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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 and to discuss the implications for broad marine conservation policy issues. Australia was one of the first nations to adopt bioregional ocean planning, and an Australian fishery was the first worldwide to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification. In many ways Australian strategic marine planning appears impressive. Five case studies of Australian fisheries management are examined. These indicate that (a) the integrity of the Australian government’s fisheries accreditation process is seriously flawed, and (b) the application of the precautionary and ecosystem approaches within Australian fisheries is characterised by strong rhetoric but weak implementation. Case studies discussed cover the northern prawn trawl fishery, and fisheries for orange roughy, western rock lobster, South Australian abalone, and southern ocean krill. I reach a conclusion that implementation failures largely rest on management cultures – a finding which reinforces recommendations made in recent years by several prominent scientists for fundamental and far-reaching changes to the administration of marine fisheries worldwide. 2011-12-06 10:30 Modelling the response of the biosphere to global change (symposium keynote) Newbold, T*, UNEP-WCMC & Microsoft Research; Harfoot, M, UNEP-WCMC & Microsoft Research; Tittensor, D, UNEP-WCMC & Microsoft Research; Purves, D, Microsoft Research; Scharlemann, J, UNEP-WCMC; Biodiversity continues to be lost at an unprecedented rate, with associated declines in ecosystem function and the provision of ecosystem services. In order to stem these declines, we urgently need models that project how the biosphere will respond to future changes and, through effects on the provision of ecosystem services, how changes in the biosphere will impact human well-being and the economy. There are many such models currently in use, which I will summarize in the first part of the talk. Some focus on individual species, others on whole ecosystems, and others on the provision of goods and services by ecosystems to humans. The methods used include statistical analysis of observed patterns and process-based models that attempt to capture the ecology underlying the observed patterns. The functional traits of organisms, such as body size, reproductive rates, diet and mobility, can determine how they respond to environmental changes and also how the organisms contribute to ecosystem processes and to the delivery of ecosystem services. In the second part of the talk, I will present the results of a model showing that for tropical forest bird species large, slow-breeding non-migrants that feed primarily on fruit and invertebrates have declined more in response to land-use intensification than other species. These results can help identify the species most vulnerable to land-use change and have implications for the continued provision of important ecosystem processes. 2011-12-09 11:00 Does money grow on trees? Implications of livelihood heterogeneity for payments for environmental services in Amazonian extractive reserves. Newton, P*, University of East Anglia; Nichols, L., Columbia University; Endo, W., Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Peres, C., University of East Anglia; Options for limiting tropical deforestation have included implementation of payments for environmental services (PES) programs that induce behavioural changes in local actors through financial incentives. We predict that heterogeneity in local economies and livelihood strategies may influence the ability of an undifferentiated reward structured PES to achieve reduced deforestation. During a two-year study, we collected socioeconomic and demographic data at the household and community levels across two large Amazonian extractive reserves encompassing a vast mosaic of unflooded (terra firme) and seasonally flooded (várzea) forest. Communities with greater access to terra firme forest were more agricultural, and strongly committed to manioc production, whereas communities surrounded by flooded forest showed a greater dependence on extractivism. A spatially extensive PES program, the Bolsa Floresta, is being introduced across this region but pays equal financial incentives to all households. Since manioc cultivation is the primary driver of local primary forest conversion, households most engaged in agriculture incurred the greatest opportunity costs. The relative incentives of cash payments and development investment therefore varied widely according to households’ and communities’ demographic and socioeconomic status. We show that avoided primary forest conversion could be greatly increased with differentiated payment structures that are adjusted for local differences in opportunity costs and livelihood strategies, and present two metrics that could help to achieve that goal. 2011-12-08 18:30 The potential for cougar recolonization of Midwestern North America Nielsen, Clayton*, Southern Illinois University; Cougars (Puma concolor) were extirpated from Midwestern North America by the turn of the 20th century. However, since 1990, >300 confirmations of cougars have been recorded in the region, which indicates a potential recolonization event. Herein, I summarize the first research efforts regarding cougars in the Midwest. I created a model of potential cougar habitat in the 11-state region using geospatial data, expert-opinion surveys, and a GIS. About 8% of the region contains highly suitable habitat for cougars; 6 large, contiguous areas of highly suitable habitat for cougars were identified. The habitat suitability map was used for a population viability analysis that projected cougar occupancy 50 years into the future. Of 136 total suitable patches available to be recolonized, 35 will be occupied in 50 years. Cougar occupancy will be higher in patches closer to current cougar range and female dispersal drives recolonization potential. A mail-in survey was sent to residents of urban and rural counties of North Dakota (with breeding cougars) and Kentucky (without breeding cougars) to assess attitudes regarding