Local environmental knowledge: a key input for the sustainable development of Andean mountain communities

Local knowledge is crucial to both human development and environmental conservation. This is especially the case in mountain regions, where a combination of remoteness, harsh climatic conditions, rich cultural heritage, and high biological diversity has led to the development of complex local environmental knowledge systems. In the Andes for instance, rural populations mainly rely on their own environmental knowledge to ensure their food security and health. Recent studies conducted within Quechua communities in Peru and Bolivia showed that this knowledge was both persistent and dynamic, and that it responded to socio-economic and environmental changes through cultural resistance and adaptation. As this paper argues, combining local knowledge and so-called scientific knowledge – especially in development projects – can lead to innovative solutions to the socio-environmental challenges facing mountain communities in our globalized world. Based on experiences from the Andes, this paper will provide concrete recommendations to policymakers and practitioners for integrating local knowledge into development and natural resource management initiatives.

Distinctive insular forms of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from western Mediterranean islands

Neutral and adaptive variation among populations within a species is a major component of biological diversity and may be pronounced among insular populations due to geographical isolation and island specific evolutionary forces at work. Detecting and preserving potential evolutionary significant units below the species rank has become a crucial task for conservation biology. Combining genetic, phenotypic and ecological data, we investigated evolutionary patterns among the enigmatic threespine stickleback populations from western Mediterranean islands, all of which are threatened by habitat deterioration and climate change. We find indications that these populations derive from different genetic lineages, being genetically highly distinct from the stickleback of mainland Europe and the northern Atlantic as well as from each other. Mediterranean island stickleback populations are also phenotypically distinct from mainland populations but interestingly stickleback from Iceland have converged on a similar phenotype. This distinctive island stickleback phenotype seems to be driven by distinct selective regimes on islands versus continents. Overall, our results reveal the status of western Mediterranean island stickleback as evolutionarily distinct units, important for conservation of biodiversity.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton from 1986-1994 collected in front of Constanta city, Black Sea

The Est Constanta 1986-1994 dataset contains zooplankton data collected allong a 5 station transect in front of the city Constanta (44°10'N, 28°41.5'E - EC1; 44°10'N, 28°47'E - EC2; 44°10'N, 28°54'E - EC3; 44°10'N, 29°08'E - EC4; 44°10'N, 29°22'E - EC5). Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 5 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-25, 25-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton from 1981-1985 collected in front of Constanta city, Black Sea

The Est Constanta 1981-1985 dataset contains zooplankton data collected allong a 5 station transect in front of the city Constanta (44°10'N, 28°41.5'E - EC1; 44°10'N, 28°47'E - EC2; 44°10'N, 28°54'E - EC3; 44°10'N, 29°08'E - EC4; 44°10'N, 29°22'E - EC5). Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 5 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-25, 25-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton from the Romanian littoral collected in April, May and June 1997

The SHELF 1997 dataset contains zooplankton data collected in April, May and June 1997 5 transect in front of the Romanian littoral . Zooplankton sampling was undertaken using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-25, and 25-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Alternativas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales y habitantes de áreas protegidas en páramos colombianos

Colombia es uno de los países denominados megadiversos biológica y culturalmente. Presenta a su interior la mayor extensión de páramos del mundo, los cuales son considerados fábricas de agua del planeta y hábitats de rica diversidad biológica. Por otro lado, la ocupación humana de los páramos colombianos ha generado conflictos entre las normativas ambientales vigentes y los usos productivos del suelo. El presente artículo analiza las alternativas aplicadas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales de áreas protegidas y habitantes de los páramos en Colombia. Se encontraron dos tipos de alternativas: la primera plantea la concesión de servicios ecoturísticos en los parques naturales y la compra de tierras por parte de sociedades de economía mixta. La segunda plantea el abandono de las actividades productivas de los agricultores, mediado por procesos educativos o de cumplimiento de las normas ambientales vigentes, so pena de enfrentar acciones punitivas por parte del Estado. Este trabajo presenta una tercera alternativa, que parte de la crítica a las dos anteriores e incluye diferentes estrategias: planes de manejo comunitario con tiempo y financiación institucional pertinente, aplicación de modelos agroecológicos y rescate de la memoria biocultural y cambios en la estructura agraria.

