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25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 in coastal erosion; and denitrification. We find that reef restoration produces substantial economic values and impacts, some of which are captured by the marginalized Vietnamese-American community that dominates local oyster fishing. We use key informant interviews and focus groups to assess the extent to which this community is interested in engaging in large-scale coastal restoration efforts envisioned for the northern Gulf of Mexico, and identify key obstacles that need to be overcome to increase the community’s capacity to fully participate in and benefit from restoration efforts. 2011-12-08 18:30 Conserving Tallgrass Prairie in the USA with Prairie- Based Farming Kronberg, SL*, EcoSun Prairie Farms, Inc.; Johnson, WC, EcoSun Prairie Farms, Inc.; Boe, A, EcoSun Prairie Farms, Inc.; Schumacher, TE, EcoSun Prairie Farms, Inc.; Erickson, LM, USDA-NRCS; Very little of the tallgrass prairie remains in the United States because most has been converted to grow annual crops because farmers believe they can make more money producing maize and soya beans than from prairie-based products. As part of a process of proving that prairie-based agriculture can be a viable alternative to row crop production, about 200 ha of high quality farmland in eastern South Dakota, which had been used to grow maize (Zea mays) and soya beans (Glycine max), was converted to tallgrass prairie during the summers of 2008 to 2010. The farm now provides relatively large blocks of grassland habitat needed for many obligate grassland birds that avoid small, fragmented patches for nesting. Number of breeding pairs of grassland birds such as bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) increased on the farm within 1 to 2 years when the cropland that had been used to grow maize and soya beans for a century was restored to native grassland. Restoring the grassland required considerable work, but was only the first phase in the process of providing evidence to farmers and absentee landowners that grass-based agriculture is an economically viable alternative to row cropping. The second phase of the project is in progress and includes evaluation of the profitability of seed production from native plants, grass production for hay and cellulosic biofuel, and livestock production. 2011-12-06 10:30 It’s a vine life: Conservation and pest control through translocation of threatened falcons Kross, SM*, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury; Tylianakis, JM, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury; Nelson, XM, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury; The New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) is a nationally threatened species, and is the country’s only remaining endemic bird of prey. The “Falcons For Grapes” (FFG) project has recently been relocating wild falcon chicks into artificial nest sites within vineyards in Marlborough. The innovation of FFG is that by relocating falcon chicks to vineyards, it aims to create self-sustaining conservation, whereby an increase in falcon numbers concomitantly creates a form of integrated pest management to decrease the detrimental effects of pest birds in vineyards. To assess the conservation value of FFG we used remote videography to compare the breeding behaviour of wild- and relocated- falcons. Results suggest that prior to the age at which chicks are able to thermoregulate falcons living in vineyards spent a greater proportion of each day in the nest compared to their wild counterparts, but that feeding rates did not differ. To assess the pest management potential of FFG we compared pest bird abundance and grape damage in vineyards containing resident falcons with control vineyards. Falcon presence in vineyards significantly decreased the number of grape-removing introduced pest birds, leading to a concomitant 95% reduction in the incidence of grape removal compared to vineyards without falcons. This research suggests that the goals of agriculture and predator conservation can converge. 2011-12-07 10:30 Assessing the impact of climate and land use change on Midwestern United States river systems Krueger, DM*, Michigan State University; Wang, L, Institute for Fisheries Research; Infante, D, Michigan State University; Whelan, G, Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Tsang, Y, Michigan State University; Wieferich, D, Michigan State University; Cooper, A, Michigan State University ; Decisions to conserve or restore important stream habitat may be influenced by predictions of future climate and land use. Fish habitats in Midwestern streams (USA) are not equally vulnerable to changing environmental conditions. Hence, we modeled the response of fish habitat to projected climate and land use changes. River temperature and flow regimes are fundamental components of fish habitat and were linked to individual stream reaches along with fish data, land use, geological, and downscaled climate data. We used artificial neural networks to model mean daily stream temperature and flow for all reaches in the study region. Indicator analysis was used to identify ecologically significant temperature and flow metrics (calculated from predictive models) as well as fish metrics “sensitive” to climate and land use. Temperature and flow metrics were then linked to fish assemblage measures and incorporated into Boosted regression trees to score fish habitat under current and projected scenarios for all stream reaches. We found the greatest magnitude of change between current and future habitat (i.e., vulnerability) occurred in cold water streams due to thermal stress and increased urbanization, thereby impacting several native and sport fishes. Habitat maps resulting from our modeling approach provide managers with tools to prioritize management scenarios at multiple spatial scales and improve their ability to identify and conserve critical fish habitat in the region. 