ENVR 1000 (Fall 2020)

Ecosystem Management Assignment (out of 50 marks)

Due by 6:00 pm Winnipeg/Central Time, Sunday October 18, 2020

As discussed in presentations in this course, Ecosystem Management is being used extensively

across the world to enhance sustainable decision-making by government agencies, industries,
NGOs, indigenous organizations, and others. The IUCN/UN has developed the 5-Step guide to
Ecosystem Management implementation (available on the course Moodle site). Several case
studies were described in virtual lectures of how this process is being utilized, and Chapter 13
of the textbook provides an example for a residential subdivision in Winnipeg.

This assignment has been designed to test your understanding of the Ecosystem Management
concepts and processes as well as associated ecological principles (i.e., Information from Units
1-4 of the course) by examining and researching a specific Biosphere Reserve. You have been
randomly assigned a World Biosphere Reserve that will represent an ecosystem that is being
managed. You should recall that information on Biosphere Reserves was provided in the
virtual lectures for the course.

Your task is to provide answers to the following questions for the specific Biosphere Reserve
that you have been assigned. Information on the Biosphere Reserve is available through
internet sources, United Nations documents, and other information sources. A good source
document that provides a summary of information for all of the World’s Biosphere Reserves is
available at https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/wnbr. A main component of the assignment is
for you to access the available information, summarize details in your own words in answering
the questions below, and list the sources of information that you used. And be sure to use the
5-Step guide to support your answers.

Your assignment answers should be submitted to the Moodle site as a file, and should include
your name and student number, be a maximum of 6 pages, and MUST include a reference list
at the end of your assignment. You can use paragraphs/full sentences or point form to
answer each question. Remember that the assignment is worth a significant value (25%
toward your course total) and therefore you will be evaluated on the completeness of your
answers. You should therefore spend time to ensure that you have provided a complete and
robust answer to each question, and include at least 5 references based on your own
independent research. (Note that the textbook, recommended websites listed in the
assignment, and on-line class notes do not contribute to these 5 references).

In completing the assignment, be sure to provide reference sources for your information to
avoid plagiarism by using a standard citation system as described in the following:

http://umanitoba.ca/student/resource/student_advocacy/cheating_plagiarism_fraud.html
https://libguides.lib.umanitoba.ca/citingandwriting
http://tim.thorpeallen.net/Courses/Reference/Citations.html

Note that scientific style in writing does not include quotations. You must summarize
technical information in your own words.
Assignment Instructions:

Your assignment is found on the Moodle site under the heading: Quick Reference to
Assignment and Tests. Note that the Moodle site will become active at 6:00 pm
Central/Winnipeg time on Wednesday October 14 at which time you will be randomly
assigned a Biosphere Reserve that you will use to answer the assignment questions.

1. Go to the Moodle site to obtain your assigned Biosphere Reserve. You will find this at:
Quick Reference to Assignment and Tests and scroll down to find Assignment 1 - Obtain
Your Specific Biosphere Reserve HERE.

2. Record and save the name of your Biosphere Reserve so that you can research this
location while you answer the questions.

3. Review the assignment questions found below.

4. Research your Biosphere Reserve using the internet and other sources so that you can
answer the 5 questions in detail. You will be graded on the information you summarize
(in your own words) about your Biosphere Reserve.

5. Submit your assignment answers to the Moodle drop box. Go to the following:
Assignment 1 Ecosystem Management – Submit your answers HERE

6. The due date for your submission is October 18, 6:00 PM Central (Winnipeg) Time.

Don't hesitate to contact Dr. Rick Baydack should you have any questions
(rick.baydack@umanitoba.ca)

*************************

Based on your assigned Biosphere Reserve, answer the following questions (each worth 10
marks toward your grade):

I have been assigned the following Biosphere Reserve: Ranong, Thailand

1. What is the official name of your Biosphere Reserve? When and why was the Biosphere
Reserve (Ecosystem Management Area) created? What parameters were used in
determining the boundaries of the Management Area? Provide a map from the Internet
to support your answer.

2. Who were the stakeholders that were involved in the establishment of the Biosphere
Reserve and what were their specific interests? Have they all remained involved to the
present – have any new stakeholders become involved?
3. What are the main biotic and abiotic factors that were deemed to be significant for the
Biosphere Reserve? Are there any special ecological features or interactions that have
been identified for the area?

4. What are the Management Objectives for the Biosphere Reserve? Are these short- or
long- term Objectives? Identify any Adaptive Management changes that have taken place
over time.

5. What are the most important issues currently facing the Biosphere Reserve and how do
you believe they are being addressed?

Note that each question above is worth 10 marks, so that 50 is the total possible score.
1. What is the official name of your Biosphere Reserve? When and why was the Biosphere
Reserve (Ecosystem Management Area) created? What parameters were used in
determining the boundaries of the Management Area? Provide a map from the Internet
to support your answer.

