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In an increasingly urbanised world, historic settlements have been facing tremendous urbanisation and development pressures. In this context, historic settlements included on the World Heritage List ought to be flagships for urban conservation. This dissertation investigates how effectively the existing protection and management policies under the World Heritage Convention contribute to the protection of historic urban settlements and especially their surroundings. The factors affecting urban settlements, and the responses adopted by the international community for the protection of urban heritage, are investigated – first in relation to urban settlements in general, and then in relation to historic settlements included on the World Heritage List. To get a holistic view of how historic settlements have been protected under the World Heritage Convention, the monitoring mechanisms established under the Convention are examined. The analysis of the results of the first cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise and of the state of conservation reports resulting from the Reactive Monitoring process provide an overall view of the main issues influencing the protection of World Heritage settlements. To get an overview of the factors affecting the surroundings of World Heritage settlements in particular, the concept of buffer zone – adopted under the World Heritage Convention as the main mechanism for the protection of the surroundings of World Heritage properties – is investigated not only in relation to its use in other disciplines and to the protection of natural protected areas, but also in the nomination files over time. To investigate how historic settlements and their surroundings in particular have been affected by urbanisation and development pressures, and how they have been protected under the World Heritage Convention, four case studies are studied, namely Angra do Heroísmo in Portugal, Olinda in Brazil, Marrakesh in Morocco and the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. In all four cases I examine how their inscription on the World Heritage List has influenced their protection and that of their surroundings in particular, how the existing managements systems established for their protection have responded to urbanisation and development pressures, and what are the main factors affecting their state of conservation. In addition, as the Kathmandu Valley has received enormous attention under the World Heritage system, this case study is also analysed to obtain an in-depth understanding of how the system has been implemented for the protection of World Heritage settlements. The case studies shed light on five inter-related aspects. First, that the legal and management arrangements adopted for the protection of the World Heritage settlements are not built upon what is considered to be their outstanding universal value, and are insufficient to effectively address existing urbanisation and development pressures. Second, that the factors affecting the state of conservation of World Heritage properties increasingly originate from beyond the properties‘ boundaries, but there is nevertheless no integration of the planning and management arrangements for the World Heritage settlements within their wider urban context. Third, that the surroundings of the World Heritage settlements investigated have continued to undergo considerable change since the time of inscription and are now much more urbanized areas, despite existing legal mechanisms for their protection. Fourth, that although Angra do Heroísmo, Olinda and Marrakesh present similar factors affecting their state of conservation to those identified for the Kathmandu Valley, they have not received the same attention from the World Heritage Committee, pointing to a lack of clarity on the selection process for the follow-up of the state of conservation of a property through Reactive Monitoring. Fifth, in relation to the Kathmandu Valley only, that the involvement of the international community has considerable limitations and needs to be improved. These aspects show that the protection and management policies under the World Heritage Convention are limited, not effectively implemented or enforced, and only address a limited number of the existing needs. The dissertation concludes by articulating how existing trends influencing urban settlements can be more effectively addressed by existing mechanisms under the World Heritage Convention. Finally I bring forward the policy implications deriving from the research findings and suggest broad strategies for improving some of the processes and practices for the protection of World Heritage settlements and their surroundings in particular.

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In 1944, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) entered northern Saskatchewan with the goal of utilizing natural resources and restructuring the northern economy through conservation and social policy in order to rehabilitate what they viewed as an impoverished Aboriginal population. This thesis analyzes the affects of government policy on the northwestern Saskatchewan Metis during the mid-twentieth century. Specifically, this study will examine how CCF policy affected the trapping economy and the socio-cultural traditions of the northern Metis. The northwestern Saskatchewan Metis participated in trapping as one of their main sources of income, while facing deflating market prices and government intervention. Through an analysis of archival records that included government documents, government employee and northern Metis correspondence, newspapers, community and government research initiatives and transcribed interviews done by previous projects, this study found that the new government policies were met with resistance by Metis trappers who wished to maintain their traditional trapping practices. Trapping for the Metis, was not only a source of income, it was a livelihood inseparable from their socio-cultural identities and worldview. Therefore, Metis worldview had a direct connection to their acceptance and resistance of CCF policy. More specifically, the northwestern Saskatchewan Metis had a specific “work ethic.” In order to explain Metis reactions to CCF policy Max Weber’s theoretical framework of a “work ethic” derived from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was utilized. In this thesis it is posited that the Metis work ethic was based upon the concept of wahkootowin, which placed high value on kinship systems and reciprocity. Wahkootowin encompassed all aspects of northern Metis life including the economy. These cultural values were also juxtaposed with living a “northern style of life,” which involved hard work and survival skills that allowed the Metis to flourish within the northern landscape. In the mid-twentieth century CCF conservation and social policy conflicted with the northwestern Saskatchewan Metis work ethic that was based on the principles of wahkootowin and the northern style of life.

