewed to be an integral part of the objectives at nature reserves and fences that tend to keep people out are focused on to a lesser extent than in the other nature reserves that are not partnering with CFN. Even though there are no blueprint solutions, instruments such as CFN can be a useful arrangement for narrowing the gap between people-centered ambitions and conservation practices. However, further studies on for example social network analysis focusing on the role of bridging organizations would perhaps strengthen such claims.</p>

In an increasingly complex, rapidly changing world, the capacity to cope with, adapt to, and shape change is vital. This thesis investigates how natural resource management can be organized and practiced to nurture this capacity, referred to as resilience, in social-ecological systems. Based on case studies and large-N data sets from UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), it analyzes actors and social processes involved in adaptive co-management on the ground. Papers I &amp; II use Kristianstads Vattenrike BR to analyze the roles of local stewards and bridging organizations. Here, local stewards, e.g. farmers and bird watchers, provide on-site management, detailed, long-term monitoring, and local ecological knowledge, build public support for ecosystem management, and hold unique links to specialized networks. A bridging organization strengthens their initiatives. Building and drawing on multi-level networks, it gathers different types of ecological knowledge, builds moral, political, legal and financial support from institutions and organizations, and identifies windows of opportunity for projects. Paper III synthesizes the MA community-based assessments and points to the importance of bridging organizations, leadership and vision, knowledge networks, institutions nested across scales, enabling policies, and high motivation among actors for adaptive co-management. Paper IV explores learning processes catalyzed by bridging organizations in BRs. 79 of the 148 BRs analyzed bridge local and scientific knowledge in efforts to conserve biodiversity and foster sustainable development, provide learning platforms, support knowledge generation (research, monitoring and experimentation), and frame information and education to target groups. Paper V tests the effects of participation and adaptive co-management in BRs. Local participation is positively linked to local support, successful integration of conservation and development, and effectiveness in achieving developmental goals. Participation of scientists is linked to effectiveness in achieving ‘conventional’ conservation goals and policy-makers enhance the integration of conservation and development. Adaptive co-management, found in 46 BRs, is positively linked to self-evaluated effectiveness in achieving developmental goals, but not at the expense of conservation. The thesis concludes that adaptive collaboration and learning processes can nurture resilience in social-ecological systems. Such processes often need to be catalyzed, supported and protected to survive. Therefore, bridging organizations are crucial in adaptive co-management.

La tesis aborda el problema de la conservación de la biodiversidad acuática en la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares desde una doble perspectiva, estableciendo prioridades de conservación para espacios y especies utilizando inventarios de coleópteros acuáticos. En primer lugar, se evalúa si los coleópteros acuáticos pueden ser utilizados como buenos indicadores de biodiversidad en ecosistemas acuáticos mediterráneos. Posteriormente, se seleccionan áreas prioritarias para la conservación de la biodiversidad acuática usando coleópteros como indicadores. Se crea una base de datos de coleópteros acuáticos ibéricos y se evalúa tanto el esfuerzo de muestreo, como la cantidad y naturaleza de los posibles sesgos de los datos. Se ha obtenido una función basada en variables ambientales y espaciales capaz de predecir la distribución de la riqueza de especies en la Península Ibérica. Por último se identifican las especies endémicas mas amenazadas, y se evalúa la efectividad de la Red Natura 2000 en su protección. / This thesis comprises the problem of freshwater biodiversity conservation in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands using inventories of water beetles as surrogates of biodiversity. The thesis involves different approaches and methods from the double perspective of setting conservation priorities for species and areas. Firstly, the use of water beetles as reliable biodiversity indicators in Maditerranean aquatic ecosystems was assessed. Then, areas for freshwater biodiversity conservation at regional scale were selected using water beetles as biodiversity surrogates. Afterwards, a database of Iberian water beetles was compiled. The survey effort, the degree of geographical coverage and the amount and nature of bias in this database were assessed. Subsequently, a function based on environmental and spatial variables able to predict species richness distribution in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands were obtained. Lastly, the most threatened endemic water beetles were identified and the effectiveness of existing reserve network (Natura 2000) in protecting them was evaluated.