Forest ants of the genus Formica are legally protected animals. With the environmental services they provide, ensure ecological stability of forest ecosystem and are an important part of ecosystem. This work was focused on the study of ecological linkages (trofobiosis, myrmecochory and myrmecofily) and mapping damage nesting by woodpecker and wild pigs. Their destructive activities in the studied area are very high. The work also oriented on gaining a new approach to protect the ants of the genus Formica, which is based on the Red List of endangered species in the Czech Republic. Existing species protection is extended to protect the environment and the creation of a comprehensive protection.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / O rio Cocà e seu entorno possuem singular particularidade, jà que correspondem a uma Ãrea de grande relevÃncia ecolÃgica encravada numa Ãrea urbana bastante adensada. O presente trabalho teve como motivaÃÃo o fato da Ãrea conhecida como âParque do CocÃâ nÃo possuir uma gestÃo ambiental adequada, jà que a unidade de conservaÃÃo Parque Estadual nÃo foi criada. Tem-se apenas uma poligonal extraÃda de decretos estaduais (nÂs 20.253/1989, 21.312/1991 e 22.587/1993), cuja finalidade era declarar determinadas Ãreas como de interesse social para que, apÃs expropriadas, fossem destinadas à criaÃÃo do parque. Tais decretos nÃo criaram juridicamente a unidade de conservaÃÃo, jà que sua finalidade era apenas efetivar as desapropriaÃÃes. Ao longo dos anos os decretos estaduais expropriatÃrios caducaram, as desapropriaÃÃes nÃo foram realizadas e a unidade de conservaÃÃo nÃo foi juridicamente criada. Nesse Ãnterim, houve significativa mudanÃa no contexto urbano da cidade de Fortaleza, bem como alteraÃÃes na legislaÃÃo pertinente, o que enseja uma necessÃria revisÃo da poligonal do que viria a ser o âParque do CocÃâ. Nesse panorama, o estudo propÃe critÃrios e requisitos a serem observados na criaÃÃo de uma nova categoria de unidade de conservaÃÃo. AlÃm disso, a dissertaÃÃo, como base na caracterizaÃÃo geoambiental e nos institutos jurÃdicos incidentes na Ãrea (zoneamento urbanÃstico, Ãreas de preservaÃÃo permanente e terrenos de marinha), propÃe diretrizes que servem de orientaÃÃo a delimitaÃÃo de uma poligonal que seja tecnicamente viÃvel para o tipo de unidade de conservaÃÃo aplicÃvel à Ãrea de estudo. A pesquisa foi realizada por meio de revisÃo bibliogrÃfica e documental, interpretaÃÃo e manipulaÃÃo de arquivos vetoriais cartogrÃficos e levantamentos de campo. ApÃs anÃlise dos dados, o trabalho propÃe que a âÃrea bÃsicaâ da futura UC seja definida com base na existÃncia dos seguintes institutos jurÃdicos: Ãreas de preservaÃÃo permanente, terrenos de marinha e as zonas do PDP-FOR/2009 com os parÃmetros urbanÃsticos mais restritivos (ZPA 1 e ZRA). O trabalho sugere que o estado do Cearà ou o municÃpio de Fortaleza podem criar uma unidade de conservaÃÃo juridicamente adequada e tecnicamente viÃvel por meio de aÃÃes divididas em cinco etapas, as quais podem ser executadas em sequÃncia ou paralelamente. A ETAPA 0 corresponde à fase preparatÃria, com revisÃo de arquivos vetoriais cartogrÃficos, levantamento de ocupaÃÃes e criaÃÃo de uma modalidade de unidade de conservaÃÃo compatÃvel. A ETAPA 1 seria a fase de criaÃÃo da UC com sua âÃrea bÃsicaâ, devendo ser desapropriados os imÃveis situados em ZPA 1 ou em ZRA que nÃo estejam ocupados ou que estejam ocupados por