Publisher :
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2009
Thematic : Coral Reef
Language : English
Note
The global decline in coral reefs demands
urgent management strategies to protect resilience. Protecting
ecological connectivity, within and among reefs,
and between reefs and other ecosystems is critical to
resilience. However, connectivity science is not yet able to
clearly identify the specific measures for effective protection
of connectivity. This article aims to provide a set of
principles or practical guidelines that can be applied currently
to protect connectivity. These ‘rules of thumb’ are
based on current knowledge and expert opinion, and on the
philosophy that, given the urgency, it is better to act with
incomplete knowledge than to wait for detailed understanding
that may come too late. The principles, many of
which are not unique to connectivity, include: (1) allow
margins of error in extent and nature of protection, as
insurance against unforeseen or incompletely understood
threats or critical processes; (2) spread risks among areas;
(3) aim for networks of protected areas which are: (a)
comprehensive and spread—protect all biotypes, habitats
and processes, etc., to capture as many possible connections,
known and unknown; (b) adequate—maximise
extent of protection for each habitat type, and for the entire
region; (c) representative—maximise likelihood of protecting
the full range of processes and spatial requirements;
(d) replicated—multiple examples of biotypes or processes
enhances risk spreading; (4) protect entire biological units
where possible (e.g. whole reefs), including buffers around
core areas. Otherwise, choose bigger rather than smaller
areas; (5) provide for connectivity at a wide range of dispersal
distances (within and between patches), emphasising
distances\20–30 km; and (6) use a portfolio of approaches,
including but not limited to MPAs. Three case studies
illustrating the application of these principles to coral reef
management in the Bohol Sea (Philippines), the Great
Barrier Reef (Australia) and Kimbe Bay (Papua New
Guinea) are described.
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Keywords : Dicerorhinus sumatrensis
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje