Freshwater and brackish water ecosystems are arguably the most vulnerable ecosystems on earth, due to concentrated human developments in and around them. The Pontocaspian (PC) region located at the... Show moreFreshwater and brackish water ecosystems are arguably the most vulnerable ecosystems on earth, due to concentrated human developments in and around them. The Pontocaspian (PC) region located at the border of Europe and Asia contains a variety of brackish water ecosystems and unique inhabitants, known as the PC biota. The current status and trends in PC biodiversity are poorly known, however, deterioration of PC habitats is evident in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea Basins. This thesis aims to support an establishment of effective PC biodiversity conservation regime. I use the Black Sea Basin as a study system and outline current status and trends in PC biodiversity and assess the direct and indirect anthropogenic drivers of the PC biodiversity change. I show that PC biodiversity is severely declining as a result of human action. Identified direct drivers of decline include damming of rivers; habitat modifications; pollution and eutrophication; invasive alien species and climate change. Indirect drivers of PC biodiversity decline include current suboptimal legal arrangements, inadequate institutional design of environmental stakeholder organizations and non-inclusive governance systems, as well as the limited funding availability for PC biodiversity conservation, institutional instability and low recognition of the need for PC biodiversity conservation. Show less
Romania and Ukraine share the Black Sea coastline, the Danube Delta and associated habitats, which harbor the endemic, aquatic Pontocaspian biota. Currently, this biota is diminishing both in... Show moreRomania and Ukraine share the Black Sea coastline, the Danube Delta and associated habitats, which harbor the endemic, aquatic Pontocaspian biota. Currently, this biota is diminishing both in numbers of species and their abundance because of human activities, and its future persistence strongly depends on the adequacy of conservation measures. Romania and Ukraine have a common responsibility to address the conservation of Pontocaspian biodiversity. The two countries, however have different socio-political and legal conservation frameworks, which may result in differences in the social network structure of stakeholder institutions with different implications for Pontocaspian biodiversity conservation. Here, we study the social network structure of stakeholder organizations involved in conservation of Pontocaspian biodiversity in Romania and the implications of network structure for conservation outcomes. Then we compare the findings from Romania to an earlier similar study from Ukraine. We apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative social network analysis methods to combine the content and context of the interactions with relational measures. We show that Pontocaspian biodiversity plays a minor and mostly incidental role in the inter-organizational interactions in Romania. Furthermore, there is room for improvement in the network structure through e.g. more involvement of governmental and nongovernmental organizations and increased motivation of central stakeholders to initiate conservation actions. Social variables, such as lack of funding, hierarchical, non-inclusive system of conservation governance and continuous institutional reforms in the public sector are consequential for the network relations and structure. Social network of stakeholders in Ukraine is more connected and central stakeholders utilize their favorable positions. However, neither in Ukraine is the Pontocaspian biodiversity a driver of organizational interactions. Consequently, both networks translate into sub-optimal conservation actions and the roads to optimal conservation are different. We end with sketching out conservation implications and recommendations for improved national and cross-border conservation efforts. Show less
Social networks, defined as sets of relationships between stakeholder organizations, are important determinants of constructive actions for biodiversity conservation. Such actions are achieved... Show moreSocial networks, defined as sets of relationships between stakeholder organizations, are important determinants of constructive actions for biodiversity conservation. Such actions are achieved through cooperation between various stakeholders, exchange of information, and joint planning and implementation. We used a mix of qualitative and quantitative social network analysis methods to investigate the interorganizational network of stakeholders in Ukraine, and the implications of network properties for the conservation of Pontocaspian biodiversity. Pontocaspian biota contains unique and endemic fauna, which are threatened by anthropogenic impacts; this makes effective conservation measures an urgent priority. We identified a well-connected, centralized network in Ukraine. However, the strong network has not resulted in effective conservation of Pontocaspian biodiversity. Suboptimal conservation action stems from the subordinate role of Pontocaspian species in the interorganizational interactions, likely due to lack of knowledge regarding Pontocaspian taxa. Social variables, such as funding scarcity and legal constraints, further limit the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation actions. We conclude that the current landscape of stakeholders in Ukraine is well placed to rapidly improve conservation actions if they are supplied with improved information and recognition of conservation needs of Pontocaspian taxa, combined with improved financial and legal conditions. Show less
