Moving and Rearing Chicks: Efforts to Establish a New Short-tailed Albatross Breeding Colony -- and now what?

In California, southern coastal sage scrub (CSS) has declined to 15% of historic distributions due to urbanization, pollution, and exotic invasion. Endangered species such as California gnatcatchers, Stephen's kangaroo rats, and Quino checkerspot butterflies are dependent on dense, highly diverse CSS assemblages. It is hypothesized that increases in nitrogen deposition as a result of urbanization and pollution have stimulated invasive annuals and subsequently reduced CSS diversity. To measure N deposition intercepted by the native and invasive plant assemblages, we are employing the Integrated Total N Input (ITNI) method. ITNI utilizes a plant-substrate-water system in which invasive and native plants act as collection interfaces using the principal of isotope dilution to determine species specific deposition rates. By assigning specific N deposition rates, ITNI will determine the rate of atmospheric N assimilation and detect whether exotics utilize this deposition as a form of artificial fertilization to outcompete natives. Specific N deposition utilization rates will address the hypothesis that N deposition significantly influences the decline of native CSS. Initial ITNI deployments have shown adequate biomass growth in the PLS systems for native and invasive species. Our findings will have important implications by providing rates of deposition that can be used to re-evaluate current critical load estimates for N deposition in relevance to an invasion threshold.

Fish behavior is often overlooked when describing benefits arising from protection. Here we demonstrate benefits provided by changes in fish behavior resulting from two commonly used management tools, periodically harvested fisheries closures (PHCs) and no-take reserves (NTRs). We surveyed fish flight initiation distance (FID - how closely a fish can be approached before it flees) in a before-after-control-impact-pairs study on periodically harvested fisheries closures (PHCs) in Vanuatu and across the boundaries of permanent no-take marine reserves (NTRs) in the Philippines. In PHCs mean FID for Acanthurids was less than speargun range (suggesting they would be easy to catch), and lower than in fished areas. Post-harvest, mean FID in the PHCs increased to beyond speargun range. The proportion of Acanthuridae in the catch from PHCs was almost double that of normal fishing trips, and catch per unit effort was 96% greater. In the Philippines we found that FID of the fishery-target families (Acanthuridae and Scaridae), was lower inside NTRs, gradually increased across boundaries, and was equal to the mean FID in fished control areas approximately 140 m outside NTRs. This represents greater behavioral spillover, than spillover of fish biomass. In addition to being an important mechanism by which local fishers can benefit from protected areas, changes in fish behavior can alter the vulnerability of fish families in ways that may have ecological consequences.

Considering landholders’ perceptions in spatial conservation prioritizations can be particularly informative as implementation-success can depend on landholders’ perceptions of benefits gained. We surveyed landholders along the O’Connell River, Queensland, Australia to identify ecosystem services and landscape values they believed would be generated through conservation actions proposed for their land by their local natural resource management (NRM) group. We generated eight spatial prioritization scenarios to explore the potential for achieving benefits for both groups. All scenarios accounted for the services the NRM group expected to gain, but in six scenarios we varied whether we accounted for landholders’ perceived services and values. To determine differences between scenarios that did or did not account for landholders’ perceptions we compared benefit-cost ratios and the number of landholders that the NRM group would need to engage to achieve nine different conservation targets. We show that it is least cost-effective to accommodate landholders’ perceived values and that with low conservation targets, or less than 4 million AUD, the most cost-effective approach is to invest in actions that return the services the NRM group perceives are gained. We also highlight that to accommodate landholders’ perceptions, it is more important to identify those properties where conservation targets, and benefits for both groups, can be achieved than it is to engage more landholders. We conclude by discussing the implications of these results for conservation opportunity assessment.

Identifying priority areas for biodiversity is essential for directing conservation resources. Fundamentally, we must know where individual species live, which ones are vulnerable, where human actions threaten them, and their levels of protection. We mapped priority areas for vertebrates using newly updated data on all mammals, amphibians, and birds. For each taxon, we identified centers of richness for all species, small-ranged species, and IUCN listed threatened species. Importantly, all analyses were at a spatial grain of 10x10km, one hundred times finer than previous assessments. Fine scale is a significant methodological improvement, for it brings mapping to scales comparable with regional decisions on where to place protected areas. We also mapped recent species discoveries, for they suggest where as-yet unknown species might be living. To assess the protection of the priority areas, we calculated the percentage of them within protected areas using the latest data from the World Database of Protected Areas. While the priority areas do have more protection than the global average, the level of protection is still insufficient given the high importance of these areas. We also found substantial differences between our priorities areas and the leading map of global conservation priorities, the biodiversity hotspots. This suggests a need to reassess the global allocation of conservation resources to reflect today's improved knowledge of biodiversity and conservation.

