Office for Environmental Programs - Theses

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End date: 2015 × Start date: 2015 × Subject: Chile ×

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    Regulatory mechanisms and incentives for private protected areas in Chile: a comparative analysis with the Australian and South African experiences
    Razeto Cáceres, Antonio Héctor ( 2015)
    The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has recognised that private protected areas (PPAs) are essential to expand biodiversity conservation and to achieve a global ecologically representative network of reserves. In Chile, since the 1990s PPAs have emerged as a spontaneous and voluntary movement with no government assistance. The current environmental legislation does not allow PPAs to be included in the National System of State Protected Wildlife Areas (SNASPE). As a consequence, PPAs in Chile are not subject to systematic regulation or formal definition. PPAs are concentrated in the southern regions where they have enhanced the ecological representativeness of existing reserves. However, ecosystems of the central and northern regions are still underrepresented in PPAs and the SNASPE. In this context, this research analyses what legal mechanisms would be suitable for implementation in Chile to progressively shift towards a representative system for PPAs. With this purpose, the research develops a comparative analysis with the South African and Australian experiences. Contract agreements in South Africa and conservation covenants in Australia have demonstrated to be cost-effective mechanisms to expand biodiversity protection into private lands. The analysis includes an evaluation of existing policies and legislation related to PPAs in these three countries. The findings indicate that Chile needs a more systematic and comprehensive regulatory framework for PPAs to guide and incentivise their creation in underrepresented areas. The enthusiasm of landowners towards biodiversity protection and the existing work of not for profit organisations as major drivers of conservation creates a favourable scenario for the implementation of mechanisms such as contract agreements or covenant programs. The analysis also indicates that the implementation of stewardship programs is essential to provide ongoing support to the management of PPAs and to maintain private landowners’ motivation.
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    Population Viability Analysis for a small population of the Endangered huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) in the Chilean Patagonia
    Mora, Mauricio ( 2015-11-02)
    The huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is the most threatened cervid of South America, having experienced a 50% reduction in habitat range and a 99% decrease in population abundance since European settlement. A range of human impacts has led to serious fragmentation of the species habitat and the total population is estimated to be less than 2,500 individuals. Despite increased efforts to protect huemul, species recovery has not been achieved and populations continue to decline. The need for population-specific studies has been highlighted as an important aspect of huemul conservation. Accordingly, this project aimed to analyse the viability of a subpopulation of huemul under current conditions as well as potential management scenarios. The study site was Lake Cochrane National Reserve, Chilean Patagonia, where population vital rates were estimated for the species. This information was used to build a model in RAMAS GIS and develop a population viability analysis. All simulations included 1,000 replications to account for stochasticity and were run across a 100 year period. The model predictions suggested that the population would increase in the next 40 years and then stabilize, however, risks of falling below minimum abundances to maintain genetic richness were high. Fire was the most serious threat for huemul survival in the simulations; increased levels of predation were also shown to have potentially serious implications for the study population. Habitat availability was the most important factor impacting population abundances of huemul, and adult individuals were the most influencing life stage on population viability. Species protection action plans may not sufficiently emphasise important strategies such as fire management and the establishment of captive breeding programs to increase genetic variability. Collaboration between managers of protected areas around Lake Cochrane appears as crucial to ensure joint measures are able to ensure the long-term presence of huemul in the area. Long- term studies are required to better approximate important estimates underpinning the reliability of PVAs for huemul, especially in regards to density dependence factors. This will allow the construction of more accurate and precise PVAs for the species, and improve their utility for managers.