equipamentos pÃblicos (vias, praÃas, etc). As ETAPAS 2 e 3 seriam ampliaÃÃes da âÃrea bÃsicaâ, por meio da inclusÃo de Ãreas que poderÃo ensejar a realocaÃÃo de pessoas e a remoÃÃo de ocupaÃÃes. Quando os imÃveis estiverem em terrenos de marinha, a UniÃo pode efetuar cessÃo de uso gratuita ao ente criador da UC (estado do Cearà ou o municÃpio de Fortaleza). E na ETAPA 4 deve-se integrar a gestÃo das UCs em mosaico, abrangendo a UC recÃm-criada e as jà existentes no seu entorno. / The Cocà river and its surroundings have a singular peculiarity, because they meet an area of great ecological relevance stuck in a fairly densely populated urban area. This work was motivated by the fact that the area known as "Park of CocÃ" not having adequate environmental management, since the State Park protected area was not created. There is only one polygon extracted from state decrees (n. 20.259/1989, 21.312/1991 and 22.587/1993), whose purpose was to declare certain areas as social interest so that after expropriated, were intended to create the park. Such decrees are not legally created the PA, since its purpose was only effecting the expropriation. Over the years the state expropriation decrees expired, foreclosures were not realized and protected area was not legally created. Meanwhile, there was a significant change in the urban context of the city of Fortaleza, and changes in the relevant legislation, which entails a necessary revision of the polygon that would be the " Park of CocÃ". In this scenario, the study proposes criteria and requirements to be observed in the creation of a new category of protected area. Furthermore, the dissertation, based on environmental characterization and legal institutions incidents in the area (urban zoning, permanent preservation areas and marine land), proposes guidelines for the guidance of the boundary of a polygon that is technically feasible for the type of conservation unit applicable to the study area. The survey was conducted through literature review and documentary, interpretation and manipulation of cartographic vector files and field surveys. After analyzing the data, the paper proposes that the "basic area" of the future UC is defined based on the existence of the following legal institutions: areas of permanent preservation, marine lands areas and the most restrictive urban standards (ZPA 1 and ZRA) of the PDP-FOR/2009. The paper suggests that state of Cearà or the county of Fortaleza can create a legally adequate conservation unit and technically feasible through actions divided into five stages, which can be performed in sequence or in parallel. STAGE 0 corresponds to the preparatory phase, with review of cartographic vector files, lifting occupations and creating a type of compatible conservation unit. STAGE 1 would be the creation phase of UC with its "basic area" and should be expropriated the properties at ZPA 1 or ZRA that are not occupied or are occupied by public facilities (roads, squares and so on). STAGES 2 and 3 would be extensions of "basic research", by including areas that may give rise to relocation of people and the removal of occupations. When the properties are in marine lands, the Union may make use of free assignment of use for the creator entity of the UC (state of Cearà or the county of Fortaleza). And in STAGE 4 should integrate the management of protected areas in mosaic, covering the newly created UC and existing in its surroundings.

