Adaptive conservation planning: rationale and requirements for adjustment of conservation designs to fit the real world
SY1 (SY84-509455); Dec-06, morning
Pressey, R.L., James Cook University
The process of conservation planning involves sequential transitions between stages. In one of these, regional conservation designs on paper or computer screens must be turned into local actions on the ground or in the water. Inevitably, this requires regional designs to change to accommodate unforeseen data, constraints and opportunities at local scales. We must move from one-off exercises in regional design to approaches that allow designs to evolve and so strengthen links to implementation. But adaptive planning presents conceptual, technical, policy and institutional challenges that we have only begun to understand. This symposium will address these challenges and describe case studies of adaptive planning in different parts of the world. The symposium is highly relevant to the meeting theme "Engaging society in conservation". Adaptive conservation planning must involve people whose activities are constrained by conservation actions to ensure that local knowledge is incorporated and costs to communities are minimized and benefits maximized. This is an emerging topic in conservation science not covered in previous SCB meetings. Adaptive planning is essential if plans are to become reality, and both policy and institutional arrangements must change to accommodate an adaptive approach. Adaptive planning is highly relevant to private land and to community-managed inshore marine waters. Both settings are extensive in the Asia-Pacific regions encompassing the meeting venue.

Human decision-making in conservation and natural resource management: uniting top-down and bottom-up approaches
SY6 (SY88-904256); Dec-06, afternoon
Emily Nicholson, Nils Bunnefeld, E.J. Milner-Gulland, Imperial College London
Human behaviour and decision-making are intrinsic parts of conservation and natural resource management (NRM). Both top-down management decisions and the bottom-up responses of local resource users directly affect management effectiveness. Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) provides a framework for including top-down and bottom-up behaviour and accounting for uncertainty in management using models. MSE was developed in fisheries but holds potential for application beyond, in particular in conservation. A much-needed extension of MSE is more explicit incorporation of resource user behaviour, including incentives for complying with rules, and effects of management such as displacement of harvesting to other areas or activities. We bring together researchers from conservation, NRM and fisheries, to present cutting-edge work on human decision-making at multiple levels. We cross disciplinary boundaries to identify ways forward in research and its effective application. We begin with a keynote on the potential for including top-down and bottom-up decisions in MSE beyond fisheries, followed by the latest fisheries research, current terrestrial applications, including resource user behaviour, and how MSE has influenced real-world management. The symposium is directly relevant to the meeting theme: "Engaging society in conservation" requires conservation scientists to include human behaviour directly in decision-making processes as stakeholders and as part of the system.

The science behind large landscape connectivity initiatives
SY2 (SY49-808133); Dec-06, morning
Paul Beier, Northern Arizona University; Sam Cushman, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station; Kenyon Fields, Wildlands Network
There is a growing consensus that success in conservation depends on cooperation between governments, NGOs, businesses, indigenous groups, and private landowners. To conserve biodiversity in the face of habitat fragmentation, climate change, and socio-political dispassion or outright obstruction, cooperative conservation initiatives are springing up globally, implementing strategies that engender broader participation. Inherent in these efforts are two needs: to inspire people with a grand vision which overcomes the limited appeal and reach of local conservation campaigns; and to ground this vision in rigorous, science-based analyses. This symposium explores a key scientific issue in connectivity and corridor design, namely how to estimate the resistance of a landscape to wildlife movement, gene flow, and connectivity of abiotic processes. We illustrate how these estimates produce detailed habitat linkage designs in large landscapes. This symposium continues tomorrow afternoon as (SY18), which illustrates practical applications of these approaches to support initiatives on four continents.

