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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 threat, but its categories can be ambiguous, subjective, arbitrary, and do not necessarily convey the conservation status of species in relation to a minimum viable population target. While controversial, portraying a species’ population estimate as a function of its taxon- or species-specific minimum viable population size indicates the ‘distance’ of a species from extinction while implicitly incorporating the element of population viability. We applied the Species Ability to Forestall Extinction (SAFE) index to thousands of Red-Listed mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles for which abundance estimates were available to determine the congruence between Red List categories and relative extinction risk. We show that many lowerpriority species (e.g., Vulnerable) currently have much higher extinction risks than implied by their Red List status based on their inherent extinction risk as implied by their SAFE index. 2011-12-08 10:30 Coping with a tattered safety net: Assessing household wildlife use before, during and after food supply and price shocks in Ghana and Tanzania Brashares, JS*, UC-Berkeley; Sam, MK, Ghana Wildlife Division; Okello, G, Bushmeat Monitoring Network; Food security and supply have long been recognized as fundamental to poverty alleviation, but their significance for biodiversity conservation is seldom addressed empirically. Here, we used a livelihoods approach to characterize the dynamics and drivers of wildlife use in more than 1000 households in rural Ghana and Tanzania over a three year period. We attempted to quantify the relevance of several forms of capital, but focused on the use of natural capital before, during and after major disruptions in agricultural production. Most of the households in our survey were engaged in smallholder agriculture, and we observed strong and consistent feedback between agricultural productivity and reliance on wildlife and other natural resources. Our results, like those of other studies, highlight inextricable links among poverty, natural resources, agriculture, public health, land-use and culture that must be viewed holistically if we are to maintain biodiversity in an era of unprecedented global change. 2011-12-07 14:45 Integrating cameras and tracking to examine wildlife road avoidance along a Mexican highway Brichieri-Colombi, T.*, PhD Candidate, University of Calgary; Alexander, S.M., Associate Professor, University of Calgary; We used remotely-triggered cameras and track identification to examine wildlife road avoidance for multiple focal species along Highway 186, which traverses the Calakmul region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We examined species’ relative activity (RA) in the road-effect zone and contrasted data yielded from camera and track detection methods. Eight roads situated perpendicular to Highway 186 were surveyed with cameras placed at 50m, 750m and 2000m from the highway. Track data were collected simultaneously. RA was calculated for cameras as the number of photos/number of camera functional days, and for tracking as the number of tracks per zone/days since road last surveyed. Analysis was conducted at the guild level, and tested for differences within the road effect zone and across methods. RA was significantly different for all guilds between 50m-750m (Mann-Whitney U test, p≤0.001) and between 50m-2000m (Mann-Whitney U test, p≤0.008). Camera and track data detected significantly different RA for sensitive carnivores, sensitive herbivores and non-sensitive carnivores at all distances from the highway (Mann-Whitney U test, p≤0.045). We suggest combinatorial approaches are superior to single detection methods for measuring wildlife road avoidance. 2011-12-08 18:30 Investigating predatory behaviour of ship rats toward house mice Bridgman, LJ*, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; King, CM, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; Innes, J, Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; Gillies, C, Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, PO Box 516, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; Ship rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) are amongst the most damaging introduced species for their impacts on native biodiversity, particularly when island or mammal-depauperate ecosystems are invaded. Managing these species for conservation is complicated by interaction between them where they coexist. A better understanding of the mechanism under-pinning the relationship is required. Competition for food is possible. Evidence also suggests that rats prey on mice though direct observations are practically and ethically difficult to obtain. We aimed to determine if rats are aggressive toward mice, and if so, whether the behaviour is predatory and related to feeding or more comparable with intra-specific aggression. We observed the response of captive rats to close, but not direct, contact with a live mouse and a live conspecific. We also observed direct contact with a euthanased mouse moved on a line (‘zombie mouse’). We found that intraspecific and inter-specific aggression was dissimilar. 75% of rats interacted with zombie mice. Chasing, biting and restraining behaviours were exhibited and feeding on mice often began immediately. Our results support predatory behaviour of rats toward mice. Along with implications for management of these species, the ship rat-house mouse relationship may act as a model for ship rat interactions with other mouse-like small mammals. 