@article{MACKELWORTH2024106231,

title = {Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) as an enabling mechanism for transboundary marine spatial planning},

author = {P. Mackelworth and C. M. Fortuna and M. Antoninić and D. Holcer and D. Abdul-Malak and K. Attia and M. Bricelj and F. Guerquin and M. Marković and E. Nunes and C. Perez-Valverde and E. Ramieri and I. Stojanović and L. Tunesi and J. McGowan},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X2400229X},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106231},

issn = {0308-597X},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Marine Policy},

volume = {166},

pages = {106231},

abstract = {As the new global biodiversity targets kick in, the signatories to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) are searching for means to fulfil their obligations. Fortunately, more than a decade ago a long-neglected solution was created for the marine environment. The ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) provide a means for opening discussions around the management of large marine areas, ideally with conservation as a core priority. While the biological and ecological criteria for the selection of the EBSAs is clearly outlined, there is little clarity on the means to manage or govern these areas. The conservation and management measures are left as a matter to be resolved by those states which maintain some form of jurisdiction over regions within an EBSA. Of course, these measures must be in accordance with international law. Within the Mediterranean there are 15 EBSAs which have been identified and recognised by the parties of the UNEP regional seas programme. For the past four years, technical and scientific discussions have looked to move the EBSA recognition of the Southern Adriatic Ionian Straight (SAIS) forward and identify potential governance frameworks. This work has included a biodiversity threat analysis, a legal and governance review, and a preliminary spatial prioritization. We report on the processes undertaken, the policy implications for the SAIS-EBSA and the way forward. This work has implications not only for this region but for other regions within the Mediterranean and beyond.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Mediterranean sea, Protected areas, Transboundary management},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RODRIGUEZRODRIGUEZ2024100965,

title = {Socioeconomic impacts of small conserved sites on rural communities in Madagascar},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and N. Knecht and J. C. Llopis and R. A. Heriarivo and H. Rakotoarison and V. Andriamampionomanjaka and E. Navarro-Jurado and V. Randriamamonjy},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211464524000034},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.100965},

issn = {2211-4645},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Environmental Development},

pages = {100965},

abstract = {Madagascar is considered one of the top global biodiversity hotspots while at the same time is among the world's least developed countries. Pressing socioeconomic needs such as food provision often lead to unsustainable land use and widespread loss, fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats. Thus, ascertaining the socioeconomic effects of small conserved sites is urgent in order to show their benefits and identify their costs to attain sustainable rural development on the island. Here, we used structured questionnaires in two surveys to key local stakeholders, including 1) managers of three conserved sites smaller than 100 ha, and 2) local communities living around such sites (cases) and similar neighbouring communities unaffected by those conserved sites (controls), following a Before-After-Control-Impact design. Median income did not differ between case and control communities, although case communities reported better self-perception of their economic situation and wider availability of basic services. Substantial revenues from tourism accrued only to one local community from a conveniently located, community-managed site: Anja Community Reserve. No differences in the economic effects from the establishment of the conserved sites were found between sex, age or education levels of community members. Exploitation of natural resources from conserved sites was either prohibited (two sites) or severely restricted (one site). As a result, case communities tended to collect fewer natural resources from nearby areas than control communities. Contrary to expectations, case communities reported less economic impact than control communities during the COVID-19 pandemic even though visitors were reduced to zero, which likely indicate greater socioeconomic resilience due to previous community investments and greater availability of ecosystem services. Successful, bottom-up and replicable approaches to locally manage natural resources sustainably are urgently needed in a country with rich and vanishing biodiversity, weak institutions, high poverty rates and strong dependence on natural resources for subsistence.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Environmental conservation},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Long-term assessment of the effectiveness of coastal protection regulations in conserving natural habitats in Spain},

author = {G. Martorell-Guerrero and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and V. E. García-Millán},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569123001266},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106601},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-05-15},

journal = {Ocean & Coastal Management},

volume = {239},

abstract = {Spain has undergone rapid socioeconomic development in the past three decades. This has been linked to massive residential and infrastructural development based on a short-term, profitable and resource-intensive consuming model. As a result, large amounts of agricultural, natural and semi-natural soils have been lost to artificial areas, especially around main cities and on the coast. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of the Spanish Shores Act at preventing land development in two biogeographical regions and three administrative scales between 1988 and 2020 using a BACI design and remote sensing data. We also analysed the combined effect of other regulations to prevent land development on the coast. The Shores Act was effective in reducing land development although moderate to substantial land development occurred in the zones affected by the Law, especially in the Mediterranean region. Adding other sectoral regulations to the Shores Act notably and consistently reduced land development across regions. Among them, cumulative protected area (PA) regulations were most effective in reducing coastal land development. The use of satellite images, especially Sentinel 2A MSI data within a BACI design, proved a useful method for assessing the effectiveness of fine-scale objectives of environmental policies such as the Shores Act.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Geotechnology, Land and soil, Pressures, Tourism},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348,

