Responses of bat species to artificial light in a semi-natural context

Artificial light is suspected of having substantial effects on the ecology of species by, for example, producing discontinuity in nocturnal animal territories. Here, we studied its potential effect on bats at the community scale in a semi-natural context. We assessed bat activity with an acoustic survey among a gradient of light intensities, taking into account weather and environmental conditions and spatial correlation structure. With a trait approach, we showed that some specialist species were disadvantaged by lighting conditions whereas others, more generalist, could benefit from disturbed habitats like lit areas. Indeed, we established three groups of species: one group positively influenced by light that could benefit from disturbed habitats and two groups negatively influenced by light, including rare and threatened species in Europe, such as an aerial hawking bat group and a gleaning bat group. Thus, our results suggest a biotic homogenization process towards more generalist species, occurring along gradients of human activities. For an applied perspective, recommendations for light management, protection of hedgerows and creation of nocturnal networks are proposed. These strategies should be taken into account for efficient bat conservation plans.

Population viability models have facilitated important advancements in species conservation planning, but existing species risk assessment approaches have been criticized for their narrow disciplinary perspective and limited success in assessing coupled biological--human complexity. We describe a novel metamodel approach to species risk assessment for systems in which diverse threats are addressed through different disciplines, act at different spatiotemporal scales, or interact in non-linear ways. A metamodel links multiple, discrete models that depict components of a complex system, by governing the flow of information among models and the sequence of events in a simulation analysis. Each discrete model simulates processes specific to its disciplinary realm while being informed of changes in other parts of the metamodel by accessing common descriptors of the system, populations, and individuals. Interactions among models are revealed as emergent properties of the system. We introduce a metamodeling platform to implement this approach and illustrate how it can reveal complex processes that link population dynamics to external forces such as other species, infectious disease, landscape change, and climate. The metamodel approach can be used to integrate the expertise of diverse disciplines to address conservation problems that require understanding and action at the levels of populations, habitats, ecological communities, ecosystem processes, and human activities.

Although it is known that imperfect detection affects species distribution models (SDM), the implications of ignoring this issue have not been fully assessed and recognized. Here we compare two widely used SDM methods, GLM and Maxent (based on 'presence-absence' and 'presence-only' data respectively), to an approach that explicitly accounts for imperfect detection (based on repeat detection-non detection data). We assess their performance using simulations under different imperfect detection scenarios with varying degrees of correlation between detectability and the environmental variables that influence occupancy. We show that imperfect detection can seriously impact the conclusions drawn from SDMs, and how this impact depends on the correlation between occupancy and detection. Although imperfect detection has traditionally been overlooked in SDMs, our results highlight the need for more careful consideration of detection when interpreting and using SDMs. The rapid increase in the application of SDMs in wildlife management, conservation planning and ecological studies of species-habitat relationships calls for rigorous approaches to their development and interpretation.

On arid lands, limited water resources attract a large diversity of wildlife from large geographic areas. Wildlife that live in these restricted habitats, or that merely visit these resources or surrounding catchments for drinking or hunting, will deposit DNA that may eventually enter the aquatic milieu. We are exploring the potential for aquatic eDNA samples to be used as a tool for identifying the suite of terrestrial mammals (including bats) that live near or visit these resources, and for detecting rare or elusive species. In September 2012, eDNA samples were collected from 13 locations in the low desert and mountain canyons of southern Arizona. More than 60 multiplex primer sets aimed at amplifying mitochondrial targets within Microchiroptera, Carnivora, and Soricidae were designed using existing whole mitochondrial genomes in NCBI GenBank. After trials to identify those primer sets that provide the most reliable amplification of target species, the select subset of primer sets will be used to create, for each sample location, an enriched, pooled template for amplicon resequencing on a high-throughput next-generation sequencer. The single-molecule sensitivity of such sequencers and massive sequence output may allow us to detect species that have deposited very little eDNA in a system. Ultimately, the described approach, or variations thereof, may provide unprecedented power for detecting rare or elusive species in areas with limited freshwater resources.

The Bahamas, with its thousands of patch reefs, dozens of fringing reefs, and a few bank barrier and atoll-like bank reefs, may possess some of the wider Caribbean’s least threatened corals. Representative reef monitoring is a formidable challenge as the archipelago’s widespread sub-regions also vary greatly in human population size, extent of coastal development, tourism, industry and shipping, and degree of resource protection. The AGRRA protocols are designed to assess key structural and functional attributes of western Atlantic reefs and give fisheries-independent estimates of fishing intensity. Spatial and temporal baselines can be derived from its database of 1,865 Caribbean-area surveys collected in a variety of reef types since 1997. AGRRA surveys were conducted on a total of 96 fore reefs, 25 patch reefs and 15 reef crests around Andros/South Berry Islands, Cay Sal Bank, Great and Little Inagua, Hogsty Reef and New Providence/Rose Island over a 13-month period in 2011-2012. Collaborative pooling of the benthos, coral and fish datasets in ecological report-card formats will allow us to compare reef condition and attendant threats in these habitats and sub-regions. Scientists and local marine managers are working together to select indicators useful for management and choose appropriate grading criteria. The results can be merged with fisheries and socioeconomic data to propose adaptive conservation and sustainable development policies for the Bahamas.