This year, for the first time, the U.S. government has identified a nation for violating a law against bycatch of protected species by foreign fishing fleets. Under this law, a nation could be required to adopt circle hooks in its longline fisheries, a situation reminiscent of the controversial requirement that foreign shrimping fleets use turtle excluder devices (TEDs). Despite two decades of extension activities by the U.S. abroad, rumors abound of poor use of TEDs by some foreign fishing fleets, which have even led to embargoes. Is the technology transfer model used to TEDs effective and appropriate for use with circle hooks? We sought to understand why U.S. promotion efforts yielded better acceptance of TEDs and circle hooks in some countries than in others. We conducted interviews and surveys in the U.S., Costa Rica and Ecuador and analyzed the data using a grounded theory approach and multivariate statistics. Our findings reveal that a large-scale adoption of circle hooks could be hindered by a lack of supply due to high costs of importation, inability to manufacturer circle hooks in-country, and limited ability to distribute circle hooks into smaller fishing towns. This suggests that unlike the TED case, efforts to promote the use of circle hooks abroad, may need to expand beyond education about the bycatch problem and traditional technology transfer, to include diplomatic efforts to facilitate the importation and distribution of circle hooks.

Invasive, non-native species are one of the three most important causes of loss of native biodiversity worldwide, together with habitat loss and global warming. They cause extensive environmental degradation, economic harm and disease outbreaks. However, U.S. Federal budget cutbacks, combined with anti-spending and anti-regulatory trends in conservative Members of Congress, and further combined with a passive, overly-cautious approach by the Obama Administration, have blocked any significant progress on invasive species prevention in the United States. U.S. NGO responses have dwindled rather than becoming stronger. Reforms have stalled and invasions by animals, weeds, plant pests, pathogens and other groups continue unabated. Global warming will exacerbate all of these threats and in some cases muddy what species should be considered native versus non-native. Numerous international examples exist, e.g., from Australia and New Zealand, of successful policy reforms to prevent further invasions resulting from the intentional import trade, both for the plant and animal trades, which the United States should emulate. This talk will address desirable outcomes and the role that committed SCB members can play with respect to specific reforms needed for both the live animal and plant import trades.

Domestic dog diseases may be a primary threat to endangered dhole (Cuon alpinus) populations. Our camera-trap studies in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary (KARN), Thailand, show that dholes and domestic dogs come into direct and indirect contact increasing the potential for disease transmission. We evaluated the potential for these disease spillovers around KARN by collecting demographic data on dog populations (n=244 dogs), analyzing blood samples for disease prevalence (n=80), and tracking the movements of a dhole, jackal (Canis aureus), and dogs (n=19). There was an average of 2.4 dogs per household with an annual adult mortality of 17%. Thirty-two percent of dogs were vaccinated for rabies, but none for other infectious diseases. Initial serological survey results (n=27) indicate 11% of dogs positive for canine distemper virus and 52% of dogs positive for canine parvovirus. The radio-collared dhole pack stayed within forest cover inside KARN, whereas the jackal had a more extensive range with the majority of time spent in agricultural areas outside the sanctuary. Dogs had small home ranges central to their households with the farthest travelling distance into KARN of 4 km. While there may be less threat from direct contact of dogs with dholes, there remains potential for disease transmission through wide-ranging species, such as jackals. Data from this research is being used to develop vaccination programs for dogs around Thailand's protected areas.

Landscape connectivity has been recognized as a critical component to protecting ecosystem function and species viability. In urban areas, connectivity is threatened directly by anthropogenic landscape alteration and indirectly by fragmentation-related of changes to natural disturbance regimes, most notably wildfire. We used telemetry data from bobcats and coyotes to evaluate the impacts shifting fire frequencies on connectivity in an urbanized landscape in southern California. We developed habitat models for each species to generate a connectivity assessment and found that, without incorporating data on observed and predicted change to fire-return intervals with respect to historic patterns, characterizations of landscape connectivity may be inaccurate. In particular, we found connectivity for bobcats was reduced substantially when habitat maps included these changes in fire-return interval. Given their sensitivity to habitat fragmentation, bobcats may serve as a bellwether of synergistic changes in landscape connectivity under shifting conditions. In an urbanized landscape already constrained by roads and development, increasing fire frequency may increase landscape resistance for carnivores and other species. Our results suggest that we must account for shifting disturbance dynamics in connectivity assessments to generate more accurate estimates of landscape permeability and adequate conservation planning efforts for protection of landscape connectivity.

