Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
on a large data set provided by the French National Agency for Water and
Aquatic Environment (598 sites sampled at least 8 consecutive years and
distributed across France), we (1) quantified extinction and colonization
rates for French river fish species at a local scale, (2) modelled independently
the habitat suitability for fish species from local to large hydrological units
and (3) tested if extinction/colonization rates for fish species could be
predicted by the habitat suitability at various spatial scales. Results show
that extinction and colonization rates depend on habitat suitability at local
scale but also at the drainage basin scale. In terms of management, we
show that habitat suitability quantification allows the evaluation of species
extinction/colonization processes and our results reinforce the belief that
the preservation of habitats at the local scale but also at the drainage basin
scale enables the decrease of extinction risks of freshwater fish species.
2011-12-07 11:00 Restoring Los Angeles’s Last Coastal Wetland:
Ballona Wetlands Restoration Planning
Bergquist, Sean*, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission;
In 2004, the State of California took title to 600-acres of the former Ballona
Wetlands in Los Angeles, and began the complicated process of restoration
the last remaining coastal wetland in one the largest cities in America.
The complex process, involving multiple owners, funders, regulatory and
resource agencies, as well as infrastructure and the large group of public
stakeholders, is based on a scientific understanding of wetland processes
and restoration needs. Restoration planning has involved extensive public
meetings and design charretes, research and feasibility studies with review
and recommendations from a Science Advisory Committee. The agencies
and stakeholders have established restoration goals, which include: 1)
Restore and enhance salt-water influenced wetland habitats to benefit
Endangered and Threatened species, migratory shorebirds, waterfowl,
seabirds, and coastal fish and aquatic species. Restoration of seasonal ponds,
riparian and freshwater wetlands, and upland habitats will be considered
where beneficial to other project goals or biological and habitat diversity; 2)
Provide for wildlife-dependent public access and recreation opportunities
compatible with the habitats, fish and wildlife conservation; 3) Identify
and implement a cost-effective, ecologically beneficial, and sustainable (low
maintenance) habitat restoration alternative. In addition to restoration
goals, guiding principles for the restoration planning process have been
established, and include: The planning process will, 1) Be based on the best
available science, developed with technical and scientific expertise; 2) Be
transparent and will allow all stakeholders input; 3) Respect the decisionmaking
bodies of each of the State Agencies.
ability for coping and adapting in a changing world. To “engage society
in conservation”, we need to build resilient communities that are effective
conservation partners. How do we build community resilience, and will that
lead to more effective conservation? I approached these questions through
a study of ten conservation-development cases from the UNDP Equator
Initiative that link conservation and poverty reduction. By examining
their objectives, I analyzed incentives to engage in conservation. Each
case showed a mix of economic, political, and social/cultural objectives;
empowerment was almost always a key objective. Since it was impossible to
predict community priorities, a blueprint solution could not be designed.
With indigenous groups in particular, the political objectives of control
of traditional territories and resources were of prime importance because
such control was seen as the first step to development. Building community
resilience does not necessarily lead to effective conservation but may be
seen as a precondition for long-term success by (1) providing a foundation
for conservation incentives; (2) developing adaptive capacity to deal with
change; and (3) fostering stewardship by reconnecting social and ecological
systems.
2011-12-06 14:00 Invasive ants drive ecosystem responses to fire in
New Caledonia, an international Biodiversity Hotspot
Berman, M*, CSIRO-CES, Charles Darwin University, University
of Montpellier 2; Andersen, AN, CSIRO-CES; Austin, CM, Charles
Darwin University; Gaucherel, C, Institut Francais de Pondichery;
Invasive ants and anthropogenic fires are the major conservation threats
in New Caledonia, which is recognized internationally for its exceptional
biodiversity values. Fire has converted a large proportion of the island’s
subtropical rainforests, which consist mostly of endemic species, to
savannas dominated by introduced species, including invasive ants such
as Wasmannia auropunctata and Anoplolepis gracilipes. New Caledonian
forests harbor a highly significant fauna of native ants, and we are using
them as indicators of ecosystem responses to fire. By comparing recently
burnt vs unburnt plots, we show that fire impact is far greater for forests
adjacent to areas dominated by invasive species. We also show that, in
rainforests that recolonize long-unburnt savannas, recovery patterns of
native ant richness and functional composition are driven by the presence
of W. auropunctata. These results highlight the interactive effects of key
threatening processes, with fire-induced habitat degradation facilitating
invasion by exotic ants, which in turn severely retard ecological recovery.
This interaction results in an “all or nothing” system in terms of the
integrity of native ant communities.
2011-12-09 14:45 Partnerships and Institutional Linkages for
Biocultural Conservation
Berkes, F*, University of Manitoba;
Conservation of biological and cultural diversity tends to occur in parallel,
each with its own programs. At best, this model is ineffective because
biological and cultural diversity are strongly linked. What are some of
the alternative conservation pathways embracing a biocultural approach?
How can such an approach be adopted and what policy mechanisms be
used? And what are some of the challenges? I use biocultural conservation
examples from Canada (James Bay Quebec and NW Ontario) and Mexico
(Oaxaca) to explore these questions based on ongoing participatory projects
with indigenous groups. These examples show that conservation planning
is beginning (a) to deal with multifunctional and/or cultural landscapes; (b)
to accommodate multiple objectives of the local people (political, cultural,
environmental) and their livelihoods; and (c) to address multi-level
governance needs. Policy mechanisms include (1) flexibility under IUCN
Category V; (2) recognition of Indigenous and Community Conserved
areas (ICCAs); and (3) recognition of local and indigenous knowledge
and ways to combine such knowledge with science. Conservation in a
rapidly changing complex world requires collaborative approaches with
partnerships, social/institutional learning and adaptive governance to
design fine-grained conservation, and stewardship ethics with cultural
connections to the land.
2011-12-07 14:15 Building Community Resilience for Local
Conservation
Berkes, F*, University of Manitoba;
From the point of view of conservation, resilience may be described as the
2011-12-08 18:30 Biodiversity conservation as a local activity:
participation in endangered species/community integration
Bernacchi, LA*, Texas A&M University; Ragland, CJ, Texas A&M
University; Peterson, TR, Swedish Agricultural University;
Since the institutionalization of public participation in natural resource
management, integration of public opinion at varied scales, degrees and
methods have produced mixed results. This study focused on the ways
endangered species management may provide opportunities for conservation
of local habitat and create pathways for collaboration among communities.
We conducted a case study of a coastal Texas, USA community that is part
of the federally-endangered Whooping Crane’s (Grus americana) wintering
habitat. Our study is based on results of 36 semi-structured interviews which
were qualitatively coded, using a codebook developed through grounded
theory, 80 survey responses analyzed through factor analysis, media and
historical records, and a public meeting. Our results indicate that public
participation in biodiversity conservation is more likely to be successful
at the localized scale. This is not necessarily a problem, given the limited
range of many endangered species. We also suggest that collaboration at
larger scales, instigated by individuals as much as institutions, might be
integrated throughout the process of decision-making but not in scoping;
and that legal constraints ought to be considered periodically, but should
not constrain the entire process. Public participation is an essential tool
to conservation and is most effective when employed as an adaptive,
transparent and creative process.
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