A Estação Ecológica (ESEC) Tupinambás, uma UC marinha de proteção integral, está localizada no litoral norte do estado de São Paulo (SP). Foi criada em 1987, sendo utilizada pela Marinha do Brasil para exercícios de tiro até recentemente no arquipélago dos Alcatrazes (São Sebastião, SP). Isto justifica a baixa quantidade de informações disponíveis sobre essa região. Através do levantamento de informações sobre a composição biológica, aspectos socioeconômicos e oceanográficos da área do arquipélago, da utilização de índices ecológicos (dominância, diversidade, riqueza e equabilidade) e multimétricos (Índice ABC e Índice de Integridade Biótica), e da elaboração da Carta de Sensibilidade Ambiental ao Derramamento de Óleo, verificou-se (1) a semelhança da composição ictiofaunística do arquipélago dos Alcatrazes em relação à Santos e São Sebastião, (2) se a região mantém a integridade biótica da ictiofauna mesmo localizando-se entre regiões impactadas, e (3) se o ponto mais sensível ecologicamente detectado pela carta SAO pode ser a área de maior suscetibilidade de ser atingida por um derramamento de óleo. Os dados analisados são provenientes de trabalhos pretéritos e coletas realizadas em setembro de 2011 e janeiro de 2014. A composição ictíica variou ao longo do tempo e períodos de coleta, respondendo à composição sedimentar e à variabilidade das propriedades hidrográficas. Foi constatada alta similaridade da ictiofauna do arquipélago com aquelas encontradas na plataforma continental de Santos e São Sebastião. Em relação à integridade biótica local, a partir da ictiofauna, as duas técnicas aplicadas refletiram o histórico no estado de conservação da ESEC, com a melhora dos índices ao longo do período estudado. A produção da carta SAO resultou em um produto único, que poderá auxiliar a gestão da UC e em planos de contenção, e em um compêndio das espécies encontradas na região, dentre as quais se encontram algumas endêmicas e muitas ameaçadas, segundo critérios nacionais e internacionais. Finalmente, espera-se que a alta biodiversidade do entorno do arquipélago, que representa uma vasta fonte de conhecimentos para o futuro, se encontre protegida pelo respeito à legislação e fiscalização da ESEC em que se encontra, pela Área Delta da Marinha do Brasil, e pela distância da costa e de fontes de contaminação. / The Tupinambás Ecological Station (TES), a Marine Protected Area (MPA) of integral protection, is located on the northern coast of São Paulo state (SP). It was established in 1987 and it has been used by the Brazilian Navy for shooting practice until recently in the Alcatrazes archipelago (São Sebastião, SP). That accounts for the low amount of the available data in this region. Using information on the biological composition, socioeconomic and oceanographic aspects variables, combined with ecological (dominance, diversity, richness and evenness) and multimetric (ABC method and Biotic Integrity Index) indexes and the preparation of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Map, we (1) assessed the similarity of the ichthyofauna of the Alcatrazes archipelago regarding compared to Santos and São Sebastião, (2) verified whether the region retains the ichthyofauna biotic integrity despite being located between affected regions and (3) verified whether the most ecologically sensitive region detected by the ESI map is the area most likely to be hit by an oil spill. The analyzed data come from previous works and samplings carried out in September 2011 and January 2014. The ichthyofauna varied over time and sampling points. Its distribution also reflected the sedimentary composition and the variability of hydrographic properties. High similarity between the ichthyofauna of the archipelago and those found on the continental shelf off Santos and São Sebastião. Regarding the biotic integrity, the two techniques applied reflected the conservation history of the TES, with an improvement in the indexes during the study period. The production of the ESI map resulted in an unique product that can assist in the management of the MPA and containment plans, and a species compendium found in the region, among which many of them are endemic and endangered, according to national and international classifications. Finally, it is expected that the high biodiversity of the archipelago surroundings, which still represents a vast source of knowledge for the future, is protected by the Delta Area of the Brazilian Navy, by the law that ensure the TES and by the distance from the coast.

