The history of nature conservation between 1986 and 1990 (designation of protected areas)

Abstract

From the previously analysed time period (1981-1985) 5776 protected area were established around the world. The published data are derived from the protected area categories of the IUCN. In the presently examined time period (from 1986 to 1990) 47.5% of the areas are in the IVth kind of IUCN category (protected landscape). By the database of the IUCN, the highest number of areas were designated in Germany between 1986-1990 (846 areas). Until 1990, not just the number of protected areas has increased but the number of categories became more diverse. The number of categories had increased compared to the previously measured time period, 278 existed in this interval. The dispersion of the founded areas in accordance to their size is similar to the previous time period - most of them are in the category of 0-99 ha sized areas’ -, although it is just the 0,036 percent of the total size of established areas. 37 areas had been added to the IUCN list from Hungary. In that period the Gödöllő Hillside TK (protected landscape area), and beside it, 8 more protected landscape areas and protected areas were founded. Compared to the previously measured time period (1981-1985) the number of the founded areas decreased: from 6174 to 4412. In this period, some important historic events were the foundation of the Latin American La Amistad National Park and the Madagascarian Mantadia National Park, both are part of the world heritage nowadays the srí-lankan Somawathiya National Park, where (supposedly) one tooth of Buddha is preserved, the American Great Basin National Park with its over 5000 years old pine trees, the Algerian Tassili n’Ajjer National Park, with its prehistoric rock art, and the Australian Christmas Island National Park with its endemic species.