prioritise projects whose conservation targets are invasive plant species and resilience in a changing climate; Risks/Uncertainty: the lack of political will; the
features of restored habitats cannot be maintained due to climate change pressures.
II. Challenge: species and habitat management in the context of climate change;
Measure: bring the management plan up-to-date by taking climate change risks in
account and support adaptation; Actions: use management practices that are
already being successfully applied in other protected areas; take climate change
effects, potential risks, and invasive plant species distribution for entire Danube
River Basin into account; improve risk assessments and vulnerability scenarios
to be able to develop and choose suitable measures; use species distribution
models to identify new potential habitats for translocation of endangered plants;
Risks/Uncertainty: insufficient data for assessments and scenarios; lack of
interpretation ability in the field of predicted results; the long-term effects of actions
taken in present climate change conditions can prove inefficient;
III. Challenge: improve capacity for effective management in a changing
climate; (a) Measure: increase awareness of invasive species threats in climate
change context and increase the capacity of stakeholders to implement adaptation
programmes for habitats and plant species; Actions: conduct training on different
levels of organisation (e.g. park rangers, head managers) initiating hypothetical
management activities on extreme climate events and trends of invasion; develop a
network of training opportunities and materials addressing climate change impacts
on protected areas management through agreements with universities and research
institutes; Risks/Uncertainty: lack of communication interest;
(b) Measure: assist a coordinated response to climate change between protected
areas administration, stakeholders, nature protection agencies, and specific NGO’s;
Actions: identify and address conflicting management objectives of involved
decision-makers and find effective policies and methods for climate change
pressures; develop trans-boundary common management to adapt to and mitigate
climate change impacts in shared areas (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve – Romania
and Ukraine); Risks/Uncertainty: possible future changes in management objectives
of protected areas;
IV Challenge: reduce non-climate pressures; (a) Measure: slow and reverse
habitat loss and fragmentation; Actions: collaborate with environmental agencies
to evaluate historical water fluctuations and improve water management options to
protect or restore aquatic habitats; identify the range of most disturbing activities in
habitats on a map and compare it with habitats and invasive plant species distribution
maps in order to identify vulnerable areas. This reduces/changes pressure activity on
habitats and enables restoration, where loss and fragmentation due to invasive plant
species occurred; increase restoration, enhancement, and conservation of riparian
zones; create buffer zones to agricultural areas minimising the spreading potential of
invasive plant species to natural areas; Risks/Uncertainty: invasive plant species can
easily spread in the present climate conditions. Insufficient correlation between
control/eradication measures of invasive species and non-climate pressure activities.
(b) Measure: involve, assess, and improve existing programmes to prevent,
control, and eradicate invasive species; Actions: develop different approaches to
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features of restored habitats cannot be maintained due to climate change pressures.
II. Challenge: species and habitat management in the context of climate change;
Measure: bring the management plan up-to-date by taking climate change risks in
account and support adaptation; Actions: use management practices that are
already being successfully applied in other protected areas; take climate change
effects, potential risks, and invasive plant species distribution for entire Danube
River Basin into account; improve risk assessments and vulnerability scenarios
to be able to develop and choose suitable measures; use species distribution
models to identify new potential habitats for translocation of endangered plants;
Risks/Uncertainty: insufficient data for assessments and scenarios; lack of
interpretation ability in the field of predicted results; the long-term effects of actions
taken in present climate change conditions can prove inefficient;
III. Challenge: improve capacity for effective management in a changing
climate; (a) Measure: increase awareness of invasive species threats in climate
change context and increase the capacity of stakeholders to implement adaptation
programmes for habitats and plant species; Actions: conduct training on different
levels of organisation (e.g. park rangers, head managers) initiating hypothetical
management activities on extreme climate events and trends of invasion; develop a
network of training opportunities and materials addressing climate change impacts
on protected areas management through agreements with universities and research
institutes; Risks/Uncertainty: lack of communication interest;
(b) Measure: assist a coordinated response to climate change between protected
areas administration, stakeholders, nature protection agencies, and specific NGO’s;
Actions: identify and address conflicting management objectives of involved
decision-makers and find effective policies and methods for climate change
pressures; develop trans-boundary common management to adapt to and mitigate
climate change impacts in shared areas (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve – Romania
and Ukraine); Risks/Uncertainty: possible future changes in management objectives
of protected areas;
IV Challenge: reduce non-climate pressures; (a) Measure: slow and reverse
habitat loss and fragmentation; Actions: collaborate with environmental agencies
to evaluate historical water fluctuations and improve water management options to
protect or restore aquatic habitats; identify the range of most disturbing activities in
habitats on a map and compare it with habitats and invasive plant species distribution
maps in order to identify vulnerable areas. This reduces/changes pressure activity on
habitats and enables restoration, where loss and fragmentation due to invasive plant
species occurred; increase restoration, enhancement, and conservation of riparian
zones; create buffer zones to agricultural areas minimising the spreading potential of
invasive plant species to natural areas; Risks/Uncertainty: invasive plant species can
easily spread in the present climate conditions. Insufficient correlation between
control/eradication measures of invasive species and non-climate pressure activities.
(b) Measure: involve, assess, and improve existing programmes to prevent,
control, and eradicate invasive species; Actions: develop different approaches to
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M. Doroftei and P. Anastasiu