Answer:

Figure: Map of Ranong Province and the location of Ranong Biosphere Reserve

The official name of my Biosphere Reserve is Ranong Biosphere Reserve. It was

established in 1997. It lies on the Andaman Coast of southern Thailand. The reserve was
set up with the main aim of restoring the Mangroves forest along the Klong Ngao tidal
creek. The mangroves faced heavy destruction due to tin mining, wood harvesting and
the aquaculture. Through this move, the mangroves got a new beginning. Four of the
local species of the mangrove trees were extensively planted. Thus, the reserve was
successful in its main aim to conserve the mangroves forest. Along with the mangroves
ecosystem, other ecosystems such as estuaries and marshes ecosystems were also
conserved. The major parameter for defining the boundary of the Reserve is the
abundance and diversity of the macro fauna in the region and the area being the natural
and dominant habitat of the mangroves, which could be used to rehabilitate the
mangroves forest. The most diverse and abundant group of the macro fauna were the
crustacean and the molluscs. They were most diverged at the Rhizophora plantation in
the natural habitat of the forest and were the least diverged around the tin mining area.
The crustaceans’ community structure helped in maintaining the shore level while the
mollusks had the major role in maintaining the soil moisture level. Around the tin mining
area, there was the dominance of single species of crab. While making their burrows,
crabs help in the penetration of ground water, water from the tides and freshwater
runoff that helps to remove extra salt and reduce the soil salinity. Briefly, the macro
faunas act as the indicator of ecological change as a part of long-term environmental
monitoring program in Ranong.
2. Who were the stakeholders that were involved in the establishment of the Biosphere
Reserve and what were their specific interests? Have they all remained involved to
the present – have any new stakeholders become involved?

Answer:

In 1982, a committee named “Ranong Mangrove Forest Research Center” was formed
with the aim to save the depleting condition of the mangrove forests due to the human
activities like deforestation and tin mining. It was then managed by Forest Management
Division under the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives of Thailand. In 1997, the
Man and Biosphere International Coordinating Council announced the Ranong
Biosphere Reserve, which was endorsed by UNESCO. The reserve was the first
Mangrove Conservation Biosphere in the world. In 2002, considering the fact that the
area was near to the Andaman coast and many aquatic animals lived around it, the
Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives of Thailand transferred the management of
reserve to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, which was under the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. The foremost interest of
the stakeholders was to conserve the Mangroves and the aquatic environment in and
around the reserve. In 2015, Kasetsart University came forward as a stakeholder and got
the plans for the effective management of the Biosphere Reserve.

3. What are the main biotic and abiotic factors that were deemed to be significant for the
Biosphere Reserve? Are there any special ecological features or interactions that have
been identified for the area?

Answer:
Ranong Biosphere Reserve is very rich in the natural biodiversity. It has an area of 30,000
hectares, 40% of which is marine. It consists of over 300 species of fauna and over 50 species
of the mangroves. The vegetation in the reserve ranges across 17 families and 35 species
which includes 20 species of seedlings. There are 98 species of fishes, 124 species of the
planktons, 28 species of crustaceans, 77 species of amphibians, 30 species of insects, 20
species of bacteria, 59 species of fungi and many species of molluscs.

In the reserve, the crustaceans (especially mud crabs and searmid crabs as they are good bio
indicator of the mangroves) have got the great role in the conservation of the mangroves.
The mangroves provide the food for the crustaceans and to return the favor, crustaceans like
crabs and shrimps, when dig their burrows, they help to penetrate the tidal water,
freshwater or ground water to the soil, which helps to remove the excess salt form the
water, and thus reduces the salinity of water.

Along with the crustaceans, the molluscs have the equally important role in
conservation of the mangroves. Molluscs help in maintaining the nutrition dynamics.
They form an important link within a food web as predators, herbivores, detritivores
and filter feeders. They help in maintaining the soil moisture level as well. They also act
as the bio indicator of pollution because of their filter feeding.
4. What are the Management Objectives for the Biosphere Reserve? Are these short- or
long- term Objectives? Identify any Adaptive Management changes that have taken place
over time.

Answer:
The Reserve was declared with the 3 major long term objectives. They are as follows:
a. Conservation function: To conserve varieties of plants and animals species and
ecosystem.
b. Development function: To promote sustainable economic and social development
emphasizing on closed- cooperation with the surrounding communities.
c. Logistic Support function: For studies, researches, and training relating to the
conservation of natural resources and environment, such as training and education
programs on the environment and researches at all levels including local, regional,
national, and global level.
To achieve these, the Reserve was divided into 3 zones, which are:
a. Core area: It preserves ecological landscape, species and genetic variation. It is very
less affected by human activity as only essential human activities like study and
research are allowed in this area.
b. Buffer zone: It is surrounded by the core area. Its main purpose it to allow researches
and eco-tourism but do not disturb the conservation area.
c. Transition area: Its main aim is to promote the sustainable social and economic
development. It is used for general activities like agriculture, settlement etc.

