The prevalence, characteristics and effectiveness of Aichi Target 11 ' s "other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs) in Key Biodiversity Areas

Aichi Target 11 of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity commits countries to the effective conservation of areas of importance for biodiversity, through protected areas and “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs). However, the prevalence and characteristics of OECMs are poorly known, particularly in sites of importance for biodiversity. We assess the prevalence of potential OECMs in 740 terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) outside known or mapped protected areas across ten countries. A majority of unprotected KBAs (76.5%) were at least partly covered by one or more potential OECMs. The conservation of ecosystem services or biodiversity was a stated management aim in 73% of these OECMs. Local or central government bodies managed the highest number of potential OECMs, followed by local and indigenous communities and private landowners. There was no difference between unprotected KBAs with or without OECMs in forest loss or in a number of state-pressure-response metrics.The project was funded by the CCI Collaborative Fun

The prevalence, characteristics and effectiveness of Aichi Target 11's "other effective area‐based conservation measures" (OECMs) in key biodiversity areas

Aichi Target 11 of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity commits countries to the effective conservation of areas of importance for biodiversity, through protected areas and "other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs). However, the prevalence and characteristics of OECMs are poorly known, particularly in sites of importance for biodiversity. We assess the prevalence of potential OECMs in 740 terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) outside known or mapped protected areas across ten countries. A majority of unprotected KBAs (76.5%) were at least partly covered by one or more potential OECMs. The conservation of ecosystem services or biodiversity was a stated management aim in 73% of these OECMs. Local or central government bodies managed the highest number of potential OECMs, followed by local and indigenous communities and private landowners. There was no difference between unprotected KBAs with or without OECMs in forest loss or in a number of state-pressure-response metrics

Genetic characterization of free-ranging Asiatic wild ass in Central Asia as a basis for future conservation strategies

Loss of genetic diversity due to drift and inbreeding reduces a population’s ability to respond to environmental change and may result in inbreeding depression. The Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), regionally also known as Gobi khulan, Turkmen kulan, or Persian onager, has become confined to less than 3% of its historic distribution range. Remaining populations in Central Asia outside of the Mongolian Gobi are small and fragmented. Questions concerning subpopulation status remain disputed and concerns over the viability of these populations have been raised because of small size, past bottlenecks, or recent founder events. We used non-invasive faecal samples to assess the genetic diversity and divergence among Turkmen kulan and Persian onager from five free-ranging and one captive population from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Iran and compared their genetic constitution to the large autochthonous population in the Mongolian Gobi. We observed loss of genetic diversity (drift and inbreeding) in the captive and reintroduced populations as well as in one rapidly declining autochthonous population. Population differentiation and structure using microsatellites and mtDNA based phylogenetic analysis do not support the current separation of the autochthonous populations of Turkmen kulan and Persian onager into different subspecies, but rather suggest a cline with the Iranian population in Bahram-e-Goor at the southern end and the Turkmen population in Badhyz at the northern end falling into two distinct clusters, and the northern Iranian population in Touran being intermediate. We compare our findings to other population genetics studies of equids and discuss the implications of our findings for the future conservation of the Asiatic wild ass in the region.acceptedVersio

Feasibility study for kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) reintroduction into the central steppe of Kazakhstan

