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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Massachusetts have partnered to examine the role of dam operations on altered hydrology in the Connecticut River watershed, a large basin located in the northeastern portion of the United States. Specifically, alternative scenarios of system-wide dam management are being explored to naturalize river flows and improve aquatic and riparian biodiversity while continuing to provide flood control, water supply, and hydropower generation. Over 3,000 dams have been identified in the Connecticut River basin, and a system-wide approach is needed to understand interactions between dam operations and ultimate effects on river flows and river-dependent communities. We will pair hydrologic information with ecological information of river-dependent species and communities to develop flow restoration scenarios that will improve ecological conditions, be functional at a system-wide scale, and provide for human water management needs. Through the articulation of strategy effectiveness measures throughout the planning process we have been able to make course corrections to improve conservation outcomes. This case study will demonstrate how the adaptive management process allowed for improvements in the project including our approaches to science, stakeholder engagement and integration of state and federal policy. 2011-12-09 14:20 Paying for big cats: the carbon opportunity Macdonald EA*, University of Oxford; De Barros AE, University of Oxford; Malhi YM, University of Oxford ; Macdonald DW, University of Oxford; Tropical forests sit at the confluence of three linked global crises: rates of forest loss, biodiversity loss and rising global temperatures associated with catastrophic levels of anthropogenic green house gas emissions. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks (known as REDD+) is therefore proposed as a climate change mitigation strategy. While REDD+ remains an entirely carbonfocussed policy, it is hoped that its implementation will provide a diverse array of co-benefits such as watershed management, protection from soil erosion, sustainable community development and, crucial for this study, biodiversity conservation. Arguably, this use of carbon-offset mechanisms to lever biodiversity conservation (and the wider framework of Payments for Ecosystems Services) offers the greatest vehicle for investment in biodiversity in recorded history. Taking as case studies, two wide ranging felids (the Tiger (Panthera tigris) and the Jaguar (Panthera onca)), this interdisciplinary study first uses spatial analysis to show how REDD+ could deliver optimal benefits to both carbon sequestration as well as biodiversity conservation, before exploring the policy context in which this might be delivered. 2011-12-07 12:00 Assessing Nesting Habitat Monitoring Protocols for Bog Turtles: Do We Know What Females Really Want? Macey, S.*, Fordham University; Clark, J.A., Fordham University; The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) is a U.S. threatened species, primarily because the early successional wetland habitat that bog turtles require is increasingly rare. Since adequate nesting areas may be a limiting factor in degraded habitats, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) used expert opinion to draft a habitat monitoring protocol to assess nesting habitat suitability and site viability. We explored (1) whether restoration improved the amount of “suitable” habitat and (2) whether the current monitoring indicators and criteria reflect the microhabitats of actual nest-sites. Four sites in New York State were assessed in 2008 and, after restoration at three of those sites, we repeated the monitoring in 2010 and determined that the amount of “suitable” habitat had decreased at all four sites. Consequently, we ranked all sites as “poor” viability. Using radiotelemtery to locate nests, we recorded microhabitat condition data at each nest-site. CART analysis showed that woody stem density and distance to water/muck variables best described nest-site selection rather than the criteria set forth in the TNC protocol. Daily mean nest temperatures were significantly warmer than random – suggesting that females are selecting warmer nest-sites. Since restoration is the primary conservation action for bog turtle recovery, it is essential to understand nest-site selection and develop appropriate protocols for nesting habitat assessments to measure the effects of restoration. 2011-12-09 14:12 The Value of Extralimital Species to Ecotourism in the Eastern Cape Maciejewski, K*, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; Kerley, G. I. H, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; The Private Protected Areas (PPAs) in the Eastern Cape stock an abundance of charismatic species with the aim of increasing diversity of species for ecotourism. Many species, which historically did not occur in the Eastern Cape, known as extralimital species were introduced under the auspices that it would increase ecotourism by enhancing the tourist’s wildlife experience. Our hypothesis is that this is not the case and stocking extralimital species does not necessarily lead to increased interest by tourists. Given this, marketing of reserves should be used to bring more awareness to indigenous species and educate tourists the importance there of. We assessed the role that extralimital species play in ecotourism in Shamwari Game Reserve, South Africa by conducting research into the behaviour of tourists on game drives. The methodology we used included a mixed-method approach where quantitative as well as qualitative data was collected. The results suggested that tourists do not have a preference for specific species but value the experience of the reserve as a whole. During game drives most of the time was spent viewing elephants followed closely by the white rhino which was also ranked as the most important species based on proportions of viewing and stopping time. Results from questionnaires indicated that the lion was the most valued large mammal species and the black rhino was favoured over the white rhino. The study concludes that there is no value in the stocking of extralimital species and PPAs should abide to national legislation which requires the removal of extralimital species from all conservation areas. 