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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 of genetic structure across the range. We conclude that Malleefowl exist in one Evolutionary Significant Unit, however finer scale levels of gene flow between populations will be presented in context of landscape heterogeneity with management implications. 2011-12-08 18:30 Range shifting by North American passerines in response to climate change Coristine, L*, University of Ottawa; Kerr, J. T., University of Ottawa; Between 1970 and 2006, annual temperatures across most regions of North America increased by 1 to 4.75 degrees Celsius. Range shifting at northern boundaries, in response to climate change has been similarly precipitous. In the past 25 years, breeding range extents for passerine bird species demonstrate substantial northern range margin extensions, which exceed the global average. Nearly one quarter of species shifting at rates of over 100 km/decade fail to adequately track climate. Furthermore, species with greater breeding range shifts are more likely to demonstrate declining abundance at the northern boundary. Of species that have not shifted north, 35 % are from the family Emberizidae, indicating that responsiveness to climate change may have a phylogenetic basis. We conclude that North American passerine species face increasing difficulty with tracking climate, generating the potential for widespread disruption of biotic interactions. 2011-12-08 18:30 Artificial bare patches increase oviposition habitat for the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone) Cornelisse, Tara M.*, Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz; Vasey, Michael C., Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz; Holl, Karen D., Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz; Arnold, Richard A., Entomological Consulting Services, Ltd, Pleasant Hill, CA; Letourneau, Deborah K., Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz; Loss of natural disturbances that create vital habitat can result in species extinctions. Thus, habitat must be actively managed to restore these natural processes and disturbances. In many cases, the recovery and management of rare species relies on direct anthropogenic habitat alteration or creation. We tested habitat creation as a potential conservation management strategy with the goal of increasing availability and range of oviposition sites for the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone). Cicindela ohlone adults and larvae are dependent on bare ground areas to encounter mates, oviposit, and find prey. Cicindela ohlone is endemic to coastal terrace grasslands in Santa Cruz County, California where it is found in only five remnant habitat patches. Exotic annual grasses and forbs now dominate these grasslands, covering the bare ground and degrading C. ohlone habitat. We experimentally created three different bare ground treatment plots by scraping off surface vegetation, ripping, and compacting the plots. We also tested whether bare ground creation expands C. ohlone range within a habitat patch by scraping plots at increasing distances from the core habitat. We tested whether C. ohlone oviposited in the plots compared to unscraped controls. Cicindela ohlone significantly oviposited in artificial bare ground plots compared to controls at each site and treatment type one and two years after the scrapes were created. Scrapes at increasing distances had significantly more burrows compared to controls in all sites and at all distances the second year after scrape creation. The number of larval burrows was significantly correlated with the percentage of bare ground in all plots. Results show that creation of artificial bare ground areas is an important tool to increase both the quantity and range of C. ohlone oviposition habitat. 2011-12-08 13:00 Advancing databases for global biodiversity assessments Costello, M J, University of Auckland; Pagad, S*, University of Auckland; Biodiversity databases now contain significant amounts of data (e.g. Global Biodiversity Information Facility, FishBase) and some engage hundreds of scientists in creating and quality controlling their content (e.g. World Register of Marine Species, Global Invasive Species Database). However, with a few exceptions, their use in research and services to policy makers have not yet been well-developed. Individually, some databases can support new analyses producing new research papers of relevance to conservation. Others primarily provide information to readers. A workshop in association with ICCB 2011 reviewed the needs of policy makers (e.g. Convention on Biological Diversity, Millenium Assessment, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), and discussed opportunities for the databases to work together to provide new combinations of content, more comprehensive data for analyses, and metrics of biodiversity knowledge to support international and national policy needs. This talk summarises the workshop findings on how to significantly advance global biodiversity databases, especially those on alien, invasive, and marine species, so as to provide better services for researchers and policy maker’s users, and make the database a core part of biodiversity science, including both research and management. 