Kaczensky, P., Doldin, R., Enke, D., Linnell, J. D. C., Lukanovsky, O., Salemgareyev A. R. Sidorova, T. V., Sklyarenko, S., Kisebaev, T., Walzer, C., Ward, S., Zuther, S. 2017. Feasibility study for kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) reintroduction into the central steppe of Kazakhstan. - NINA Report 1366. 69 pp. Asiatic wild ass, or kulan (Equus hemionous), were once a key species in the assemblage of large herbivores (along with saiga antelope, several gazelle species and wild horses) that ranged the Eurasian steppes, stretching from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to Mongolia. Overhunting and habitat conversion has since decimated their populations and nowadays they can only be found on less than 3% of their historic global distribution range. While it is still possible to see large herds of kulan in the Gobi desert of Mongolia, the species only persist in tiny fragments in the rest of Central Asia. The end of the USSR resulted in dramatic socio-economic changes in the region. While some of these changes have been negative for species conservation, e.g. through the breakdown of management structures that prevented overhunting, others have created new opportunities for landscape-level biodiversity conservation and species recovery. In Kazakhstan, large parts of the central steppe – an area equal to the size of France – became almost devoid of people and livestock. This situation has created the rare opportunity for landscape-level biodiversity conservation and species recovery in a steppe ecosystem. In 2005, the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (ADCI), a large-scale joint initiative of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and international partners was initiated. The ADCI aims to conserve and recover nationally and internationally important flagship species and their habitats in the steppe and semi desert zones of Kazakhstan. This project links into the ADCI vison and aims to 1) Re-establish kulan as part of the historic large herbivore assemblage on the Torgai steppe, 2) Double the range of kulan in Central Asia, 3) Significantly increase the global population, 4) Provide a catalyst for kulan and Przewalski’s horse conservation actions across the region. This feasibility study focusses on the first fully funded three-year pilot phase, which is meant to establish a solid basis for the future conservation and management of kulan on the central steppe of Kazakhstan. The project involves a co-operation between several international partners (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Nuremberg Zoo, Frankfurt Zoological Society) and a Kazakh NGO (Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan). In October 2017 and 2018, we will capture a total of 32-36 kulan in Altyn Emel National Park in south-eastern Kazakhstan and airlift them to the Torgai steppe using a large transport helicopter. There, kulan will be initially held in two large acclimatization enclosures (“soft release”) to famil-iarize them with the new environment and suppress excessive dispersal. The release site is strategically located in a network of protected areas and ecological corridors covering 40,000 km². All adult kulan will be released with GPS-Iridium collars to allow post-release monitoring. Post-release monitoring will be integrated in ongoing monitoring and patrolling routines by protected area and state rangers. Training of local staff and the implementation of an additional ranger patrol team will increase capacity to include kulan on top of existing duties. Health screening, post-mortem analysis, and genetic monitoring will be used to establish baselines and inform the adaptive management process. A socio-economic survey will establish pre-release attitudes towards kulan recovery and identify potential conflicts. This information will be integrated in ongoing outreach programs, while we will explore opportunities to generate revenues for local people and more actively involve them in species recovery and steppe conservation in the long term. This document aims to set the frames for a reintroduction project of kulan to the Torgai region of the central steppe of Kazakhstan. It is meant to provide: 1) Background information on the status quo, 2) A reference for the initial design in an adaptive management process, and 3) guidance for both the implementing organizations and the national management authorities. The feasibility study can only provide a general outline of issues and will be constantly readapted based on newly emerging realities and evidence.Kaczensky, P., Doldin, R., Enke, D., Linnell, J. D. C., Lukanovsky, O., Salemgareyev A. R. Sidorova, T. V., Sklyarenko, S., Kisebaev, T., Walzer, C., Ward, S., Zuther, S. 2017. Gjeninnføring av kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) til den sentrale steppen i Kasakhstan – en gjennomførbarhets-studie. - NINA Report 1366. 