2011-12-07 16:45 Biodiversity impacts of feral pigs in a temperate rainforest ecosystem Krull, CR*, University of Auckland; Burns, BR, University of Auckland; Choquenot, D, Landcare Research; Stanley, MC, University of Auckland; Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are globally widespread invasive species, inhabiting a diverse range of environments. Concerns have been raised about their impact on native plants and animals, broader influence on ecological processes, and the transmission of pathogens, especially the newly discovered Kauri root rot disease (Phytophthora taxon Agathis). This study evaluated the biodiversity impact associated with ground disturbance by pigs in a temperate rainforest ecosystem, located in the North Island of New Zealand. Ground disturbance effects vegetation through direct removal, but also indirectly through modification of the below ground subsystem and soil characteristics. This paper describes the spatial extent of ground disturbance by pigs within the ecosystem, and uses exclosure plots established in recently disturbed areas to show the rates of rooting and recovery. The direct and indirect effect of ground disturbance on vegetation diversity and a number of key soil characteristics are also presented. These results are helpful in predicting the response of ground disturbance to pig control in order to assist managers in identifying control regimes that protect key biodiversity traits. This study demonstrates that invasive species such as the feral pig can be extremely damaging to native ecosystems, directly and indirectly through the modification of ecosystem processes. 2011-12-09 17:15 Villagers and REDD+: better understanding the issues for local people will improve the success of forest conversation projects in Papua New Guinea Kuange, John*, Wildlife Conservation Society, Papua New Guinea Programme; Arihafa, Arison , Wildlife Conservation Society, Papua New Guinea Programme; Samson, Mellie, Wildlife Conservation Society, Papua New Guinea Programme; Zeriga-Alone, Tanya , Wildlife Conservation Society, Papua New Guinea Programme; Sinclair, J Ross , Wildlife Conservation Society, Papua New Guinea Programme; The REDD+ mechanism is seen as a way to conserve the vast but threatened lowland rainforests of Papua New Guinea (PNG), while also bringing much needed development to the rural poor. Many projects have failed in PNG because they do not respond to local conditions or expectations. In order to develop a concept for REDD+, we surveyed rural people to understand issues that might impact on project success. Low-impact development activities were most highly ranked by local people. They prioritised noncash benefits, such as schools and healthcare for their social group (e.g. ‘clan’), and water and housing for their families. Most peopled wanted benefits distributed directly to themselves, their family or social group, and did not choose community leaders or groups because of a perceived lack of trust, skills or cooperation. Disputes over land and benefit sharing were seen as the major risks to REDD+, with lesser risks from poor capacity to 88
25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011 manage activities or money and breakdowns in law and order and social cohesion. Most people preferred customary dispute resolution over formal mechanisms. Community leaders said their relationship with government was poor but could be improved by more regular visits to villages and better funding, training and communications. If REDD+ and other projects put sufficient investment into understanding and addressing issues important to local people as detailed in our study, they stand a better chance of succeeding where other projects have failed. 2011-12-08 10:38 Conservation planning under climate change - should we and could we? Kujala, H*, Metapopulation Research Group, University of Helsinki; 2011-12-08 18:30 Assessment of Soil Microbial Respiration in Afforested and Grassland Area of ISM, Dhanbad, India Kumar,S*, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad; Chudhury,S, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad; Maiti, S.K, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad; Deforestation and changes of land use from natural forest to grassland are the important contributors to increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2. This also leads to a reduction in soil carbon storage due to the rapid decomposition of organic carbon when exposing the soil to different land use pattern. This study investigate the diurnal changes in soil CO2 efflux at the natural afforested tropical and grassland area of ISM, Dhanbad campus (India). The survey was carried out during the monsoon period with the relative humidity of about 99.4 % at the night. The moisture content in these two sites is 20 ± 0.68 % and there is positive correlation between the soils CO2 efflux (FCO2) and moisture content. The average soil temperature recorded was 28.78 oC (28.68-29.10 oC) for forest area and 38.830C (29.10-48.450C) for the grassland area respectively. A positive correlation was also observed between soil temperature and CO2 efflux while relative humidity showed a negative correlation. FCO2 under the trees in three sites were 5.70 ± 2.1 μmolCO2/m2/s, 1.40 ± 0.71 μmolCO2/ m2/s and 4.8 ± 0.75 μmolCO2/m2/s respectively. Soil FCO2 under the grassland area in three sites were 11.20 ± 1.40 μmolCO2/m2/s, 5.33 ± 1.47 μmolCO2/m2/s and 4.88 ± 0.75 μmolCO2/m2/s respectively. The higher FCO2 in the grassland sites compared to afforested area. The soil FCO2 showed significant diurnal changes and these patterns were highly correlated with the soil surface temperatures and moisture content. The soil FCO2 was higher in the daytime and lowest in early morning. Soil FCO2 would be due to biological activities as well as physical phenomena. The fluctuations of the CO2 concentration were mainly due to the soil respiration and plant photosynthesis in the field. The production and release of CO2 from soil layers is an environmentally sensitive and important component of the carbon balance for most ecosystems and therefore relevant for understanding and predicting the global carbon cycle. 