cougars and management. Given the differences between states and especially between rural vs. urban respondents, conservation agencies will have to develop diverse educational and management strategies for cougars. Overall, these findings suggest that cougar recolonization potential in the Midwest is high and that humans are generally supportive of their return. Date 14:45 The role of human decision-making for the sustainability of trophy hunting Nils Bunnefeld*, Imperial College London; Trophy hunting has been widely advocated as conservation tool and is now operating throughout the world, albeit with varying success. Wildlife populations exploited for trophy hunting are decreasing in many parts of the world. The reason for the failures of trophy hunting might be rooted in the following assumptions that are often made in conservation and management programmes for trophy hunting; perfect implementation through top down control by an all powerful and knowledgeable manager and full compliance with the management plan by hunting companies and local people. However, management plans often disregard both the cultural, social and economic needs of local people and the economic interests of hunting companies. We explore these issues using the example of the Mountain nyala in Ethiopia, and suggest a new framework for management that incorporates human behaviour into management decision-making and that takes into account uncertainty in the process of monitoring and implementation of the management plan. This approach can reveal new insights into the management of trophy hunting under multiple objectives of conservation, economic and social viability and under various forms of uncertainty. 2011-12-06 15:00 Estimating the turnover of Hemipteran assemblages from the phylogeny of their host plants: a tool for conservation planning? Nipperess, DA*, Macquarie University; Beattie, AJ, Macquarie University; Faith, DP, Australian Museum; Kitching, RL, Griffith University; Hughes, L, Macquarie University; Insects, despite forming a very large proportion of the terrestrial biota, are omitted from conservation planning because patterns of spatial turnover among insect faunas are largely unknown. Because of the high effort associated with insect surveys, there is a need to be able to predict the turnover of insect faunas from other, more easily measured, variables. We here report results investigating a relationship between the phylogenetic relatedness of plant species and the turnover of their associated Hemipteran assemblages. Using pyrethrum knockdown techniques, we collected Hemipterans from 76 plant species across three localities in sclerophyll woodland in the temperate, subtropical and tropical climate zones of eastern Australia. Phylogenetic relationships of the host plants were determined by constructing an informal supertree with branch lengths estimated from divergence times available in the literature. Distance-based linear modelling indicated that plant phylogeny explained 12% of the variation in Hemipteran assemblage composition (p=0.001), being just as important as the spatial separation of the plants. Our results suggest that: 1) conservation planning based on maximizing phylogenetic diversity of plants will also tend to preserve herbivorous insect diversity; and 2) information on plant phylogenetic diversity can and should be employed in planning for the 120
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 conservation of herbivorous insects. 2011-12-07 11:15 The influence of spatial scale on landscape and local drivers and perceptions of human-wildlife conflict in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, S. India. Nisha Owen*, University of Leeds; Sumin G. Thomas, Keystone Foundation; Anita Varghese, Keystone Foundation; M.D. Madhusudan, Nature Conservation Foundation; Human-wildlife conflict continues to undermine conservation of large mammals and inhibit sustainable development of rural communities in shared landscapes. Livestock depredation, crop raiding, and threats to life or property are major causes of conflicts. There is recognition that conflict is often localized, yet there have been few comparative studies on how drivers and perceptions change at different spatial scales. Understanding the influence of scale both on conflict and on mitigation decision-making is fundamental, as landscape-level management may not recognize local individuality or intensity, while local schemes may not contextualize conflict and often simply divert conflicts onto neighboring areas. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, 10,000 sq. km. of the Western Ghats in South India, is a mosaic of human use and protected areas, where some of the largest remaining populations of endangered Asian mammals interact with a growing rural human population. We studied socio-ecological drivers of loss and perceptions of threat at both village and household levels. 62 village interviews and 300 household interviews (in a sub-set of 18 villages), were conducted from May 2009 to January 2011. Results indicate that socioecological drivers of loss and perception do differ significantly by scale, and that addressing ecological drivers should take priority in landscape management, while socio-economic drivers should be of concern when decision-making is made at local scales. 