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Society for Conservation Biology: 2002 Annual Meeting

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Society for Conservation Biology: 2002 Annual Meeting

Society for Conservation Biology 16th Annual Meeting July 14-July 19 2002
co-hosted by DICE and the British Ecological Society


Abstracts for Conservation and Mammals
Session One

Monday 15th July, 15.30 - 17.30, Grimond Lecture Theatre 2

Chair: Sarah Durant




(BLOCK CAPITALS indicate the presenting author)


15.30 - 15.45
Koch, Nina., SARAH MUNKS, Marcus Utesch., Peter E Davies., Peter McIntosh and Lorrie Cook. Department of Biogeography, University of Saarland, Germany (NK, MU), Forest Practices Board, 30 Patrick Street, North Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia,
<sarahm@fpb.tas.gov.au> (SM, PM), Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252C-5, Tasmania, Australia (PED, LC).

WHERE ARE THE PLATYPUSES? ASSESSING THE RECOVERY OF HEADWATER STREAMS IN TASMANIA’S PRODUCTION FORESTS

Information on the adequacy of current provisions for the protection of headwater streams in Tasmania has become urgent due to the trend toward conversion of native forest to plantations. To begin addressing this issue, a study assessed the medium-term affects of past harvesting practices on the biological and physical characteristics of headwater streams. The study found that there were some differences in the physical characteristics and macro-invertebrate communities between logged and unlogged streams. These differences also seemed to be reflected in the occurrence of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. A total of 78 platypuses were caught in the study area. Although catch per unit effort was greatest in the fifth to sixth order stream reaches, platypus were also caught in the small ephemeral headwater streams (first order), where there was a trend toward sub-adults and individuals in poor condition. A significantly higher number of platypuses were caught in the first order streams with relatively undisturbed catchments compared to first order streams which had been disturbed by clearfelling. The results of this work will be integrated with those of continuing studies and used to assess the need to refine the current Forest Practices Code provisions for the protection of headwater streams.

15.45 - 16.00
ALABACK, PAUL. University of Montana, School of Forestry, Missoula, MT 59812, USA, <palaback@forestry.umt.edu>.

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THINNING NATIVE SECONDARY SITKA SPRUCE FORESTS ON PLANT BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA

Clearcut logging practices result in dense secondary forests that provide degraded habitat for many important wildlife species in coastal Alaska. Over 50,000 ha of productive forest which formerly was important habitat for Sitka black-tailed deer and associated species now is densely forested and is largely degraded habitat because of reduced cover of key forb and shrub species. Experiments have been conducted with thinning to examine to what degree these treatments can change vegetation structure and the nature of secondary plant succession. Preliminary results show that 10-15 years after thinning only modest increases in forb cover and forage values result. The poorest results generally occur in the most productive sites. Effects of thinning on spatial structure of these forests were also examined which suggest a wide range of potential results depending on soils and hydrological characteristics of these temperate rainforest sites. Implications for future restoration treatments of these forests are discussed.



16.00 - 16.15
BRASHARES, JUSTIN Centre for Biodiversity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Canada, <justinb@zoology.ubc.ca>

THE BIG PICTURE ON BUSHMEAT: LARGE MAMMAL CONSERVATION AND FOOD SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA

Strategies for integrated conservation and development in the tropics are often based on the premise that increased food security will reduce human reliance on wildlife as a food resource. While it makes intuitive and economic sense that human use of wildlife would be linked to the availability of alternate sources of protein, there is little empirical evidence supporting this relationship. Furthermore, contrary to prediction, unsustainable consumption of wildlife remains a problem in relatively prosperous countries. To examine further the link between food security and wildlife utilization I compared annual fisheries production with rates of decline of large mammals in Ghana, West Africa. Fish serve as the primary source of animal protein in Ghana and throughout much of Africa and the World. I predicted that years showing poor per capita fisheries production would show the highest rates of decline in large terrestrial mammals. As predicted, there was a strong negative relationship between annual fisheries production and rates of mammal decline. For mammal populations occurring near the coast, annual fisheries harvest explained more than 70% of the variation in mammal declines among years. These results elucidate a potentially crucial link between the management of aquatic and terrestrial resources and have many implications for the conservation of biodiversity in the tropics.



16.15 - 16.30
MCNEILAGE, ALASTAIR, Andrew Plumptre, Martha Robbins, William Olupot, Dennis Babaasa and Maryke Gray. Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, P.O. Box 44, Kabale, Uganda, <mcneilage@aol.com> (AM, WO, DB), Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda (AM, AP), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Inselstrasse 22, Leipzig, Germany (MR), International Gorilla Conservation Programme, PO Box 10950, Kampala, Uganda (MG).

MEASURING CONSERVATION IMPACT IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA

Large amounts of money and effort are put into conservation programmes, particularly for charismatic mega-fauna such as the mountain gorilla. However, it is rarely feasible to measure conservation impact directly. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, an enormous investment has been made in conservation over the past decade, through community conservation, integrated conservation and development, ecotourism, law enforcement and the establishment of an endowment fund. We assess the impact of this effort by investigating changes in the mountain gorilla population, and in illegal human use of natural resources within the park. A census of the gorilla population was carried out in 1997, and is being repeated between January and March of 2002. These censuses also include forest-wide surveys of human use. In 1997, the gorilla population numbered 300, and appeared to be stable. At that time, gorillas appeared to avoid areas of high human disturbance, suggesting a negative impact on the population. Final results of the 2002 census will be available by the time of the conference.


16.30 - 16.45
KAHUMBU, PAULA, and Iain Douglas-Hamilton. P.O. Box 43360, Nairobi, Kenya, <pgkahumbu @hotmail.com>, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA <pgkahumbu@hotmail.com> (I D-H).

