Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
Wildlife conservationists working in Africa now recognize that the cost of
living near protected wildlife is high for human communities and that for
conservation to succeed, local people must see direct benefits from these
resources. This paper argues that moving from fortress style conservation to
a more people-inclusive form of conservation governance is a step forward,
but that the assumption of CBNRM that direct benefits from wildlife must
be created to mitigate its costs is not always applicable. Using the case of
northern Botswana’s Chobe Enclave villages, my research shows that the
negative impacts of the nearby national park are alleviated less by the local
CBNRM project and more by other unique socio-economic and political
conditions that heavily structure people’s livelihood strategies. Specifically,
the detrimental indirect effects of wildlife conservation policy on Chobe
residents’ livelihoods—namely crop destruction and livestock predation
by wildlife—have been mediated by governmental policies reflective of
Botswana’s status as a welfare developmental state and remittances from
family members working outside of the village. State transfers and strong
rural-urban linkages have allowed people to “get by” in the face of decreasing
livelihood options, and have arguably contributed to general acceptance
of conservation policy amongst local communities. In this way, Chobe
National Park may be more sustainable than other African protected areas
less because CBNRM has provided effective solutions to human-wildlife
conflict and more because other socio-economic and political conditions
unique to Botswana help maintain a certain standard of living for local
communities.
2011-12-09 16:30 The road to extinction is paved with the good
intentions: the vanish of Formosa landlocked salmon (Oncorhynchus
formosanus) genetic diversity
Gwo, J.-C.*, Department of Aquaculture, Taiwan National Ocean
University;
The genetic structure of wild Formosa landlocked salmon in its main
habitat of Chichiawan Stream was examined using 3 molecular markers
(AFLP, microsatellite DNA and mtDNA) for 4 years (2004, 2005, 2006
and 2008). Genetic diversity of Formosa landlocked salmon was completely
lost at these markers between 2004 and 2008. The carrying capacity of
salmon in Chichiawan Stream is estimated about 4,800 fish and majority
(>50-60%) of the fish is concentrated between Dams 1 and 3. About
1,648 fish was found at this area in July of 2004. Around 5,000 hatchery
cultivated individuals, the descendants of 5 pairs of wild salmon, were
accumulated during 2000 to 2004 according to the policy set by Forestry
Bureau, Taiwan. At least 3,271 hatchery individuals escaped from hatchery
near Dam 2, located at the midstream of the Chichiawan Stream, when
Ariel Typhoon breached the hatchery in August 2004. I hypothesized that
the large-scale escaped captive-bred fish decreased the survival rates of wild
salmon in Chichiawan Stream in winter 2004, particularly given the period
of low stream productivity the following year. Competitive displacement
or density-dependent mortality may have been mechanisms underlying the
decline in genetic diversity of wild Formosa landlocked salmon.
2011-12-09 16:30 Better use of ecological information in modelling
climate change impacts on the distribution of small mammal
populations
Haby, NA*, University of Adelaide;
For many vertebrates of conservation concern already impacted by landscapescale,
anthropogenic-driven processes, it is unknown which populations
may persist, decline or disappear across a species’ range in a changing
climate. Predicted changes to the distribution of small ground-dwelling
mammals with different ecological traits may be substantially improved by
including environmental information that represents core resources (i.e.
directly relevant to the species’ fundamental niche). To investigate this, a
hybrid modelling technique combining species distribution model (SDM)
and population demographic information was used to track changes to
metapopulation structure (RAMAS GIS). For species with more specialised
habitat, diet or shelter requirements, high-resolution abiotic and biotic
landscape- and quadrat-scale data improved SDMs. Low-resolution data
appeared to adequately represent the distribution of more mobile, generalist
species. However, low-resolution data inherently predicted fewer, larger
and more isolated areas of suitable habitat, that when combined with
population demographic information led to higher population abundances
that were more resilient to a changing climate. These findings highlight the
value of including appropriately scaled, abiotic and biotic environmental
information that directly or indirectly represent resources required by
small mammals to speculate more realistic range shifts, contractions or
expansions in a changing climate.