2011-12-07 15:30 Predicting and managing trophic cascade by removal of alien apex predators: the importance of alternative resources to mesopredators Nishijima, S*, The University of Tokyo; Takimoto, G, Toho University; Miyashita, T, The University of Tokyo; Growing evidence reports that removal of alien apex predators often augments abundance of alien mesopredators (i.e., mesopredator release), which decreases abundance of native prey of the mesopredators (i.e., trophic cascade). However, decreasing apex predators does not always cause a mesopredator release and/or a trophic cascade. By mathematical modeling, we develop a theoretical framework that can predict the outcome of controlling apex predators, and propose a novel restoration strategy. We demonstrate that a model with alternative resources sustaining mesopredators can create all of the previously observed outcomes induced by removing apex predators, whereas a model without alternative resources cannot. Using the model with alternative resources, we also show that whether a trophic cascade occurs is determined by (1) predation rate of apex predator, (2) predation rate of mesopredator, and (3) bottom-up effect of alternative resource to mesopredator. These three factors can explain observed variations in the effects of reducing apex predators. Finally, the model shows that removing the alternative resource enhances the population size of native prey. These results suggest that considering alternative resources supporting mesopredators is important to predict the outcomes of removing alien apex predators, and controlling alternative resources to mesopredators can be effective for the management of ecosystems invaded by multiple alien predators. 2011-12-07 14:45 Local perspectives on Ebiil Marine Protected Area through socio-economic study Noelle Wenty Oldiais*, Palau International Coral Reef Center; Supin Wongbusarakum, The Nature Conservancy ; Adelle Lukes Isechal, Palau International Coral Reef Center; Dawnette Ulimang Olsudong, Palau International Coral Reef Center; The success of Marine Protected Areas largely depends on people’s perceptions and attitudes, yet few efforts have focused on socio-economic assessment. In Palau, as in many other places in the Pacific, most of the work on MPAs is focused on ecological monitoring. A socio-economic study was conducted in 2010 by the Palau International Coral Reef Center at Ngarchelong State in Palau, where Ebiil Marine Protected Area is located, to better understand how the local people perceived its management and effectiveness. Surveys of all Ngarchelong households who use marine resources in Ngarchelong regardless of their place of residency in Palau and key informant interviews were used to collect data. The result showed that 95% of the people of Ngarchelong supported Ebiil being a legislated MPA and 78% supported additional MPA(s). Comparing this study to a socioeconomic study done 5 years prior, economic benefits are now perceived to be more equally shared and perception of the management and effectiveness of Ebiil had improved since. The changes in perceptions were most likely caused by awareness building through many of the community meetings and consultations since the prior study. However, the threats of illegal entry/fishing/poaching and suggestions to strengthen surveillance and enforcement still remained. It is crucial to continue the efforts in doing socioeconomic studies in all other MPAs in Palau to ensure that the management of protected marine areas is effective. 2011-12-06 11:00 Vicariance and endemism in a Neotropical savanna hotspot: distribution patterns of Cerrado squamate reptiles Nogueira, Cristiano*, Universidade de Brasília; Ribeiro, Síria, Faculdades Integradas do Tapajós; Costa, Gabriel, Universidade do Rio Grande do Norte; Colli, Guarino, Universidade de Brasília; The South American Cerrado region is recognized as a significant biodiversity hotspot. However, biogeographical patterns and processes in the Cerrado savannas remain largely unstudied, hampering representative conservation action. We used detailed and revised data on the distribution of Squamate reptiles to describe biogeographical patterns and test predictions of the vicariance model, using biotic element analysis. Clusters of coocurring species were compared to putative areas of endemism harboring at least two restricted-range species. Distribution patterns corroborated predictions of the vicariance model, revealing regional groups of species with significantly clustered ranges. An analysis of endemic species recovered six biotic elements, corroborating results including non-endemics. Sympatric restricted-range taxa delimited 10 putative areas of endemism, largely coincident with core areas of biotic elements detected with endemic taxa. Distribution patterns were associated with major topographical and vegetational divisions of the Cerrado. Endemism prevailed in open, elevated plateaus, whereas faunal interchange, mostly associated with forest habitats, was more common in peripheral depressions. Vicariant speciation has strongly shaped Cerrado squamate diversity, but has been poorly represented in previous conservation analyses. Although still largely undocumented due mostly to lack of adequate data compilations and analyses, effects of vicariant speciation may be prevalent in a large fraction of Cerrado and Neotropical biodiversity. 2011-12-07 12:15 Status of New Zealand’s forests Norton, David*, University of Canterbury; Manley, Bruce, University of Canterbury; New Zealand’s forests have undergone dramatic change over the 750 years since first human settlement. Widespread fires during the early phases of Polynesian settlement resulted in the replacement of about one third of these forests with grassland and shrubland, mainly in drier eastern areas. More rapid deforestation associated with European settlement saw another third of the original forest cover lost, as well as extensive areas of shrubland, with the remaining native forest now biased towards upland and higherrainfall areas. While the majority of native forests are now legally protected, most are still declining because of the pervasive impacts of introduced animal pests. Notwithstanding this, changing agricultural policy and more recently the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme have seen an increase in the area of regenerating native forest, especially in lowland areas where old-growth native forest is scarce. New Zealand also has a long-established plantation forest estate based on the exotic radiata pine. Initially established to meet the countries timber needs as native forest timber production declined, plantation forests are now an important export earner. The Emissions Trading Scheme has started to shift the focus of new plantations, with a diversification in species and silvicultural systems. 121
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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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