Limited uptake of protected area evaluation systems among managers and decision-makers in Spain and the Mediterranean Sea

Rodríguez‐Rodríguez, David; Martínez‐Vega, Javier; Tempesta, Milena; Otero-Villanueva, M.

doi:10.1017/s0376892915000065

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Collaboration between scientists and PA managers is complex and improvable in most places, making environmental evaluations challenging [16,56]. Spain is not different [13,14]. Thus, the results of applying the SIAPA to this PA were incomplete for four of the six partial indices, and thus its overall effectiveness value can only be regarded as a partial estimation.…”

Section: Study Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different PA assessment tools are available in the country [12,15,32,33]. Nevertheless, the fact that PA evaluation is not considered a legal obligation in Spain, with the exception of NPs, and that other more pressuring managerial priorities exist, such as the drafting of management plans for Natura 2000 sites, are likely to still limit the salience of this and any other PA assessment tool [14]. Additionally, insufficient basic data to undertake evaluations, limited institutional interest, reluctance to assessments, and lack of culture on transparency and accountability will also probably hamper the implementation of any sort of external, regular and sound 'environmental audits' in Spanish PAs for some time [13,14].…”

Section: Siapa Optimisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fine-Tuning of a Protected Area Effectiveness Evaluation Tool: Implementation on Two Emblematic Spanish National Parks

et al. 2017

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Abstract:As global biodiversity trends worsen, protected area (PA) environmental effectiveness needs to be assessed to identify strengths and areas to improve. Through a participatory process including PA managers and scientists, we refined the System for the Integrated Assessment of Protected Areas (SIAPA), in order to increase its legitimacy, credibility and salience to end users in Spain. Then, we tested the optimised version of the SIAPA on two emblematic Spanish national parks (NPs): Ordesa y Monte Perdido NP (Ordesa NP) and Sierra de Guadarrama NP (Guadarrama NP). PA managers and scientists largely coincided in the ratings of SIAPA's indicators and indices. Collaboration with Ordesa NP's managers was regular, allowing a nearly complete evaluation of the NP. However, greater collaboration between PA managers and scientists remains a priority in Guadarrama NP. Results show that potential effectiveness is moderate for Ordesa NP and low for Guadarrama NP, according to the indicators that could be evaluated. For Ordesa NP, lack of data on focal habitats and other focal features determined a deficient valuation of its conservation state, although the remaining indicators in that category showed adequate or moderate values. The compilation of those data should be overriding in the NP. In contrast, only climate change posed a serious threat in that NP. The social perception and valuation of both NPs was good, suggesting broad support from local populations and eased management.

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Section: Study Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Siapa Optimisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-Tuning of a Protected Area Effectiveness Evaluation Tool: Implementation on Two Emblematic Spanish National Parks

et al. 2017

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“…Though the Spanish terrestrial PA network can be considered close to completion, considerable effort must still be put in adequately managing those sites, including developing customized management plans and implementing regular surveillance and monitoring of biodiversity and other relevant conservation features consistently [8]. Also, effort should be made to ensure that an adequate representation of the Spanish natural systems established in the law on NPs of 2007 [9], especially steppe, desert and marine systems, is included in the NP network.…”

Section: Next Stepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sometimes, lack of collaboration comes from the managers' side [14]. This bi-directional information flow mismatch is common in PAs in Spain [8] and elsewhere [15] and results in that there exists much more valuable information on PAs than that at the disposal of managers and scientists. To prevent this mismatch and make Spanish NP managers aware of some of the most relevant research that affects their sites, the NP Master Plan of 2016 establishes the creation of a public-access research database where results of every authorized study in NPs are communicated to and stored by the OAPN (Figure 4).…”

Section: Other Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Centennial Path Towards Sustainability in Spanish National Parks: Biodiversity Conservation and Socioeconomic Development (1918-2018)

Rodríguez‐Rodríguez¹,

Martínez‐Vega²

2018

National Parks - Management and Conservation

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National Parks (NPs) were the first protected areas (PAs) designated in Spain one century ago. NPs are PAs of exceptional natural and cultural value that are representative of the Spanish natural heritage. Currently, there are 15 NPs in Spain covering almost 400,000 ha, although new site designations are being considered. Spanish NPs' main objectives are closely linked to the sustainability concept: conserving natural and cultural assets in the long term and promoting public use, environmental awareness, research and socioeconomic development. Here, the history of modern nature conservation in Spain is summarized, with special focus on NPs. Moreover, the main monitoring and assessment initiatives in Spanish National Parks are reviewed. Finally, the major results of two current research projects focusing on the sustainability of Spanish NPs, DISESGLOB and SOSTPARK, are provided.

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“…Regional decrees control the latter under the European Directive [18]. Although substantial legislative effort has been made in Spain, it is necessary to further monitor and assess their protected areas [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring NDVI Inter-Annual Behavior in Mountain Areas of Mainland Spain (2001–2016)

2018

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Currently, there exists growing evidence that warming is amplified with elevation resulting in rapid changes in temperature, humidity and water in mountainous areas. The latter might result in considerable damage to forest and agricultural land cover, affecting all the ecosystem services and the socio-economic development that these mountain areas provide. The Mediterranean mountains, moreover, which host a high diversity of natural species, are more vulnerable to global change than other European ecosystems. The protected areas of the mountain ranges of peninsular Spain could help preserve natural resources and landscapes, as well as promote scientific research and the sustainable development of local populations. The temporal statistical trends (2001–2016) of the MODIS13Q1 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) interannual dynamics are analyzed to explore whether the NDVI trends are found uniformly within the mountain ranges of mainland Spain (altitude > 1000 m), as well as in the protected or non-protected mountain areas. Second, to determine if there exists a statistical association between finding an NDVI trend and the specific mountain ranges, protected or unprotected areas are studied. Third, a possible association between cover types in pure pixels using CORINE (Co-ordination of Information on the Environment) land cover cartography is studied and land cover changes between 2000 and 2006 and between 2006 and 2012 are calculated for each mountainous area. Higher areas are observed to have more positive NDVI trends than negative in mountain areas located in mainland Spain during the 2001–2016 period. The growing of vegetation, therefore, was greater than its decrease in the study area. Moreover, differences in the size of the area between growth and depletion of vegetation patterns along the different mountains are found. Notably, more negatives than expected are found, and fewer positives are found than anticipated in the mountains, such as the Cordillera Cantábrica (C.Cant.) or Montes de Murcia y Alicante (M.M.A). Quite the reverse happened in Pirineos (Pir.) and Montes de Cádiz y Málaga (M.C.M.), among others. The statistical association between the trends found and the land cover types is also observed. The differences observed can be explained since the mountain ranges in this study are defined by climate, land cover, human usage and, to a small degree, by land cover changes, but further detailed research is needed to get in-depth detailed conclusions. Conversely, it is found that, in protected mountain areas, a lower NDVI pixels trend than expected (>20%) occurs, whereas it is less than anticipated in unprotected mountain areas. This could be caused by management and the land cover type.

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Limited uptake of protected area evaluation systems among managers and decision-makers in Spain and the Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 14 publications

References 25 publications

Fine-Tuning of a Protected Area Effectiveness Evaluation Tool: Implementation on Two Emblematic Spanish National Parks

Fine-Tuning of a Protected Area Effectiveness Evaluation Tool: Implementation on Two Emblematic Spanish National Parks

A Centennial Path Towards Sustainability in Spanish National Parks: Biodiversity Conservation and Socioeconomic Development (1918-2018)

Monitoring NDVI Inter-Annual Behavior in Mountain Areas of Mainland Spain (2001–2016)

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