Cette recherche porte sur le Nevado de Toluca (Mexique), espace protégé où l’objectif de conservation des ressources forestières, tout en étant difficilement atteint, met en question les conditions d’existence des populations rurales. On étudie les dynamiques territoriales qui découlent de ces tensions. La question porte donc essentiellement sur la confrontation entre la conservation forestière telle qu’elle est portée par les autorités publiques d’une part, et d’autre part, les besoins vitaux des populations agricoles affectées par les politiques suivies. L’hypothèse principale est que les politiques de conservation forestière n’atteignent pas les objectifs de gestion fixés parce qu’il n’y a pas une vision globale dépassant les approches sectorielles des institutions en présence, et surtout parce que l’avis des paysans n’est pas assez pris en compte faute d’une connaissance approfondie des sociétés rurales. Pour rétablir cette connaissance, la méthode de recherche a consisté principalement, outre la documentation mobilisée, en de nombreux entretiens avec les habitants de plusieurs localités du Nevado, avec différents acteurs institutionnels et avec des experts forestiers qui participent à la conservation de cet espace protégé. À l’aide du logiciel TXM, ces entretiens ont fait l’objet d’une analyse quali-quantitative de type « textométrique ». Parmi les principaux résultats obtenus, on retiendra notamment le fait que les populations locales ont des représentations sociales très contrastées de leur milieu tout en ayant une pleine conscience des enjeux écologiques. Elles ressentent les restrictions d’usage, en particulier du bois de feu, comme une injustice sociale. Cependant, des configurations socio-spatiales et des dynamiques territoriales originales existent, et dépendent du contexte géographique, en particulier des phénomènes de proximité spatiale et sociale. La cohésion sociale des groupes importe et sera d’autant plus forte que ses membres partagent les mêmes valeurs culturelles, y compris religieuses. On constate également que l’éloignement de la ville produit paradoxalement des dynamiques endogènes d’organisation qui peuvent aussi constituer une base pour une politique de protection intégrée en dépit des contraintes de vie au quotidien. Au total, cette thèse propose une réflexion sur l’arbitrage à faire entre la conservation forestière et les impacts socio-économiques que cela provoque sur les populations rurales les plus démunies et esquisse des pistes de conciliation. Elle invite à penser la justice environnementale comme le fruit de l’innovation sociale. / This research concerns the Nevado de Toluca (Mexico), a protected area where the goal of forest conservation, while being hardly reached, calls into questions the livelihoods of rural populations. Territorial dynamics which ensue from these tensions are examined. The question concerns essentially the confrontation between the forest preservation such as it is carried by the public authorities on one hand, and on the other hand, the vital needs for the agricultural populations affected by the followed policies. The main hypothesis is that policies of forest preservation do not reach the expected results because there is no global vision exceeding the sectorial approaches of institutions in presence, and especially because the opinion of the farmers is not enough taken into account, due to lack of a thorough knowledge of the rural societies. To restore this knowledge, the research method consisted mainly, besides the mobilized documentation, of numerous interviews with the inhabitants of several localities of Nevado, with the various institutional actors and with the forest experts who participate in the preservation of this protected space. Using the TXM software, these interviews were analysed employing a quali-quantitative analysis on the “textometric” type. Among the main obtained results, we shall hold in particular the fact that the local populations have very contrasted social representations of their environment while having a full consciousness of the ecological challenges. They feel the limitations of use, in particular some wood of fire, as a social injustice. However, socio-spatial configurations and original territorial dynamics exist, and depend on the geographical context, in particular the phenomena of spatial and social proximity. The social cohesion of the groups is important and will be all the stronger as his members share the same cultural values, including religious ones. We also notice that the distance of the city produces paradoxically endogenous dynamics of organization which may also be a basis for an integrated protection policy in spite of the constraints of everyday life. All in all, this thesis suggests a reflection around arbitration between the forest preservation and the socioeconomic impacts on the rural poorest population groups. She invites to think of the justice environmental as of the fruit of the social innovation.

La surexploitation des prédateurs de haut niveau trophique (HTLP) peut déclencher des cascades trophiques qui souvent conduisent à une simplification des réseaux trophiques marins en réduisant leur résistance aux impacts humains. Les aires marines protégées (AMP) peuvent favoriser des augmentations d’abondance et biomasse des HTLP, mais la complète restauration des interactions trophiques, lorsque cela est possible, nécessite des délais importants. Cette thèse vise à proposer des outils intégrés de gestion pour évaluer le retour des HTLP et la restauration des interactions trophiques dans les AMP méditerranéennes, et à évaluer l’efficacité de ces outils pour estimer les impacts de la pêche sur les HTLP et le réseau trophique associé. Deux approches souvent éloignées ont été