Transcript Nature protection 1. Historical perspective 2. Planning and controlling protected areas 3. National parks and reserves Stefán Helgi Valsson.

Nature protection
1. Historical perspective
2. Planning and controlling protected areas
3. National parks and reserves
Stefán Helgi Valsson
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Historical evolution
Agricultural revolution –
• conflict with nature begins
• Struggle against non-crop vegitation and animals.
• nature had to be conquered
Reform, enlightentment, technical improvements –
• Man is superior to nature
• Land and nature protection needs to be intellectually
argued instead of following strange whims
• Land and nature protection has to be supported by law
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The idea of a NP
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Central Park in New York
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The first protected areas
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Conceptual differences?
• Europe – “Old world”
• America – “New world”
• Iceland – Old world or new world?
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Iceland
• Industrial revolution
around 1900
• Sigríður Tómasdóttir
(Gullfoss Waterfall)
• Þingvellir NP, est. 1928
• Technological revolution
during the WWII
• Nature protection laws
1956
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Policy and planning
World
• Yellowstone NP, 1872
• IUCN – France 1948
(now called the World
Conservation Union but retains
the acronym).
• The US Wilderness
Act, 1964
• Alaska Conservation
Act, 1980
Iceland
• Þingvellir NP, 1928
• Nature protection laws
1956
• UNESCO 1995 (1972)
• Ministry of
Environment, policy
document 2002-2020.
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Iceland is a signitory to:
• Conservation on Wetlands of International
Importance (Ramsar)
• Conservation on Biological Diversity (Rio)
• Convention on the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO´s
World Heritage). Þingvellir NP is currently
applying to become a World Heritage Site.
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Protection categories in Iceland
Icelandic
• Þjóðgarður
• Friðland
• Önnur friðuð svæði
• Náttúruvætti
• Fólkvangur
• Náttúruminjar
English
• National park
• Nature reserve
• Other protected areas
• Natural monument
• Country park
• Sites of special interest
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IUCN´s Reach
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Present in 78 nations (Iceland since 1973)
112 government agencies
735 non-governmental agencies (NGO’s)
35 organisations unoficial members
10.000 scientists and specialists from 181
countries.
• Headquarters in Switzerland, 1000 staff
working in 42 places
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IUCN´s Mission
“To influence, encourage and assist
societies throughout the world to
conserve the integrety and diversity of
nature and to ensure the natural
resources is equitable and ecologically
sustainable.”
Http://www.iucn.org
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IUCN´s Protection Categories
• 1. a. Nature reserve, b. wilderness (set aside
for research, or uninhabited land)
• 2. National park (eco-protection and recr.)
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3. National monument (natural heritage)
4. Eco-systems (active intervention)
5. Land protection for recreation
6. Resource protection (Sustainable use of
eco-systems)
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Yellowstone NP
• Yellowstone National park was the first NP in the
world, established in 1872.
• The park is reserved for the public use for eternety
by the State
• The “greatest idea of the American people.”
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Yellowstone´s attractions
Lookout Point
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Yellowstone´s attractions
The Old “Faithful”
Geyser was named so
by the Washburn
Expedition in 1870
because its regular
eruptions
It erupts every 45-110
minutes to 30-55
meters.
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Yellowstone´s attractions
• Mammoth Hot
Springs Terraces:
heat, water,
limestone, and a
rock fracture.
• Today's geothermal
activity is linked to
a 600.000 year old
volcanic explosion
supplying the heat.
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Yellowstone´s attractions
Hyden Valley
provides some
of the best
habitat for
grizzly bears,
bison, elk, and
other wildlife
species.
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Beware of the Grizzlies!
A way to educate
children of the danger
of wild animals?
Or a marketing ploy
capitalising on the
popular Yogi Bear
catroon?
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Areas protected by US law
USA – 4.6% a lot of land, but more than half
of it is in Alaska.
In 1964, America was a country that “was
now rich enough, educated enough and
sufficiently at leasure who wanted to enjoy
the public land than to make money off it.”
Jon Margolis in The Last Innocent Year: America in 1964.
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Worldwide conservation areas
• Number
aproximately
30.000
• Total area: 10% of
the land surface
• Total area: 1% of
the oceans
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