Global habitat suitability of deep-water Antipatharia

Antipatharia are a diverse group of corals with many species found in deep water. Many Antipatharia are habitat for associates, have extreme longevity and some species can occur beyond 8500 m depth. As they are major constituents of 'coral gardens', which are Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), knowledge of their distribution and environmental requirements is an important pre-requisite for informed conservation planning particularly where the expense and difficulty of deep-sea sampling prohibits comprehensive surveys. This study uses a global database of Antipatharia distribution data to perform habitat suitability modelling using the Maxent methodology to estimate the global extent of black coral habitat suitability. The model of habitat suitability is driven by temperature but there is notable influence from other variables of topography, surface productivity and oxygen levels. This model can be used to predict areas of suitable habitat, which can be useful for conservation planning. The global distribution of Antipatharia habitat suitability shows a marked contrast with the distribution of specimen observations, indicating that many potentially suitable areas have not been sampled, and that sampling effort has been disproportionate to shallow, accessible areas inside marine protected areas (MPAs). Although 25% of Antipatharia observations are located in MPAs, only 7-8% of predicted suitable habitat is protected, which is short of the Convention on Biological Diversity target to protect 10% of ocean habitats by 2020.

Alternativas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales y habitantes de áreas protegidas en páramos colombianos

Colombia es uno de los países denominados megadiversos biológica y culturalmente. Presenta a su interior la mayor extensión de páramos del mundo, los cuales son considerados fábricas de agua del planeta y hábitats de rica diversidad biológica. Por otro lado, la ocupación humana de los páramos colombianos ha generado conflictos entre las normativas ambientales vigentes y los usos productivos del suelo. El presente artículo analiza las alternativas aplicadas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales de áreas protegidas y habitantes de los páramos en Colombia. Se encontraron dos tipos de alternativas: la primera plantea la concesión de servicios ecoturísticos en los parques naturales y la compra de tierras por parte de sociedades de economía mixta. La segunda plantea el abandono de las actividades productivas de los agricultores, mediado por procesos educativos o de cumplimiento de las normas ambientales vigentes, so pena de enfrentar acciones punitivas por parte del Estado. Este trabajo presenta una tercera alternativa, que parte de la crítica a las dos anteriores e incluye diferentes estrategias: planes de manejo comunitario con tiempo y financiación institucional pertinente, aplicación de modelos agroecológicos y rescate de la memoria biocultural y cambios en la estructura agraria.

Abundance and biomass of zooplankton collected in front of the Danube Delta in May and September 1979

The Gurile Dunarii 1979 dataset contains zooplankton data collected in May and September 1979 in 13 station allong 3 transect in front of the Danube Delta (45°05' - 44°45'N, 30°02'- 29°27'E). Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 13 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50m layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Alternativas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales y habitantes de áreas protegidas en páramos colombianos

Colombia es uno de los países denominados megadiversos biológica y culturalmente. Presenta a su interior la mayor extensión de páramos del mundo, los cuales son considerados fábricas de agua del planeta y hábitats de rica diversidad biológica. Por otro lado, la ocupación humana de los páramos colombianos ha generado conflictos entre las normativas ambientales vigentes y los usos productivos del suelo. El presente artículo analiza las alternativas aplicadas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales de áreas protegidas y habitantes de los páramos en Colombia. Se encontraron dos tipos de alternativas: la primera plantea la concesión de servicios ecoturísticos en los parques naturales y la compra de tierras por parte de sociedades de economía mixta. La segunda plantea el abandono de las actividades productivas de los agricultores, mediado por procesos educativos o de cumplimiento de las normas ambientales vigentes, so pena de enfrentar acciones punitivas por parte del Estado. Este trabajo presenta una tercera alternativa, que parte de la crítica a las dos anteriores e incluye diferentes estrategias: planes de manejo comunitario con tiempo y financiación institucional pertinente, aplicación de modelos agroecológicos y rescate de la memoria biocultural y cambios en la estructura agraria.

