Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
2011-12-06 14:36 Effectiveness of the bird repellents on the endemic
New Zealand parrot Nestor notabilis
Orr-Walker L, Kea Conservation Trust; Adams N*, Unitec Institute
of Technology; Roberts L, Unitec Institite of Technology; Kemp J,
Department of Conservation;
Toxins are widely used to control introduced mammalian pests in New
Zealand. By kill of non target native species, particularly birds, does occur
including that of the endemic New Zealand parrot, the Kea (Nestor
notabilis). In large scale control operations the toxin (1080)is normally
presented within cereal pellets by aerial application. This occurs after
prefeeding with non toxic pellets providing the opportunity of introducing
bird specific repellents to these pellets to reduce by kill. We tested the
effectiveness of a secondary repellent anthraquinone and a primary repellent
d-pulegone in deterring consumption of pellets by kea. Birds were initially
presented with pellets containing no repellents followed in sequence,
with pellets containing both repellents, the primary repellent only and
finally with no repellents again. The repellent combination at the trialled
concentration was effective at repelling kea from ingesting cereal pellets
with the learned aversion developing rapidly. Continued use of primary
repellents was required to maintain the aversion response on subsequent
exposure to pellets. Introduction of these repellents into prefeed and toxin
laced pellets may reduce by-kill of kea and other vulnerable or threatened
native birds during pest control operations.
2011-12-08 18:30 Oil and gas development in the World Heritage and
wider protected area network in sub-Saharan Africa
Osti, M*, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford;
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); Coad, L, Environmental
Change Institute, University of Oxford; United Nations Environment
Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-
WCMC); Fisher, JB, Environmental Change Institute, University
of Oxford; Bomhard, B, United Nations Environment Programme
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); Hutton,
JM, United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC);
More than 25% of natural World Heritage (WH) sites worldwide are
estimated to be under pressure from existing or future mining and energy
activities (IUCN 2008; UNESCO 2009). However, that ‘pressure’ has yet
to be quantitatively defined and assessed for many regions of the world.
We conducted a GIS-based analysis of overlap and proximity between
natural WH sites and areas allocated to oil and gas concessions as well
as pipelines and oil wells for all of sub-Saharan Africa. We found that oil
and gas concessions were located within 27% of the WH sites, though no
currently active oil wells were operating directly within the WH sites. A
proximity-based assessment of oil and gas concessions within 5 km of WH
site boundaries included only one additional WH site, suggesting that sites
susceptible to indirect impacts from oil and gas development are likely to be
those already overlapped by concessions. Our findings indicate that activity
from oil and gas development in sub-Saharan WH sites has to date been
limited; however, future pressure cannot be ruled out, due to continued
presence of concessions within more than one quarter of the network, and
projected expansion of oil and gas exploration within the region. Our results
may be used to inform the inclusion of new sites into the WH network.
2011-12-09 15:30 Local People Perception and Involvement in
Biodiversity Conservation in some National Parks in Nigeria
Osunsina I. O.O*, Department of Forestry & Wildlife Mgt, University
of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Ogunjinmi, A. A., 2Department of Wildlife
and Environmental Resources Management, College of Agriculture,
Osun State University, Osogbo; Jayeola O. A., Department of Forestry
& Wildlife Mgt, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Oduntan O.,
Department of Forestry & Wildlife Mgt, University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta; Yisau M. A., Department of Forestry & Wildlife Mgt,
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta;
Despite the fact that for a long time many local communities contributed
to the conservation and protection of biological resources, only recently
has their importance in natural resources protection and the need for
deriving benefits from protected areas has been recognized. The perception
and involvement of local people in conservation around some National
parks in Nigeria were investigated. Questionnaires were administered
to elicit information from the villages around the parks viz: CRNP(985
respondents); GGNP(1079 respondents); KLNP(1134 respondents)
and OONP(1013 respondents). The respondent in CRNP(54%) and
KLNP(63.8%) stated that they were involved in the management of
the Park, while respondents in GGNP(51.3%) and OONP(83.1%)
respectively indicated that they were not involved in the management of
the Park. Majority of the respondents in CRNP(82.9%), GGNP(61.80%),
KLNP(84.50%) and OONP(60.10%) indicated that they were in support
of the Park. Chi-square results showed that there was significant relationship
(X2 = 395.934, p