Biosphere reserves and wilderness issues
Biosphere reserves are designated areas aimed at integrating the conservation of biological diversity with the sustainable management of natural resources. Initiated by UNESCO in 1970 through the Man and the Biosphere Programme, these reserves serve as sites for research, monitoring, and education while promoting sustainable practices. As of May 2009, there are 553 biosphere reserves across 107 countries, each consisting of a legally protected core area with minimal human disturbance, a managed-use buffer zone, and a loosely defined transition zone that includes local communities and various economic activities.
The core area is strictly protected, while the buffer and transition zones allow for more flexible human interaction with the environment, such as farming and recreation. Importantly, the designation of a biosphere reserve does not change land ownership or legal jurisdiction, and management often involves collaboration among citizens, government agencies, and landowners. This unique framework emphasizes not only conservation efforts but also the involvement of local communities in resource management, reflecting a global commitment to balance ecological preservation with human needs.
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Biosphere reserves and wilderness issues
Definition: UNESCO-designated sites where the preservation of natural resources is integrated with research and the sustainable management of those resources
The worldwide network of biosphere reserves is the only international network of protected areas that also emphasizes sustainable development and wise use of natural resources; thus these sites enable the examination and testing of the objective of integrating conservation and development.
Through discussions that started in 1970, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) initiated the Man and the Biosphere Programme to establish sites where the preservation of natural resources would be integrated with research and the sustainable management of those resources. The first biosphere reserve was designated in 1976, and by May, 2009, 553 such sites existed across 107 countries. In 1995 UNESCO convened a conference in Spain and developed the Seville Strategy for Biosphere Reserves, which was designed to strengthen the international network and encourage the use of the sites for research, monitoring, education, and training. In the early years of the program, preservation was stressed. The adoption of the Seville Strategy by UNESCO emphasized the role of people in the use of their natural resources.
Each biosphere reserve contains a legally protected core area where there has been minimal disturbance by people. Only uses that are compatible with the preservation of biological diversity are permitted in the protected core. Surrounding the core is a managed-use or buffer zone; research and environmental education are examples of activities suitable for the buffer zone. Surrounding the buffer zone is a zone of cooperation or transition zone. The boundaries of the transition zone are loosely defined and often include local towns and communities. Economic activities such as farming, logging, mining, and recreation occur within the transition zone and are not restricted by the biosphere reserve.
Only the boundaries of the core area are legally defined. The designation of a biosphere reserve does not alter the legal ownership of the land or water that is included within its zones. UNESCO does not have jurisdiction over any nation’s biosphere reserves. In many cases the areas within reserves reflect a mosaic of landownership, including federal, state, local, and private ownership. Even the core area may be privately owned, as long as it is managed for its preservation.
In the United States, the core areas of some biosphere reserves are within national parks, such as Glacier and Yellowstone, whereas other biosphere reserves are composed of clusters of core areas, such as the ten units within the California Coastal Range Biosphere Reserve. The management and administration of a biosphere reserve often involves a number of interested citizens, government agencies, and owners.
The worldwide network of biosphere reserves represents the only international network of protected areas that also emphasizes sustainable development and wise use of natural resources. Hence they are sites where the objective of integrating conservation and development can be examined, demonstrated, and tested. Research at these sites serves to solve practical problems in resource management.
Bibliography
Hanna, Kevin S., Douglas A. Clark, and D. Scott Slocombe, eds. Transforming Parks and Protected Areas: Policy and Governance in a Changing World. New York: Routledge, 2008.
Sourd, Christine. Explaining Biosphere Reserves. Paris: UNESCO, 2004.