2011-12-06 16:45 Acacia trees as a keystone resource for insectivorous
desert-dwelling bats
Hackett, TD*, University of Bristol; Korine, C, Ben Gurion
University; Holderied, MW, Univsity of Bristol;
Anthropogenic habitat modification places stress on the natural ecosystem.
In Israeli desert, ephemeral rivers (wadis) are often characterised by stands
of acacia trees, which are in decline, most likely due to human-induced
water stress. We examine the importance of acacia stands of different
quality to bats and arthropods in comparison to other available habitats,
both natural and artificial. We assed bat activity at 30 sites with acoustic
monitoring and collected arthropods using light and pit traps. Dense green
acacia trees have significantly higher bat activity and arthropod abundance
than any other natural habitat, including lower quality acacia stands. Town
sites and date palms have high arthropod levels but only town sites rival
dense green acacia trees in bat activity level. The 13 bat species recorded
around acacia trees is the highest diversity in any natural desert habitat
in Israel and while some species are able to utilise artificial sites others
are found almost exclusively in natural habitats. Rare species (Barbastella
leucomelas and Nycteris thebaica) were identified only at sites with acacia
trees. Conservation efforts for these habitats should be improved and focus
on the green densely packed stands of acacia trees to protect the vital habitat
for protected bats.
2011-12-07 14:15 Using line transects and occupancy-based modelling
to assess the status and monitor gibbons in Lao PDR: Results and
implications for conservation
Hallam, C. D.*, Wildlife Conservation Society, Lao PDR; Johnson,
A. , Wildlife Conservation Society, Lao PDR; Seateun, S, National
Univeristy of Laos; Lathamsathith, T, Wildlife Conservation Society,
Lao PDR;
Laos harbors globally significant populations of crested gibbons, including
the critically endangered northern white-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus
leucogenys). In Laos gibbons are primarily threatened by illegal hunting for
trade and habitat loss. Management of gibbons relies on sound information
on which to make management decisions and thus there is a need to assess
and monitor the status of gibbons at sites where they are present. Despite
their conservation significance no systematic sampling or monitoring of
gibbons has been done to date and as a result wildlife managers still lack
basic information on their status and distribution throughout Laos. To
address this problem, we established the country’s first systematic line
transect monitoring program for arboreal mammals in the Nam Kading
National Protected Area (NKNPA) in central Lao PDR. For the baseline,
we conducted intensive repeat sampling over 130 transects in 2008 and
2009. Transects were visited up to four times with a total survey effort
of 431km. We detected gibbons 36 times on 18% of transects (n=130).
Preliminary occupancy estimates for the gibbons indicate 26% (SE 0.06;
p=0.3 (SE 0.08) in areas where gibbons were surveyed. The results were
used to prioritize the NKNPA in a national gibbon action plan and guide
management to increase enforcement efforts within the NKNPA where
gibbons were detected. Although the results are reliable the method proved
logistically and financially prohibitive and consideration of alternative
methods are needed for future monitoring of the species in the NKNPA,
and other comparable landscapes.
2011-12-09 13:00 Long-term monitoring of change in temperate
grasslands- GLORIA network in the Andes
Halloy, S*, , The Nature Conservancy and Universidad Nacional de
Chilecito; Beck, S, Herbario Nacional, Universidad Mayor de San
Andrés; Cuesta, F, Condesan; Yager, K, NASA;
It has been shown that predicted warming and increased frequency of
extreme weather events increases with altitude in the Andes. Combined
with enormous topographic (and hence precipitation) heterogeneity,
poverty and intensive use, this creates a situation of high vulnerability to
global change. Since 2002 a network of Global Research Initiative in Alpine
Environment (GLORIA) sites have been progressively installed in Andean
countries to monitor changes, document the type and magnitude of impacts
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