A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks
Protected areas are under increasing threat from a range of external and internal pressures on biodiversity. With a primary mandate being the conservation of biodiversity, monitoring is an essential component of measuring the performance of protected areas. Here we present a framework for guiding...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2011-05-01
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| Series: | Koedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/991 |
| _version_ | 1828933574799130624 |
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| author | Melodie A. McGeoch Mbulelo Dopolo Peter Novellie Howard Hendriks Stefanie Freitag Sam Ferreira Rina Grant Judith Kruger Hugo Bezuidenhout Rodney M. Randall Wessel Vermeulen Tineke Kraaij Ian A. Russell Michael H. Knight Stephen Holness Ané Oosthuizen |
| author_facet | Melodie A. McGeoch Mbulelo Dopolo Peter Novellie Howard Hendriks Stefanie Freitag Sam Ferreira Rina Grant Judith Kruger Hugo Bezuidenhout Rodney M. Randall Wessel Vermeulen Tineke Kraaij Ian A. Russell Michael H. Knight Stephen Holness Ané Oosthuizen |
| author_sort | Melodie A. McGeoch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Protected areas are under increasing threat from a range of external and internal pressures on biodiversity. With a primary mandate being the conservation of biodiversity, monitoring is an essential component of measuring the performance of protected areas. Here we present a framework for guiding the structure and development of a Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) for South African National Parks (SANParks). Monitoring activities in the organisation are currently unevenly distributed across parks, taxa and key concerns: they do not address the full array of biodiversity objectives, and have largely evolved in the absence of a coherent, overarching framework. The requirement for biodiversity monitoring in national parks is clearly specified in national legislation and international policy, as well as by SANParks’ own adaptive management philosophy. Several approaches available for categorising the multitude of monitoring requirements were considered in the development of the BMS, and 10 Biodiversity Monitoring Programmes (BMPs) were selected that provide broad coverage of higher-level biodiversity objectives of parks. A set of principles was adopted to guide the development of BMPs (currently underway), and data management, resource and capacity needs will be considered during their development. It is envisaged that the BMS will provide strategic direction for future investment in this core component of biodiversity conservation and management in SANParks.
Conservation implications: Monitoring biodiversity in protected areas is essential to assessing their performance. Here we provide a coordinated framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks. The proposed biodiversity monitoring system addresses the broad range of park management plan derived biodiversity objectives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:17:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a49651a2d694422b51421be10282e7d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0075-6458 2071-0771 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:17:08Z |
| publishDate | 2011-05-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Koedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a49651a2d694422b51421be10282e7d2022-12-21T23:22:32ZengAOSISKoedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science0075-64582071-07712011-05-01532e1e1010.4102/koedoe.v53i2.991938A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National ParksMelodie A. McGeoch0Mbulelo Dopolo1Peter Novellie2Howard Hendriks3Stefanie Freitag4Sam Ferreira5Rina Grant6Judith Kruger7Hugo Bezuidenhout8Rodney M. Randall9Wessel Vermeulen10Tineke Kraaij11Ian A. Russell12Michael H. Knight13Stephen Holness14Ané Oosthuizen15Cape Research Centre, Conservation Services, Steenberg, South African National ParksCape Research Centre, Conservation Services, Steenberg, South African National ParksConservation Services, South African National ParksConservation Services, South African National ParksSavanna Research Unit, Conservation Services, Skukuza, South African National ParksSavanna Research Unit, Conservation Services, Skukuza, South African National ParksSavanna Research Unit, Conservation Services, Skukuza, South African National ParksSavanna Research Unit, Conservation Services, Skukuza, South African National ParksSavanna Research Unit, Conservation Services, Kimberley, South African National ParksGarden Route Unit, Conservation Services, Sedgefield, South African National ParksGarden Route Unit, Conservation Services, Knysna, South African National ParksGarden Route Unit, Conservation Services, Sedgefield, South African National ParksGarden Route Unit, Conservation Services, Sedgefield, South African National ParksPark Planning & Development, Conservation Services, Port Elizabeth, South African National ParksPark Planning & Development, Conservation Services, Port Elizabeth, South African National ParksPark Planning & Development, Conservation Services, Port Elizabeth, South African National ParksProtected areas are under increasing threat from a range of external and internal pressures on biodiversity. With a primary mandate being the conservation of biodiversity, monitoring is an essential component of measuring the performance of protected areas. Here we present a framework for guiding the structure and development of a Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) for South African National Parks (SANParks). Monitoring activities in the organisation are currently unevenly distributed across parks, taxa and key concerns: they do not address the full array of biodiversity objectives, and have largely evolved in the absence of a coherent, overarching framework. The requirement for biodiversity monitoring in national parks is clearly specified in national legislation and international policy, as well as by SANParks’ own adaptive management philosophy. Several approaches available for categorising the multitude of monitoring requirements were considered in the development of the BMS, and 10 Biodiversity Monitoring Programmes (BMPs) were selected that provide broad coverage of higher-level biodiversity objectives of parks. A set of principles was adopted to guide the development of BMPs (currently underway), and data management, resource and capacity needs will be considered during their development. It is envisaged that the BMS will provide strategic direction for future investment in this core component of biodiversity conservation and management in SANParks. Conservation implications: Monitoring biodiversity in protected areas is essential to assessing their performance. Here we provide a coordinated framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks. The proposed biodiversity monitoring system addresses the broad range of park management plan derived biodiversity objectives.https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/991ecosystem processesprotected area effectivenessprotected area performancesurveillancethreats to biodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Melodie A. McGeoch Mbulelo Dopolo Peter Novellie Howard Hendriks Stefanie Freitag Sam Ferreira Rina Grant Judith Kruger Hugo Bezuidenhout Rodney M. Randall Wessel Vermeulen Tineke Kraaij Ian A. Russell Michael H. Knight Stephen Holness Ané Oosthuizen A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks Koedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science ecosystem processes protected area effectiveness protected area performance surveillance threats to biodiversity |
| title | A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks |
| title_full | A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks |
| title_fullStr | A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks |
| title_full_unstemmed | A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks |
| title_short | A strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks |
| title_sort | strategic framework for biodiversity monitoring in south african national parks |
| topic | ecosystem processes protected area effectiveness protected area performance surveillance threats to biodiversity |
| url | https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/991 |
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