title = {Governance and Conservation Effectiveness in Protected Areas and Indigenous and Locally Managed Areas},

author = {Yin Zhang and Paige West and Lerato Thakholi and Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi and Miriam Supuma and Dakota Straub and Samantha S. Sithole and Roshan Sharma and Judith Schleicher and Ben Ruli and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and Mattias Borg Rasmussen and Victoria C. Ramenzoni and Siyu Qin and Deborah Delgado Pugley and Rachel Palfrey and Johan Oldekop and Emmanuel O. Nuesiri and Van Hai Thi Nguyen and Nouhou Ndam and Catherine Mungai and Sarah Milne and Mathew Bukhi Mabele and Sadie Lucitante and Hugo Lucitante and Jonathan Liljeblad and Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango and Alfred Kik and Nikoleta Jones and Melissa Johnson and Christopher Jarrett and Rachel Sapery James and George Holmes and Lydia N. Gibson and Arash Ghoddousi and Jonas Geldmann and Maria Fernanda Gebara and Thera Edwards and Wolfram H. Dressler and Leo R. Douglas and Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos and Veronica Davidov and Eveline M. F. W. Compaoré-Sawadogo and Yolanda Ariadne Collins and Michael Cepek and Paul Berne Burow and Dan Brockington and Michael Philippe Bessike Balinga and Beau J. Austin and Rini Astuti and Christine Ampumuza and Frank Kwaku Agyei},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348},

doi = {10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2023-01-01},

journal = {Annual Review of Environment and Resources},

volume = {48},

number = {1},

pages = {559-588},

abstract = {Increased conservation action to protect more habitat and species is fueling a vigorous debate about the relative effectiveness of different sorts of protected areas. Here we review the literature that compares the effectiveness of protected areas managed by states and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and/or local communities. We argue that these can be hard comparisons to make. Robust comparative case studies are rare, and the epistemic communities producing them are fractured by language, discipline, and geography. Furthermore the distinction between these different forms of protection on the ground can be blurred. We also have to be careful about the value of this sort of comparison as the consequences of different forms of conservation for people and nonhuman nature are messy and diverse. Measures of effectiveness, moreover, focus on specific dimensions of conservation performance, which can omit other important dimensions. With these caveats, we report on findings observed by multiple study groups focusing on different regions and issues whose reports have been compiled into this article. There is a tendency in the data for community-based or co-managed governance arrangements to produce beneficial outcomes for people and nature. These arrangements are often accompanied by struggles between rural groups and powerful states. Findings are highly context specific and global generalizations have limited value.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{García-Millán2022,

title = {Identification of Priority Forest Conservation Areas for Critically Endangered Lemur Species of Madagascar},

author = {V. E. García-Millán and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and A. Martín Oncina and A. Andrianarimisa and L. O. Randriamiharisoa and G. Martorell-Guerrero and A. Bóveda and D. Abdul-Malak},

url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091455},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091455},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-01},

urldate = {2022-09-01},

journal = {Land},

volume = {11},

number = {1455},

issue = {9},

abstract = {Forests have extraordinary importance for the conservation of endemic species in Madagascar. However, they are disappearing fast due to a number of pressures, notably unsustainable agricultural practices leading to aggravated status of biodiversity. Here, we used a number of ecological and spatial criteria to identify and prioritise unprotected forest areas for the conservation of the eight critically endangered species of lemur belonging to the Lemuridae family in Madagascar. By combining spatial information layers on the distribution areas of the studied lemurs, forest extension and conservation status, and potential human impacts (such as roads, human settlements and agriculture lands), it was possible to identify the most appropriate sites for the expansion of the conservation areas of critically endangered lemur species. Seven new sites, totalling over 33,000 ha, were identified as priority sites for the protection of those species. All of them were adjacent to or inside (just one site) existing protected areas (PAs), which likely makes their protection both feasible and socioeconomically efficient by enlarging those PAs. Legally protecting these sites would not only take Madagascar one little step ahead for meeting oncoming global biodiversity targets for 2030 but could also make a substantial contribution to the mid-term survival of the studied lemur species.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Forest, Geotechnology, Protected areas},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Petersen2022,