combinées : les suivis de terrain et la modélisation des réseaux trophiques. Pour échantillonner la communauté de poissons, nous avons proposé d'améliorer la technique traditionnelle de recensement visuel sous-marin en recourant à des transects de taille variable, adaptée à la mobilité des poissons. Cette méthode a alors permis d'augmenter la précision des estimations de densité et de biomasse des HTLP dans les trois AMP méditerranéennes suivies. Ensuite, nous avons évalué l'apport de la modélisation trophique avec les approches EwE et EcoTroph comme outil de gestion écosystémique pour les AMP méditerranéennes. Une structure standard de modèle a été proposée comme étant le meilleur compromis entre la complexité du modèle, la faisabilité de sa construction et la fiabilité de ses sorties. / The overexploitation of high trophic level predators (HTLP) may trigger trophic cascades, often leading to a simplification of marine food-webs and reducing their resilience to human impacts. Marine protected areas (MPAs) can foster increases of HTLP abundance and biomass, but long time frames are needed to observe a recovery, when possible, of lost trophic interactions. This PhD aimed to propose integrated management-tools to monitor HTLP recovery and the restoration of trophic interactions in Mediterranean MPAs, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools at assessing fishing impacts upon HTLP and the associated food-web. Two often distant approaches were combined: field monitoring and food-web modelling. First, to survey the fish assemblage, we proposed to improve the traditional underwater visual census technique of one size-transects with variable size transects adapted to fish mobility. This improvement increased the accuracy of density and biomass estimates of HTLP at three Mediterranean MPAs. We then evaluated the potential of food-web modelling with the Ecopath with Ecosim and Ecotroph approach as a tool to inform ecosystem-based management in Mediterranean MPAs. We proposed a standard model structure as the best compromise between model complexity, feasibility of model construction in terms of data collection, and reliability of model outputs. Key functional groups for which local accurate biomass data should be collected in priority in order to get reliable model outputs were identified.

Les espaces naturels protégés sont aujourd’hui à l‘échelle mondiale l’une des principales politiques publiques mises en œuvre pour faire face à la destruction des écosystèmes. Leur nombre a beaucoup augmenté ces dernières années et les modes d’action qu’ils recouvrent se sont considérablement diversifiés. Pour autant, les écosystèmes continuent à se dégrader, et l’efficacité de ces dispositifs est souvent remise en cause. Cette thèse vise à analyser les facteurs influant sur l’efficacité des espaces protégés pour la conservation d’écosystèmes amazoniens encore peu dégradés. Elle étudie pour cela la mise en œuvre de dispositifs relevant de doctrines de gestion de l’environnement différentes, basées sur (i) la limitation réglementaire maximale des activités humaines impactantes pour les écosystèmes, (ii) la gestion des ressources par des populations locales ou traditionnelles ou (iii) la mise en place d’une gestion forestière durable sur des terres publiques. Nous nous plaçons dans une posture comparative entre la Guyane (France) et l’Amapá (Brésil), territoires partageant une frontière commune, principalement matérialisée par le fleuve Oyapock. La comparaison internationale entre ces deux régions présentant une couverture exceptionnelle en espaces protégés, dans des conditions écologiques et géographiques relativement similaires, nous permet d’observer l’influence du contexte historique et sociopolitique sur les modes de prise en charge de la gestion de l’environnement par les aires protégées. Nous nous sommes basés sur une approche constructiviste, appuyée sur une production de données principalement qualitatives (entretiens semi-directifs, analyse de documents, observation participante…). Nous avons ainsi procédé à une déconstruction critique des dispositifs « aires protégées », permettant de mettre en lisibilité les enjeux environnementaux qu’ils portent, et d’analyser l’efficacité environnementale des stratégies mises en œuvre. Cette analyse s’est articulée autour d’une lecture à la fois diachronique et multiscalaire des processus de gestion.Nous montrons que la mise en place des espaces protégés de Guyane et d’Amapá a été portée par des coalitions d’acteurs structurées autour de doctrines de gestion, c’est à dire de conceptions partagées des conditions de mise en œuvre d’une « bonne gestion environnementale ». Les dispositifs créés ont hérité des ressources stratégiques d’action et de la légitimité de ces coalitions. Les coalitions porteuses de la création des espaces protégés en Amapá sont fortement articulées aux mouvements sociaux et environnementaux plus généraux de l’Amazonie brésilienne, notamment pour les revendications socio-environnementales émergeant à la sortie de la période dictatoriale. En Guyane française, les espaces naturels protégés sont principalement la résultante de