The legislative procedures regarding wild pigs in the United States are expanding in scope and priority, however, the uniformity of legislation is entropic at best. Each state addresses the issues of wild pigs differently and treatment is based on a priority of resource concerns. An evaluation was conducted at the national level of federal, state, and local policy with regards to wild pig control. Additionally, successful and unsuccessful legislation is evaluated to determine commonalities in the social, economic, and ecological factors contributing to the success or failure of legislation. Information collected provides state legislatures with sample model legislation that can be passed with the support of stakeholders and the citizenry, as well as help guide states into a more uniform system of policy. Furthermore, it provides states without, or with low populations of wild pigs, a proactive suite of legislation to prevent further spread and facilitate eradication of localized populations.

Swedish hunters sometimes appeal to an inviolate ‘right to exist’ for wolves, apparently rejecting NIMBY. Nevertheless, the conditions existence hunters impose on wolves in practice fundamentally contradict their use of right to exist language. Hunters appeal to this language hoping to gain uptake in a conservation and management discourse demanding appropriately objective ecological language. However, their contradictory use of ‘right to exist' opens them up to the charge that they are being deceptive–indeed, right to exist is a 'disguised NIMBY!' We address this situation by distinguishing hunters’ criticisms of wolves from the procedures for reaching objective policy decisions.

This study examined the quality of Florida county government conservation planning. To assess conservation planning quality, a theoretical model of conservation planning as prescribed by the conservation science literature was first developed. A plan evaluation coding protocol was applied to local comprehensive plan Conservation Elements to determine the extent to which county-level conservation planning met the theoretical model. A high degree of variability in conservation planning quality was found. Highest quality conservation planning occurred in the Gulf coast counties of southwest Florida. Lowest conservation planning quality occurred in the Florida Panhandle counties. The quality of conservation planning of coastal counties was significantly higher than that of inland counties. Significant regional differences were also found, where conservation planning quality in South Florida counties was significantly higher than conservation planning quality in Panhandle counties. Geographic differences in conservation planning quality were likely attributable to significant differences in socioeconomic variables among counties, including differences in education, wealth, and urbanization. Multiple regression analysis using an information theoretic approach was employed to develop a predictive model of conservation planning quality of Florida local governments. The two most plausible predictors in the model were education level of the public and total resources. Local and global spatial autocorrelation analysis were next applied to county conservation planning scores to investigate spatial patterns of conservation planning quality, which were found to be related to the policy process of diffusion. Lastly, current local government conservation planning policy was analyzed for effectiveness and policy recommendations were made. Improving the iii effectiveness of local conservation planning will require changes in statutory provisions of the state Florida Forever and Growth Management statutes. It will also require a greater commitment on the part of the state of Florida to protect the state’s biological resources over the long term

Achieving long-term conservation gains through the framework of conservation incentive programs requires an understanding of both the ecological and social components of these programs. Landowner program experiences and management decisions after program participation are important for long-term conservation, but these aspects of conservation programs are not well understood. To address this research gap related to conservation program participation, this thesis investigates Natural Resources Conservation Service programs that provide private landowners with financial and technical assistance to manage for young forest habitat in the eastern United States. We conducted a telephone survey to investigate private landowner experiences during and after participation in these NRCS conservation programs. Coordinating with biologists monitoring managed properties for birds, we assessed how in-person outreach and mailed monitoring results influenced landowners. Next, we evaluated how landowner motivations, resources, and cognitions were related to post-program young forest management intentions. Finally, we applied a coupled human and natural systems lens to investigate the linkage between wildlife outcomes, landowner perceptions, and continued young forest management. Our results demonstrate how in-person outreach can shape positive conservation experiences and increasing landowner trust in resource agencies. We also demonstrate the importance of both social and environmental factors for influencing landowner decision-making after conservation program participation. We detail the applications of this research for conservation agencies and professionals who work with private landowners. / Master of Science / The decline of young forest habitat and associated wildlife species is a major conservation issue in the eastern United States. Since 2011, Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation programs have provided hundreds of private landowners with financial and technical assistance to create and maintain young forest habitat. Landowner program experiences and management decisions after program participation are important for long-term conservation, but information is limited on these aspects of NRCS young forest programs. In response, we conducted a telephone survey to investigate private landowner experiences during and after participation in these conservation programs. Coordinating with biologists monitoring managed properties for birds, we assessed how in-person outreach and mailed monitoring results influenced landowners. Next, we evaluated how landowner motivations, resources, and cognitions were related to post-program young forest management intentions. Finally, we examined how landowners observed and interpreted wildlife outcomes of young forest management and how these perceptions were related to habitat management after program participation. Our results highlight the importance of in-person outreach for shaping positive conservation experiences and increasing landowner trust in resource agencies. We also demonstrate the importance of both social and environmental factors for influencing landowner decision-making after conservation program participation. We detail the applications of this research for conservation agencies and professionals who work with private landowners.