Figure: Map of Ranong Biosphere Reserve with different zone

In 2015, Kasetsart University collaborated with the OMC (Office of Mangrove

Conservation) and DMCR (Department of Marine and Coastal Resources) for the five-
year management plan of Ranong Biosphere Reserve starting in 2016 to 2020. They
started with the vison that “forests can live, people can live on a sustainable path”. Their
 major concern was to preserve, develop, rehabilitate, and utilize resources in a
participatory manner in line with the way of life, community, and the sustainability of
natural resources. Their plan included 7 strategic programs and 43 projects. There are
many other plans and policies, which have been implemented and being implemented.
Some of them are:

a. Promoting and Maintain National Environmental Quality Policies and

Plans, 1997-2016
b. The 12th National Economic Social Development Plan, 2017-2021
c. MAB Strategy, 2015-2025
d. Lima Action Plan (2016-2025) with the Sustainable Development Agenda
(2030)

5. What are the most important issues currently facing the Biosphere Reserve and how
do you believe they are being addressed?

Answer:

The most important issue currently faced by the Ranong Biosphere Reserve is the over
utilization of resource and land encroachment by communities for settlement. People
are using the available resources in the reserve more than the production capacity or
the bio capacity of the reserve. The reserve has started facing the seasonal shortage of
water supply in the certain areas. The air has become polluted with the unpleasant odor
from the fish meat factory nearby the reserve. The major issue concerning the energy is
the increasing price of energy in the community where electricity and oil are the major
sources of energy. The Reserve has been facing the mass deforestation as well. The
primary reason for the deforestation is the community settlement for humans. People
have started cutting trees, clearing the land for building their houses, firewood,
industries, farms etc. In addition, the commercial value of the land and the resources
have the sight of the government officials and various investors. Various resources
within the resources have the higher commercial value, and in today’s world, money is
everything for people. Many plants (along with the highly conserved mangroves species)
and animals’ (including land animals and the marine animals) populations have heavily
declined due to the excess use of resources, natural extinction, excessive hunting and
excessive exposure to the agricultural chemicals. Some natural disasters like flood,
forest fires and tsunamis occur due to the human activities.

Biosphere Reserves have huge responsibility of protecting the environment and

educating the locals around the area about the importance and proper utilization of the
environment. Similarly, in concern to these problems around the Ranong Biosphere
Reserve, the officials have been conducting different awareness camps and workshops
around the reserve to educate and aware the locals for the sustainable use of the
environmental products along with conservation. In addition, the Thailand government
has also been playing an important role in conserving the biodiversity of the biosphere,
through their various policies and act. Some of the acts and policies are:

a. Marine and Coastal Resources Management Promotion Act, B.E. 2558

b. Fisheries Act, 2015
 c. National Park Act, 1961
d. National Forests Act, 1964
e. Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 1992
f. Environment Quality Promotion Act, 1992

References
1. UNESCO. “Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand.” May 2019, retrieved from
https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/ranong . Accessed on October 16, 2020.
2. Macintosh, J.Donald, et al. “Utilization and Knowledge of Biodiversity in Ranong Biosphere
Reserve, Thailand.” January 2002, retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265477188_Utilisation_and_Knowledge_of_Bi
odiversity_in_the_Ranong_Biosphere_Reserve_Thailand . Accessed on October 16, 2020.
3. Society for Ecological Restoration. “Thailand: Mangrove Restoration at Klong Ngao in the
Ranong Biosphere Reserve.” Retrieved from https://www.ser-rrc.org/project/thailand-
mangrove-restoration-at-klong-ngao-in-the-ranong-biosphere-reserve/ . Accessed on
October 16, 2020.
4. Macintosh, J.Donald, et al. “Mangrove Rehabilitation and Intertidal Biodiversity: a Study in
the Ranong Mangrove Ecosystem, Thailand.” June 19, 2001. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771401908960 . Accessed
on October 16, 2020.
5. Doydee. P, et al. “Remote Sensing for Mangrove Landscape Pattern Identification on the
Coast of Ranong, Thailand.” April 30, 2013. Retrieved from
https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/243044 . Accessed on October 17,
2020.
6. Tharasookm. K, et al. “Environmental Literacy Indicators: Development for Communities in
the Ranong UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.” 2020, retrieved from
http://gmsarnjournal.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/vol14no4-5.pdf . Accessed
on October 17, 2020.
7. Meepol. Dr.Wrijan. Department of Marine and Coastal resources. “Ranong Biosphere
Reserve.” November 28, 2014. Retrieved from https://www.dmcr.go.th/detailStation/529 .
Accessed on October 17, 2020.
8. Aitthiariyasunthon. D. “Gender Role in Ranong Biosphere Reserve Management, Thailand:
Case Study on Coastal Resources Conservation Groups.” 2016. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/images/2016_MYSA_Thailan
d_Report.pdf . Accessed on October 17, 2020.
9. Premcharoen. S, et al. “Molluscan Fauna in Bang Taboon Mangrove Estuary, Inner Gulf of
Thailand: Implications for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Coastal Resources.”
2016. Retrieved from
https://www.matec-conferences.org/articles/matecconf/pdf/2016/23/matecconf_iccbs20
16_02003.pdf . Accessed on October 18, 2020.