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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 main cause. This so-called specialization-disturbance (SD) hypothesis is supported by large data sets that show positive correlation between species’ ecological specialization and extinction risk. But, managers on the ground need finer detail on how specialization increases sensitivity to disturbance. To test the SD hypothesis and support endangered species conservation, I studied the population-level responses of two coexisting fruit bats in the Philippines to their main threats: habitat loss and roost site disturbance. My results suggest the specialist is much more sensitive to disturbance than the generalist. Population abundance correlates closely with native forest cover for both species (R2>0.92). However, the specialist is uniquely dependent on forest, with a 3-dimensional ecological niche that lies only in forest and is entirely included within the larger niche of the generalist. The specialist populations are less abundant and require >5.6 times more forest than generalists. The specialist is also >6.2 times more sensitive to disturbance at and around the roost than the generalist. To maintain persisting populations of the specialist species, managers need to address colony compositions that are heavily skewed toward the generalist and strictly protect roost sites and surrounding forest from disturbance. 2011-12-07 14:40 Adapting Toward the Best of Both Worlds: Natural Resource and Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment of the Hudson River Estuary Miller, D.*, New York State Department of Environmetal Conservation, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve; Spector, S., Scenic Hudson; Winner, J., Scenic Hudson; Blair, B., New York State Department of Environmetal Conservation, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve; Sea level rise (SLR) is the most immediate climate change challenge to the Hudson River Estuary ecosystem, with up to 1.4m of relative SLR projected by 2080. Within the projected inundation zone lie over 13,000 acres of tidal wetlands and vegetated shallows, and over 5000 acres of supratidal and floodplain habitats that will likely be inundated. We conducted a vulnerability analysis that provides stakeholders with a high-resolution understanding, through both space and time, of SLR impacts on the estuary’s natural habitats and built infrastructure and creates a planning framework for local and regional adaptation efforts. Along 160 miles of tidal river we 1) projected inundation and flood risk according to two SLR scenarios, with models reiterated at decadal time steps, 2) identified river stretches and sites that have important natural or built resources within or near the risk zone, and 3) classified each site according to their resiliency or vulnerability to periodic or constant inundation. Our results identified sites at which natural resource conservation and infrastructure protection may proceed independently, as well as areas of potential conflict where balanced solutions must be found. Considering these conflict zones through time, and considering them within a whole-estuary context, provided different perspectives on trade-offs between shoreline hardening and habitat migration and point the way toward a range of locally-appropriate management options. 2011-12-09 14:40 California’s MLPA Initiative: Transitioning A Science-driven and Stakeholder-based Planning Process to Decisionmakers and Resource Managers Miller-Henson, Melissa*, California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative; Fox, Evan, California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative; States and nations are increasingly placing priority on area-based planning and management that involves not only the best science, but also active participation of local communities and stakeholders. However, there are challenges to designing planning efforts that can then successfully transition to decision-making and resource management when they are conducted by different organizations. The California MLPA Initiative (MLPAI), was created and charged with helping the state redesign its MPAs through a science-driven, public planning process where stakeholders actively engaged in collaborative consultation and negotiation; the resulting recommendations were then presented to the state for decisions about how best to pursue implementation, which is carried out by two different state resource management agencies. The MLPAI was an experiment in combining consideration of how to design MPAs to achieve what are primarily ecosystem-based ecological goals with consideration of multiple human uses, interests, values and knowledge types; this type of interdisciplinary approach to addressing ecological, social and economic factors requires a flexible and adaptive approach to be successful, a model that is not common to state natural resource management. This example illustrates some of the challenges experienced; recommendations are made for how to better ensure a successful transition and improved long-term management of protected areas. 2011-12-09 11:45 Evaluating an eradication program for the northern Pacific seastar, Asterias amurensis, in Victoria, Australia. Millers, Kimberley*, University of Melbourne; McCarthy, Michael, University of Melbourne; Carey, Jan, University of Melbourne; Our ability to manage a spreading introduced marine species is often impeded by the lack of scientific information and limited resources. Management strategies aimed at controlling marine invasive species are often data poor and therefore continuously under review. This study aims to evaluate the management strategies of a recent incursion of the invasive seastar, Asterias amurensis, at Anderson Inlet, Victoria. In 2004, government agencies and community members commenced an eradication program to slow the spread of Asterias amurensis, along the coast of Victoria. Over the duration of the program, volunteers used a number of removal techniques to reduce the population size. Eradication was declared at Anderson Inlet in June 2004. Search method, search time, removal rate and cost were monitored during the eradication process. Over 250 individual seastars where removed during the removal program by community volunteer divers. Removal rate decreased exponentially with time. There are few examples of eradication of marine invasives and therefore this is a unique opportunity to gain valuable information to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocation in applied real-world scenarios. The findings of this evaluation will assist managers utilise resources when managing incursions of this and other species across the southern Australian coast. Date 14:00 Integrating fisheries approaches and household utility models for improved resource management Milner-Gulland, E.J.