title = {Ecosystem extent accounts for Europe},

author = {J.E. Petersen and E. Mancosu and S. King},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101457},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101457},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-31},

journal = {Ecosystem Services},

volume = {57},

number = {101457},

issue = {October 2022},

abstract = {This paper describes the set-up and results for ecosystem extent accounts at European level, developed in the context of the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). These accounts inform on the opening and closing ‘stocks’ of ecosystems and provide essential geo-spatial data to support the calculation of ecosystem condition and services accounts. The paper presents the first set of ecosystem extent accounts for Europe, covering the period 2000–2018. These show that ecosystems are relatively stable at the European scale, with significant increases in Urban ecosystems and some decrease in Heathland and shrub and Grassland ecosystems. The paper demonstrates the use of a flexible geo-spatial database to gain analytical insights for different ecosystem accounting areas, using European biogeographical regions and Natura 2000 areas as examples. More detailed ecosystem extent accounts (tier II and tier III) show trends inter alia for Agro-forestry, Peat Bog, Beaches, dunes and sands as well as Salt marsh ecosystems, important for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The accounting approach presented delivers a geo-spatial data foundation that can support further ecosystem analysis and accounts. This enables the targeting of ecosystem analysis on specific geographic areas and policy instruments.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Ecosystem services, Environmental conservation, Land and soil},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Marín2021b,

title = {Mapping forest condition in Europe: Methodological developments in support to forest biodiversity assessments},

author = {A. I. Marín and D. Abdul-Malak and A. Bastrup-Birk and G. Chirici and A. Barbati and S. Kleeschulte},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107839},

doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107839},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-05-29},

journal = {Ecological Indicators},

volume = {128},

abstract = {Forest condition, biodiversity, and ecosystem services are strongly interlinked. The biodiversity levels depend to a large extent on the integrity, health, and vitality of forests at the same time as losses of forest biodiversity lead to decreased forest productivity and sustainability. Under this conceptual framework, this study presents a methodology for mapping forest condition at European scale supporting the attainment of the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Target 5 “the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced” and the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as well as the EU forest strategy since the sustainable forest management is oriented to support the provision of forest services and to enhance the condition of biodiversity forests’ host.



The work presents the developments of an operational indicator at European scale. This spatially explicit information on forest condition can be the baseline map with a 1 km resolution to monitor the state and changes of condition by exposition to pressures and threats. This condition indicator considers structural, functional, and compositional aspects of forest with relevance for health and vitality of species and habitats hosted by forest ecosystems.



The methodology implemented used harmonized, published and open datasets. It provided confident results for the assessment of the condition within hemiboreal, temperate and alpine forests, showing the Carpathian, Dinaric Alps and Alps, among others, as hotspots with pre-dominantly good condition. The results were validated with data derived from the reporting for the EU Habitat Directive and explicit dataset on known primary forests in Europe. However, this method underestimated the forest condition in the Mediterranean and Boreal forest types due to data gaps, regional specific characteristics, and design limitations.



This study illustrates an operational and transferable approach for addressing the assessment of ecosystem forest condition at European scale being considered as a support tool for European countries when mapping and assessing their national territory, as potential common approach to map forest ecosystems that allows for consistent aggregation and comparisons across scales.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Environmental conservation, Forest},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2021b,

title = {Potential contribution of OECMs to international area-based conservation targets in a biodiversity rich country, Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and A. Sánchez-Espinosa and D. Abdul-Malak},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126019},

doi = {10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126019},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-05-15},

journal = {Journal for Nature Conservation},

volume = {62},

abstract = {Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are new conservation tools intended to complement protected areas (PAs) at achieving effective biodiversity conservation and meeting international area-based targets. However, OECMs have been rarely considered in practical terms until recently. Here, we performed a rapid evaluation on the degree of fulfilment of current area-based international biodiversity targets, post-2020 foreseeable oncoming targets, and ecological targets by considering: 1) Protection coverage; 2) Inclusiveness of important areas for biodiversity; 3) Protection management; 4) Connectivity; and 5) Habitat representation, on land and at sea in Spain, a Euro-Mediterranean, biodiversity rich country. We conducted the evaluation under two scenarios: 1) Scenario 1 considers designated PAs; and 2) Scenario 2, that also includes potential OECMs. In order to generate Scenario 2, thirteen legal categories were assessed against international guidance on OECMs as a first step to screen their likelihood of providing OECMs in Spain. Our findings show that some potentially satisfactory OECM categories such as Public Utility Forests, River Reserves or Geoparks meet the OECM criteria to a large degree and deserve further study. Our results also highlight that Spain is currently well above most foreseeable post-2020 biodiversity targets and even close to some ecological targets using just PAs, except for marine protected area (MPA) management and MPA offshore coverage. Adding OECMs would noticeably improve the country’s figures yet without reaching many exigent ecological targets. OECMs can become a useful, cost-effective biodiversity conservation tool that contributes to international targets under new, more ambitious area-based conservation requirements in Spain and elsewhere. Nevertheless, for this to happen, suitable biodiversity management and monitoring schemes must be ensured.},

keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2021,

title = {Are protected areas good for the human species? Effects of protected areas on rural depopulation in Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and R. Larrubia and J.D. Sinoga},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720379304#!},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144399},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-04-21},

journal = {Science of The Total Environment},

volume = {763},

abstract = {Protected areas (PAs) seek to conserve valuable genes, species and ecosystems by applying a legal regime that restricts some socioeconomic activities and also offers opportunities for new ones. As a result, PAs have been claimed by some authors to boost socioeconomic conditions in rural areas mainly through tourism activities. However, others have claimed that PAs contribute to rural depopulation through the worsening of living conditions of local residents because of restrictions resulting from protection regulations. Here, we applied a multiple-paired Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) research design on a census on protected rural municipalities (cases; N = 52) versus unprotected rural municipalities (controls; N = 55) in Spain to ascertain whether PAs had positive or negative effects on rural populations using three indicators on depopulation with official municipal data from 1996 until 2019: Compound annual growth rate (CAGR); Proportion of reproductive individuals (REP); and Proportion of reproductive females (WREP). We controlled for some confounders such as biophysical characteristics and regional regulations by carefully selecting our sample of municipalities spatially. Our results show that depopulation figures were worse in cases than in controls, with some exceptions whose characteristics should be further explored. Municipalities in Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) performed best against rural depopulation and generally better than their controls, whereas municipalities in Biosphere Reserves and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) showed mostly worse figures. Our findings suggest that, while necessary and important for biodiversity, multiple-use PAs generally entailed negative consequences for Spanish rural populations that need to be offset by State's intervention.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bevilacqua2020,

title = {The Status of Coastal Benthic Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: Evidence From Ecological Indicators},

author = {S. Bevilacqua and S. Katsanevakis and F. Micheli and E. Sala and G. Rilov and G. Sarà and D. Abdul-Malak and A. Abdulla and V. Gerovasileiou and E. Gissi and A. D. Mazaris and C. Pipitone and M. Sini and V. Stelzenmüller and A. Terlizzi and V. Todorova and S. Fraschetti},

url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00475},

doi = {10.3389/fmars.2020.00475},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-06-19},

journal = {Frontiers in Marine Science},

abstract = {The Mediterranean Sea is subject to multiple human pressures increasingly threatening its unique biodiversity. Spatially explicit information on the ecological status of marine ecosystems is therefore key to an effective maritime spatial planning and management, and to help the achievement of environmental targets. Here, we summarized scientific data on the ecological status of a selection of marine ecosystems based on a set of ecological indicators in more than 700 sites of the Mediterranean Sea. For Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, rocky intertidal fringe, and coastal soft bottoms, more than 70% of investigated sites exhibited good to high ecological conditions. In contrast, about two-thirds of sites for subtidal rocky reefs were classified to be in moderate to bad conditions, stressing the need for prioritizing conservation initiatives on these productive and diverse environments. Very little quantitative information was available for the southern Mediterranean Sea, thus monitoring programs and assessments in this area are essential for a representative assessment of the health of marine coastal ecosystems in the whole basin. This overview represents a first step to implement a baseline that, through georeferenced data on ecological status, could help identifying information gaps, directing future research priorities, and supporting improvements to spatial models of expected cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Environmental conservation, Mediterranean sea},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Weise2019,

title = {Wetland extent tools for SDG 6.6.1 reporting from the Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service (SWOS)},

author = {K. Weise and R. Höfer and J. Franke and A. Guelmami and W. Simonson and J. Muro and B. O'Connor and A. Strauch and S. Flink and J. Eberle and E. Mino and S. Thulin and P. Philipson and E. van Valkengoed and J. Truckenbrodt and F. Zander and A. Sánchez-Espinosa and C. Schröder and F. Thinfeld and E. Fitoka and E. Scott and M. Ling and M. Schwarz and I. Kunz and G. Thürmer and A. Plasmeijer and L. Hilarides},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111892},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111892},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-09-15},

journal = {Remote Sensing of Environment},

volume = {247},

abstract = {Wetlands are the most fragile and threatened ecosystems worldwide, and also one of the most rapidly declining. At the same time wetlands are typically biodiversity hotspots and provide a range of valuable ecosystem services, such as water supply and purification, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and carbon sequestration.



