Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
2011-12-08 18:30 The middle ground in conservation and development:
Evaluating the ICDP in Kalakad Mundathurai Tiger Reserve
Jesudasan, A.*, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the
Environment; Soubadra, D., Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and the Environment; Ganesan, R., Ashoka Trust for Research in
Ecology and the Environment; Ganesh, T., Ashoka Trust for Research
in Ecology and the Environment;
Using a multi-disciplinary approach we evaluated an Integrated Conservation
and Development Program (ICDP) which has been a dominant strategy to
achieve a win-win situation. The ICDP in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger
Reserve, India intended to reduce forest dependency of villagers by giving
out low interest loans and by providing alternate biomass reserves. We used
a propensity score matching technique to measure the impact of the ICDP
on beneficiaries’ household income. Long term fuel wood collectors’ census,
supported by remote sensing were used to infer the trend in forest recovery.
In addition, focus group interviews were conducted to get the perspectives
of villagers on the ICDP. The results show that there has been increase in
forest cover and a reduction in forest dependence. Though there was no
impact on the household income of the villagers and inadequate alternate
biomass, the villagers attributed the forest dependence to loans given by the
ICDP which was given under the condition that villagers stop depending
on forest resources. The ICDP also commanded substantial goodwill as it
was the first in this landscape to lend at low interest. ICDPs such as the one
in KMTR, which encourage alternate livelihood outside Protected Areas,
may still find win-win solutions.
2011-12-06 11:15 Modelling global dynamics of species distributions
in a rapidly changing world
Jetz, W*, Yale University; LaSorte, FA, Yale University; Guralnick,
RP, University of Colorado, Boulder; McPherson, JM, Calgary Zoo;
Environmental change is expected to put much of global biodiversity at
risk of extinction with potentially extensive consequences for human wellbeing.
Yet, society only has a limited understanding of the geography of
both species and threats, and most attempts to gauge the magnitude of
impacts are limited to select regions, species or indicators. In the face of
this challenge, important opportunities exist for validating and improving
biodiversity change analysis tools, for model-based integration of existing
species-level distribution data at a global scale, and for dynamic change
analyses that build on them. Here I will present ways to use past observational
data to evaluate methods for assessing observed environmental change
impacts on species distributions and discuss recent work that helps provide
tools and products for a better baseline understanding of global species
distributions in relation to future threats. Specifically, I will elaborate on
insights from using the US Breeding Bird Survey data for validating modelbased
projections of biodiversity change. I will discuss recent first attempts
of global baseline assessments of environmental change impacts for whole
diverse taxa. Finally, I will introduce approaches and tools provided by
the recently initiated “Map of Life” project for integrating biodiversity
distribution data and performing dynamic change analyses.
2011-12-09 11:45 The influences of vegetation, flow and climate on
stream macroinvertebrates: lessons from the big dry.
Jim Thomson*, Monash University; Leon Metzeling, Environment
Protection Authority, Victoria; Ross Thompson, Monash University;
Nick Bond, Monash University; Ralph Mac Nally, Monash
University;
The potential impacts of climate change and associated land cover changes
on aquatic ecosystems are of great interest to policy makers, managers
and ecologists. We used 20 years of macroinvertebrate monitoring data
from south eastern Australia to investigate trends in river condition over
a period of prolonged drought. We also explored how amounts of native
vegetation in upstream catchments and local riparian zones influenced
aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages and their responses to changing
flow and climate conditions. We linked macroinvertebrate data to a DEMderived
stream network and other spatial datasets to derive physiographic,
vegetation, flow and climate data for > 1800 sampled reaches. We used a
Bayesian hierarchical model to simultaneously examine temporal trends and
the interactive effects of vegetation, flow and climate at several spatial scales.
We found strong evidence of widespread changes in macroinvertebrate
assemblages over the drought period, with large reductions in the prevalence
of flow-dependent and pollution intolerant taxa. Macroinvertebrate
condition measures (SIGNAL, EPT richness, total richness) and their rates
of decline were spatially variable and displayed complex relationships with
vegetation, flow and climate attributes. However, stream condition was
consistently higher in streams with large amounts of native vegetation in
upstream catchments and in local riparian zones, regardless of climate, flow
or physiographic setting. These results suggest that protecting and restoring
native vegetation in riparian and catchment zones may help to mitigate the
effects of climate change on aquatic biota.
2011-12-07 14:15 Assessing the value of public lands and waters to
U.S. birds: the 2011 State of the Birds Report
Jocelyn Aycrigg*, National Gap Analysis Program, University of
Idaho; Chris Eberly, Department of Defense Partners in Flight;
Daniel Fink, Cornell University; David Mehlman, The Nature
Conservancy; Ken V. Rosenberg, Cornell University; John R. Sauer,
U.S. Geological Survey; J. Michael Scott, Idaho Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit, U. S. Geological Survey, University of
Idaho;
Nearly 850 million acres of land and 3.5 million square miles of ocean
in the U.S. are publicly-owned. These habitats are essential to > 800 bird
species in the U.S., 251 of which are federally threatened, endangered, or
of conservation concern. We estimated the distribution of habitat-obligate
birds on public lands and evaluated the responsibility of our public agencies
for bird species in each primary habitat. We determined the percentages
of distributions on public lands by combining bird distributions modeled
from eBird citizen-science data with USGS-GAP’s Protected Areas
Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 1.1). More than 300 bird species have 50%
or more of their U.S. distribution on public lands and waters. Our results
highlight the importance of public lands and agencies in bird conservation,
as well as areas where increased protection and management are needed.
Conservation and effective management of habitats and birds on our public
lands and waters are essential to balance the need for resources from logging,
mining, and energy extraction with conservation needs in all habitats.
Public agencies have a major influence on the success of bird conservation.
Through effective interagency management of these important habitats,
they can help restore declining species and keep common birds common.
2011-12-08 18:30 Motorboat noise and its effects on coastal fish
growth
Johansson, K*, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences;
Increased recreational boating activities in coastal areas might have both
behavioral and physiological effects on fish, yet long term effects of noise
disturbance have been poorly investigated. To explore such effects, two
fish species, Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus),
were placed in enclosures in a quiet coastal area in the Bothnian Bay of
Sweden. Experimental subjects were either kept in a silent location or in
a location occasionally exposed to noise from an outboard engine situated
ten meters away. In addition, individuals were either separated into speciesspecific
enclosures or grouped together in equal numbers. During a two
week period, fish were fed twice a day during noise exposure and then
measured and weighed so that specific growth rate (SGR) calculations
could be performed. No differences between the experimental treatments
were observed for perch, but noise exposure did affect SGR values for roach
negatively. However, no declines in growth rate were observed for either
species in the mixed enclosures. Two experimental runs separated in time
showed the same patterns. Thus, the roach with its acute sense of hearing
was disadvantaged by motorboat noise, but only in isolation (single species
enclosures). Conservation and management success may therefore be
predicted by individual species traits or overall species composition.
2011-12-08 15:00 How to Ensure Facts and Experience Prevail Over
Power and Fear in Natural Resource Governance – In US Policy, CITES,
CBD and UNFCCC
John Fitzgerald*, SCB;
A key question is how to ensure that policy makers use the best scientific
knowledge appropriately in developing and enforcing policy. We will discuss
(species and climate) examples from international law and US legislative,
administrative and judicial processes to set out practical means to project,
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