2011-12-06 16:45 Indirect poisoning: Impact on two critically endangered Gyps vultures in Assam, India Lahkar, Kulojyoti*, Wildlife Conservation and Study Centre; Phukan, Mridupaban, Wildlife Conservation and Study Centre; Risebrough, Robert W., The Bodega Bay Institute; Since 2003, when the use as a veterinary medicine of diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was shown to be the primary cause of the sudden and catastrophic declines of three species of Gyps vultures in south Asia, we have monitored the nesting and nesting success of G. tenuirostris and G. bengalensis in Assam, India, and have documented other factors that currently affect their survival and that are expected to affect their future recovery. These include the deliberate destruction of nests, cutting and thinning of nesting trees, occasional scarcity of food, egg collection for medicinal purposes and, in 2010 – 2011, the poisoning of carcasses with insecticides to kill rabid dogs and jackals. Three-year running averages of the number of nestings of both species suggest a decline in the order of 50% over the seven year period, with a particularly sharp drop recorded in 2010 – 2011. Our conservation efforts include an awareness campaign to protect nesting trees, nests and nestlings, to use safer drugs in veterinary medicine instead of diclofenac and to avoid the poisoning of carcasses likely to be consumed by vultures. 2011-12-08 18:30 Making the extra information count: incorporating auxiliary detection data in site occupancy studies. Lahoz-Monfort, JJ*, National Centre for Statistical Ecology, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Cornwallis Building, University of Kent, CT2 7NF, Canterbury (UK); Guillera-Arroita, G, National Centre for Statistical Ecology, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Cornwallis Building, University of Kent, CT2 7NF, Canterbury (UK); Occupancy has become a popular state variable in conservation programs for monitoring species as well as for investigating species-habitat relationships. In order to account for species imperfect detection, occupancy models require survey replication, following standardised sampling protocols. Yet, supplementary information regarding the presence of the target species within the monitored area may also be available. Such data may for instance be derived from local reports of carnivore kills or opportunistic sightings by conservationists. These auxiliary detection data, not collected according to the monitoring protocol, have traditionally been discarded or used in an ad hoc manner. Here we present a method to integrate auxiliary detection data into the site occupancy modelling framework and explain how to do this using existing occupancy software. Incorporating these data allows a more accurate estimation of occupancy and we provide an expression to quantify this improvement. We also show how to take into account the availability of auxiliary information in the important stage of survey design. We illustrate how the optimum level of survey replication is reduced and for which type of situations this matters most. The inclusion of auxiliary detection data within occupancy studies may offer a reduction in the required survey effort and associated costs, something relevant in conservation where resources are often limited. 2011-12-08 11:15 Limited dispersal due to forest fragmentation results in increased genetic relatedness and inbreeding in an arboreal marsupial Lancaster, ML*, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide; Taylor, AC, Australian Centre for Biodiversity and School of Biological Sciences, Monash University; Cooper, SJB, Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum; Carthew, SM, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide; Habitat fragmentation can alter the ecology, social structure and mating system of a species. For example, limited dispersal out of patches can result in higher genetic relatedness among individuals, inbreeding, and increased susceptibility to local extinctions. Using a southern Australian system heavily impacted by forest fragmentation (only 14% of native bushland remains), and an arboreal marsupial with known reduced dispersal in this system (the common ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus), we explored relatedness, mate choice and inbreeding avoidance in fragments compared with a large, nearby continuous forest. Within each sex and between potential mates (male-female pairs), we found pair-wise genetic relatedness and an inbreeding co-efficient (FIS) to be higher in fragments than the continuous forest. Using parentage assignment tests within an intensively sampled patch (n sampled adults = 100, n sampled pouch young = 30), we found relatedness of actual mates in the fragment to be significantly higher than the patch average relatedness (range: 0 – 0.56). Our results suggest that the main mechanism to avoid inbreeding in common ringtail possums is dispersal, and in fragmented systems, reduced capacity for dispersal can have serious genetic consequences. Our results will go towards informing the construction of proposed biodiversity corridors in this region. 2011-12-07 12:45 Pelagic Marine Protected Areas: Achieving Effective Ecosystem-based Management Lance Morgan*, Marine Conservation Institute; Sara Maxwell, Marine Conservation Institute; Pelagic ecosystems have complex ecological interactions that are difficult to manage. Our understanding of these interactions is often limited, making it difficult to incorporate them into pelagic MPA management. One emerging question for managers of pelagic MPAs is the degree to which ecosystem overfishing might impact the status of seabird populations breeding within an MPA, but foraging at large distances from the MPA. To better understand this interaction and devise a robust management 89
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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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