Abstracts available here - Society for Conservation Biology

25th International Congress for Conservation Biology • Auckland, New Zealand • 5-9 December 2011
2011-12-09 17:15 Predicting insect phenology using temperaturebased
growing degree days
Lessig, Heather*, North Carolina State University; Ries, Leslie,
University of Maryland; Haddad, Nick M., North Carolina State
University;
Global climate change appears to be causing shifts in many species phenology,
particularly insects that are highly sensitive to temperature. This can have
major ecological consequences, as rising temperatures might lead to early
emergence in some insects but not in their host plants. Using data from 13
years of transect surveys conducted by volunteers throughout Ohio (United
States), we used a simple temperature-based measurement, growing degree
days, to predict when 15 butterfly species would first emerge in the year. We
found that growing degree days were most effective in predicting emergence
of species that have distinct flight periods and a rapid emergence. When
combined with basic geographic and species-specific variables, growing
degree days can be used as a simple predictive tool to understand how species
may react to shifts in climate. In doing so, we can better understand how
climate change might affect future insect populations and their interspecific
interactions.
2011-12-07 14:30 Risks of incursion, collapse and the influence of
climate change on an invasive ant
Lester, P.J.*, Victoria University of Wellington;
The risks of establishment, spread, effects and persistence of invasive ants
is influenced by a range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. I will discuss the
invasion of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) into New Zealand as
an example of how these factors can influence the population dynamics
and impact of invasive ants. We have shown that this ant is a common
passenger in imported produce. Despite this propagule pressure, the entire
New Zealand population has little genetic diversity and are likely to be
the descendants from one successful incursion. Geneticists would predict
that populations with limited genetic diversity would likely collapse due
to inbreeding depression or a limited ability to adapt to new parasites and
pathogens. Such collapses are frequently observed in New Zealand. Climate
change will lessen the likelihood or risk of collapse of populations in some
areas. But in other locations climate change may hasten local extinction.
Under such circumstances, and with a long-term perspective, some invasive
ants may have little ecological or evolutionary risk or impact.
2011-12-08 11:30 Impact of forest fragmentation on dispersal and gene
flow in a nationally endangered Australian marsupial, the Southern
Brown Bandicoot
Li, You*, The University of Adelaide; Lancaster, ML, The University
of Adelaide; Cooper, SJB, South Australian Museum; Carthew, SM,
The University of Adelaide;
Fragmentation poses a serious and ongoing threat to biodiversity. Effective
dispersal of animals can be limited in isolated or fragmented populations,
which in turn makes them more susceptible to losses of genetic diversity
and eventual extinction. In south-eastern Australia, land clearing for exotic
softwood plantations and agricultural land has resulted in the fragmentation
of continuous remnant forests into smaller, isolated patches surrounded by
potentially hostile matrix habitats. The nationally endangered Southern
Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus obesulus) relies heavily on vegetation
at ground level for nesting, foraging and movement, and is therefore likely
to be affected by habitat modification. Using a panel of 14 microsatellites,
we explored genetic diversity, gene flow and dispersal across 11 remnant
fragments in the Mt Burr Range. Genetic diversity was relatively low, but
was highest in the mid Mt Burr Range. Broad scale genetic differentiation
(Fst) was significant, however, patches within each region were not
significantly genetically different from one another. Our results suggest that
approximately 1 km of pine plantations may not pose a severe impediment
to dispersal of individuals between patches, however, greater distances and
different intervening matrices do. Our results will be used to inform the
implementation of biodiversity corridors in the region.
2011-12-07 14:56 Indigenous use of coastal wetland resources in a
changing climate
Ligtermoet, E*, PhD Candidate, ANU; Baker, R., Supervisor,
ANU; Jackson, S., Supervisor, CSIRO;
Coastal indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts
of a changing climate. Sub-coastal freshwater wetlands and floodplains play
a vital role in indigenous livelihoods and cultural practices across Northern
Australia. These freshwater systems are at risk of saline intrusion from rising
sea levels, as well as the synergistic effects of invasive weed species, feral animals
and increased storm events. This is likely to impact communities utilising
freshwater resources. Changes to country are often not new to Indigenous
communities who have in the past dealt with significant disruption to
traditional management practices, introduced weeds and feral animals.
World heritage listed Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory,
containing Ramsar listed wetlands, will be a case study site. Participatory
research methods will be adopted in this study as sharing knowledge
systems will be crucial to developing appropriate mitigation and adaptation
strategies, particularly for wetland systems under co-management. This
research aims to determine what the potential impacts of climate change on
indigenous resource use of wetland biodiversity in Northern Australia will
be and what adaptation or mitigation strategies might be employed to best
(culturally and ecologically) manage the resources in a changing climate.
2011-12-06 12:00 Excluding stakeholders from decision-making:
implications for conservation policy in low-income nations
Liles, MJ*, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX 77840; Peterson, TR, Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College
Station, TX 77840;
Biodiversity hotspots in low-income nations are often top priorities for
conservation action. However, in many of these countries biodiversity
continues to decline, suggesting that current conservation policy may be
ineffective. Our objective is to examine how socio-political contexts of lowincome
nations influence the development and effectiveness of conservation
policy. We used El Salvador as a case study to begin addressing this question,
to which we applied the combination of four elements described by Scott
(1998) as drivers in state-initiated social engineering. First, we reviewed
critical socio-political developments during the last 130 years in El Salvador.
Second, we drew on the historical record to describe how sea turtle
conservation emerged along the Salvadoran coast. Third, we examined the
development of the moratorium on sea turtle egg consumption, approved by
the national government in 2009. Fourth, we analyzed interviews conducted
with 22 local egg collectors between 2009 and 2011 to better understand
their perspectives toward the moratorium, their involvement in its creation,
and their commitment to its implementation. We conclude by discussing the
implications of alienating critical stakeholders from conservation decisionmaking
processes in low income nations and offer recommendations on
ways to achieve and sustain desired-long term outcomes via more inclusive
processes.
2011-12-08 14:28 The effects of non-random species loss on spatial and
temporal biodiversity in intertidal algal communities
Lilley, Stacie*, University of Canterbury; Schiel, David, University
of Canterbury;
Loss of biodiversity has pervasive impacts on the world’s ecosystems, yet
there is still considerable debate about how to quantify aspects of diversity
and how it varies over space and time. Beta-diversity has several spatial
components and interpretations, but its temporal component is far less
tractable because it can only be gauged painstakingly through time. Our
work compares the spatial and temporal components of diversity. Here
we show that temporal diversity, βt, in rocky intertidal algal communities
comprises a large portion of total diversity, that it can take several years to
become evident, varies by tidal zone, and depends on impacts to canopy
species. Furthermore, our experiments show that short-term impacts to
these habitat-forming canopy species can have long-term consequences on
community structure, and all aspects of diversity.
2011-12-06 15:15 Optimal allocation of environmental water to
maximise frog, plant and waterbird conservation benefits
Linke, S*, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; Januchowski,
S, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; McMahon, J, Griffith
University, Brisbane, Australia; Olley, J, Griffith University, Brisbane,
Australia; Turak, E, NSW DECC, Sydney, Australia; Blakey R,
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