2011-12-08 18:30 Analysis of 65,000 species distributions maps 30 biogeographic realms in the ocean Costello, M J*, University of Auckland; Tsai, P, University of Auckland; Wong, P S, University of Auckland; Cheung, A, University of Auckland; Biodiversity science and conservation is not helped by widespread beliefs that (1) taxonomic expertise is declining, (2) there are tens to hundreds of millions of species awaiting discovery, and (3) half or more of all species may go extinct this century before many are even named. Thus, some scientists suggest that attempting to name all species is futile if most will go extinct. However, recent data show that the first two of these beliefs are untrue, and the third may not occur. In fact, there have never been so many people describing new species in both marine and terrestrial environments, indicating that global taxonomic effort has been increasing. Our recent analyses of species discovery rates predict that there may be 2 million species on Earth of which 0.3 million are marine species, and of which 1.5 million have already been named. Even if this is half the actual number, it is far less some hyper-estimates, and it seems unlikely that there will be more than 10 million eukaryote species on Earth. Thus, at the present rate of discovery (around 18,000 species per year), most species could be described within the present century. Predicted extinction rates have not materialised because of conservation efforts, and exaggerated estimates of species diversity. Dispelling myths about taxonomic progress, improved taxonomic efficiencies in publication and global scale collaboration, and using online databases to track the discovery of new species and identify regions of high species discovery and endemicity, could ensure most species are discovered before they go extinct. There are a large number of species remaining to be discovered and taxonomic expertise has never been so urgently needed. Naming all species will enable their conservation because it is hard to protect unknown species. 2011-12-06 14:30 Most species could be discovered before they go extinct Costello, M J*, University of Auckland; Wilson, S J, Trinity College Dublin; Houlding, S, Trinity College Dublin; Biodiversity science and conservation is not helped by widespread beliefs that (1) taxonomic expertise is declining, (2) there are tens to hundreds of millions of species awaiting discovery, and (3) half or more of all species may go extinct this century before many are even named. Thus, some scientists suggest that attempting to name all species is futile if most will go extinct. However, recent data show that the first two of these beliefs are untrue, and the third may not occur. In fact, there have never been so many people describing new species in both marine and terrestrial environments, indicating that global taxonomic effort has been increasing. Our recent analyses of species discovery rates predict that there may be 2 million species on Earth of which 0.3 million are marine species, and of which 1.5 million have already been named. Even if this is half the actual number, it is far less some hyper-estimates, and it seems unlikely that there will be more than 10 million eukaryote species on Earth. Thus, at the present rate of discovery (around 18,000 species per year), most species could be described within the present century. Predicted extinction rates have not materialised because of conservation efforts, and exaggerated estimates of species diversity. Dispelling myths about taxonomic progress, improved taxonomic efficiencies in publication and global scale collaboration, and using online databases to track the discovery of new species and identify regions of high species discovery and endemicity, could ensure most species are discovered before they go extinct. There are a large number of species remaining to be discovered and taxonomic expertise has never been so urgently needed. Naming all species will enable their conservation because it is hard to protect 32
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 unknown species. 2011-12-08 18:30 Long Term Monitoring of Shorebirds in an Urban Setting: a community-based initiative Coughlan, R., Independent; Gallo-Cajiao, E.*, OceanWatch Australia; Monitoring of shorebirds in the East-Asian Australian Flyway is critical to inform conservation actions considering the multiple threats they currently face. Thus, a community-based ongoing monitoring project was set up at Long Reef, a rock platform in Sydney (Australia), with the aim to: understand the community ecology of shorebirds locally, contribute to a national monitoring program, and influence conservation actions. Trained volunteers have collected data monthly since 2007 until present. A total of 17 species have been recorded, 11 of which are vagrant most likely due to intrinsic habitat unsuitability. The remaining six species have been regular visitors with five of them being long-distant migrants and none listed under any threat category. Only one resident species was recorded, which is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales. To date, no declines have been detected in any species. Despite this site is not of international significance, its conservation value within the Sydney metropolitan area is paramount as it contributes to the gamma diversity. The site has been declared a nature reserve and is currently proposed by multiple community groups to be managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. This project demonstrates the potential of community engagement in conservation practice through citizen science. 2011-12-06 16:45 Shedding moonlight on the activity patterns of the members of the last-remaining intact large carnivore guild COZZI, G, Zurich University; Broekhuis, F*, Oxford University; McNutt, JW, Botswana Predator Conservation Trust; Turnbull, LA, Zurich University; Macdonald, DW, Oxford University; Schmid, B, Zurich University; Africa is home to the last-remaining intact large carnivore guild on Earth. With fewer than 5’000 wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and 10’000 cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), however, even the African large carnivore guild is on the brink of collapse. Habitat loss and fragmentation are forcing guild members to occupy ever-smaller areas, increasing the frequency of antagonistic interactions thus potentially jeopardizing the survival of one or more guild members. To investigate temporal partitioning and temporal coexistence strategies between four species of the guild we fitted radio collars provided with motion sensors on 24 animals, six per species, in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Our study revealed an unexpectedly-high degree of temporal overlap. For example, the night-time activity of wild dogs and cheetahs, believed to be day-active to limit interactions with the nocturnal lions (P. leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), accounted for 30% of the overall activity budget and for a remarkable 50% during full moon nights. Our findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that wild dog and cheetah day-time habits have been mainly shaped by avoidance of lions and hyenas. Wild dog and cheetah activity patterns are perhaps more parsimoniously attributed to their hunting strategies. Our work emphasizes the urgent need for detailed analyses of daily activity patterns for a wider range of allegedly diurnal species if we want to understand temporal natural history traits and temporal partitioning between competing species, thus enhancing conservation strategies. 