This thesis deals with the subjects of conservation policies and property rights and how these two topics were discussed in relation to each other in the Swedish parliament during the latter half of the 20th century (1952–1998). How nature reserves were discussed in relation to the property rights of private forest owners is especially emphasized. The theoretical framework of the study is borrowed from the philosopher Ingemar Hedenius and further nuances and elaborates on the term property rights by dividing it into smaller constituent parts. Protocols from the Swedish parliament served as the primary sources for the study. Laws, bills and reports from different governmental committees were, however, also studied in conjunction with these protocols to contextualize and deepen the understanding of the subject matter. A qualitative text analysis was thereafter conducted to describe and analyze the gathered data. The results show that, generally, the right-wing parties tended to value property rights higher than the left-wing parties. The left-wing parties therefore also tended to value conservation policies higher than the right-wing ones. The liberal parties in the political center tended to value both property rights and conservation policies in an equal manner. All parties in the parliament did for the most part, however, agree that conservation policies to some extent needed to impede on certain property rights in order to be effective. It was rather to what extent that this was deemed acceptable that the parties had differing opinions. All parties, regardless of political affiliation, would also gradually focus more on political issues relating to conservation and environmental problems as time went on.

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Larissa Pereira Lemes - 2016.pdf: 1679294 bytes, checksum: a40b6d6841188ae76ec572b3a594288b (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-29 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Agriculture is indispensable due to food production and its importance in economy. Notwithstanding, it causes fragmentation and habitat loss, threatening species conservation. Agriculture is also responsible for global warming, due to greenhouse gases release to the atmosphere. Species suitable areas will probably change due to the changing climate, and if they are not able to adapt to the new conditions, or disperse to the new suitable area, they will become extinguished. Agriculture may occupy species future suitable area or block species dispersion. Implement areas for species protection is urgent due to agriculture threats. However, conflicts between conservation and economy have been frustrating conservation spatial planning and contributing to residual protected areas. Facing conservation difficulty, I sought to identify spatial priorities for agricultural development in the Brazilian Cerrado, and also minimize mammal biodiversity loss. It is possible to use the necessary areas for crop plantations and still preserve about 70 per cent of mammals suitable area, now and in the future. Notwithstanding, species future suitable area is restricted and unbridled agricultural progress may occupy this area. It is urgent for science to guide agricultural development in the Brazilian Cerrado so the important areas for species survival still exist in the future. It is possible to conciliate conservation and economic development, and minimize conflicts. / A agricultura é imprescindível, não somente pela produção de alimentos, mas por ser agente propulsor na economia. Porém, essa atividade causa perda e fragmentação de habitat e consequente ameaça à existência das espécies. Além disso, a agricultura também é responsável por parte do aquecimento global, devido aos gases de efeito estufa que o desmatamento libera para a atmosfera. Devido às mudanças no clima, as áreas adequadas para a sobrevivência das espécies não serão as mesmas no futuro e, caso as espécies não sejam capazes de se adaptar às novas condições ou se dispersarem para as novas áreas adequadas, elas serão extintas. Com o atual avanço da agricultura, é possível que as áreas adequadas para a sobrevivência das espécies no futuro sejam ocupadas por cultivos ou que esses cultivos bloqueiem a dispersão das espécies. Frente a essa ameaça, é necessário criar áreas destinadas à proteção das espécies. Entretanto, os conflitos de interesse entre a conservação e economia tem desvalorizado os planejamentos para implementação de unidades de proteção e contribuído para a criação de áreas de proteção residuais. Essas áreas representam mal gasto de verba pois não estão expostas à pressão antrópica e não são locais prioritários para a implementação de unidades de proteção e. Frente à dificuldade em criar áreas de proteção efetivas em conservar a biodiversidade existente, procurei identificar áreas prioritárias para o avanço agrícola no Cerrado de forma a minimizar o impacto sobre a biodiversidade de mamíferos terrestres. Nós modelamos a distribuição potencial das espécies de mamíferos terrestres que ocorrem no Cerrado e utilizamos dados sobre adequabilidade local para soja e cana-de-açúcar para calcularmos o valor de conservação de cada localidade no Cerrado. Nós utilizamos o software de priorização Zonation para identificarmos quais locais possuem alto valor econômico e, simultaneamente, não acarretem em grande impacto negativo na conservação das espécies. É possível destinar a área prevista para a expansão agrícola e ainda preservar em média 70 por cento da distribuição de todas as espécies, tanto no presente, quanto no futuro. Porém, as áreas adequadas para a sobrevivências das espécies no futuro são restritas, e provavelmente, o avanço agrícola desenfreado ocuparia toda essa área. Então, é urgente que a ciência exerça um de seus papéis e guie o avanço agrícola no Cerrado para que as áreas necessárias para a sobrevivência em longo prazo das espécies sejam mantidas. É possível conciliar conservação e desenvolvimento econômico, e minimizar conflitos.