Management Effectiveness and Land Cover Change in Dynamic Cultural Landscapes—Assessing a Central European Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Protected areas are a central pillar of efforts to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services, but their contribution to the conservation and management of European cultural landscapes that have complex spatial-temporal dynamics is unclear. The conservation strategy of biosphere reserves aims at integrating biodiversity and ecosystem service conservation with economic development by designating zones of differing protection and use intensities. It is applied worldwide to protect and manage valuable cultural landscapes. Using the example of a German biosphere reserve, we developed a framework to assess the effectiveness of Central European reserves in meeting their land cover related management goals. Based on digital biotope maps, we defined and assessed land cover change processes that were relevant to the reserve management's goals over a period of 13 years. We then compared these changes in the reserve's core, buffer, and transition zones and in a surrounding reference area by means of a geographical information system. (Un-)desirable key processes related to management aims were defined and compared for the various zones. We found that-despite an overall land cover persistence of approximately 85% across all zones-differences in land cover changes can be more prominent across zones inside the reserve than between the areas inside and outside of it. The reserve as a whole performed better than the surrounding reference area when using land cover related management goals as a benchmark. However, some highly desirable targets, such as the conversion of coniferous plantations into seminatural forests or the gain of valuable biotope types, affected larger areas in the nonprotected reference area than in the transition zone.

Designing Protected Areas for Social–Ecological Sustainability: Effectiveness of Management Guidelines for Preserving Cultural Landscapes

“…Successful conservation strategies depend largely on the effective management of PAs [52]. Usually, effectiveness assessments refer to aspects related to the design and management of a PA, but the effectiveness of the zoning process has been poorly addressed [53][54][55]. In this sense, we conducted a systematic analysis that allowed us to quantify the similarities and differences in the conservation strategies and zoning schemes of two PAs with different legal statuses, established in neighboring territories with similar social-ecological characteristics.…”

Sustaining ecosystem services in cultural landscapes

“…Similarly powerful are the processes of (global) market integration and trade liberalization, but also demographic and socio-cultural changes, such as the challenge to preserve traditional, ecological, and other knowledge. Using the example of a German biosphere reserve, Ohnesorge et al (2013) defined and assessed concrete land cover change processes in different zones within the protected area and in a surrounding reference area by analyzing digital biotope maps. Although the biosphere reserve as a whole seems to be more effective in realizing specific land cover related management goals since its designation in 1994, they unexpectedly found, however, that some highly desirable key processes of land cover change, such as the conversion of coniferous plantations into seminatural forests, have been more extensive outside the reserve.…”

Long term changes in forest cover and land use of Similipal Biosphere Reserve of India using satellite remote sensing data

“…The study on Calakmul Biosphere Reserve of Mexico has recorded increased deforestation during 1987-1996(Chowdhury 2006, while, Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico has undergone deforestation during 2003(Garcia 2012. Land cover change analysis in Upper Lusatia Biosphere Reserve of Germany reveals management effectiveness during 1992-2005 (Ohnesorge et al 2013). The decadal time scale analysis for Similipal Biosphere Reserve of India addresses anthropogenic impact of fire on forest ecosystems .…”