compromis entre d’une part une volonté d’exemplarité de l’action de la France en Amazonie, et d’autre part une recherche de minimisation des conflits avec les acteurs politiques locaux. / Nowadays, natural protected areas are one of the main public policies implemented at the international level in order to prevent the destruction of ecosystems. During the last decades, they became very numerous, and mobilized more and more diversified modes of action. However, natural ecosystems continue to deteriorate, and the effectiveness of protected areas is often questioned. The aim of this thesis was to analyse the factors influencing the effectiveness of protected areas in a context of Amazonian ecosystems that are still well preserved. We observed the implementation of environmental management arrangement (protected areas) that are based on various doctrines: (i) the strong limitation of all harmful human activities through legislation; (ii) the management of resources by local or traditional populations; and (iii) the implementation of sustainable forest management on public lands. We adopted a comparative approach between Guyana (France) and Amapá (Brazil), territories that share a common border, mainly identifiable by the Oyapock River. These two territories present quite similar ecological and geographical conditions, and both have an exceptional coverage of protected areas. Therefore this international comparison allowed us to observe the influence of the historical and socio-political context on the implementation of protected areas. We used a constructivist approach, mainly based on qualitative data (semi-structured interviews, document analysis, participant observation...). We effected a critical deconstruction of "protected areas" management arrangements in order to make their environmental objectives intelligible, and we analysed the environmental effectiveness of the strategies implemented. This analysis was based on a diachronic and multiscalar lecture of management processes. We show that the establishment of protected areas in Guiana and Amapá was led by coalitions of actors structured around management doctrines, i.e. shared conceptions of "good environmental management". Management arrangements created inherited the strategic resources of action and the legitimacy of these coalitions. In Amapá, coalitions were strongly articulated with wider social and environmental movements of the Brazilian Amazon, especially in the case of socio-environmental claims rising at the end of the dictatorship. In French Guiana, the natural protected areas are mainly the result of compromise between the French willingness to serve as an example in the Amazon region, and the minimisation of conflicts with local politicians.

A growing number of scientists are investigating applications of landscape ecology principles to marine studies, yet few coral reef scientists have examined spatial patterns across entire reefscapes with a holistic ecosystem-based view. This study was an effort to better understand reefscape ecology by quantitatively assessing spatial structures and habitat arrangements using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Quantifying recurring patterns in reef systems has implications for improving the efficiency of mapping efforts and lowering costs associated with collecting field data and acquiring satellite imagery. If a representative example of a reef is mapped with high accuracy, the data derived from habitat configurations could be extrapolated over a larger region to aid management decisions and focus conservation efforts. The aim of this project was to measure repeating spatial patterns at multiple scales (10s m2 to 10s km2) and to explain the environmental mechanisms which have formed the observed patterns. Because power laws have been recognized in size-frequency distributions of reef habitat patches, this study further investigated whether the property exists for expansive reefs with diverse geologic histories. Intra- and inter-reef patch relationships were studied at three sites: Andavadoaka (Madagascar), Vieques (Puerto Rico), and Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). In situ ecological information, including benthic species composition and abundance, as well as substrate type, was collected with georeferenced video transects. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) surveys were assembled into digital elevation models (DEMs), while vessel-based acoustic surveys were utilized to empirically tune bathymetry models where LiDAR data were unavailable. A GIS for each site was compiled by overlying groundtruth data, classifications, DEMs, and satellite images. Benthic cover classes were then digitized and analyzed based on a suite of metrics (e.g. patch complexity, principle axes ratio, and neighborhood transitions). Results from metric analyses were extremely comparable between sites suggesting that spatial prediction of habitat arrangements is very plausible. Further implications discussed include developing an automated habitat mapping technique and improving conservation planning and delimitation of marine protected areas.

