Biodiversity monitoring in developing countries: what are we trying to achieve?

Danielsen, Finn; Mendoza, Marlynn M.; Alviola, Phillip A.; Balete, Danilo S.; Enghoff, Martin; Poulsen, Michael K.; Jensen, Arne E.

doi:10.1017/s0030605303000735

Cited by 90 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Any programme that seriously attempts to monitor biodiversity should address the two issues of spatial variation and detectability. Danielsen et al (2003) argue that designs are too complicated and programmes too costly for developing countries, so that simpler schemes are needed. We wholeheartedly support the response of Yoccoz et al (2003) to this, that the 'why', 'what' and 'how' of biological monitoring is important irrespective of available resources.…”

Section: Survey Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring change in biodiversity through composite indices

Buckland

Magurran

Green

et al. 2005

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

328

306

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The need to monitor trends in biodiversity raises many technical issues. What are the features of a good biodiversity index? How should trends in abundance of individual species be estimated? How should composite indices, possibly spanning very diverse taxa, be formed? At what spatial scale should composite indices be applied? How might change-points-points at which the underlying trend changes-be identified? We address some of the technical issues underlying composite indices, including survey design, weighting of the constituent indices, identification of change-points and estimation of spatially varying time trends. We suggest some criteria that biodiversity measures for use in monitoring surveys should satisfy, and we discuss the problems of implementing rigorous methods. We illustrate the properties of different composite indices using UK farmland bird data. We conclude that no single index can capture all aspects of biodiversity change, but that a modified Shannon index and the geometric mean of relative abundance have useful properties.

show abstract

Section: Survey Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring change in biodiversity through composite indices

Buckland

Magurran

Green

et al. 2005

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

328

306

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Under the right circumstances, such schemes can be effective in strengthening local management of resources and dealing with threats to biodiversity (Danielsen et al 2003). How useful are they, though, in contributing to biodiversity monitoring at larger scales, such as the national level?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Locally-based, participatory monitoring has been proposed as one solution (Danielsen et al 2003). Monitoring should be more sustainable when it involves very simple, inexpensive methods, put into effect by local communities or government staff (Danielsen et al 2003;Gray and Kalpers 2005 (this issue); Topp-Jørgensen et al 2005 (this issue)).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most significant of these perhaps concerns sustainability. Schemes are often too elaborate and costly to be continued in the long-term (Bennun 2001;Danielsen et al 2003), or fail to be adequately institutionalised (Poulsen and Luanglath 2005 (this issue)). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Monitoring should be more sustainable when it involves very simple, inexpensive methods, put into effect by local communities or government staff (Danielsen et al 2003;Gray and Kalpers 2005 (this issue); Topp-Jørgensen et al 2005 (this issue)). Such approaches may also simplify and strengthen the link between data collection and effective local management action (see Andrianandrasana et al 2005;Danielsen et al 2005;Rijsoort and Jinfeng 2005;Uychiaoco et al 2005 (this issue)).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Monitoring Important Bird Areas in Africa: Towards a Sustainable and Scaleable System

et al. 2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The need for effective global monitoring of biodiversity is clearer than ever, but our measurements remain patchy and inadequate. In the biodiversity-rich tropics, a central problem is the sustainability of monitoring schemes. Locally-based, participatory approaches show promise in overcoming this problem, but may not contribute effectively to monitoring at larger scales. BirdLife International's framework for monitoring Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Africa is designed to be simple, robust and locally-grounded, but to produce scaleable results that can be compiled into national or regional indices. Focusing on key sites for bird conservation, identified according to standard criteria, the framework institutionalises monitoring in site management authorities and Site Support Groups (community-based organisations of local people working for conservation and sustainable development). A small, central monitoring unit co-ordinates the programme nationally, compiles, analyses and manages data, and provides feedback. 'Basic' monitoring (taking place at all sites) involves scoring of state, pressure and response trends using site information submitted on simple forms. 'Detailed' monitoring (taking place at a selected sub-set of sites) involves more intensive measurement of particular variables that relate to site management targets. IBA monitoring is now underway in at least 10 African countries, with implementation of the framework most advanced (thanks to a pilot project) in Kenya. The 2004 IBA monitoring report for Kenya provides extensive information on individual IBAs, plus indices for national trends in state, pressure and response, based on data from 49 out of 60 sites. The experience in Kenya shows that institutionalisation is vital, but takes considerable time and effort; that adequate co-ordination (including timely feedback) is key; and that participatory monitoring has many valuable benefits beyond the data collected. Further work is being undertaken to refine the process, improve its scientific underpinning, and strengthen the feedback loop from data and analysis to action on the ground.

show abstract

Assessing ecological changes in and around marine reserves using community perceptions and biological surveys

Yasué

Kaufman

Vincent

2010

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT1. Well-enforced partial or total no-fishing zones (collectively known as marine protected areas, or MPAs) can help restore degraded coral reefs and enhance fish populations.2. A comparison was made of community perceptions of ecological changes in an MPA with concurrent scientific data on these changes in the same MPA. Such analyses are particularly important in community-based MPAs where local support is a key determinant of ecological success.3. The no-take MPA in question was initially launched in partnership with the community in 1995 and formalized in 1998. The perceptions data come from interviews with community members in 1999 and 2004, the biological data come from underwater visual censuses of the MPA from 1998 to 2004.4. Community members perceived more fish within the MPA and slight increases in catch outside the MPA. In contrast, fish censuses showed a high degree of stochastic variation and only minor increases in fish abundance, size and diversity in and around the MPA between 1998 and 2004.5. Possible explanations for these discrepancies include different temporal, spatial or species frames of reference and/or limitations to the biological survey technique. Other options include wishful thinking, external influences, a desire to please, or confounding with other benefits.6. This study demonstrates some of the strengths and weaknesses of community perceptions and biological data. In order to improve our understanding about the changes that occur over time in an MPA and engender community support for the long-term viability of MPAs, it is important to develop diverse and efficient monitoring schemes.

show abstract

Biodiversity monitoring in developing countries: what are we trying to achieve?

Cited by 90 publications

References 0 publications

Monitoring change in biodiversity through composite indices

Monitoring change in biodiversity through composite indices

Monitoring Important Bird Areas in Africa: Towards a Sustainable and Scaleable System

Assessing ecological changes in and around marine reserves using community perceptions and biological surveys

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About