Suchergebnisse

Apocalypse -- The planetary killer -- Biodiversity. The wondrous variety of life on Earth -- Anthropocene: the era of ecocide -- Beyond price: what is being lost -- What are we doing about the biodiversity crisis? -- The Great Family of Life -- You will inherit the Earth -- From God to human: Rethinking the place of Homo sapiens in the Biosphere -- Global Harmony: A new relationship among the species that inhabit the Earth -- A day in Harmony.

Partiendo de la Teoría de la Democracia moderna, este texto pretende ofrecer los fundamentos constitucionales para el ejercicio del derecho a la oposición en los sistemas políticos modernos. Explicar cuando, y con base a qué, surgió este derecho, y su actual importancia y funcionalidad. Sostenemos que el ejercicio de la oposición, no es algo accesorio dentro de las democracias, sino que por el contrario se convierte en un elemento característico de las mismas. De igual, manera señala como en los presidencialismos de América Latina, de regímenes sin oposición ni alternancia en el gobierno, a través de reformas electorales y constitucionales se han dado pasos para potenciar el rol de los partidos que hacen control al gobierno. En el tercer capítulo se buscan recoger las enseñanzas de las experiencias regionales con el fin de hacer un nuevo sistema electoral que ofrezca igualdad a todas las fuerzas políticas en competencia. ; Based on the theory of modern democracy, this text has as aim to provide the constitutional basis for exercising the right of opposition in modern political systems. Explain when, and based on what, this right arose, and its current importance and functionality. We hold that the exercise of the opposition, is not accessory in democracies is a defining element of it. Likewise, in presidential systems designated as Latin American regimes without opposition or alternation in government through constitutional and electoral reforms have taken steps to strengthen the role of parties who do control the government. In the third chapter will seek to collect the lessons from regional experiences in order to make a new electoral system that offers equality to all competing political forces. ; Maestría

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 1km and 5km 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 covers in the assessed period, although exact causality could not be attributed due to 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. ; Peer reviewed

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. ; Peer reviewed

The System for the Integrated Assessment of Protected Areas (SIAPA) was developed as a tool to improve our knowledge on the status and trends of protected biodiversity. In order to increase SIAPA's salience and use, representatives of the main managerial and scientific protected area (PA) institutions of Spain were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. PA network managers and scientists showed a high degree of consistency in rating the most important SIAPA indicators: 'Appropriateness of protection legislation', 'Degree of fulfilment of management objectives' and 'Effectiveness of public participation bodies', respectively. However, PA managers perceived the 'State of conservation' as the most determinant factor to ascertain overall PA effectiveness whereas for scientists 'Management' was the most important factor. Most managers and one scientist suggested including the indicator 'Change in extent of focal habitats' in the SIAPA and comparing management effects inside and outside PAs. The methods and results of this study intend to streamline and standardise PA evaluation efforts in Spain and guide future developments of PA evaluation systems elsewhere. ; We would like to thank the BBVA Foundation for its logistical and financial support for convening the 1st National Workshop on Protected Area Effectiveness Evaluation (SIAPA). ; Peer reviewed