“How we measure development will drive how we do development.” This is the idea behind the World Bank initiated partnership to promote Natural Capital Accounting, called Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Accounting, or WAVES. The critical role of natural capital in human well-being, especially in poor communities in developing countries, is widely recognized, but ecosystems continue to deteriorate, often in the pursuit of short-term economic growth. Unless the economic value of ecosystem services is recognized, their contribution to sustainable economic welfare will be seriously underestimated, resulting in under-investment in sustainable management and ultimately lower incomes. Extending the National Accounts for natural capital provides information to demonstrate the influence of natural capital on the major indicators of macroeconomic performance, such as GDP, employment and the balance of payments, and what can potentially be lost under mismanagement. Hence, Natural Capital Accounting can be particularly effective for engaging agencies responsible for economy-wide management. Recent international agreement on the UN’s System of Environmental and Economic Accounting provides credible methodology, although much work remains to be done.

The presentation will highlight progress in WAVES partner countries to extend natural capital accounting for ecosystems, and policy advances possible with natural capital accounting.

Langhammer, Penny, Arizona State University; Karen Lips, University of Maryland; James Collins, Arizona State University; Patricia Burrowes, University of Puerto Rico
Population-level impacts of endemic disease on direct-developing frogs in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a hotspot of amphibian decline, with ~75% of species threatened with extinction. The infectious disease chytridiomycosis, caused by a fungal pathogen of the skin, is implicated in the decline of amphibians worldwide, including the loss of three frog species on Puerto Rico. Extinction from infectious disease can occur if disease-induced mortality is significant and pathogen transmission is maintained despite low host densities. We combined lab experiments with modeling to study the impacts of chytridiomycosis on a direct-developing frog species from Puerto Rico. In a series of lab experiments, we tested the susceptibility of juvenile and adult Eleutherodactylus coqui frogs to the fungus. We also measured the rate of pathogen transmission and tested whether both direct (frog-to-frog) and indirect (environment-to-frog) transmission occur, a first attempt to study chytrid transmission in direct developers. Juvenile frogs had much lower survival than control froglets or adults when exposed to the pathogen; in contrast, most adults cleared infection rapidly. Pathogen transmission was low, but terrestrial frogs can become infected with this aquatic pathogen via zoospores on damp vegetation. We parameterized a stage-structured mathematical model to analyze population-level outcomes of disease. In areas with endemic disease like the Caribbean, frog populations can decline even if adults are resistant or tolerant through reduced survival and recruitment of juveniles.

Freshwater ecosystems and the fisheries they support are increasingly threatened by human activities. To aid those seeking to manage and protect fisheries of inland ecosystems, we outline nine key principles of healthy and functioning ecosystems based on the best available science using Canada as a case study. The principles are: laws of physics and chemistry apply to ecology; population dynamics are regulated by reproduction, mortality, and growth; the importance of habitat quality and quantity; habitats must remain connected; species and their habitats are subject to ecosystem-scale effects; biodiversity enhances ecosystem resiliency and productivity; global processes affect local populations; anthropogenic stressors can have cumulative effects; evolutionary processes must be protected. Additionally, we provide general recommendations for managing and protecting freshwater ecosystems and the fisheries they support providing examples of successful implementation for each management principle. Examples of management recommendations include: engage stakeholders, adopt a precautionary approach, embrace adaptive management, and implement ecosystem-based management. Ecosystems are complex with many components that are spatiotemporally intertwined. Ignoring linkages and processes significantly reduces the probability of successful management efforts. The principles of ecosystem structures and functions must be considered when developing policy and identifying management options.

ESA-listed, stream-type Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have declined dramatically in the Upper-Columbia River basin. Significant resources and effort are invested annually to restore degraded Chinook habitat and reestablish depressed or exhausted populations. Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of such efforts is a critical step in the conservation and management of declining populations or species at risk of extinction. Due to the timing of stream-type Chinook spawning runs (during peak runoff), the effectiveness of traditional aquatic sampling methods (i.e. electrofishing, snorkeling, weir traps) is greatly reduced. Additionally, electrofishing and trapping of a threatened or endangered species can lead to undesired harm or mortalities. The hands-off approach of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling offers a method for determining the presence of Chinook in streams, sight-unseen, even during periods of high stream flow. Preliminary results from landscape-level sampling (n=294) of mainstem rivers and headwater streams throughout the Methow and Okanogan Sub-basins of Washington and British Columbia demonstrate the effectiveness of eDNA sampling for Chinook salmon. This project benefits managers planning to reintroduce Chinook to the Okanogan Sub-basin by providing a baseline survey of Chinook presence and a comparison of eDNA methods with electrofishing and snorkeling to better understand how this molecular approach could be integrated into management programs.