Alternativas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales y habitantes de áreas protegidas en páramos colombianos

Colombia es uno de los países denominados megadiversos biológica y culturalmente. Presenta a su interior la mayor extensión de páramos del mundo, los cuales son considerados fábricas de agua del planeta y hábitats de rica diversidad biológica. Por otro lado, la ocupación humana de los páramos colombianos ha generado conflictos entre las normativas ambientales vigentes y los usos productivos del suelo. El presente artículo analiza las alternativas aplicadas ante el conflicto entre autoridades ambientales de áreas protegidas y habitantes de los páramos en Colombia. Se encontraron dos tipos de alternativas: la primera plantea la concesión de servicios ecoturísticos en los parques naturales y la compra de tierras por parte de sociedades de economía mixta. La segunda plantea el abandono de las actividades productivas de los agricultores, mediado por procesos educativos o de cumplimiento de las normas ambientales vigentes, so pena de enfrentar acciones punitivas por parte del Estado. Este trabajo presenta una tercera alternativa, que parte de la crítica a las dos anteriores e incluye diferentes estrategias: planes de manejo comunitario con tiempo y financiación institucional pertinente, aplicación de modelos agroecológicos y rescate de la memoria biocultural y cambios en la estructura agraria.

Abundance and biomass of mesozooplankton collected from 1984-1986 allong the romanian littoral

The Longitudinale 1984-1986 dataset contains zooplankton data collected from May to October 1984-1986 in 14 station allong 2 transect paralel to the romanian littoral. Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 14 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 layer (depending also on the water masses). The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was count under microscope. Total abundance is the sum of the counted individuals. Total biomass Fodder, Rotifera , Ctenophora and Noctiluca was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage.

Abundance and biomass of mesozooplankton in the western Black sea during Steaua de Mare cruise in 1982 and 1983

The Poluare 1982-1983 dataset contains zooplankton data collected allong 7 transect in front of the Romanian littoral. Zooplankton sampling was undertaken at 14 stations where samples were collected using a Juday closing net in the 0-2m layer . The dataset includes samples analysed for mesozooplankton species composition and abundance. Sampling volume was estimated by multiplying the mouth area with the wire length. Total biomass was estimated using a tabel with wet weight for each species an stage. Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance was counted under the microscope.

Abundance of zooplankton based on a long-term study at the Galata transect and covers the spring-summer periods from 1967 till 2005

The dataset is based on a long-term study (38 years) at the Galata transect and covers the spring-summer periods from 1967 till 2005. The whole dataset is composed of 360 data of total zooplankton biomass and abundance . Samples were collected in discrete layers 0-10m, 10-20m, 10-25m, 25-50m, 50-70m, 50-100m, 100-150. Mesozooplankton abundance: the collected material was analysed using the method of Domov (1959). Samples were brought to volume of 25-30 ml depending upon zooplankton density and mixed intensively until all organisms were distributed randomly in the sample volume. After that 5 ml of sample was taken and poured in the counting chamber for taxomomic identification and count. Large (> 1 mm body length) and not abundant species were calculated in whole sample. Counting and measuring of organisms were made in the Dimov chamber under the stereomicroscope to the lowest taxon possible. Taxonomic identification was done at the Institute of Fishery Resource by Prof. Asen Konsulov and Institute of Oceanology by Prof. Asen Konsulov, Lyudmila Kamburska and Kremena Stefanova using the relevant taxonomic literature (Mordukhay-Boltovskoy, F.D. (Ed.). 1968, 1969,1972). Taxon-specific mesozooplankton abundance: The collected material was analysed using the method of Domov (1959). Samples were brought to volume of 25-30 ml depending upon zooplankton density and mixed intensively until all organisms were distributed randomly in the sample volume. After that 5 ml of sample was taken and poured in the counting chamber for taxomomic identification and count. Copepods and Cladoceras were identified and enumerated; the other mesozooplankters were identified and enumerated at higher taxonomic level (commonly named as mesozooplankton groups). Large (> 1 mm body length) and not abundant species were calculated in whole sample. Counting and measuring of organisms were made in the Dimov chamber under the stereomicroscope to the lowest taxon possible. Taxonomic identification was done at the Institute of Fishery Resource by prof. Asen Konsulov and Institute of Oceanology by Prof. Asen Konsulov, Lyudmila Kamburska and Kremena Stefanova using the relevant taxonomic literature (Mordukhay-Boltovskoy, F.D. (Ed.). 1968, 1969,1972).