69 pp. Asiatisk villesel, eller kulan (Equus hemionus), var tidligere en nøkkelart blant de store plante-eterne (sammen med saigaantilope, flere gasellearter og villhester) som var utbredt på de Eur-asiske steppene fra Middelhavet til Mongolia. Overbeskatning og habitatendringer har siden ført til en sterk bestandsreduksjon av kulan, som nå kun lever i mindre enn 3% av det historiske utbredelsesområdet. Mens det fremdeles er mulig å se store flokker av kulan i Gobiørkenen i Mongolia, finnes arten kun i ørsmå bestander i resten av Sentral-Asia. Sovjetunionens fall førte til dramatiske sosio-økonomiske endringer i regionen. Mens noen av disse endringene har vært negative for bevaring av arter, slik som kollapsen i forvaltningsstrukturer som hindret overbeskatning, har andre skapt nye muligheter for bevaring og restituering av biodiversitet. I Kasakh-stan ble store deler av den sentrale steppen – et område på størrelse med Frankrike – nesten fri for folk og buskap i denne perioden. Dette har skapt en sjelden mulighet for bevaring av biodiversitet på landskapsnivå og for tidligere undertrykte arter til å vende tilbake til et steppeøkosystem. I 2005 ble Altyn Dala Conservation Initiaitve (ADCI) igangsatt. Dette er et storskala felles initiativ på vegne av Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan og internasjonale partnere. ADCI har som mål å bevare og gjenopprette nasjonalt og internasjonalt viktige flaggskip-arter og deres habitat i områdene med steppe og halvørken i Kasakhstan. Dette pro-sjektet er knyttet til ADCIs visjon og har som mål 1) å reetablere kulan som en del av den histo-riske gruppen med store planteetere på Torgai-steppen, 2) å doble utbredelsesområdet til kulan i Sentral-Asia, 3) å betydelig øke den globale bestanden, og 4) å være en katalysator for bevaring av kulan og Przewalskis hest over hele regionen. Denne gjennomførbarhetsstudien fokuserer på den første fullfinansierte treårige pilotfasen, som er ment å etablere et solid grunnlag for den fremtidige bevaringen og forvaltningen av kulanen på den sentrale steppen i Kasakhstan. Prosjektet involverer et samarbeid mellom flere internasjonale partnere (Norsk institutt for natur-forskning, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Nuremberg Zoo, Frankfurt Zoological Society) og en kasakhisk ikke-statlig organisasjon (Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan). I oktober 2017 og 2018 vil vi fange totalt 32-36 kulan i Altyn Emel nasjonalpark sør-øst i Kasakhstan og frakte dem til Torgai-steppen med et stort transporthelikopter. Etter ankomst vil dyrene bli holdt i to store innhegninger for akklimatisering («soft release») i det nye miljøet, og for å hindre overdreven spredning. Stedet for utsetting er strategisk plassert i et nettverk av verneområder og økologiske korridorer som dekker 40 000 km2. Alle voksne individer vil bli sluppet løs med GPS-Iridium halsbånd for å kunne overvåke dem etter slipp. Siden vil dyrene bli overvåket som en del av pågående overvåkings- og patruljeringsrutiner for statlige oppsynsmenn i verneområdet. Opplæring av lokale ansatte og opprettelsen av et nytt lag med oppsynsmenn vil bli gjennomført for at kulanovervåking kan innlemmes blant eksisterende arbeidsoppgaver. I tillegg vil helseovervåking, post-mortem analyser og genetisk overvåking av dyrene bli gjennomført for å etablere referanseverdier og grunnlagsdata for en adaptiv forvaltning. I forkant av utsetting vil vi gjennomføre en sosio-økonomisk undersøkelse for å kartlegge holdninger til reintroduksjon av kulan og for å identifisere potensielle konflikter med lokalbefolkningen. Kunnskap fra denne undersøkelsen vil bli innlemmet i et pågående kommunikasjonsprogram. I tillegg vil vi undersøke muligheten for å øke inntektsgrunnlaget lokalt, og for å mer aktivt involvere lokalbefolkningen i prosessen med å gjeninnføre arter og bevare steppelandskapet over tid. Dette dokumentet har som formål å sette rammene for et prosjekt for gjeninnføring av kulan til Torgai-regionen på den sentrale steppen i Kasakhstan. Dokumentet er ment å fungere som 1) kilde til bakgrunnsinformasjon om nåværende status, 2) et referansegrunnlag for en adaptiv forvaltningsprosess, og 3) en veiledning for utførende organisasjoner og nasjonale forvaltnings-myndigheter. Gjennomførbarhetsstudien vil tjene som et tidlig rammeverk, og vil bli tilpasset ny kunnskap og erfaring som opparbeides underveis