*, Imperial College London; Natural resource management is littered with cases of over-exploitation and ineffectual management, leading to loss of both biodiversity and human welfare. Disciplinary boundaries stifle the search for solutions to these issues. I combine the approach of management strategy evaluation, widely applied in fisheries, with household utility models from conservation and development, to produce an integrated framework for evaluating the effectiveness of competing management strategies for harvested resources against a range of performance metrics. I demonstrate the strengths of this approach with a simple model, and use it to examine the effect of manager ignorance of household decisions on resource management effectiveness, and an allocation trade-off between monitoring resource stocks to reduce observation uncertainty and monitoring users to improve compliance. I show that this integrated framework enables management assessments to consider household utility as a direct metric for system performance, and that while utility and resource stock conservation metrics are well aligned, harvest yield is a poor proxy for both, because it is a product of household allocation decisions between alternate livelihood options, rather than an end in itself. This approach has potential far beyond single-species harvesting in situations where managers are in full control, enabling a range of management intervention options to be evaluated within the same framework. 2011-12-08 18:30 Wood density variation in an altitudinal gradient: a key component for determining above-ground biomass Mireia, Torello Raventos*, James Cook Univeristy; Bird, Michael, James Cook University; Saiz, Gustavo, James Cook University; Lloyd, Jon, James Cook University; Dan Metcalfe, CSIRO; More reliable knowledge on the complex responses of vegetation to climate change is one of the most urgent needs for tropical forest preservation. Quantifying the terrestrial above-ground carbon stocks in tropical forests along an altitudinal gradient provides a way to improve the understanding of vegetation dynamics in the face of climate change. Tropical forests are known for possessing a wide range of wood densities, adding complexity to the accurate estimation of tones of carbon per area. We have selected 9 plots in tropical forests in North Queensland, Australia along an altitudinal gradient (50-1500 m) in 2 main soil types. Throughout my PhD 1) I have placed dendrometers in my field sites to study the above-ground net primary productivity; 2) I have developed a new field-based and non-destructive method to determine the wood density in a tree plantation. 3) I am studying 112
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 the relationships between wood density and environmental variables. 4) I am quantifying the coarse woody debris decomposition rates along an altitudinal gradient. Our analysis demonstrates that the ultrasonic velocity and wood density are positively related. A more comprehensive analysis will be performed in the coming months. This scientific project will predict relationships between wood density and environmental variables to infer carbon stocks at local and global scale. The outcomes of my research will be a further step to minimize the impact of climate change on our planet. 2011-12-07 18:15 Matrix heterogeneity affects population size of Harvest mice in fragmented landscape Misako Kuroe*, Akita Prefectural University; In a highly fragmented landscape, not only habitat size and arrangement but also heterogeneity of landscape matrix affects population sizes through dispersal process. Most previous studies estimated matrix-dependent dispersal parameters using radio-tracking data or mark-recapture data which were difficult to obtain. In this study, I demonstrated that matrix resistances can be estimated by using distribution data. I investigated nest distributions of Harvest mice (Micomys minutes), which inhabits tall grassland in agricultural landscape. First, statistical modeling by Bayesian estimation showed that patch size and patch connectivity including matrix heterogeneity were important for nest distributions. Estimated values of matrix resistance depend on landscape elements; rice and crop field showed low resistances, and forest, creak, road and residential area showed high resistances. Second, to test the effectiveness of the pattern-oriented Bayesian modeling, I conducted field experiments and model validations. The field experiments of habitat loss showed that the colonization rates were also depended on matrix compositions, which were consistent with estimated matrix resistances. The model validation showed that the model including matrix heterogeneity well predicted the population sizes in more fragmented landscapes, while the model without matrix heterogeneity could not. These results suggest that matrix resistances estimated by distribution data were applicable for predicting population size, and in addition to habitat management, matrix restoration will be an effective strategy to enhance population size in fragmented landscape. 