Bombing for Biodiversity : Integrating the MilitaryTraining and Environmental Values of MilitaryTraining Areas
Date
2017
Authors
Zentelis, Richard Aleksander
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Abstract
Military training areas (MTAs) cover an estimated 2-3 percent of
the Earth’s terrestrial environment, occurring in all major
biomes. These areas are important supplementary sites for
biodiversity conservation, with the potential to increase the
global protected area network by approximately 12-15 percent if
recognised for their environmental values and managed
appropriately. Despite the significant area that MTAs occupy, and
their potential contribution to biodiversity protection globally,
there is a paucity of research and understanding of their
environmental values, and how best to integrate management of
military training and environmental values.
My research focussed on understanding and integrating management
of the military training and environmental values found on MTAs.
The first part of my research focussed on understanding the
military training and environmental values of MTAs. This research
highlighted that only limited empirical data exist on the
environmental values of these areas. An investigation of the
Australian MTA management framework revealed that management of
military training and environmental values are not integrated.
Second, I focussed on developing a set of management principles
to guide the management of MTAs. As MTAs are unique, with no
other land management unit being subject to similar types of
impacts, the principles combine existing and novel approaches for
the management of these areas. Central to the design of the
principles are two adaptive management loops that integrate
military training and environmental management outcomes. This is
the first time that two adaptive management loops have been used
to manage the one land use activity.
The final part of my research focussed on 1. Developing a land
management model and management prescriptions for MTAs that
integrate the management of the military training and
environmental values of these areas, allowing for improved
management outcomes that are transparent and accountable, and, 2.
Providing guidance, in the absence of further detailed
environmental information, on how best to manage military
training-related environmental disturbance. The land management
model consists of two management equations and a four-part
management condition test that, when appropriately applied,
should result in improved management outcomes for both the
military training and environmental values of MTAs. The new
approach allows for the assessment of different MTA land
management configurations prior to on-ground implementation. The
model also makes provision for the incorporation of management
costs. Guidance on how best to manage military training-related
environmental disturbance was developed by initially
investigating the causes for military training-related
disturbance and simulating military
training-related environmental disturbance at different range
usage rates under a typical range rotation use strategies. These
results were compared to estimated ecosystem recovery rates from
training activities. We found that even at relatively low usage
rates, random allocation and random spatial use of training
ranges within an MTA resulted in environmental degradation. To
avoid large scale environmental degradation, we developed a
decision-making tool that details the best method for managing
training-related disturbance by determining how training
activities can be allocated to training ranges.
Collectively, the research in this thesis has resulted in the
development of a new approach to the management of MTAs that
allows for better integration of the military training and
environmental values.
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Keywords
environmental management, military training areas, integrated land management
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