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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 connected by riparian corridors and isolated patches. Using ecological traits of the species studied and environmental (microclimate, vegetation structure and resource availability) variables measured in the different remnants we will construct an index of matrix permeability. This will assist in future management decisions regarding restoration and revegetation of corridors to accommodate successful dispersal of these species, especially to climate change refugia, and thus allow their future persistence. variation in amphibian population trends predictably related to variation in UV temporal trends. It could be that negative effects of UV on individual amphibians do not result in changes at the population level or that factors that affect UV at a local scale are more important to amphibian populations than broad scale UV. However, global increases in UV radiation do not appear to be a major cause of amphibian declines. JE Houlahan et al. 2000. Nature, 404, 752-755. 2011-12-07 11:06 People And Predators In A Moral Landscape: Exploring Attitudes Towards Large Carnivores To Perceptions Of Landscape Ghosal, S.*, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) ; This paper explores the relationship between attitudes towards large carnivores and perceptions of the landscape. This paper probes underlying themes to check if perception of the landscape has any relevance to people’s attitudes towards large carnivores.. The paper is based on ethnographic research carried out in a production landscape in western India, which is dominated by the cultivation of sugarcane. The landscape is production landscape with no part of protected for biodiversity conservation. A stable population of Leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) lives in this landscape, in close proximity with its human inhabitants. This shared existence is marked by a complex matrix of interactions, including material conflicts and studied tolerance. The relationship between people and leopard is strung along a spectrum ranging from demands for permanent removal at one end to deification of the leopard as a local deity. This paper presents an analysis of applying Tim Ingold’s proposition that people perceive landscapes through the tasks they perform in it to explaining why some people tolerate large carnivores in their midst, while others do not. It will conclude that often conflicts over large carnivore conservation are located in disagreement over perception of the landscape, rather than attitudes towards the large carnivore. 2011-12-07 14:48 Entomophagy, a tool for biodiversity conservation: A case study from Arunachal Pradesh, N.E. India. GHOSH, SAMPAT*, Dept. of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India-791112; Chakravorty, Jharna, Dept. of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India-791112; Indigenous knowledge plays a crucial role in utilizing the surrounding natural resources which in turn conserves genetic diversity. The acceptance of about 94 insect species as food by several ethnic communities of Arunachal Pradesh (NE India) is an example of ethno biological knowledge. This may be considered as a landmark in the search for sustainable sources of nutrition. At the same time it advocates the conservation of the species and thus the forest. So far about 75% of edible insect species recorded is being collected from forests. The ethnic people even rear some species in traditional methods. The dependence on the forest for livelihood has taught the ethnic people how to conserve forests and utilize natural resources in general and insect in particular. The present study indicates that traditional knowledge is in decline due to inclination towards western food habits. The traditional knowledge associated with entomophagy among ethnic people of Arunachal should be encouraged to preserve biodiversity which may in turn act as an effective tool for biodiversity conservation. 2011-12-09 17:45 Do broad scale changes in UV radiation correlate with global amphibian declines? Gibbs, KE*, University of Ottawa; Currie, DJ, University of Ottawa; The global decline in amphibian populations is one of the most pressing issues in conservation biology yet there is no clear consensus on which factors are driving these declines. UV radiation has been suggested as a cause because radiation has been increasing since the 1970’s and amphibians are particularly susceptible to UV damage. Many studies have confirmed that UV can cause serious damage to amphibians. Here, we use a global amphibian population dataset and remotely sensed global UV radiation to examine whether there is a correlation between amphibian population changes and changes in UV radiation at a global spatial scale for numerous amphibian species. The dataset includes 936 amphibian population time series varying from 5-21 years over 1979-1999 from 37 countries (Houlahan et al. 2000). Amphibian populations were found to be declining on average. At individual sites, temporal changes in amphibian abundance are not predictably related to changes in UV intensity. Nor is the global spatial 2011-12-08 18:30 Application of molecular methodologies for conservation of the Western Swamp Tortoise, Pseudemydura Umbrina . Giustiniano D R*, 1School of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia; MIlls H, 1School of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia; Robertson H, Perth Zoo; Groth D M, School of Biomedical Science, WABRI, Curtin University; The critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoise is considered to be Australia’s rarest reptile, a species endemic to Western Australia found only in two naturally occurring sites. Efforts to prevent this species from further decline can be mainly attributed to the successful captive breeding program and the species recovery plan. The captive breeding program of P. umbrina implemented by Perth Zoo has increased the total population from fewer than 50 to approximately 700 individuals. The small founder population puts this species at a considerable risk of low levels of genetic diversity. Captive breeding programs also rely on accurate pedigrees to manage the genetics of captive populations, the potential for sperm storage in this species questions the accuracy of the current studbook. Non-invasive genetic material has been collected for all individuals from the captive breeding program. Next generation DNA sequencing using the Roche 454 platform has been used to identify microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular techniques have been used to resolve important biological questions in this species. The use of molecular markers can substantially improve conservation efforts, the application of genotypic information obtained from the Western Swamp Tortoise can be used to enhance this species captive breeding program. 