Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
2011-12-07 17:15 Herbivory as an indirect driver of change in
fragmented eucalypt forests
Farmilo, BJ*, La Trobe University; Morgan, JW, La Trobe University;
Current fragmentation research lacks investigations on biotic interactions
between species, particularly herbivory. Utilising the Wog Wog
Fragmentation Experiment in south-eastern Australia, we aim to better
understand the plant-herbivore interactions in fragmented landscapes and
whether it is an important, but overlooked, agent of change. Herbivore
impacts on four common plant species were compared in eucalypt forest that
varied in fragment size (0.25 ha, 0.88 ha, 3.06 ha) using vertebrate herbivore
exclusion plots. We recorded key measures of growth, reproduction and
survival that will infer the role of herbivores in this fragmented environment.
Initial results indicate herbivory impacts are species-specific and increase
with increasing fragment size. Hence, plants in small fragments are not
impacted in the same way that they are in larger fragments, and control
forests. Herbivores can exert a strong influence on community dynamics and
alterations to herbivore activity will most likely result in indirect changes in
community composition via fragmentation.
2011-12-08 18:30 Impact of insecticide (Azardiracta indica) on
immunological and physiological parameters of Biomphalaria
alexandrina snails.
Fayez A. Bakry*, Prof.Dr. of Medical malacology; Karem El-
Hommossany, Dr.of Medical malacology; Hanan Mosalam, Dr.of
Medical malacology;
The present work was carried out to evaluate, effect of methanol extract of
Azardiracta indica plant (Insecticide) on immunological and physiological
parameters of Biompalaria alexandrina snails. The obtained results indicated
that hemolymph samples from B. alexandrina snails contained two
morphologically distinct types of hemocytes, designated as Hyalinocyte
and Granulocytes cells. In addition, the number of both Hyalinocyte &
Granulocytes and the mortality rate was significantly increased with treated
with A. indica extract. Phagocytosis in group treated with tested plant was
highly significant increased than control one indicating a highly increase
response of snail against the treatment. The lipid peroxide and glucose
levels in hemolymph of treated snails were elevated while the protein
and glycogen contents showed a decrease in soft tissues when compared
with the control group. In addition, the activity level of some enzymes
representing glycolytic enzymes as hexokinase (HK), pyruvate kinase
(PK), ,phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),and
glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI); glycogenolytic enzymes as glycogen
phosphorlase, glucose-6-phosphatase(G-6-Pase); gluconeogenic enzymes as
fructose-1-6 diphosphatase (F-D-Pase),phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase
(PEPCK) was also significantly reduced in response to treatment. It was
concluded that the application of LC25 of methanol extracts of Azardiracta
indica plant may be helpful in snail control as it interferes with the snails’
immunology and physiology.
2011-12-07 10:38 350.org: A Case Study of an International Webinitiated
Environmental Movement
Feldpausch-Parker, AM*, SUNY-ESF; Bernacchi, LA, Texas A&M
University; Parker, ID, Humboldt State University; Peterson, TR,
Texas A&M University;
As experts battle over how to adapt to the impacts of climate change as
well as attempt to lessen the chance of more extreme changes, the public
is often relegated to the sidelines as mere observers. This technocratic view
of setting climate policy, however, neglects the position and power of the
public in impacting the decision-making process. In this paper we use
Gidden’s structuration theory and Kinsella’s concept of public expertise to
examine how an internet movement facilitates the reinsertion of the public
into international climate policy. Our focus is on 350.org, an internet savvy
non-governmental organization responsible for orchestrating the production
of 5,245 separate community-based climate action rallies in a total of
181 countries around the world, two months before the Copenhagen
Summit. This study demonstrates how the public, using the internet as
a communication medium, has the ability to manipulate power structures
by providing a space for mass organization across political and geographic
borders to solicit world-wide change.
2011-12-08 11:22 Distribution of invasive plants in roads near the city
of La Paz- Bolivia
Fernandez Murillo, MP, Carrera de Biología, Universidad Mayor
de San Andrés, Intituto de Ecologia de Bolivia; Rico, A. *, Instituto
de Ecología de Bolivia; Kindlmann, P., Institute for Environmental
Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská;
Invasive alien species are recognized as one of the greatest threats to ecological
and economic welfare of the planet, because they can transform the structure
of ecosystems and affect negatively the native species, by restricting their
distribution or even completely excluding them. To date, however, no work
in Bolivia has focused on factors that affect the distribution of invasive alien
plants. In this study we therefore determined the number of invasive plant
species in the vicinity of two types of roads (paved and gravel) in three
regions near to the city of La Paz, Bolivia, differing mainly in altitude: high
Andes, Puna and dry valley. We found 3 invasive species in the vicinity of
roads in high Andes, 5 in Puna and 9 in the dry valley. The vicinity of the
gravel roads contained more (13) invasive species than that of the paved
roads (7). The invasive species cover close to the roads on the edge was higher
than that further from the roads. Pennisetum clandestinum was the most
frequently recorded species in all regions and types of road.
2011-12-06 15:15 Predation in urban environments: are cities really
safer for birds?
Fernandez-Juricic*, Purdue University;
One of the dominant paradigms in urban ecology is that the abundance of
certain species increases with the degree of urbanization. The safe-habitat
hypothesis has been proposed to explain this pattern as a result of relaxed
predation pressure through a reduction in nest predation with urbanization.
This hypothesis has also been used to argue that individuals living in
urban habitats would experience lower predation risk due to the lower
abundance of native predators. I reviewed studies assessing predation risk
between urban and non-urban habitats, and concluded that the evidence
supporting the safe-habitat hypothesis is contradictory. There are two main
factors that that argue against urban habitats being safer: mesopredator
release (e.g., high abundance of lower level predators like cats) and human
disturbance (e.g., recreationists and dogs using urban parks). Considering
these two factors in the study of predation risk in urban habitats is relevant
because the perception of risk is likely to be species-specific, depending on
the degree of exposure (and tolerance) to not only native predators but also
introduced predators and humans. Consequently, for some bird species,
urban habitats can actually be perceived as riskier than non-urban habitats.
Overall, establishing how the perceived risk of predation varies between taxa
in relation to urban sprawl can help us explain patterns of species invasion
and extinction in human-dominated landscapes.
2011-12-06 11:15 Applied sensory ecology: strategies to repel and
attract birds using visual cues
Fernandez-Juricic, E*, Purdue University;
Many of the challenges that conservation biologists and wildlife managers
face involve the manipulation of the behavior of individual species.
Generally, this is done by following a trial-and-error approach based on
experts’ opinion. However, this approach does not acknowledge the diversity
of sensory systems in vertebrates. Understanding the basic principles of the
sensory system of a target species can greatly enhance the effectiveness of
management strategies. I will present two case studies that explore different
properties of the avian visual system to develop strategies to repel or attract
birds using visual cues. The general approach is to: (1) characterize the
sensitivity of visual pigments and oil droplets in the retina and their relative
abundance and distribution, (2) determine how a target species perceives
objects using avian visual models to identify the visual cues that would stand
out the most, and (3) conduct behavioral studies testing the effectiveness
of those visual cues in attracting or repelling birds. This approach is being
applied to develop ways of reducing the frequency of bird-aircraft collisions
and increasing the visual attractiveness of bird feeders. Overall, sensory
ecology can provide novel strategies for protecting and managing wildlife.
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