Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
major habitat types. The effectiveness of each zone to protect different
parts of the coral reef ecosystem was determined through an expert based
workshop. We compared potential priority areas for several different
scenarios, each with different zone effectiveness values and number of
zones. We found that the area required for MPAs differs between scenarios.
If zone effectiveness is ignored we would overestimate the ability of MPAs
to achieve conservation goals. Also, considering the contribution of nationwide
fishing restriction towards meeting conservation goals could lead to
an overly optimistic assessment. Our results also support to step by step
MPA planning, starting with simple designs. Our results will be shared
with stakeholders from across the four provinces of the Vatu-i-Ra seascape
to discuss the viability of such a management scheme as part of the Fiji
National Coastal Plan.
2011-12-08 18:30 Responses in soil chemistry and vegetation to soil
perturbation implemented as a restoration measure in decalcified sandy
grassland
Ödman, AM*, Department of Biology, Lund University;
Mårtensson LM, Department of Biology, Lund University; Sjöholm
C, Department of Biology, Lund University; Olsson PA, Department
of Biology, Lund University;
The species-rich communities of xeric sand calcareous grassland are gradually
disappearing due to land use changes. Experimental soil perturbations
(deep and shallow) were performed in degenerated sandy grassland and
the hypothesis that soil perturbation decrease nutrient availability, increase
calcium levels and selects for desirable species was tested. An additional
study of the seed bank and seed rain of target species was performed, which
revealed that most species were lacking from the seed bank and spread
their seeds only short distances. Increased pH and calcium concentration,
and decreased nitrogen and phosphorus availability, showed that deep
perturbation was successful in restoring the soil chemistry to levels similar
to those of the target habitat. The vegetation did not yet show much of
a positive response, which could be attributed to the lack of seed bank
and seed rain from target species. In conclusion, deep perturbation may be
a successful method of reversing acidification and nutrient enrichment in
calcareous grasslands but it must either be combined with seeding, or one
will have to wait many years before the seed rain may introduce the target
species.
2011-12-07 10:30 Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in crisis
Çağan H. Şekercioğlu*, Department of Biology, University of
Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA;
Sean Anderson, Environmental Science and Resource Management
Program, 1 University Drive, California State University Channel
Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA; Erol Akçay, National Institute
for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), University of
Tennessee, 1534 White Ave Suite 400 Knoxville, TN 37996, USA ;
Raşit Bilgin, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University,
Bebek, Istanbul, 34342, TURKEY;
Turkey (Türkiye in Turkish) is the only country in the world mostly
covered by three biodiversity hotspots (Caucasus, Irano-Anatolian,
Mediterranean). Turkey’s position at the nexus of Europe, the Middle
East, Central Asia and Africa, its mountains and its encirclement by three
seas have resulted in high terrestrial, fresh water, and marine biodiversity.
However, our scientific knowledge of Turkey’s biodiversity and associated
conservation challenges is insufficient, mainly due to limited research and
language barriers. Addressing this gap is especially relevant today because
the important biodiversity of Turkey is facing severe and growing threats,
especially from business interests and the government. Turkey ranks 140th
out of 163 countries in biodiversity and habitat conservation. As one of
the earliest loci of human civilization, Turkey has experienced millennia
of human activities that have degraded the original ecosystems on land
and sea. Although Turkey’s total forest area increased by 5.9% since 1973,
other important habitats such as endemic-rich Mediterranean chapparal,
grasslands, coastal areas, wetlands, and rivers are disappearing, and rampant
erosion is degrading steppes and rangelands. Current development-focused
policies, particularly regarding water use, threaten to eliminate much of
what remains. Development, dam construction, draining wetlands, and
irrigation are the most widespread threats. The first goal of this paper is
to broadly survey what is known about Turkey’s biodiversity, and identify
the areas where more research is needed. Our second goal is to identify
the conservation challenges that Turkey is facing today and highlight
the potential to preserve Turkey’s remaining biodiversity. Achieving this
potential requires immediate action, international attention, and greater
support for Turkey’s developing conservation capacity, and the expansion of
a nascent Turkish conservation ethic.
2011-12-09 15:15 Managing gene flow in species with fragmented
distributions
Ballou, J*, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington,
DC, USA;
The genetic consequences of population fragmentation continues to be one
of the most significant challenges in conservation genetics. Fragmented
populations experience loss of genetic diversity, accumulation of inbreeding,
genetic divergence and evolution through genetic drift as opposed to
natural selection, thereby reducing these populations’ evolutionary
potential. It is well recognized that alleviating these adverse genetic effects
requires re-establishing gene flow between fragments. Yet how this is
best accomplished, particularly in populations with multiple fragments,
is a complex issue requiring answers to many questions such as: Which
individuals to migrate? How many individuals? How often? Between which
fragments? When should gene flow begin? When it should be ceased? One
approach to answering some of these questions is to model changes in the
genetic structure of the population over its fragmentation history. These
models can provide estimates of the relative degrees of inbreeding in the
fragments, and genetic divergence between fragments, which can then be
used to develop plans for maximizing the benefits of gene flow. Here we
use this approach to propose gene flow strategies for two species: the tule
elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes) in California, and the golden lion tamarin
(Leontopithecus rosalia) in Brazil.
2011-12-06 14:00 A framework, methods and tools for integrating
social considerations in marine spatial planning
Ban, NC*, James Cook University;
Recent marine planning and conservation literature emphasizes the
importance of social considerations to improve success of implementation
and long-term outcomes. In general, the rationale for integrating
social considerations is that resulting plans and management actions
are more likely to achieve their goals through improved compliance
when stakeholders, including planners and scientists, are engaged in the
planning process, and when management actions reflect more nuanced
understandings of human behaviour and decision-making. Several bodies
of knowledge outside of marine planning focus on the intricate links
between ecosystems and people, rejecting the premise that they can be
usefully viewed in complete isolation from one another. In particular, the
social-ecological systems framework provides a lens for examining social
considerations in marine spatial planning. Linking the social-ecological
systems framework with a systematic approach to marine spatial planning
promises to allow for more complete integration of social considerations
in planning. It also opens the door to a vast array of relevant methods and
tools from the social sciences that can improve how social considerations,
including meaningful participation of actors, are addressed.
2011-12-06 15:15 Bayesian decision networks applied to management
of multiple stressors in coral reefs
Ban, S*, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies;
Bayesian decision networks are an emerging tool in the management of
complex, multi-stakeholder planning processes. They enable decision
makers to solicit input and preferences from experts and non-experts alike
through the use of subjective or qualitative knowledge and preferences
about costs, threats, and values. Beyond weighting network/model
parameters, stakeholder input may also drive the structure of the model
itself. Decision networks also facilitate the evaluation of alternative scenarios
based on factors such as stakeholder preferences and uncertainty about
ecosystem responses. The management of coral reef ecosystems provides
an ideal opportunity to employ Bayesian decision networks, particularly
given the complexity and uncertainty associated with multiple stressor
interactions, and the requirement to incorporate both terrestrial and marine
management and stakeholder components. Here I provide an example of
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