2011-12-07 17:00 Colonization of new patches of forest habitat by epiphytic lichens Gjerde, I.*, Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute; Blom, H.H., Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute; Sætersdal, M., Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute; Heegaard, E., Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute; Understanding dispersal processes is fundamental to the conservation of biodiversity in a changing world. We investigated the colonization of new forest habitat patches by a guild of epiphytic lichen species in former treeless heathland in coastal southwest Norway. To the north and east, the heathland area bordered on potential source areas that have been forested for a long time. All lichen bodies (thalli) of 32 preselected lichen species were mapped within a 170 km2 heathland area, the habitat patches comprising only 0.4% of the area. The age and cumulative substrate area over time (CSA) for each of the 90 habitat patches was estimated. Ten patches was classified as old (> 120 years), and the others were between 35 and 120 years old. Age and CSA explained most of the variation in species richness (R2 = 0.76). We found no effect of distance on lichen species richness; neither the distance to the edge of the heathland area nor the distance from old habitat patches within the heathland area had any significant impact. Thus, there was no sign of stepping-stone effects in the pattern of colonization of lichen species within the study area. In our setting (small patches constituting 0.4% of the area), geographical positions in the heathland area did not seem to affect propagule supply. We conclude that our habitat patches were mainly colonized by long-distance dispersal. Implications for conservation of lichens and other cryptogams are discussed. 2011-12-08 18:30 Determining the Linkages between Mangrove Detritus and Ecosystem Functioning, in a Temperate New Zealand Estuary Gladstone-Gallagher, RV*, University of Waikato, NIWA Hamilton; Mangroves are increasing in New Zealand estuaries at a rate of 4% per year, due to changes in catchment land-use and increased delivery of terrestrial sediments to estuaries. New Zealand coastal management plans often include 58
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 provisions to reduce expansion of mangrove habitats, through removal of seedling colonists and/or adult trees. The poorly defined ecological value of the services provided by mangroves in temperate estuaries provides little guidance of how mangrove removal will impact on ecosystem function. Here, we investigate one ecosystem service, that of the trophic role provided by temperate mangroves, determined by the decomposition of mangrove detritus (fallen leaves and wood) and its uptake by marine organisms. Firstly, we quantified rates of leaf litter fall from mangroves, sampling litter fall traps monthly at two sites in Whangamata Harbour, to derive estimates of forest productivity and detrital input into the estuary. Secondly, we calculated decomposition rates of buried and exposed mangrove detritus at varying tidal heights, shading, and sediment type. Finally, we measured the effect of adding mangrove detritus on infaunal organisms to determine the role that mangrove detritus plays in supporting estuarine food webs. Our results establish the linkages between mangrove detritus and estuarine ecosystem functioning, by measuring the input of mangrove material into the detrital food web as well as the resulting changes in benthic community structure. 2011-12-08 11:00 Human Health Impacts of Ecosystem Services: Wildlife Consumption and Food Security Golden, CD*, Harvard University School of Public Health/Center for the Environment; Biodiversity loss and large-scale wildlife declines are now globally pervasive and well-documented.These losses have triggered severe ecological ramifications such as trophic meltdown, loss of critical ecological interactions and extinctions of fish and game species.Surprisingly few studies have quantified the effects of wildlife declines on human economies and health outcomes, despite the essential role of wildlife consumption in shaping human evolution and in the diet of hundreds of millions of rural people across the globe. Wildlife declines are likely to have direct and powerful effects on human health and nutrition, particularly via lost access to critical micronutrients. We quantify the contribution of harvested wildlife to human nutrition in rural Madagascar and demonstrate with empirical data and predictive models that wildlife loss could induce a 1.3 fold increase in the prevalence of childhood anaemia. While many studies have suggested that wildlife can provide a food security safety net, our study illuminates quantitative links between micronutrients derived from wildlife and critical human health outcomes. These results provide a clear example of how rapid global declines of access to wildlife for consumption, due either to conservation measures or wildlife depletion, could significantly affect the health of local human populations. Such linkages between biodiversity loss and human health highlight the need for research and mitigation approaches that integrate the disciplines of public health and conservation biology. 