Poster Abstracts in Word 29oct - American Museum of Natural History

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Conservation problem or question: In the last thirty years the number of private forestowners in the US has increased significantly, while the total amount of forestland hasincreased only slightly. This process of parcelization creates a conservation challengethrough physical and ownership fragmentation of forestland, which significantly impedes thesustainability and function of forested landscapes and can lead to increasing loss offorestland.Research methods: This project addresses the problem of identifying the extent andpatterns of forest parcelization in a priority conservation landscape of eastern New York.Using a GIS analysis of social and landcover data I will identify the changes in property sizesand distribution, property classification and development, and spatial distribution of forestedproperties in a three county area.Relevance to conservation: More owners controlling increasingly smaller parcels results inincreased forest fragmentation, restricted management options for landowners, reducedecosystem services for society, and changes in habitat conservation values. The success ofconservation efforts depends on understanding the extent and causes of this change whiledeveloping alternative strategies for preservation and supporting sustainable managementactivities on smaller parcels.CROSS-SHELF CONNECTIVITY IN BELIZEELI S. ROMEROBoston University, Biology DepartmentBoston, Massachusetts USAPh.D. first yearesromero@bu.eduConservation problem or question: The project addresses the importance of the differenthabitats used by commercially important fish species during their different life stage,specifically from juvenile to adulthood. The main focus is to show that these target speciesdepend on certain habitats before making it to the reefs as adults, mainly mangroves, seagrass beds and shallow reefs.Research methods: The methods used were visual surveys and collection of samples forstable isotopes and laser ablation of otoliths. The visual surveys were 30x2 belt transects atfour different habitats, coastal, lagoonal reefs, barrier reef and oceanic atoll. Samples werecollected using a variety of methods, line fishing, traps and nets, at all locations.Relevance to conservation: Belize's fisheries industry is quite small and little importance isgiven to the habitats commercially important fish species use during early life stages. Thisstudy not only show abundance of these species at the different location, but also theirsizes. It further strengthens our results with the δC and δN signatures from the stableisotope ratio.HABITAT UTILIZATION PATTERN OF ASIAN ELEPHANT IN MNP, INDIABHRIGU PRASAD SAIKIAGauhati University, Department of ZoologyAssam, IndiaPh.D. third yearbhrigusaikia7@gmail.comConservation problem or question: Shrinkage of Grassland in Manas National Park (MNP)threatened Asian elephant as it depends on Grassland, woodland, riparian forest as habitatdue to invasion of the woodland into grasslands. Hence present study was done on habitatutilisation pattern of Asian elephant on wet grassland, tall grassland, semi evergreen forest,riparian forest, mixed deciduous forest, evergreen forest and short grassland.
Research methods: Data on direct sighting of Asian elephant with number in differenthabitats, GPS reading of sighting location, time were collected for enumerating habitatutilisation pattern. Dawn to dusk sampling of Asian elephant using scan animal and Ad.Libitum sampling (Altman, 1974) along with seasonal variation of utilising different habitatswere done to record habitat utilisation and selectivity.Relevance to conservation: The present study reveals that Asian elephant utilised wetgrassland highest followed by tall grassland, semi evergreen forest, riparian forest, mixeddeciduous forest, evergreen forest and short grassland; broadly uses grassland more thanwoodland. Hence management of grassland should be topmost management priority forAsian elephant Survival in Manas National Park reducing human elephant conflict.METAPOPULATION CAPACITY WITH SELF-COLONIZATION AT BIG SCALESJESSICA SCHNELLRutgers University-Newark, Federated Department of Biological SciencesNewark, New Jersey USAPh.D. fourth yearjschnell@rutgers.eduConservation problem or question: Habitat fragmentation is a leading threat for our globalfuture. Methods to quantify fragmentation would be especially useful in conservationplanning. Using the principles of metapopulation theory, we updated and devised twomethods: modified metapopulation capacity and area abandonment rate. Our version ofmetapopulation capacity includes a self-colonization component that counteracts the issuemetapopulation theory experiences with single large patches.Research methods: We use a large dataset on bird species’ ranges and landscapecharacteristics for four tropical forest locations. Integrating area and connectivity to makeestimates about fragmented landscapes, Hanski and Ovaskainen (2000) introduced theconcept of metapopulation capacity as a way of assessing the ability of a spatially-explicitlandscape to support a species. We modify this for large scale application.Relevance to conservation: Modified metapopulation capacity highlights which patches bestallow for species persistence, based on size and connectivity to surrounding patches. Areaabandonment rate method measures individual patch’s support to the remaining landscape,for ranking according to contribution. Using satellite maps of now deforested habitat, wegenerated optimal restoration sequences by ranking each historically forested land’spotential contribution.CONSERVATION OF AUTOCHTHONOUS NOBLE CRAYFISH POPULATIONSANNE SCHRIMPFInstitute for Environmental Sciences, Conservation Biology & Ecosystem ManagementPh.D. first yearschrimpf@uni-landau.deConservation problem or question: The noble crayfish is a highly threatened Europeanspecies. Besides of habitat deterioration, alien crayfish and crayfish plague are the majorthreats. We want to identify autochthonous and genetically diverse populations to serve asdonor populations for a restocking program. The integration of a genetic assessment withina regional conservation initiative serves as a model and demonstration project.Research methods: To reconstruct the phylogeographical pattern and to identifyautochthonous noble crayfish populations, we analyzed partial sequences of twomitochondrial genes (16s rRNA, COI) from specimens of the main European river basins. Amicrosatellite analysis was carried out to study the diversity within and betweenpopulations.
Page 1 and 2: STUDENT CONFERENCE ON CONSERVATION
Page 3 and 4: Conservation problem or question: R
Page 5 and 6: habitat selection by bats and the e
Page 7 and 8: Research methods: I use ecological
Page 9 and 10: esult in different actions toward n
Page 11 and 12: wooded pastures located across a ra
Page 13 and 14: MATRIX & EDGE EFFECT ON PHENOLOGY O
Page 15 and 16: Undergraduate completedpriscillaher
Page 17 and 18: changes in the water table and the
Page 19 and 20: TRIBAL RIGHTS AND TIGER CONSERVATIO
Page 21 and 22: Research methods: The methods used
Page 23 and 24: Conservation problem or question: W
Page 25 and 26: conservation outcomes, we also need
Page 27 and 28: Research methods: Trained reserve r
Page 29: SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF HABITAT FRAG
Page 33 and 34: SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Page 35 and 36: conservation strategy. The current
Page 37 and 38: POPULATION GENETICS OF THE GIANT AR
Page 39: practices currently employed in the

Poster Abstracts in Word 29oct - American Museum of Natural History

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?