2011-12-09 11:45 Analysis of transient population dynamics of the endangered Penstemon haydenii Brigitte Tenhumberg*, University of Nebraska Lincoln; Richard Rebarber, University of Nebraska Lincoln; Kay Kottas, University of Nebraska Lincoln; In many organisms dispersal is restricted to specific life history stages, thus the stage distributions of founder populations are not stable and we expect significant transient deviations from long-term dynamics. The transient population growth rate following a dispersal event is a critical component for the establishment success because propagules typically arrive in new patches in small numbers and small populations inherently have a high extinction risk as a result of Allee effects or demographic stochasticity. The population growth rate after arrival determines how long populations remain in the state of “dangerously low numbers”. A high colonization success is especially important for organisms exploiting ephemeral resources, such as pioneer plant species. In this paper we use density dependent integral projection models on the endangered pioneer species, Penstemon haydenii to explore the role of transient dynamics in population establishment. We used Monte Carlo analysis and Partial Rank Correlation Coefficients to evaluate the relative importance of model parameters for transient and asymptotic dynamics. Our models predict large spatial variation in long and short term population dynamics. Furthermore, our models suggest that transient dynamics play a key role in colonization success. Transient dynamics can cause colonizing (seedling) populations to crash to very low numbers and it may take > 40 years to reach numbers that are close to the predicted asymptotic population size. 2011-12-08 18:30 The scientific and conservation value of a small protected area : the case of Muir ecological reserve, Canada. Brisson, Jacques*, University of Montreal; There are several reasons to favor large-size reserves over smaller ones : larger populations of species, more diversity, varied habitats, better resistance to invasive species, etc. One can even question whether very small forest fragments are worth saving. The Muir Ecological Reserve is an 11-hectare old growth forest remnant in a highly deforested and cultivated region of southern Quebec (Canada). In spite of its small size, this reserve has provided numerous novel insights on disturbance dynamics, phytopathology, animal ecology, and community ecology over the last 25 years. It has been used as a standard for forest integrity in the region and it has helped challenged conventional views on forest dynamics. The reserve hosts a distinctive biodiversity and some insect and fungi species previously unknown to science were found there. These results show that, while large-size reserves are preferable, smaller protected areas should not be ignored as they may be of high scientific and conservation value. 2011-12-08 11:15 The importance of understanding landowner preferences in designing and promoting conservation initiatives Broch, Stine Wamberg, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen; Wilson, Kerrie Ann, The Ecology Centre, School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 4072, Australia; Knight, Andrew Thomas, Department of 18
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602,South Africa; Strange, Niels*, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen; To ensure effective conservation initiatives there is a need for understanding how landowners’ willingness-to-participate in these initiatives vary in space, and with characteristics of the landowner, the contractual instrument, as well as the type of public good the conservation initiative is intending to provide. Such information is potentially important when policy-makers are designing and mainstreaming conservation initiatives. However, little attention has been given to these relationships with farmers’ preferences. In this study, farmers’ preferences are investigated using a choice experiment of preferences for nature restoration (afforestation) contracts with the purpose of providing groundwater protection, biodiversity conservation and recreation. We employed a random parameter logit model to analyse the relationship between farmers’ preferences and the spatial variables of groundwater interests, species richness, human population density, forest cover and recreational hunting. The results show that farmers willingnessto-participate increases when the conservation initiative is targeted towards biodiversity and groundwater protection, and that farmer willingness-toparticipate is substantially lower when the aim of the project was to promote recreational options for the public. Introducing flexibility and options for farmers to cancel restoration contracts may not increase the security of public good provision, but may increase the number of farmers’ willingto-participate. The random parameter logit model also shows a significant and positive effect of game hunted and farmers’ willingness to enter the scheme. The study demonstrates that spatial heterogeneity of landowner characteristics should be considered when designing conservation initiatives. Such knowledge could potentially be used by public authorities and stewardship staff for social marketing the afforestation scheme, increasing the initiatives cost-effectiveness and the number of farmers participating, as well as the welfare of farmers and society. 2011-12-08 18:30 Combining Social Marketing with Improved Enforcement to protect Indochinese tigers in Lao PDR Brooke Sadowsky, Rare; Annalisa Bianchessi, Rare; Amielle DeWan*, Rare; Santi Saypanya, Wildlife Conservation Society - Lao; Troy Hansel, Wildlife Conservation Society - Lao; Since February 2009, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Rare have partnered to run a social marketing campaign in Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Protected Area (NPA) in Lao PDR. This site was chosen since NEPL NPA is the largest NPA in the country, covering nearly 600,000ha of forest, and supports a tiger population of international importance, as well as at least 17 other key large mammal species of conservation concern. The primary conservation goal of the campaign is to increase the Indochinese tiger population at NEPL NPA through protecting and increasing the number of key tiger prey species (by 15% by 2015) from the threat of illegal hunting by local hunters. The campaign used proven marketing techniques to motivate local hunters to follow 5 critical hunting rules while also facing social pressures from villagers who were encouraged to report infractions, and through development and strengthening of a local enforcement system that would be ready to act on reports. Results after first two years of the campaign showed positive shifts among knowledge, attitudes, practices, and increases in enforcement results, which includes 250 phone calls within a 5-month period to a newly created hotline number, 82 of which related to illegal hunting and trade activities that resulted in 22 cases penalized and closed. This campaign has continued to run and is currently being expanded to another site further north to reach other important target audiences. 