Almost entirely forested, Suriname is the greenest country in the world. However, looming plans for new mining concessions, roads, and hydropower projects could threaten its exceptional biodiversity and disrupt indigenous livelihoods. Consequently, Suriname represents a rare opportunity for carefully planned sustainable development before major changes have occurred. However, conservation planning in the rugged interior of the country is hampered by a lack of biological and socioeconomic data. Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program (RAP+) has conducted a series of expeditions to integrate our understanding of vital linkages between biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and human societies. By quantifying and mapping ecosystem services, such as wild food sources, we are helping to empower local indigenous communities to protect their natural resources. We are also training students and conservationists from local communities. We have documented thousands of species, including dozens of species new to science. Surprisingly, we found that even supposedly pristine rivers contain harmful levels of mercury, despite their remoteness and complete lack of upstream gold-mining. Working closely with a wide variety of stakeholders, we are now using our data to identify conservation priorities and to guide the creation of new conservation areas. This approach could provide a flexible, cost-effective tool to protect natural capital in other countries around the world.

A conservation practitioner with more than 20 years experience, Lasch works worldwide to link conservation practitioners with knowledge and tools needed for adaptive project management. Drawing on her work in Mexico, Lasch will describe how The Nature Conservancy and other environmental organizations integrate new and emerging scholarship into conservation practice. She will present the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, which provide a project design and assessment framework for the Baja Marine Initiative. This initiative is a multi-objective, multi-million investment in coastal and marine ecosystem-based management in Gulf of California region of northwest Mexico. In the next ten years, a wide array of public and private sector partners will apply a variety of conservation and fisheries management tools to protect biodiversity, fish habitat, and to enhance fisheries productivity. Determining whether or not these strategies are working is crucial, not only for accountability purposes, but also because it will enable the team to learn from their efforts, to adjust future actions, and track progress towards the outcomes they are ultimately striving for. Lasch will conclude with a discussion of how the conservation science community can more effectively engage in the design, implementation and assessment of conservation interventions in the future.

Policy decisions about how to control aquatic invasive species are driven in part by economics. We conducted a study of how aquatic invasive species movement between the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes could affect the economic value of recreational fishing; this study has implications for the management of aquatic pathways between the two systems. Our work was informed by an understanding of economics, human behavior, and ecology. We conducted a mail and internet survey of 7,201 recreational anglers in a 12-state region encompassing the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins. This survey collected detailed information about fishing trips taken in 2011 and about how anglers would respond to hypothetical decreases in recreational fish species. An economic model was developed to estimate the current and future value of the fishery. Our results show that anglers would respond to decreases in fish stocks brought about by invasive species in a variety of ways, depending on their preferences and other characteristics. These angler responses are closely related to changes in the net value of the fishery, and, therefore, have policy implications. Our work demonstrates how integrating an understanding of economics, human behavior, and ecology can contribute to conservation, and how that integration can be improved in the future.

The challenges of landscape planning for multiple objectives are particularly pertinent in the context of REDD+. Demonstration sites will ideally show effective carbon mitigation, while being beneficial for (or at least not negatively impacting) social and economic development, and biodiversity conservation. This study aims to provide decision support tools for land use planning in our case study region: a high priority REDD+ demonstration area in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. We map the value of ecosystem services (agriculture, forestry, carbon, and biodiversity) across the study region. We define how different land use options affect each ecosystem service, and then apply multi-objective optimisation to evaluate the appropriateness of stated planning targets, and the development strategies that may be applied to achieve them. For this study region, we demonstrate that failure to include both above and below ground carbon flux in carbon accounting will fundamentally shift the location of activities aimed at carbon mitigation, and strongly reduce the likelihood of reaching stated carbon mitigation targets. We show the potential value of balancing land sharing and land sparing policies for achieving both targets and equitable impacts across districts. This study provides a framework for analyses of multiple targets in multi-criteria land use planning, and provides a novel approach to identification of planning strategies when faced with competing actions.

Input by scientists and citizens alike into habitat conservation and climate response on US federal lands is more affected by three statutes than any others: The National Forest Management Act; the Federal Land Policy and Management Act; and the National Environmental Policy Act. Each sets standards for agencies to disclose and solicit comments on proposals affecting, among other things, biodiversity. The NFMA and its regulations uniquely in federal law include a biodiversity mandate. FLPMA contains multiple protections for the habitat of even non-imperiled taxa. And NEPA, as implemented, creates accountability for the scientific integrity of decisions affecting the environment, and requires reasoned responses to outside scientific opinion. The effectiveness of these laws in safeguarding U.S. biodiversity and promoting climate change preparedness, though very substantial, has been constrained by several factors. Under NFMA and FLPMA, agency officials can with impunity intentionally authorize irreversible loss of biodiversity. CEQ’s NEPA guidance on commitments to mitigate environmental impacts does not guarantee mitigation. And the rules of administrative law make most agency decisions, including climate-related ones, extremely difficult to challenge in court, when non-judicial efforts fail. Strategies exist, however, for ameliorating these shortcomings, particularly if concerted and coordinated advocacy is mounted from across affected scientific disciplines.