Determining regionally applicable economic values for coastal habitats and their use in evaluating the cost effectiveness of regional conservation actions: the example of mangroves, in the South China Sea

This paper outlines the process of: assembling an empirical data set relating to the values of resource ‘goods and services1’ derived from coastal habitats bordering the South China Sea; standardising these data as production values per hectare per annum; converting local currencies to US dollars; and converting these values to a standard year (2007) by means of the consumer price index. In order to address the problem of the wide variation in prices within one country, the data were weighted to determine a ‘Weighted Mean National Value’ that reflected both the prices for the same resource at each location and the ‘stock’ of that resource at the same locations. This results in a national value that reflects the totality of the national stock rather than being a simple arithmetic average of all values. The determination of weighted mean regional values was undertaken in a similar manner to the computation of weighted mean national values but using data and information concerning the total stock (or area) in each country and the weighted mean national values. These weighted regional mean values were subsequently used in a cost benefit analysis of actions to conserve regional coastal habitats. What has resulted from this work is a standardised method for calculating national and regional weighted mean values of resource ‘goods and services’ that can be applied more widely in handling and manipulating economic valuation data from multiple locations across any time span. The method can be applied in any region where multiple currencies, varying exchange rates and widespread inter-location variations in farm gate prices are found. The specific targets of the revised Strategic Action Plan for the South China Sea have been valued or, more specifically, the incremental benefit derived from achieving the SAP target has been valued. The values saved by achieving the targets are then compared with the costs of implementing the actions defined in the regional SAP through a cost benefit analysis

The Introduced and Native Terrestrial Vertebrates of Fiji

A complete list of native and introduced Fijian terrestrial vertebrates has been compiled that includes a number of previously unrecorded reptiles. An analysis has been made of the habitat distribution of most species. The past and present status of the various native vertebrates is examined, and the impact of post-European vertebrate introductions on the indigenous and endemic fauna is assessed in the light of current knowledge. It is concluded that the success of certain introduced bird species is due in part to their close association with human-modified habitats, while the native species are primarily adapted to a forest environment. Although the introduced mongoose may be implicated in the decline of some native vertebrate species, its effect may be less important than previously stated and is certainly less than the effect of native habitat destruction and environmental modification by humans

An overview of the role of the Global Environment Facility in international waters with reference to marine capacity building

This paper provides a brief overview of the development of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) since its creation in June 1991 and the nature of its activities in the field of International Waters. Whilst it is recognised that the GEF represents the single largest source of international financial assistance for achieving global environmental benefits its investment in International Waters remains comparatively small. Since the GEF is designed to achieve global environmental benefits through provision of grant and concessionary funding for the agreed incremental costs of projects its primary objective is not capacity building. Nevertheless, the need for capacity building at the individual and institutional levels within projects was recognised early during the initiation of GEF activities. More recently the need for programmatic approaches to capacity building within the GEF has been identified and is being addressed. It is suggested that potentially the role of the GEF in environmental and marine capacity building could be most important at a global, system-wide level, in terms of testing and promoting innovative and novel approaches to issues of environmentally sound and sustainable economic development.

A review of marine resource use in coastal Papua

This paper provides a review of marine resource utilisation along the South coast of Papua New Guinea. The nature of the available resources and their distribution are reviewed. Traditional techniques involved in the collection of marine species, in hunting dugong and turtle, and in fishing for fin-fish are discussed. Certain techniques are found throughout the area, whereas others are restricted in their distribution and are indicative of local specialisation. Traditional use of marine resources is discussed; this includes the manufacture of various ornaments and artefacts, for food and for trade. Current and future exploitation is reviewed and it is concluded that the effect of monetisation of subsistence resources will place further strain on species which are already showing signs of over-exploitation.L'auteur examine la nature, la répartition et l'utilisation des ressources marines de la côte sud de la Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée. Il étudie les techniques employées pour la pêche traditionnelle, la capture des dugongs et des tortues. Certaines techniques sont pratiquées sur toute la côte, d'autres ont une localisation plus restreinte et sont le signe d'une spécialisation locale. L'auteur analyse les diverses utilisations des ressources marines : consommation, objets d'échange, fabrication de parures et d'outillage. Il examine les conditions actuelles et futures de cette exploitation et l'auteur conclut que l'effet de la monétarisation des ressources de subsistance font peser un risque de disparition des espèces qui commencent déjà à montrer des signes de surexploitation.Pernetta John C., Hill Lance. A review of marine resource use in coastal Papua. In: Journal de la Société des océanistes, n°72-73, tome 37, 1981. La pêche traditionnelle en Océanie. pp. 175-191

A new lizard of the genus Emoia (Scincidae) from the Fiji islands

Volume: 93Start Page: 350End Page: 35

Teaching and learning in ecology: a horizon scan of emerging challenges and solutions

We currently face significant, anthropogenic, global environmental challenges, and the role of ecologists in mitigating these challenges is arguably more important than ever. Consequently there is an urgent need to recruit and train future generations of ecologists, both those whose main area is ecology, but also those involved in the geological, biological, and environmental sciences. Here we present the results of a horizon scanning exercise that identified current and future challenges facing the teaching of ecology, through surveys of teachers, students, and employers of ecologists. Key challenges identified were grouped in terms of the perspectives of three groups: students, for example the increasing disconnect between people and nature; teachers, for example the challenges associated with teaching the quantitative skills that are inherent to the study of ecology; and society, for example poor societal perceptions of the field of ecology. In addition to the challenges identified, we propose a number of solutions developed at a workshop by a team of ecology teaching experts, with supporting evidence of their potential to address many of the problems raised. These proposed solutions include developing living labs, teaching students to be ecological entrepreneurs and influencers, embedding skills-based learning and coding in the curriculum, an increased role for learned societies in teaching and learning, and using new technology to enhance fieldwork studies including virtual reality, artificial intelligence and real-time spoken language translation. Our findings are focused towards UK higher education, but they should be informative for students and teachers of a wide range of educational levels, policy makers, and professional ecologists worldwide