Pressures on wetlands are likely to further intensify in the coming decades due to increased global demand for land and water, and due to climate change. Stakeholders at all levels of governance have to be involved to slow, stop and reverse these processes. However, the information they need on wetland extent, their ecological character, and their ecosystem services is often scattered, sparse and difficult to find and access.



The freely available Sentinel satellite data of the Copernicus Programme, as well as the Landsat archive, provide a comprehensive basis to map and inventory wetland areas (extent), to derive information on the ecological status, as well as long- and short-term trends in wetland characteristics. However, making use of these Earth Observation (EO) resources for robust and standardized wetland monitoring requires expert knowledge on often complex data processing techniques, which impedes practical implementation. In this respect, the Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service (SWOS), a Horizon 2020 funded project (www.swos-service.eu) has developed and made disseminated monitoring approaches based on EO data, specifically designed for less experienced satellite data users.



The SWOS monitoring tools aim at assisting countries in conducting national wetland inventories for their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) reporting and monitoring obligations, and additionally facilitates other monitoring obligations such as those required by the Ramsar Convention and supports decision-making in local conservation activities. The four main components of the SWOS approach are: map and indicator production; software development; capacity building; and initializing the GEO Wetlands Community Portal. Wetland managers and data analysists from more than fifty wetland sites and river basins across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa investigated the benefits and limitations of this EO-based wetland mapping and monitoring approach.



We describe research that applies the SWOS tools to test their potential for the mapping of wetlands in a case study based in Albania, and show its effectiveness to derive metrics relevant to the monitoring of SDG indicator 6.6.1.},

keywords = {Climate Change, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, SWOS, Wetlands},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2019b,

title = {Bridging the research-management gap in environmental conservation: A case study from Andalusia, southern Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and D. Abdul-Malak and C. Schröder and K. McGlade and D. Pascual},

url = {https://www.siftdesk.org/article-details/Bridging-the-research-management-gap-in-environmental-conservation-A-case-study-from-Andalusia-southern-Spain/489},

doi = {10.25177/JESES.4.2.RA.489},

isbn = {2472-6397 },

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-04-01},

journal = {SDRP Journal of Earth Sciences & Environmental Studies},

volume = {4},

number = {2},

pages = {579-588},

abstract = {Science is believed to provide the most objective basis for effective decision-making, though it is rarely implemented in environmental management. Here we reflect on the results of a regional workshop aimed at exploring the knowledge and use of scientific evidence by environmental managers in an ecologically diverse region in southern Spain: Andalusia. Scientists were moderately aware of regional managerial needs. They stated that regional managers’ needs could be mostly addressed by their research centers, and that they often considered managerial needs when conducting research. In turn, environmental managers had limited knowledge of, and interest in, the environmental research carried out in the region. However, managers stated they frequently use scientific outputs in their jobs. The main perceived barriers to effective use of science in regional environmental management by both groups were: different priorities by each group, and limited time of managers to check scientific information. Scientists also perceived that managers were not sufficiently engaged in research and that they were often reluctant to change their usual managerial practices. Managers mentioned inadequate scientific dissemination formats. The perceived solutions to those issues were: reinforcing collaboration mechanisms between both groups; aligning research to managerial needs more closely; greater managers’ awareness of adaptive management; and developing user friendly, synthetic communication tools for managers. The insights from the workshop are intended to help scientists and managers to enhance effective use of environmental science in Spain and elsewhere.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2019c,

title = {Socioeconomic effects of protected areas in Spain across spatial scales and protection levels},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and I. López},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01160-7},

doi = {10.1007/s13280-019-01160-7},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-03-11},

journal = {Ambio},

volume = {49},

pages = {258–270},

abstract = {Impacts of the legal designation of protected areas (PAs) may have contrasting implications for different stakeholders, and at different spatial scales. In this study, we analysed the organisational perception on the socioeconomic effects of PA designation from all sectors of activity in Spain, accounting for PAs’ legal stringency. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 68 organisations at national, regional (Andalusia) and local scales (two municipalities in the Almeria province, Andalusia) through an online survey. Local stakeholders and the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors were most concerned about the social and economic impacts of PAs designation on their organisations. By contrast, organisations at the national or regional scales together with public institutions, the quaternary sector and other miscellaneous stakeholders perceived predominantly positive effects. Only national organisations perceived an increase in local social and economic effects from the designation of legally stringent PAs with regard to multiple-use PAs.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2019e,

