Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
2011-12-09 11:15 Using genomics to manage inbreeding effects in New
Zealand’s rarest kiwi
Ramstad, KM*, Allan Wilson Centre, Victoria University of Wellington;
Robertson, HA, New Zealand Department of Conservation;
Colbourne, RM, New Zealand Department of Conservation; Kay,
D, New Zealand Department of Conservation; Daugherty, CH,
Allan Wilson Centre, Victoria University of Wellington; Ryder, OA,
Institution for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo; Allendorf, FW,
University of Montana;
Kiwi (Family Apterygidae) are flightless ratite birds endemic to New
Zealand. All kiwi species have experienced a significant reduction in their
native range and struggle with small population size, recent bottleneck
effects, and ongoing isolation. We are using genomic techniques to
develop genetic markers and assess inbreeding depression in the rarest kiwi
species, rowi (Apteryx rowi), which comprise only a single population of
approximately 350 individuals. This effort presents a number of challenges
common among species of conservation concern. For example, few numbers
of individuals mean we are not able to cost-effectively use SNPs, low levels of
polymorphism and strong linkage disequilibrium necessitate the screening
of large numbers of markers, and the most closely related reference genomes
are separated from kiwi by approximately 130my of evolution. Regardless, a
single run of sequencing on a Roche 454 Genome Sequencer Junior resulted
in nearly 90 thousand sequence reads (mean length 285bp) containing more
than 300 putative microsatellite loci that can be screened for polymorphism.
Alignment of these sequences with other avian genomes may also help
identify functional candidate genes under selection in kiwi. Resultant
markers will be critical for assessing relatedness and inbreeding depression
among rowi, and will help managers select distantly related individuals for
founders of new populations and captive rearing programmes.
2011-12-08 18:30 Conservation of the marbled murrelet in the Pacific
Northwest, USA
Raphael, MG*, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research
Station;
The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small, diving
seabird in the alcid family that forages within nearshore marine waters
and nests on limbs of old coniferous trees. The species is federally listed as
Threatened in the USA in the states of Washington, Oregon and California.
As part of the regional effectiveness monitoring program in support of the
Northwest Forest Plan, my colleagues and I have been surveying murrelets
along coastal waters from year 2000 to present. These surveys indicate
that murrelet numbers are declining at an annual rate of about 3.7%.
Concurrent modeling of murrelet nesting habitat indicates an overall
decline in amount of suitable nesting habitat of about 0.5%/yr, due mostly
to logging on non-federal lands and wildfire on federal lands. Furthermore,
the spatial distribution of murrelets is strongly correlated with amount of
adjacent suitable nesting habitat. Population decline could be due to losses
of nesting habitat, but marine conditions could also be responsible. If
marine conditions are the driver of population change, then I would expect
other marine birds with similar foraging ecologies to experience similar
population declines but I found no comparable declines among other alcid
species. Circumstantial evidence leads me to conclude that the conservation
and restoration of nesting habitat are keys to recovery of this species.
2011-12-06 14:30 Integrating species conservation landscape models
into setting management priorities for Nam Kading National Protected
Area, Lao PDR.
Rasphone, A*, Wildlife Conservation Society Laos; Bryja, G, Wildlife
Conservation Society ; Hallam, C, Wildlife Conservation Society Laos;
Johnson, A, Wildlife Conservation Society Laos;
Spatial Models based on primarily expert information are commonly used
in species habitat modeling where empirical data is lacking. Landscape
species modeling approach was used in the process to highlight significant
areas where management of the Nam Kading National Protected Area
(NKNPA) in Lao PDR can ensure an efficient use of limited resources. This
paper presents species conservation landscape modeling process and the
use of the models in defining management interventions. The preliminary
results from field data from the NKNPA are also incorporated to update the
models for two of the Landscape species, Eurasian wild pig (Sus scrofa) and
northern white-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys).The results
are used to better focus management priorities on these two species within
the NKNPA.
2011-12-06 14:24 Return of Rhinoceros unicornis in Manas National
Park of India
Rathin Barman, Wildlife Trust of India; Bhaskar Choudhuri,
Wildlife Trust of India; Phulmoni Boro, Wildlife Trust of India;
NVK Ashraf, Wildlife Trust of India; Vivek Menon*, Wildlife Trust
of India;
For the first time in the history of rhino conservation in India, three rescued
orphan greater one horned rhinoceros have been rehabilitated in another
habitat which used to be a good rhino bearing area in the past. This has
made a successful comeback of Rhinoceros unicornis to Manas National
Park, a World Heritage Site in India. This is the first ever rehabilitation of
hand-raised calves of Rhinoceros unicornis in a natural habitat. Calves
were hand reared at Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation
(CWRC) with a aim to rehabilitate them to their natural habitat. Feeding
with human milk formula till the age of two years, the calves then fed with
concentrates and greens in paddocks in CWRC. At the age of about three
years the calves were translocated to Manas National Park, which is about
500 km away from Kaziranga and placed them in a pre-released area with
an area about 600 acre. This pre-release area is fenced with electric fence and
calves are free to roam and forage in this area. After spending about two
years in this pre-release area the calves were released and to the wilderness.
Radio monitoring shows that calves has established their own home ranges.
2011-12-07 15:15 Network-theoretic approaches for evaluating critical
habitat: confronting trade-offs between habitat quality and connectivity
Rayfield, B*, Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal,
Canada; Pelletier, D, Département de Géographie, Université
de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Cardille, J, Département de
Géographie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada ; Gonzalez,
A, Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada;
Land use change threatens biodiversity by altering habitat area and quality
but also by reducing habitat connectivity. The creation of networks of habitat
fragments and corridors is expected to maintain biodiversity by facilitating
an exchange of organisms, energy, and nutrients among fragments.
From this perspective critical habitat fragments should be identified that
contribute both connectivity and additional attributes, such as unique
biodiversity. We present and apply a method to guide conservation planning
in fragmented landscapes that uses network models to balance the trade-off
between fragment quality and connectivity. This network-theoretic approach
delineates multiple, efficient pathways through the landscape matrix which
collectively form potential corridors between habitat fragments. Network
metrics can quantify the independent contribution of each fragment to
network connectivity structures (e.g., purely topological metrics) or can
provide integrated measures of both fragment quality and connectivity (e.g,
weighted centrality metrics). We apply this approach in a highly fragmented,
multi-use landscape (1.5 million ha) in south-eastern Canada. We identify
threshold distances at which habitat fragments are minimally aggregated
into subnets and produce a spatial prioritization of fragments based on their
contributions to network quality and connectivity. We demonstrate and
quantify the importance of conserving critical habitat fragments that are
of lower quality to protect connectivity across the network of fragments.
Our method contributes to the integration of connectivity into systematic
conservation planning.
2011-12-08 18:30 Designing walls as ecosystems in urban environments
Reay, SD*, Auckland University of Technology;
This project that provides a unique opportunity to use an inter-disciplinary
collaborative approach to explore a range of potential design solutions by
bringing technology and science (in particular the fields of biology and
ecology) together with design to increase the awareness and understanding
of issues centred on sustainability, framed in the context of understanding
ecological systems. Urban development has resulted in a loss of connection
with nature, and as a consequence, a loss of ecosystem processes.
Consequently, we fail to see ourselves as part of nature. This loss of ‘cultural
biodiversity’ has given way to the idea that nature is provided for our use
and exploitation. The challenge to develop sustainable futures is to have
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