Although Contingent Valuation (CV) is the most frequently used non-market valuation technique for environmental goods, debate persists over its reliability and the overall suitability of passive use values in economic policy analysis. One such contentious issue is the information bias, which can distort the estimate of the service being valued. In our study, we test the impact of one such 'bias' that can be introduced through awareness programs. A debate on this is necessary because of the potential importance of CV values in influencing public opinion and policy decisions. To assess the impact of awareness programs on the Willingness to Pay (WTP), we conducted a CV survey in two villages around a wetland, one (Naanalkulam) which was exposed to an awareness program and another (Vaagaikulam ) which was not exposed. We analyzed the data using a bi-probit model and it shows that the Naanalkulam villagers are likely to have significantly more WTP than the ones in Vaagaikulam. Whether this impact is a 'desirable bias' or a 'bias' at all has not been sufficiently debated in the ecological economics literature and needs to be addressed for CV to be holistic in valuing complex environmental goods.

To bolster public involvement in conservation, environmental organizations increasingly emphasize stewardship and behavior change in their program goals. Because many human behaviors do not favor conservation, programs are strengthened when integrative, front-end research informs engagement strategies. Leveraging knowledge from diverse fields of study helps to assess scientific evidence, decide program priorities and identify barriers to behavior change. Here, a six step front-end evaluation process is described to aid conservation practitioners in engaging public audiences and fostering sustainability. This process includes useful decision points to narrow communication priorities and to interpret emerging conservation issues, which have not yet been well-studied. Steps 1-3 use evidence-based, interdisciplinary research to guide topic selection and conduct literature reviews. Steps 4-6 explore how to align research insights with project goals and engagement strategies. The topic of marine debris is used to illustrate how synthesizing research from marine ecology, sustainability science and social psychology can help to enhance science literacy and mitigate barriers to sustainable behavior.

Classical biocontrol, the use of coevolved natural enemies against invasive species, is used in the management of invasive weeds but how rapidly invasive weeds can evolve in response to their re-associated natural enemies is largely unknown. The wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, is a Eurasian species widely distributed across North America. It forms dense stands that crowd out native species; moreover, aerial parts of the plant contain photosensitizing toxins that cause contact dermatitis in humans. This plant has been associated with its coevolved European florivore, Depressaria pastinacella, the parsnip webworm, across the U.S. for over 100 years. In 2004, webworms invaded New Zealand (NZ), where wild parsnips have been free from herbivory since their introduction 150 years ago. To determine if reassociation with this specialist herbivore will select for rapid adaptive evolution in the weed, we conducted reciprocal common gardens with seeds originating in NZ or the US. NZ seeds were collected over the span of 6 years from populations either never infested, infested for 4 years, or infested for 6 years. Comparing fitness, damage and floral chemistry, we found that webworms significantly reduce plant fitness overall but plants from populations infested for 6 years had lower damage, higher fitness and greater tolerance to herbivory. The capacity of weeds to evolve in response to biological control agents should thus be included in the management of invasive weeds.

Conservation practitioners must prioritize use of limited resources and demonstrate the effectiveness of their actions to achieve biodiversity goals in order to obtain ongoing support and participation from stakeholders, partners and funders. To address this need, the Painted Dog Conservation Organisation, with support from the Wildlife Conservation Network, is using the five steps of the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation to iteratively plan, evaluate and adapt their strategies to conserve highly endangered Painted Dog (or African Wild Dog - Lycaon pictus) populations in Zimbabwe. We show how the process has resulted in explicit assumptions and testable hypotheses about four prioritized strategies to reduce 11 critical threats to Painted Dogs, their ungulate prey and key habitats. The first iteration of monitoring and evaluation revealed that law enforcement, education, and species management strategies have been effective to varying degrees in achieving intermediate objectives. Major challenges still exist for reducing the threats of prey depletion and cascading ecological impacts of artificial waterholes. The results indicate that the adaptive management process is contributing to increased involvement of staff and partners in understanding and achieving the organization's objectives and goals, improved strategies and reallocation of resources to increase effectiveness, and refined monitoring and evaluation protocols to better inform future management.