Lessons learnt from a monitoring endeavour in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch

摘要

Monitoring is a key activity in biosphere reserves and other parks. It is often used asa basis for evaluating the development of a reserve and the success of the protectedarea management. Monitoring activities hold many pitfalls, as shown by resultsfrom a project in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch. Creating a causallink between management activities and monitoring results is one major challenge.Additional difficulties arise from often used non-systematic data originating fromexternal sources. Embedding the available data in a simple conceptual model thatlinks aims and key system factors with sustainability indicators could alleviate someof the problems encountered.