Nature Reserves and Land Use: Implications of the “Place” Principle

Abstract

Many nature reserves are undergoing human-induced change despite our best attempts to keep them natural. Some of this change is due to the fact that the boundaries of nature reserves do not include all of the "places" in the landscape that are needed for ecosystem function and that are used by native species. The ecological principle of place emphasizes that ecological processes and organisms reflect the biophysical stage on which they occur. Abiotic factors, such as topography, climate, soil, and hydrology influence rates of processes, such as ecological productivity and disturbance regimes. The population status of organisms reflects this milieu of physical and biological interactions. Nature reserves whose boundaries exclude key biophysical settings are most apt to lose native species and change from their pre-EuroAmerican settlement condition. We offer four points of view for judging whether reserves include the "right" biophysical settings-those that will allow the reserve to function well. These involve disturbance initiation and run-out zones, life-history requirements of organisms, population source and sink areas, and climate change. A case study of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem illustrates that management conflicts can arise when administrative boundaries conflict with ecological boundaries. The place principle offers a basis for managing nature reserves and surrounding lands to maintain adequate function. We explore guidelines for selecting new reserves and managing existing reserves. Consideration of these guidelines should help managers maintain well-functioning nature reserves in the upcoming century of global change. National parks, wilderness areas, and other nature reserves are a cornerstone of conservation in many nations. As the term nature reserve implies, these tracts are reserved primarily for natural ecosystems and native organisms. They are often managed with relatively little human intervention to let natural factors regulate ecological processes and organisms (Boyce 1998). Beyond serving as primary habitats for species that cannot tolerate more intense human land use, nature reserves are considered as benchmarks or 54 V. H. Dale et al. (eds.), Applying Ecological Principles to Land Management