This study presents a detailed investigation into size, density and community structure of temperate marine reef fish in the medium-sized Goukamma Marine Protected Area (Goukamma MPA) and adjacent fishing grounds on the south coast of South Africa. The oceanographic conditions, the spatial distribution of the benthic community and the prevailing fishing effort are also described. Life history traits and per-recruit (PR) models for the principle target species, roman (Crysoblephus laticeps) are compared between the protected and exploited area. From the study results, various strategies are proposed for the use of MPAs in the conservation and management of linefish species along South Africa’s south coast. The distribution and topography of reefs in the protected and exploited sections of the study area were found to be comparable. Atmospheric pressure ranged from 992 to 1,032 mb, being significantly lower in summer. Wind speeds ranged from 0.7 to 71.3 km/h. Water temperatures ranged between 9.0 and 22.2 ºC and turbidity between 0.3 and 45.8 NTU. Water temperature and clarity were uniformly low in winter. In summer the water was generally warm, clear and stratified, with a thermocline at around 20 m, although intermittent upwelling events caused water temperature to decrease and clarity to deteriorate. Current speeds ranged between 0.11 and 2.59 km/h and were significantly higher in spring and autumn. Easterly currents prevailed in spring, summer and autumn and westerly and southerly currents in winter. Hake (Merluccius capensis), various resident reef fish and kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) were most frequently targeted by the local linefishery. A significant amount of illegal fishing was found to occur in the protected area. Fishing effort was found to be highest around the border of the MPA (2.7 boats/km²) and lowest in the core of the MPA (0.2 boats/km²). If law enforcement remains poor it may be necessary to adapt the management strategy to extend the reserve, thereby mitigating against illegal fishing and ensuring a core area of no exploitation. Various other alternatives were investigated and it was demonstrated that the amount of fish caught of legal size could be increased by about 23% and post-release mortality of undersized fish reduced by 50% through the introduction of a suit of restrictive measures. Randomly stratified underwater visual census (UVC) and controlled fishing were used to investigate the ichthyofauna and benthic community at protected and exploited sites in the study area. Resulting density and size data from 273 fishing sites and 177 point counts were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs). Fish communities were found to vary significantly, depending on the level of exploitation. Roman, the principle reef fish species targeted by the fishery had significantly higher densities within the protected parts of the study area (CPUE: 4.3 fish/anglerhour; UVC: 2.2 fish/point-count) as compared to the exploited part (CPUE: 3.4 fish/anglerhour; UVC: 1.8 fish/point-count), correlating strongly with the observed fishing effort. Also mean sizes were significantly higher in the protected area (299 mm from fishing survey and 233 mm from diving estimates) as compared to the exploited section (283 mm from fishing survey and 198 mm from diving estimates). Although other fish species also had significantly higher mean sizes at protected sites in most cases their densities were significantly lower. This suggests a top-down control of the fish community by the dominant predator (roman). The results of the UVC showed the diversity of the ichthyofauna to be significantly higher inside the protected area. Interestingly this did not apply to the results of the controlled fishing experiment where the diversity of fish in the catch was lower in the protected area - a result that may be explained by the selectivity of fishing for the most aggressive species – and a reminder of the limitations of controlled fishing experiments. Possibly the most important finding of the study revolved around the benthic community. These were significantly different at exploited and protected sites, with algae and crinoids more abundant at exploited sites. Crinoids are the principle food of roman and were low in abundance where roman abundances were high, suggesting that the dominant top predator reduced crinoids. Furthermore, it substantiates the correlation of roman abundance with fishing effort, since habitat preferences can be ruled out by the observed causal predator-prey distribution pattern. Low algae abundances at protected sites correlated with high strepie (Sarpa salpa) frequencies within the fish communities encountered there. Strepie, a shoaling and abundant benthic grazer, does not compete for food with roman, suggesting a high potential for coexistence of the two species. As expected, and found by other studies, life history traits of roman differed between protected and exploited sample-sites. With a significantly lower age-at-maturity and age-atsex- change, the exploited population showed a typical response to fishing effort. The sex ratio of this protogynous hermaphrodite was found to be sustained at healthy levels by phenotypic plasticity. However, one important additional factor was highlighted by the study; the average condition factor of the protected population was significantly lower (0.0283 g/cm³) compared to the exploited population (0.0295 