2011-12-09 12:00 Population genomics of a conservation dependent deep-sea fish species, orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) Gonçalves da Silva, Anders*, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research; Barendse, William, CSIRO Livestock Industry; Kijas, James, CSIRO Livestock Industry; Barris, Wes, CSIRO Livestock Industry; McWilliam, Sean, CSIRO Livestock Industry; Bunch, Rowan, CSIRO Livestock Industry; Hoelzel, Rus A., Durham University; England, Phillip R., CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Marine fish are usually hard to observe, highly mobile, and often longlived with large effective population sizes. This poses particularly difficult challenges to fisheries managers when defining stock structure. Past work in orange roughy has generally found low genetic differentiation at global spatial scales. Here, we examine genome-wide genetic variation and describe population structure in orange roughy. Allelic variation was surveyed at thousands of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites using custom-built 5K Illumina Infinium chips in samples spanning the known range of the species. We found low genetic differentiation at global scales, on the order expected under “drift connectivity”. Initial clustering analysis based on discriminant analysis of principal components on the whole SNP set separated broad geographic regions (e.g., western South Africa vs. Australia), but did not separate sampling sites within regions. Thus, a large number of genetic markers have allowed us to confidently detect some population differentiation when none was initially expected, and detect population boundaries at broad spatial scales. Analyses based on outlier loci are currently underway as they are potentially valuable in determining stock structure in marine species that show low divergence over large geographical scales. The data presented improve on previous genetic analyses, however present a new challenge on how to treat such low levels of differentiation when managing fisheries. 2011-12-09 15:00 Biases in comparative analyses of extinction risk: mind the gap González-Suárez, M*, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC; Lucas, P.M., Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC; Revilla, E., Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC; Understanding what makes a species more vulnerable to extinction is a key objective in conservation biology. A popular and appealing answer is based on comparative analyses that explore the links between higher vulnerability and intrinsic ecological and life history traits. Comparative analyses require information on multiple species which are assumed to be a representative sample of the overall biodiversity or taxonomic group of interest. Our study challenges this assumption by describing important taxonomic, regional, and data type biases associated with the number of data available for mammalian species. We show that biases are partly explained by intrinsic species traits with larger mammals occupying bigger range areas being the best studied. Importantly, these biases in data availability affect the results of comparative analyses, raising concerns over our ability to draw general conclusions regarding which species traits are associated with vulnerability to extinction. Addressing this problem will require greater investment in data collection and dissemination, as well as the development of methodological approaches to correct existing biases. 2011-12-06 17:00 Conservation of endangered woodlands in a patch dynamic system Good, M.K*, University of New England; Clarke, P., University of New England; Price, J. N., University of Tartu; Reid, N., University of New England; Eucalyptus coolabah (Coolibah) woodlands are an endangered ecological community that have been extensively cleared in Australia. Little is known of the population biology of Coolibah other than its ability to recruit en masse following flood events. On the northern riverine plains of NSW, densely regenerating Coolibah is regarded as an encroaching woody species due to a perceived increase in density, but the evidence is equivocal. We measured population structure in woodlands and regenerating stands: smaller size classes were absent from remnant woodlands and there were few large trees in dense stands. These results support a model of savanna patch dynamics in which episodic recruitment and mortality are driven by patchily distributed establishment and recruitment events. At the patch scale, tree density appears to be decreasing in some areas and increasing in others. When patches are pooled, however, all size classes are represented and the meta-population appears stable. In dense stands, we found a strong relationship between tree size (DBH) and distance to nearest neighbour indicating that intra-specific competition leads to self thinning. It is likely that dense Coolibah regrowth is simply a seral state leading to mature woodland over time, and so conservation of Coolibah woodlands should be considered at a landscape scale. 2011-12-09 18:00 Impacts of an alien grass on native coastal plant communities Gooden, B.*, Institute for Conservation Biology & Environmental Management, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong; French, K., Institute for Conservation Biology & Environmental Management, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong; Alien plants significantly threaten native biodiversity, yet information on community-level impacts remains poorly understood. This study investigated the changes in coastal forest communities following invasion by an alien, stoloniferous, C4 grass, Stenotaphrum secundatum, in southeastern Australia. Invaded plots had 80% fewer native ground-layer plants and substantially different compositions than native reference plots. Importantly, invaded and native sites did not differ in key landscape parameters, including number of living and dead trees, distance to edges 59
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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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