title = {Effect of protected area networks at reducing land development across inland and coastal areas and climatic condictions of a rapidly developing country, Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Sebastiao and A.R. Salvo Tierra},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ldr.3286},

doi = {10.1002/ldr.328},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-02-13},

journal = {Land Degradation & Development },

volume = {30},

number = {8},

pages = {991-1005},

abstract = {Protected areas (PAs) aim at safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services in the long term. Despite the remarkable growth in area covered by PAs in recent years, biodiversity trends continue to worsen as a result of serious global pressures such as habitat destruction and degradation. One main cause of habitat destruction and degradation is land development that implies the replacement of natural land uses–land covers (LULCs) with artificial ones. Here, we assessed the effectiveness of four PA networks at preventing land development in Spain, a biodiversity‐rich country that has experienced recent rapid environmental transformations, using two models of increased validity: an original model and a biophysically enhanced model. We applied a before–after control–impact (BACI) design whereby absolute artificial area increase (AAI) and relative artificial area increase (RAI) were compared across PA categories (nature reserves [NRs], nature parks [NPs], Sites of Community Importance [SCIs], and Special Protection Areas [SPAs]), study zones (coastal and inland), and climates (Atlantic and Mediterranean) using CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data and two control zones: 1‐ and 5‐km buffers around protected polygons. NRs prevented land development, whereas other categories reduced it moderately to very substantially in the assessed period. AAI was especially intense in inland SPAs and NPs. NRs and NPs were the most effective PA categories inland, whereas NRs and SPAs were the most effective ones on the coast. Land development was greater on the Spanish coast than inland inside and outside PAs, especially around Macaronesian and Mediterranean PAs. Atlantic PAs experienced similar or greater land development values than surrounding areas. Our results are intended to guide future conservation efforts in Spain, chiefly on its heavily pressured coastal environment.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2019f,

title = {Analysing subtle threats to conservation: a nineteen year assessment of fragmentation and isolation of Spanish protected areas},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.01.012},

doi = {10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.01.012},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-02-06},

journal = {Landscape and Urban Planning},

volume = {185},

pages = {107-116},

abstract = {Natural habitat fragmentation in and isolation of protected areas (PAs) are two ancillary but common threats that may have serious consequences to biodiversity conservation in the long term. They were assessed in four PA networks of diverse legal and managerial regimes across a highly biodiverse country, Spain, between 1987 and 2006, a period of intense development in the country: Nature Reserves (NRs), Nature Parks (NPs), Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). ‘Contagion edge proportion’ was used to assess inner PA fragmentation by artificial land uses-land covers (LULCs), whereas two PA isolation indicators were compared: (a) increased proportion of artificial LULCs in the 500 m-buffers surrounding each protected polygon (PP); and (b) shortest distance to the nearest PA in 2006. In those 19 years, fragmentation increased in all PA networks except in Nature Reserves (NRs), which likely reflects high conservation effectiveness of stringent legislation. Isolation by artificial LULCs also increased in that period for all PA categories. NPs were the PA category with the highest values of fragmentation and isolation by 2006. Nevertheless, fragmentation and isolation values were still low on average by 2006 for all PA categories, although fine-scale fragmentation and isolation could not be assessed. Both PA isolation indicators yielded different results and were thus complementary. ‘Distance to major cities’ was the most strongly correlated variable with both pressures, which suggests that greater attention should be paid to such pressures to peri-urban PAs by territorial planners.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2019g,

title = {A twenty year GIS-based assessment of environmental sustainability of land use changes in and around protected areas of a fast developing country: Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega and P. Echavarría},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2018.08.006},

doi = {10.1016/j.jag.2018.08.006},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-02-01},

journal = {International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation},