2011-12-07 16:50 Population genetics: A promising future of wildlife conservation Mishra, A*, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, India; Mishra, S, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India; The biological diversity of our planet is rapidly reducing due to direct or indirect effect of human interference. Most of the species have already become extinct while others are facing the risk of extinction. In view of advances taken place in DNA technologies in recent years, population genetics has become widely used to reveal future status and conservation of both abundant and endangered species. Population genetics focuses on the effects of present genetic structuring or sub-structuring on long-term survival of a species which facilitates wildlife managers protect biodiversity by identifying different conservation units. There are two major tools in population genetics, mitochondrial DNA markers and nuclear DNA (microsatellite DNA) markers. Mitochondrial DNA evolves up to 10 times faster than the nuclear DNA. It is regarded as an important tool in studying evolutionary relationships among various taxa due to its conserved protein-coding regions, high variability in non-coding sequences and lack of recombination. Microsatellites DNA, due to their high degree of polymorphism and co-dominance, have been widely used to study different aspects of population genetics viz. gene flow, inbreeding depression, immigration, emigration, parentage analysis and genetic diversity. Here, we describe the importance of population genetic tools for better implementation of conservation and management plans for wildlife. 2011-12-07 17:30 Participatory forest management in Kenya informed by scientific and land use change research MITCHELL, NICHOLAS*, Institute for Applied Research, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany; Schaab, Gertrud, Institute for Applied Research, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany; Examples of protected area management are increasingly labelled as participatory although reality can sometimes lag behind the claims of inclusivity. The example of Kakamega Forest in Kenya has not only brought together two governing authorities with forest-adjacent communities but has also incorporated the active contribution of the BIOTA East Africa scientific research project into the management planning process. A management zonation scheme has been devised that takes account of the commercial expectations of foresters and the needs of the adjacent human population, and the additional scientific input has also brought ecological considerations to the fore. Land use change research has constituted one of the most pertinent parts of the knowledge base and has led to plans for restoration of corridors linking only the habitats known to have been actively fragmented. The involvement of socio-economists has also led to the addition of a livelihood support zone outside the forest boundary for the first time. The inclusion of scientists within the management planning process has both enabled the ready access to research results and has highlighted the need for scientists to make results available in a format ready for digestion by protected area managers and non-scientists. The forest management zonation therefore represents the recognition of the interests of a broad set of stakeholders. 2011-12-08 10:34 Alien predator ameliorates threat of invasive mesopredator on native prey in a pond metacommunity Miyashita, T., Department of Ecosystem Studies, University if Tokyo; Takeda, H., Department of Ecosystem Studies, University if Tokyo; Kuroe, M., Department of Ecosystem Studies, University if Tokyo; Osada, Y.*, Department of Ecosystem Studies, University if Tokyo; Many ecosystems today harbor multiple alien species that interact in various ways, making it difficult to control alien species to restore native communities. Mesopredator release is a typical example, which could bring unwanted outcome to native prey organisms. Here we report a novel case study showing that an apex predator (common carp) controls establishment of invasive mesopredator (bullfrog) and rescues native prey species in a network of numerous farm ponds. We investigated the distribution of the invasive bullfrog Rana catesbeiana, alien common carp Cypninus carpio, and native organisms in numerous farm ponds in Iwate prefecture, northern Japan. We constructed a structural model including pond connectivity, environmental variables, native organisms, and two species of aliens inhabiting each pond, and estimated parameters of these relationships by using a Bayesian analysis. Connectivity enhanced local abundance of the bullfrog, which decreased abundance of a native frog Rana rugosa. The presence of the common carp, however, prevented this negative effect by decreasing the local abundance of the bullfrog. Because R. rugosa is known to have chemical deterrent against Cyprinidae predator, the predation by the common carp on R. rugosa appeared to have been negligible and indirect positive effect of the common carp might have prevailed. This appears to be the first study demonstrating the possibility of the positive effect of alien predators in a metacommunity context. 2011-12-06 14:08 Habitat Preference Of An Elusive Bird Species - Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis) In Zaraninge Coastal Forest, Tanzania Modest, RB*, Sokoine University of Agriculture; Muganda, M, Sokoine University of Agriculture; Kitegile, A, Sokoine University of Agriculture; Sabuni, C, Sokoine University of Agriculture; Sokoke pipit is restricted to coastal forests of Tanzania and Kenya. While the Tanzania’s population is not yet ascertained, only 13,000 individuals are reported in Arabu Sokoke forest, Kenya. The bird species is listed as Endangered because all over its range the habitat is declining due to agriculture and tree cutting. Having this in mind, we investigated the habitat preference of this bird species in Zaraninge forest-Tanzania, which is one of its prime home range remaining in the country. We used stratified random procedure, where we established transects in the forest edge and core. We walked along transects, and at each point we sighted or heard the bird we established a 15 m radius circle and recorded the bird-habitat relationship. Result showed that S. pipit preferred least disturbed habitats with tall trees that are less influenced by human activities. We concluded that S. pipit in Zaraninge forest avoided areas that experienced frequent human interference including places next to pineapple and maize fields. Since the local communities surrounding Zaraninge forest have a stake on the management of this forest, we recommend awareness raising and community participation for restoring the degraded areas of the forest to allow for recovery of the species lost habitats. 113
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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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