2011-12-09 10:30 Impact of artificial and natural barriers on space use and movements of four large African carnivore species: implications for spatial coexistence Cozzi, G*, Zurich University; BROEKHUIS, F, Oxford University; McNutt, JW, Botswana Predator Conservation Trust; Schmid, B, Zurich University; The effects of human-induced habitat modification on ecosystems and on species viability have become major topics in conservation biology. As human impact is steadily increasing, it is necessary to understand how human activities influence species’ spatial behavior and spatial equilibrium among sympatric species. We compared the effects of an artificial (fence) with a natural (river) barrier on space use and movements of four African carnivore species. Long-term spatial data were obtained using GPS radio collars on lions (Panthera leo), spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Our results showed that the fence restricted lions and cheetahs in their movements and space use, while hyenas and wild dogs were unaffected by the fence and repeatedly crossed it. In contrast, movements by these same species across the river were symmetrically inversed with the river being comparatively permeable to lions and cheetahs while representing an impermeable barrier to hyenas and wild dogs. We conclude that the permeability of a barrier is species-specific and barrierspecific. Within species, barriers may for example affect dispersal, gene flow, and ultimately population dynamics and viability. Furthermore, as different barriers affect species differently, artificial barriers such as fences may shift the spatial equilibrium between species, for example by excluding some species but not others, and ultimately their co-existence. 2011-12-08 18:30 Modeling Crayfish (Procambarus fallax) Population Growth Potential as a Function of Habitat Craig van der Heiden*, Florida Atlantic University; N. J. Dorn, Florida Atlantic University; E. G. Noonburg, Florida Atlantic University; Anthropogenic alterations to the Florida Everglades have resulted in a compartmentalized and hydrologically altered system. An extensive system of levees, pumping stations, spillways, and hundreds of kilometers of canals inhibits the sheet flow of water which historically drained the region southward from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. The altered hydro-pattern, water quality, and landscape have changed several ecological functions of the Everglades ecosystem; for example, shifts in the composition of plant communities, marsh fish abundance, severe reductions in wading bird populations, and decreased production in crayfish. Crayfish are a functionally important part of the Everglades food web as they assimilate detritus into biomass and are efficient providers of energy to higher trophic levels. Considering that changes in hydroperiod induce alterations in wetland vegetation (i.e., potential habitat for aquatic animals), we consider how changes in vegetation might affect crayfish growth (biomass) potential. We conducted two empirical field studies measuring habitat specific growth and predation in two major Everglades wetland habitats, ridge and slough. We found growth rates and predation rates were highest in the sloughs during our study. Using these vital rates, we use a deterministic model to project changes in crayfish biomass over short time periods with variable amounts of ridge and slough habitat in a fixed landscape area. Knowing the habitat balance will allow wildlife managers to regulate water levels for optimal crayfish production, increasing standing stock of prey. 2011-12-06 16:50 Measuring Biodiversity Offsets: market funding for restoration Craig, JL*, University of Auckland; Mitchell, NM, University of Auckland; Ussher, G, Tonkin & Taylor; Ward, G, Department of Conservation; Conservation has largely been seen as an activity outside of the market and dependent on political and volunteer funding and action. Restoration provides conservation gains that if measurable can be traded in open markets to developers who need to offset biodiversity losses because of habitat destruction and other modification. Tahi is a private conservation initiative that is participating in New Zealand\’s Department of Conservation\’s Biodiversity Offset Program and the international BBOP measure of biodiversity gains and losses through development. This paper will briefly introduce Tahi and raise the advantages of achieving repeatable measures of biodiversity gains and losses to inform future offset trades. 2011-12-08 15:15 The effects of natural disasters and stochastic events on the management costs of protected areas CRAIGIE, I. D.*, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University; Pressey, R. L., ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University; Hockings, M., The University of Queensland; It is widely acknowledged that funding of protected areas is often insufficient to meet stated management and biodiversity objectives. However, less well studied are the challenges posed by the varying demands placed on those limited funds caused by stochastic events. Here we use a new and detailed 33
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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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