ELEPHANT MOVEMENTS, HOME RANGES AND DIURNAL ACTIVITY IN A CONFINED RANGE, THE SHIMBA HILLS (KENYA).

The management of elephants in a human dominated landscape necessitates the use
of elephant barriers to protect humans and their property. The effects of these barriers on habitat change were examined in light of elephant movements, home ranges and habitat use. Six African elephants, Loxodonta africana, were radio-tracked in a small (272 km2) fenced protected area comprising mixed tropical forest, woodland and open habitats. The Shimba elephants occupied small home ranges (mean cows 54 km2, bulls 17 km2) that overlapped extensively within the confines of the protected area. Elephants travelled very short distances each day and month compared to other sites in Africa. Small migrations were documented twice in one year for one cow. Habitat use illustrated that elephants prefer transitional habitats. The results of this study suggest that habitat degradation that accompanies compression of elephant populations results from range partitioning. This leads to very intensive use of range on a very local scale. Elephant barriers erected to protect human property and lives, have unintentionally resulted in devastating impacts to forest vegetation on a local
scale. GPS radio-tracking allows the acquisition of fine resolution information
during the day and night and allows the monitoring of elephants movements and
activities that are otherwise invisible due to terrain and vegetation.



16.45 - 17.00
HWANG, MEI-HSIU, David L. Garshelis, and D.H. Anderson. Conservation Biology Program, University of Minnesota, 1980 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108, USA, <hwan0034@tc.umn.edu> (MH), Department of Natural Resource, Minnesota, 1201 E. Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA (DG) and Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Ave. N., St. Paul, MN 55108, USA (DHA).

THE IMPACTS OF INDIGENOUS HUNTING ON ASIATIC BLACK BEARS IN YUSHAN NATIONAL PARK, TAIWAN

Illegal hunting of Asiatic black bears has become the latest threat to the long-term persistence of this endangered species in Taiwan. Bears traditionally were taboo animals and not the targets of game for indigenous hunters. We evaluated the impact of hunting on bears in Yushan National Park (YNP) through interviews during 1998—2000. We identified 95 hunters with 174 bears taken during 1939—2000. Bears were killed with shotguns or traps opportunistically. The trend in bear harvests has declined. The simulation of a sustainable harvest shows that YNP has probably provided some protection for bears from overhunting. However, the core area of YNP acts as the population source relevant to the sink of the peripheral area where there is high hunting-caused mortality. Hunting also caused under-reported injuries of bears and deterioration of bear habitat through prey depletion. The hunters’ motivations for hunting bears mainly are accidental encountering, self-protection, and commercial benefits. The harvest has been facilitated by various socio-economic changes, including traditional culture, transportation systems, commercial benefits of bears, and market demands. Hunting, along with a small population and habitat fragmentation, continues to impinge on the bears, and these factors need to be addressed to ensure the long-term survival of this species.



17.00 - 17.15
Kauffman, Matthew J., M. A. Sanjayan, Jacob Lowenstein, Adam Nelson, Richard M. Jeo, and KEVIN R. CROOKS. Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA (MJK), The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA (MAS), Round River Conservation Studies, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA (JL, AN, RMJ), Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706-1598, USA, <kcrooks@facstaff.wisc.edu> (KRC).

RESPONSE OF NAMIBIA'S CARNIVORE COMMUNITY TO LAND-USE PATTERNS: NOVEL ANALYSES USING REMOTE PHOTOGRAPHY

Matrix ranchlands in north central Namibia are managed privately, by single landowners, and collectively in communal reserves. These two management regimes often differ in their ranching practices, human densities, and wildlife management. We used remotely triggered cameras coupled with novel statistical methods to assess the diversity and abundance of mammalian carnivores on these mixed-use lands. After using randomisation tests to determine the appropriate spatial scale of analysis, we tested for differences in carnivore visits using logistic regression analysis. We found significantly higher visitation rates of carnivores on commercial ranches compared to neighbouring communal lands. Additionally, the species that were not detected on the communal lands were the larger-bodied carnivores such as leopard, brown hyena, caracal and honey badger. By modelling these rare visits as a Poisson process, we show that it is likely that some of these species have gone locally extinct on the communal sites. Rarefaction curves produced for carnivore species occurring on the two different land types also tend to support the claim that the communal lands harbour a depauperate carnivore fauna. A better understanding of the anthropogenic factors affecting this diverse carnivore assemblage will aid in future management programs aimed at conserving biodiversity in Namibia’s unprotected areas.



17.15 - 17.30
DURANT, SARAH. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, andTanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania,
<cheetah@habari.co.tz>.

IDENTIFYING OPTIMUM HABITAT FOR THREATENED CHEETAHS: PLAINS OR WOODLANDS?

Cheetahs on the open plains in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania have been studied for over 25 years. However, although we think of cheetahs as a plains species, they may in fact do better in woodland habitats. Research in the 1980s showed that cheetah cubs have poor survival on the plains because of predation by lions and hyenas. Cheetahs may do better in woodland areas since prey are more reliable, there are fewer hyenas and there are many places in which cubs can be hidden from predators. In this study an area in the northern woodlands within the Serengeti was used as a basis for an ecological comparison with the long term study area on the plains. Data on behaviour and hunting patterns were collected on cheetahs in both plains and woodlands habitat. Activity patterns, vigilance at kills, and the risks of kleptoparastism showed marked differences between the two habitats suggesting that cheetahs were more relaxed in woodland than in plains habitats. As cheetahs continue to decline across Africa, identifying optimum habitat is a priority for this species.