2011-12-08 18:30 House mouse research on Saddle Island, New Zealand: Population and invasion biology MacKay, JWB*, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland; Murphy, EC, Department of Conservation, New Zealand; Hauber, ME, Hunter College, City University of New York, USA; Clout, MN, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland; After humans, house mice (Mus musculus) are probably the most widely spread mammal species in the world which is testament to the species’ adaptability and ability to invade new areas. Mice cause significant damage to the native ecosystems they invade. It is therefore extremely important to prevent them from colonising new areas and (where possible) to eradicate existing populations. Nearly 40% of mouse eradication attempts on islands have failed for unknown reasons and the invasion biology of the species has never been studied. Aspects of mouse biology were experimentally investigated on a small island in New Zealand over the course of two years. Population densities, ranging behaviour and aspects of population genetics of mice living on the island were recorded between January and August 2008 before the population was eradicated using trapping and poisoning. Invasion biology was then investigated through experimental releases of pairs of mice onto the mouse-free island. The results of these experiments highlight the impressive invasion potential of mice. Recommendations are made to both improve mouse eradication success and surveillance methods. 2011-12-09 10:30 Natural Solutions: Protected areas helping people to cope with climate change Mackinnon, Kathy, IUCN/WCPA; Dudley, Nigel, IUCN/WCPA; Sandwith, Trevor*, IUCN ; Climate change will have profound impacts on biodiversity, requiring new conservation strategies to link and restore natural habitats to maintain viable species. Improved protection and management of natural habitats can also play a critical role in helping human societies to cope with climate change. Protected areas are especially effective tools for mitigating climate change by protecting carbon stores in vegetation and soils and sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in natural ecosystems. Globally protected area systems store 15% of terrestrial carbon; wetlands and coastal and marine habitats such as mangroves and kelp forests are also important carbon sinks. Furthermore protected areas can play a vital role in adaptation strategies, helping local and vulnerable communities by buffering local climate, and reducing risks and impacts from extreme events such as storms, droughts, and sea-level rise. Conservation areas, especially when well-managed, are proven, cost effective and sustainable tools to protect ecosystem integrity and essential ecosystem services that help people cope with climate-related changes in water supplies, fish stocks, and other wild foods, diseases, and 98
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 agricultural productivity. The social and biodiversity benefits of protected areas fully justify additional support and funding for conservation, including payments for ecosystem services and new REDD+ mechanisms. 2011-12-07 16:45 Comparing environmental performance of organic and integrated management kiwifruit orchards MACLEOD, CJ*, Landcare Research; Organic farming is often promoted as a solution for counteracting the adverse impacts of agricultural intensification on biodiversity. However, it is unclear whether the biodiversity benefits derived from organic farming require an adoption of organic farming in its entirety (i.e. a systems-level approach) or whether the benefits derived are due to just a small subset of the associated management practices. Using data collected from kiwifruit orchards in New Zealand, we assess whether orchards managed under an organic system support enhanced biodiversity and soil quality than those under integrated management systems. We then test whether variation in specific land management practices among kiwifruit orchards better predicts biodiversity and soil quality than overall differences in management system, to determine whether environmental gains can also be achieved on nonorganic orchards. We conclude with a power analysis investigating whether our current study design has the power to detect significant changes in environmental performance. 2011-12-07 16:30 Landscape composition and scale determine butterfly richness in gardens: evidence from citizen-scientist garden counts in Belgium Maes, D*, Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO; Vanreusel, W, Natuurpunt; Van Dyck, H, UCL; Butterflies are among the best-known invertebrates by the general public. Making use of this social basis, the largest volunteer nature organisation in Belgium, organised monthly garden butterfly counts since 2007. To do so, volunteer citizen-scientists observed 19 easily recognisable and common butterflies species in their gardens. In total, 1140 gardens were counted in which almost 92000 individuals were observed. We analyzed the effect of both structural (area of 8 different land use types) and functional (composition and number of patches of land use types) landscape heterogeneity on butterfly species richness in gardens at 5 different spatial scales (radius 500-2500m). The smallest spatial scale (radius 500m) best explained the variation in the number of species in the gardens. Species richness was highest in gardens surrounded by a large total area of unfragmented semi-natural biotopes and a low area of densely build-on areas. Additionally, we examined the effect of the amount and the configuration of biotopes beyond 500m on butterfly species richness. A positive effect was observed for the number of deciduous woodland patches >1ha in the ring between 500- 1000m and for the area of meadows in the ring of 1000-1500m, while a negative effect of the number of densely build-on patches in the ring of 2000-2500m was demonstrated. In a next stage, we will also focus on the gardens characteristics itself and on the interaction between garden and the surrounding landscape. 2011-12-08 18:30 Temporal change in the butterfly fauna in three wards of western Tokyo, Japan, and relevant ecological factors Maezumi, T*, Institute of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo; Suda, S, Institute of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo; Kadoya, T, National Insutitute for Environmental Studies; Izumi, W, Institute of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo; We constructed a butterfly database using records collected by citizen scientists during the period from 1923 to 2008 in the three westernmost wards of Tokyo, Japan. Using the database, we examined the temporal change in the butterfly fauna in the area and analyzed the contribution of nine ecological traits to the difference between two periods: 1923-1960 (past) and 1982-2008 (recent). Of the 66 species recorded in the past, 16 species had disappeared in the recent period. Logistic regression showed that the disappearance was significantly associated with three ecological traits: univoltine (P
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Index Benini, Rubens 42 Beniston, M
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Index DeWan, Amielle 14 Dianne Brun
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Index Hilborn, Ray 27 Hill, CM 176
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Index Loutit, R. 116 Louwe Kooijman
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Index Ottewell, K 81 Overton, J 61,
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Index Sequeira, Ana 151 Serebryakov
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Index Winandy, L 181 Winner, J. 112
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