National Parks and Protected Areas
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Future Work
The National Parks described above comprise a crucial aspect of the conservation of habitat in the Seychelles. These and other parks like them across the island chain are a starting point for future work that will further protect the forests and ensure their integrity. Such work should include responsible and highly regulated use of forest services such as the collection of coco de mer nuts for tourism. Today, nearly all of the nuts are collected for sale preventing significant sapling growth to take place (5). In the future, a balance must be found between money from tourists and conservation of flora. Another essential improvement to the conservation effort must be the strengthening of laws meant to protect the National Parks already in existence. Despite the fact that nearly 50% of land use in the Seychelles is protected by the government, human infringement in these areas still occurs (6). By reversing this trend through stringent laws and regulation, this damage can be repaired. Finally, work must be directed towards destroying invasive species while promoting endemic and native species across the islands. These governmental efforts, combined with the support from the citizens of the Seychelles, will safeguard the unique habitats of the Granitic Seychelles for generations to come.
Sources
- Fleischmann, Karl, Peter J. Edwards, Dieter Ramseier, and Johannes Kollmann. "Stand Structure, Species Diversity and Regeneration of an Endemic Palm Forest on the Seychelles." African Journal of Ecology African J Ecol 43.4 (2005): 291-301. Web.
- Matatiken, Denis, Eric Sophola, Jason Jaqueline, and Morgan Guillon. "The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources Country Report Seychelles." (n.d.): n. pag. fao.org. Commission on Resources for Food and Agriculture. Web. 24 May 2016.
- Justin Gerlach (2008) Climate change and identification of terrestrial protected areas in the Seychelles Islands, Biodiversity, 9:3-4, 24-29, DOI: 10.1080/14888386.2008.9712904
- "Location." Seychelles Islands Foundation. Seychelles Islands Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 May 2016.
- Rist, Lucy, Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury, Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, Peter Edwards, Nancy Bunbury, and Jaboury Ghazoul. "Sustainable Harvesting of Coco De Mer, Lodoicea Maldivica, in the Vallée De Mai, Seychelles." Forest Ecology and Management 260.12 (2010): 2224-231. Web.
- Jennings, Simon. "Cousin Island, Seychelles: A Small, Effective and Internationally Managed Marine Reserve." - Springer. Coral Reefs, July 1998. Web. 24 May 2016.