g/cm³). This was probably due to the higher intra-specific competition for lower food abundance in the protected area. Interestingly the diving and fishing survey methods yielded similar mortality results for roman. Total mortality rate estimates derived from length frequency analysis from the diving and fishing survey were not different (0.32 and 0.29 y⁻¹, respectively) as were natural mortality rate estimates (0.24 and 0.19 y⁻¹, respectively). Natural mortality rate (M) estimates indicated by Pauly’s and Hoenig’s relationship were similar (0.25 and 0.23 y⁻¹, respectively). Detailed yield-per-recruit (Y/R) and spawner biomass-per-recruit (SB/R) analyses were presented for different levels of M, varying age-at-recruitment (tR) and fishing mortality (F). Current tR (7.60 y) and F (0.16 and 0.25 y⁻¹, from the diving and fishing dataset, respectively) suggests an optimal exploitation of the population in the exploited part of the study area. However, a separate SB/R analysis of the male part of the population showed their vulnerability to over-exploitation, even at reduced age-at-sex-change from fishing. There therefore remains a high risk of recruitment failure for the roman population. Of course MPAs can be used to measure stock status directly if the influence of factors such as cachability, habitat and sampling method on CPUE assessments can be limited or reduced. The experimental design in this study allowed for contemporary CPUE comparisons across the border of the Goukamma MPA. Results were similar to those obtained by the SB/R analyses. CPUE extrapolations therefore, using small MPAs, can provide reliable and consistent estimates, and offer a practical alternative to conventional assessment strategies. This study has highlighted the importance of ensuring a well structured and comprehensive survey design when undertaking a comparison of protected and exploited marine areas. The results provide a comprehensive framework for future management of the Goukamma MPA and other protected areas along the temperate coastline of South Africa.

This study sets out to address problems caused by the lack of an integrated tourism management framework that would give a strategic direction to the delivery of tourism services in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The lack of tourism management plans and capacity in protected areas can be traced back to the classic management approach that concentrates exclusively on biodiversity conservation while paying superficial attention to other equally important management elements such as tourism, community participation, financial viability and governance matters. As a result of such management deficiencies, protected areas are unable to raise sufficient revenue from their tourism business to adequately meet obligations of their conservation mandate, community expectations and maintenance of the tourism facilities. Financial problems lead to over-dependence on diminishing and inflation-eroded state subsidies, thus compromising the effective management of parks. A management approach that does not balance the elements that constitute the management function of a protected area has the potential to destroy the resource base on which the attractiveness of a protected area as a holiday destination hinges and risks alienating tourists. The practice of 'fortress conservation' with protected areas treated as distinct units from their surrounding communities is being challenged worldwide. Protected area managers are now constantly looking for management paradigms that can harmonize the fundamental functions of conserving biodiversity, delivering tourism services and ensuring financial viability whilst contributing to the socio-economic development and benefits for local people balancing conservation and socio-economic needs. This is the situation in which the KNP finds itself. The study recommends the adoption of an integrated tourism management framework based on adaptive tourism management principles to enable the Park to cope with continuous uncertainties, conflict management, dynamic systems of societal changes, economic changes, changes of ecosystems and bridging the gap between conservation and tourism. / Thesis (PhD (Tourism Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

The conflict between the protected area and local people is a major challenge for conservation in developing countries. The conventional top-down approach has failed mainly due to the exclusion of local people in conservation. A new management approach that promotes local participation and reduces conflicts is necessary to achieve both conservation and development objectives. Using the case of Natma Taung National Park (NTNP) in Myanmar, this study investigates the relationship between the protected area and local indigenous people living in and around the park. The social-ecological coevolution model is applied to explore the inter-linkages between the protected area and local people. The empirical analyses focus on three main thematic areas: local land tenure system, livelihood dependency on forest resources, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local people. The comparative study design is used to analyse similarities and differences among the three indigenous communities living inside, bordering, and outside the national park. Based on this information, four management scenarios are developed and evaluated by using multi-criteria decision analysis.