218 Ecology and Applied Environmental Science
in many developed countries that retain a significant biodiversity. More
than anything else, its accomplishment requires that the conservation of
local endemic endangered species as well as of migratory endangered species
must be given a high priority. The need for research is also relevant, so that
those species may be identified, the reasons that put them at risk may be
defined and the proper tools to protect them effectively may be chosen.
The presence of biodiversity has an unequal geographic distribution and
is strongly affected by the development of human activities. Accordingly, its
protection is attempted mainly where it does not have a great affect on economic activity. One of the basic measures is designation of protected areas,
that is, tracts where human activities are subjected to restrictions that are
necessary for the conservation of nature.
tinuous whole in time and space. According to them, the attempt to characterise one part of nature as more significant than another is useless in the
long term. Man’s failure to maintain a balance between his activities, civilization and nature and to manage space in an integrated way forces him
to take hasty measures and to isolate certain areas for special treatment
versus the abandoned whole. If man was able to experience life’s network
as a whole, there would not be a need to preserve only a small part of the
natural wealth. The only acceptable pursuit, according to this view, would
be restoration of harmony between man and nature. However, only a small
number of people who care about environmental conservation support such
an unrealistic view (Chapter 13).
Effective biodiversity protection would require integrated management
of the entire biosphere. Such an approach would consider the whole planet
as a boundless protected area. Because of the great differences in biodiversity distribution, its various parts would need well organized global and
local schemes of protection. If we take, for example, a country that represents the average in terms of ecological values, it could be divided into three
categories of protection zones as follows:
• About 5% of terrestrial surface would need strong protection as a
reserve of significant ecological values. Such areas would mainly be
threatened biotopes and landscapes.
• About 30% of terrestrial surface would need careful management
where mainly soft activities would prevail. Such areas would be most
of the forests, several agricultural and tourist areas, many special landscapes such as rivers, alpine regions, small islands etc. Many marine
areas would have a corresponding type of management.
• The remaining 65% of the terrestrial surface would constitute a
zone of more intensive but controlled activities, and the protection
would be based on the organization of environmental planning and
the systematic prevention of degradation through environmental
in many developed countries that retain a significant biodiversity. More
than anything else, its accomplishment requires that the conservation of
local endemic endangered species as well as of migratory endangered species
must be given a high priority. The need for research is also relevant, so that
those species may be identified, the reasons that put them at risk may be
defined and the proper tools to protect them effectively may be chosen.
The presence of biodiversity has an unequal geographic distribution and
is strongly affected by the development of human activities. Accordingly, its
protection is attempted mainly where it does not have a great affect on economic activity. One of the basic measures is designation of protected areas,
that is, tracts where human activities are subjected to restrictions that are
necessary for the conservation of nature.
tinuous whole in time and space. According to them, the attempt to characterise one part of nature as more significant than another is useless in the
long term. Man’s failure to maintain a balance between his activities, civilization and nature and to manage space in an integrated way forces him
to take hasty measures and to isolate certain areas for special treatment
versus the abandoned whole. If man was able to experience life’s network
as a whole, there would not be a need to preserve only a small part of the
natural wealth. The only acceptable pursuit, according to this view, would
be restoration of harmony between man and nature. However, only a small
number of people who care about environmental conservation support such
an unrealistic view (Chapter 13).
Effective biodiversity protection would require integrated management
of the entire biosphere. Such an approach would consider the whole planet
as a boundless protected area. Because of the great differences in biodiversity distribution, its various parts would need well organized global and
local schemes of protection. If we take, for example, a country that represents the average in terms of ecological values, it could be divided into three
categories of protection zones as follows:
• About 5% of terrestrial surface would need strong protection as a
reserve of significant ecological values. Such areas would mainly be
threatened biotopes and landscapes.
• About 30% of terrestrial surface would need careful management
where mainly soft activities would prevail. Such areas would be most
of the forests, several agricultural and tourist areas, many special landscapes such as rivers, alpine regions, small islands etc. Many marine
areas would have a corresponding type of management.
• The remaining 65% of the terrestrial surface would constitute a
zone of more intensive but controlled activities, and the protection
would be based on the organization of environmental planning and
the systematic prevention of degradation through environmental