2011-12-06 12:00 Use of land facets to design linkages for climate change Brost, BM, Northern Arizona University; Beier, P*, Northern Arizona University; Least-cost modeling for focal species is widely used to design conservation linkages. But these linkages are based on today’s species’ distributions and land cover, both of which will change as climate changes. To accommodate species’ shifting distributions as climate changes, we suggest designing linkages for the continuity and interspersion of land facets (recurring landscape units of relatively homogeneous topography and soils). The rationale is that linkage strands with high continuity of individual land facets will facilitate movement of species associated with each facet today and in the future. We demonstrate how land facets can be defined in an adaptable way using these steps: (a) In each landscape, use fuzzy c-means cluster analysis to define > 10 land facets based on topographic and soil variables; (b) For each land facet, calculate resistance as a pixel’s multivariate dissimilarity (Mahalanobis distance) from the focal facet type; (c) Design one corridor per land facet using least-cost modeling; and (d) Create the final linkage design by joining all least-cost corridors (one for each facet type and one for high facet diversity). For each of 3 landscapes in Arizona, USA, linkage designs based on land facets served almost all focal species well (evidence: short interpatch distances and low resistance), but focal species linkages provided poor connectivity for many land facets. 2011-12-08 11:26 Incorporating the influence of uncertainty into biodiversity credits systems Bruggeman, DJ*, Michigan State University; Wiegand, T, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; A general theory useful for predicting changes in biodiversity in a dynamic landscape is still missing from ecology. Spatially-structured, processbased models are often needed such as individual-based, spatially-explicit population models (IB-SEPMs). This study demonstrates how IB- SEPMs can be used to value tradable credits for habitat protection given uncertainty in species’ dispersal behaviors. Pattern Oriented Modeling was used to test the ability of alternative dispersal models to reproduce patterns of abundance and genetic diversity observed in nature. The suite of models that most faithfully reproduced observed patterns were then used to evaluate habitat trading scenarios. To incorporate the effects of habitat loss versus fragmentation into the conservation value of trades, Landscape Equivalency Analysis was used to estimate the credits and debits generated by each scenario and putative dispersal model. Landscape Equivalency Analysis is an extension of the resource-based compensation approach applied to a landscape-scale. The equivalency of two habitat patches is estimated by their contribution to abundance and genetic diversity measured at the landscape scale. Decision Analysis was then used to determine the most cost-effective trades that minimized the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation given uncertainty in dispersal. 2011-12-07 10:34 Engaging the Next Generation of Pastoralists and Leaders in Community-Based Conservation in Samburu, Kenya Bruyere, Brett*, Colorado State University; Samburu is located in a rural and rugged region of northern Kenya. Its tradition and history is rooted in pastoralism and subsistence living. While changes to some parts of the region are clearly happening, upward mobility and moving away from home is relatively uncommon; many of its young people today will be tomorrow’s pastoralists, and the ones who will also potentially be seeking fuelwood and clean water for their families. The school curriculum in Kenya is established nationally and strictly followed by most teachers. Although scientific and ecological topics are included, the curriculum leaves minimal room for youth to learn about ecosystems, wildlife or vegetation in their own backyards. Instead they learn about the generic characteristics of the environment. In this study we applied a place-based approach to teaching youth about local vegetation and wildlife populations through experiential activities that included vegetation sampling and wildlife counts. In many cases, participants had never entered the protected areas visited during this study that border their community. Five months following the activities, our outcomes indicated that youth retained some knowledge about various aspects of their local ecosystem (e.g., plant names, wildlife behaviors) but a stronger outcome was the affective impact; youth recalled the field trips as being novel, memorable and enlightening. While the long-term impact of the strong affective and modest knowledge gain outcomes are uncertain, this study helps make the case that field-based experiences can have at least short-term positive impacts. 2011-12-08 18:30 Conservation of Fungi - threat status of fungi in New Zealand and globally Buchanan, PK*, Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand; Johnston, PR, Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand; Fungi have been included in threat status assessments of New Zealand’s biota since 2002. Assessments have mainly addressed macrofungi, as well 19
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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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