volume = {74},

pages = {169-179},

abstract = {Spain has experienced massive recent socioeconomic changes that have had an influence on biodiversity and landscapes through land use-land cover (LULC) changes. Protected areas (PAs) seek to conserve biodiversity by establishing a legal and, sometimes, managerial regime that forbids or restricts LULC changes that are damaging to biodiversity. Here, we used CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data between 1987 and 2006 to assess differences in LULC changes and processes of change as metrics of effectiveness in four PA networks of clear legal and managerial characteristics in Spain: Nature reserves (NRs), Nature parks (NPs), Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). We also compared LULC changes and processes of change around each PA network applying a modified Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) research design with two increasingly distant control areas and two models of increased validity. The four PA networks were more environmentally sustainable than their surrounding areas although an effectiveness gradient was shown: NRs > SCIs > SPAs > NPs, suggesting little influence of PA management on LULC changes overall. Another gradient of environmental sustainability of control areas was evident: SCIs > SPAs > NPs > NRs. Proximal controls were more sustainable than distant ones. The main LULC increases inside PAs affected agro-forestry areas and transitional woodland-shrub, whereas artificial surfaces, permanently irrigated lands and burned areas prevailed in the proximal and distant controls. Three main LULC processes of change inside and around Spanish PAs outstood: forest succession, land development, and new irrigated areas, the two former chiefly affecting surrounding areas and posing serious threats to effective biodiversity conservation.



},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2018,

title = {	Effects of Legal Designation and Management of a Multiple-Use Protected Area on Local Sustainability},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and I. López},

url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093176},

doi = {10.3390/su10093176},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-09-05},

journal = {Sustainability },

volume = {10},

number = {9},

pages = {3176},

abstract = {The designation of protected areas (PAs) entails environmental, social, and economic effects to local stakeholders through access restriction to natural resources. We used a mixed methods research framework that combines time series analysis and stakeholder surveys to elicit objective and subjective effects of legal and managerial designation of Sierra Cabrera-Bedar Natura 2000 site on local sustainability in south-eastern Spain. Firstly, 47 environmental, social, and economic variables for which official time series data were available were assessed using a multiple-paired-Before-After-Control-Impact research design, where “Impacts” were: (1) legal designation of Sierra Cabrera-Bedar as a Site of Community Importance (SCI); and (2) management implementation of the site as an Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The two municipalities having most of their territories in Sierra Cabrera-Bedar SCI/SAC were selected as ‘Cases’, whereas two similar municipalities outside the PA were chosen as ‘Controls’. Additionally, 13 local organisations pertaining to 11 socioeconomic guilds from case municipalities were surveyed on their perceived effects of the designation Sierra Cabrera-Bedar as an SAC on 28 social and economic variables. The effects of legal and managerial protection of the site on local sustainability were unclear although greater SAC sustainability is suggested, even though limited time series availability for the SAC period increases uncertainty. Local organisations perceived mostly limited and negative socioeconomic effects from SAC designation. Disagreement between statistical and perceptual results suggests use of time series analyses for accurate assessment of socioeconomic effects of PAs in Spain.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2018d,

title = {Effect of legal protection and management of protected areas at preventing land development: a Spanish case study},

editor = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1369-8},

doi = {10.1007/s10113-018-1369-8},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-06-26},

journal = {Regional Environmental Change},

volume = {18},

pages = {2483-2494},

abstract = {Protected areas are entrusted long-term biodiversity conservation, but measures of their effectiveness are limited, methodologically diverse and, sometimes, of improvable accuracy. Using a semi-experimental BACI research design, this study assesses the environmental effectiveness of two highly related multiple-use protected area (PA) categories of European relevance at preventing land development: Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The non-overlapping SCI and SAC polygon networks of a northern Spanish region (Navarra) were used as the best possible case studies in the country because their main difference is implementation of active management (in the case of SACs). One kilometre outer buffer areas were created to serve as controls for each of the two PA networks. Three spatial-statistical models that progessively consider exclusion areas according to additional land protection legislation and biophysical covariates were tested to maximise their accurateness. Percentual increases of land development were compared for each of the four groups: SCIs, SCI-Buffers, SACs and SAC-Buffers, using Corine Land Cover (CLC) data from 2006 and 2012. Results show that SACs have been fully effective at preventing land development in the Navarra region whereas some exceptional development occurred in SCIs, even though their biophysical characteristics made them less prone to development than their buffer areas. Additional legislation seems to slightly add to protection inside PAs and provides clear protection to surrounding buffer areas. Residential uses were minor among the new artificial uses around Navarra’s PAs.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2018g,

title = {Protected area effectiveness against land development in Spain},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega },

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.011},

doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.011},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-04-02},

journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},

volume = {215},

pages = {345-357},

abstract = {Land use-land cover (LULC) changes towards artificial covers are one of the main global threats to biodiversity conservation. In this comprehensive study, we tested a number of methodological and research hypotheses, and a new covariate control technique in order to address common protected area (PA) assessment issues and accurately assess whether different PA networks have had an effect at preventing development of artificial LULCs in Spain, a highly biodiverse country that has experienced massive socioeconomic transformations in the past two decades. We used digital census data for four PA networks designated between 1990 and 2000: Nature Reserves (NRs), Nature Parks (NPs), Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). We analysed the effect of explanatory variables on the ecological effectiveness of protected polygons (PPs): Legislation stringency, cummulative legal designations, management, size, age and bio-physical characteristics. A multiple Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) semi-experimental research design was used whereby artificial land cover increase (ALCI) and proportional artificial land cover increase (PALCI) results were compared inside and outside PAs, using 1 km and 5 km buffer areas surrounding PAs as controls. LULC data were retrieved from Corine Land Cover (CLC) 1990 and 2006 data. Results from three spatial-statistical models using progressively restrictive criteria to select control areas increasingly more accurate and similar to the assessed PPs were compared. PAs were a generally effective territorial policy to prevent land development in Spain. NRs were the most effective PA category, with no new artificial land covers in the assessed period, although exact causality could not be attributed due to legal overlaps. SPAs were the least effective category, with worse ALCI data than their control areas. Legal protection was effective against land development, which was influenced by most bio-physical variables. However, cumulative legal designations and PA management did not seem to influence land development. The spatial-statistical technique used to make cases and control environmentally similar did not produce consistent outcomes and should be refined.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2018f,

title = {Rapid assessment of protection and ecological effectiveness of the Spanish Fishing Reserve Network},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.009},

doi = {10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.009},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-02-13},

journal = {Marine Policy},

volume = {90},

pages = {29-36},

abstract = {Fishing Reserves (FRs) are primarily designated for the enhancement of local fisheries and, secondarily, for biodiversity conservation. In Spain, FRs are considered marine protected areas (MPAs) and included in the country's MPA network. MPAs’ ecological effectiveness is linked to a number of legal, managerial and bio-physical factors. With the amount of MPA area rapidly rising and conservation funds largely stagnant or decreasing, rapid, cost-effective MPA assessment techniques are becoming increasingly useful to verify fulfillment of global conservation targets and ascertain potential conservation effectiveness. Here, a rapid MPA protection assessment framework and one MPA ecological effectiveness framework were applied to the Spanish Network of 10 FRs (FRN): the MaPAF and NEOLI frameworks. The FRN was moderately legally protected, with over 50.5% of its area having three or more overlapping legal designations, but only 3.8% of the FRN's area being no-take. All FRs had management plans and active surveillance. According to MaPAF, Columbretes FR was the most highly legally protected whereas Cabo de Palos was the FR with the greatest managerial effort. Both rank highest in protection. In contrast, Masía Blanca FR and Alborán FR were the least legally protected whereas Alborán FR and Graciosa FR were the least managerially protected FRs of the FRN and rank the lowest in protection, respectively. According to the NEOLI framework, Columbretes would also be the most effective FR whereas Masía Blanca FR would be the least ecologically effective. These results can help to spur and better allocate conservation efforts across the fastly growing Spanish MPA network.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2017,

title = {Assessing recent environmental sustainability in the Spanish network of National Parks and their statutory peripheral areas},

author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega },

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.09.008},

doi = {10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.09.008},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-09-29},

journal = {Applied Geography},

volume = {89},

pages = {22-31},

abstract = {Land use-land cover (LULC) changes and wildfires in the Spanish Network of terrestrial National Parks (NPs) and their legally designated peripheral areas, including Peripheral Protection Zones (PPZs) and Socioeconomic Influence Zones (SIZs), were assessed as indicators of recent territorial environmental sustainability trends. Level three, Corine Land Cover (CLC) data between 2005 and 2011 were compared. Official wildfire digital data were obtained from the European Commission for the 2005–2011 period. Results show increasing numbers of LULC changes along the protection gradient: NPs < PPZs < SIZs. NPs were, in general, highly stable regarding LULC changes and less affected by wildfires, which suggests high environmental effectiveness of legal and managerial protection afforded to the Spanish NP Network. Three study areas (SAs) were very stable in the analysed period in all their zones: Aigüestortes, Ordesa y Monte Perdido and Caldera de Taburiente. In turn, Teide and Doñana were the SAs where LULC changes were more abundant. Unsustainable LULC changes concentrate in NPs' peripheral areas, chiefly in their SIZs, with wildfires being the most widespread pressure in the analysed period. Teide's SA outstands due to its environmentally unsustainable recent LULC changes, with urbanisation and wildfires affecting natural and semi-natural areas. Sustainable territorial planning and management practices should prioritise this SA.},

keywords = {Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}