Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
Because rock lobsters (RL) are one of the most valuable commercial species
in New Zealand (NZ) their stock assessment and protection are important.
Although NZ’s marine reserves (MRs) are created for conducting scientific
research, where human-induced disturbance is minimised, they are
indirectly protecting many populations of commercially species, including
RL. In this study, we investigated MR effectiveness in the Wellington region
by comparing RL population sizes inside and outside two MRs, of different
ages. The study was conducted at the Taputeranga MR (TMR), established in
2008, and the Kapiti MR (KMR), established in 1992. By using commercial
craypots each MR was sampled inside its boundaries, at the boundaries, and
outside the MR to calculate the CPUE for 2010 to 2011. RL size and weight
inside and outside the Taputeranga MR were similar. However, CPUE was
markedly higher inside TMR compared with sites outside and there was a
dramatic decrease with increasing distance from the centre of TMR. Kapiti
MR did not show differences in CPUE inside and outside the boundary,
despite the reserve being much older. However, we found larger sizes and
greater weights of RL at KMR than at TMR. The higher CPUE results in
TMR suggest that it is responding positively and rapidly to the protection
during the early years of its establishment. We suggest that the low CPUE
at the boundaries and outside the TMR could be explained by high levels of
fishing pressure, and areas outside KMR are difficult for the public to access.
2011-12-07 16:45 Modeling range boundaries of birds and butterflies
to test effects of climate-change
Roll, U.*, Tel-Aviv University; Stone, L., Tel-Aviv University; Solow,
A., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution;
Many studies show poleward shifts of ranges as a consequence of global
warming. However, many of works treat edges of distributions arbitrarily.
This fails to account for the fact that our observations are merely a sample
of species’ true distributions. We aimed at formally modeling the edges of
a spatial distribution along a north-south axis using a flexible parametric
model. The model estimates a spatial distribution based on presence/
absence grid-cell data; the distribution’s parameters were estimated using an
optimization procedure. Likelihood ratios were used to conduct a statistical
test between the null -no shift in range between two time frames - and
alternative -possible shift in range. We first tested the model on simulated
data and then applied it to data on British bird and butterfly distributions
in two time frames. Most species did not show a significant change in their
edges; those that did were not more supportive of the predictions of global
warning than the converse. We therefore conclude that our method does not
support the notion of climate induced directional range shifts. This work
emphasizes the importance of carefully formulated statistical models when
estimating distributions of organisms in space, as for example, is needed
in testing the effects of climate change. Effects of global climate change
can be more complex than previously recognized and affect species ranges
differently from what would be expected by mean annual temperature alone.
2011-12-06 10:45 The conservation management of the kakapo:
Flogging a dead parrot?
Ron Moorhouse*, Department of Conservation; Daryl Eason,
Department of Conservation; Jo Ledington, Department of
Conservation; Graeme Elliott, Department of Conservation; Deidre
Vercoe, Department of Conservation;
The kakapo is a flightless, ground nesting parrot endemic to New Zealand.
Widespread and abundant before human colonisation, habitat loss and the
introduction of a variety of mammalian predators drove the kakapo to the
brink of extinction. In 1995 just 51 kakapo were known to survive, all on
offshore island sanctuaries with a total area of just 5,000 ha. A programme of
intensive management implemented in 1995 successfully has resulted in the
population more than doubling to reach 120 birds. Management included
the strategic concentration of females on islands where the right conditions
for breeding were present, intensive managment of nests and, more recently,
the use of artificial insemination and DNA fingerprinting to improve
hatching success and the genetic health of the population. Young birds
hatched on offshore island sanctuaries now outnumber the original founders
rescued from Stewart Island and are expected to live for 80 years or more.
The implementation of stoat control programmes on Resolution (20,000
ha) and Secretary (8,140) Islands in Fiordland have the potential to reclaim
sufficient habitat for several thousand kakapo. Despite its small population
size, the kakapo’s adaptability, extreme longevity and “management friendly”
characteristics suggest that its prospects for survival are good.
2011-12-09 14:30 The current and future distribution of mammalian
habitat
Rondinini, C, Global Mammal Assessment program, Department
of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome; Di
Marco, M*, Global Mammal Assessment program, Department of
Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome; Visconti,
P, Global Mammal Assessment program, Department of Biology
and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome; Boitani, L,
Global Mammal Assessment program, Department of Biology and
Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome;
Habitat destruction is the primary cause of decline in mammals globally,
therefore accurate knowledge of the distribution of mammalian habitat is
paramount for effective conservation. We assess the geography and extent
of current and projected future suitable habitat for terrestrial mammals.
We use the information from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
as a baseline for developing current and projected future habitat suitability
models for 5027 out of 5330 known terrestrial mammal species, based on
their habitat relationships in terms of land cover, elevation and hydrological
features. Models are limited to within species’ known geographic ranges, and
developed at a resolution of 300 m (current) and 10 km (projected future,
based on four global scenarios of human development). Current habitat
suitability models suggest that habitat availability limits the distribution of
mammals especially in tropical and subtropical regions in South America,
Africa and Southeast Asia that are not covered by dense forest. Projected
future habitat suitability models identify the countries most affected by
habitat loss by 2050, assuming that no additional conservation actions other
than those described in the scenarios take place. With some exceptions,
most of the countries with the largest predicted losses of suitable habitat
for mammals are in Africa, North and South America, and central Asia.
These results suggest that current and future habitat constraints to mammal
distributions overlap only partially, therefore the spatial priorities of reactive
and proactive conservation efforts may differ significantly.
2011-12-08 14:15 Tolerance or Translocation: How Best to Ensure the
Genetic Diversity of Leopard in southern Africa?
Ropiquet, A*, University of Stellenbosch; Born, C, University of
Stellenbosch; Matthee, CA, University of Stellenbosch; Knight, AT,
University of Stellenbosch;
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a severely persecuted carnivore in areas
where it predates livestock and threatens human well-being. To resolve
human-leopard conflict, conservation programs often employ translocation
strategies of problem animals. Unfortunately, these interventions are rarely
informed by genetic knowledge. Designed in the absence of genetic data,
translocations may unintentionally compromise the genetic diversity, and
hence the long-term viability, of the species. Analysis of fine scale genetic data
derived from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA confirm that the Southern
African leopards comprise a single population and indicates that the primary
natural process shaping the spatial genetic structure of this population is
isolation-by-distance. Based on this finding, the effective gene dispersal (σ)
index is proposed to empower conservation agencies to apply evidence-based
management by providing a maximum translocation distance. This finding
highlights the importance of adopting a strategy coupling genetic data with
social learning of land managers.
2011-12-08 18:30 Are the Brazilian Conservation Units effective in
protecting endangered species of the genus Callicebus (PRIMATES;
PITHECIIDAE)?
ROSÁRIO, NA*, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade
Estadual de Santa Cruz; ASSUNÇÃO, AC, Departamento de Ciências
Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; CAMPIOLO, S,
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa
Cruz;
Callicebus coimbrai, Callicebus melanochir e Callicebus barbarabrownae
occur in southeastern and northeastern Brazil and are appointed by the
IUCN as endangered species. In this study we generated models of potential
distribution for these three species to verify whether these are in locations
protected by the Brazilian System of Conservation Units (SNUC). To
model the potential distribution, we use the algorithm Maxent, GARP
and the Bioclim from 19 climate variables. Then, the distribution maps
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