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
Sowing the seed? Human impact and plant subsistence in Dutch wetlands during the Late Mesolithic and Early and Middle Neolithic (5500-3400 cal BC). The understanding of the neolithisation process... Show moreSowing the seed? Human impact and plant subsistence in Dutch wetlands during the Late Mesolithic and Early and Middle Neolithic (5500-3400 cal BC). The understanding of the neolithisation process in the Netherlands has increased considerably during the last decades. A coherent overview of the archaeobotanical research on the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture was, however, lacking until now. This thesis aims to provide a better understanding of the neolithisation process in the Dutch wetlands by means of the reconstruction of the natural vegetation, human impact, plant use and cultivation practises at the time of the Late Mesolithic, the Swifterbant culture and the Hazendonk group. The study is a literature study based on the analysis of published and unpublished data on pollen, seeds and fruits, wood, charcoal and tubers from four wetland regions. The extensive botanical data sets of recently excavated sites have been combined and compared with evidence of earlier investigations, resulting in a coherent overview and new interpretations. The evidence from the Dutch wetlands has furthermore been compared with that of comparable cultural groups in Northwestern Europe. Show less
Ben En National Park is one of the 30 National Parks in Vietnam. In this study its botanical wealth has been comprehensively inventoried as well as the very important roles that plants play in the... Show moreBen En National Park is one of the 30 National Parks in Vietnam. In this study its botanical wealth has been comprehensively inventoried as well as the very important roles that plants play in the daily life and economy of the people inhabiting the Park. Floristic diversity - In our survey 1389 vascular plant species were recorded, belonging to 650 genera and 173 families. Useful plants - A total of 386 plant species are used by local people for a diversity of end-uses, including health care. No less than 56 species are commercialized and contribute 23% of the average income of individual households. Human impact - Human disturbance had a strong negative impact on forest structure, leading to lowered densities of trees and useful plants, even though species diversity was not greatly altered. Conclusion - Despite the fact that many forest areas in the Park have been and still are disturbed by local people, the plant diversity is very high and worth conserving. Recommendations are made for greater sustainability of local plant use and for restoration of heavily disturbed parts of the Park. Show less