Participatory Marine Spatial Planning: Shared Approaches and Experiences
SY7 (SY50-100303); Dec-06, afternoon
Natalie Ban, James Cook University
Escalating issues of climate change, pollution, coastal population density, and the expansion of offshore activities are increasingly highlighting the need for comprehensive methods for ocean/coastal use management. As a result, marine spatial planning (MSP) is gaining momentum as an effective means to support coastal and marine human uses while protecting sensitive ecosystems. In recent years, countries such as the Netherlands, Philippines, United States, and Australia have begun implementing MSP to reduce user conflicts, meet commitments to biodiversity conservation, and promote the sustainable and economically efficient use of marine/coastal resources. Following this year's theme of 'Engaging Society in Conservation', a critical component frequently lacking in MSP is the human dimension ”such as participatory approaches, the use of local knowledge, or methods to minimize socioeconomic impacts. Without stakeholder involvement, MSP is less likely to produce sustainable and positive outcomes for society as well as the environment. Drawing on the panelists' international experience, this symposium will discuss findings and lessons learned on critical topics such as stakeholder needs assessment, interpreting policy and science to stakeholders, successful collaboration amongst diverse stakeholder groups, innovative human use data collection methods and tools, socioeconomic impact evaluation methods, and planning tools to effectively engage stakeholders in decision-making.

Engaging Society to Conserve Imperiled Tropical Forests
SY3 (SY8-928495); Dec-06, morning
Laurance, W. F., James Cook University; Sodhi, N. S., National University of Singapore
How can scientists distill real-world complexity into effective strategies for educating society and promoting forest conservation? This is a pressing challenge for conservation biologists working on tropical forests, the world's most biologically rich ecosystems. These forests face myriad environmental threats and exist in a complex socio-political landscape that is constantly in flux. The dangers to tropical forests are manifold. They are being cleared, burned, fragmented, logged, and overhunted at alarming rates, with climate change an increasingly serious peril. In addition, the causes of forest disruption are changing, with economic globalization and industrial activities replacing small-scale farmers and forest colonists as the dominant drivers of forest loss. At the same time, new opportunities are arising to promote tropical forest conservation. These are emerging from international carbontrading, from eco-certified forest products, from efforts to combat illegal trade in timber and wildlife products, and from boycotts of multinational corporations with poor environmental records. Given such dynamism, there is a dire need for conservation biologists to engage the general public, business leaders, and decision makers, while devising and promoting effective conservation strategies. This symposium will bring together some of the world's most prominent biologists whose efforts have transcended traditional science to promote the conservation of imperiled tropical forests to a global audience.

Urban bird conservation: connecting the worlds of conservation, wildlife education and urban sustainability
SY8 (SY103-241874); Dec-06, afternoon
Robbert Snep, Wageningen University & Research center
This symposium is directly linked to the congress theme 'Engaging society in conservation' because the focus is on: i) BIRDS: among the species groups most highly experienced and preferred by all people worldwide (not only conservationists) . ii) CITIES: with human society getting more and more urbanized (more than 50% of world population lives in cities since 2007), conservation where people live and work is urgently needed to restore the link between humans and nature. Cutting edge science will be presented on the ecology and conservation of, and education opportunities for, birds in city environments. What is the impact of urbanization on birds, how do birds survive in and adapt to urban habitats, what opportunities do birds provide for wildlife experience and conservation by citizens and business people? This symposium will bring together top scholars in the field of urban ornithology and urban bird conservation. Key note speaker is the leading urban bird expert Dr. John Marzluff, editor of the standard book Avian ecology and conservation in an urbanizing world. The symposium organization is a cooperation between Birdlife Netherlands and the Dutch Wageningen University Research center. Already for a long time, the Netherlands are among the most highly urbanized countries in the world. From their urban experience, the symposium organizers recognize how putting attention on urban birds may contribute to get society more engaged in conservation.

Integrating behavioral and conservation biology
SY4 (SY35-831845); Dec-06, morning
Saltz, D., Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Berger-Tal, O., Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Linklater, W.L., Victoria University of Wellington
Conservation behavior is a new interdisciplinary field targeted at improving our ability to prevent biodiversity loss by applying principles and practice from behavioral biology. Numerous studies have demonstrated that behavior is relevant to conservation biology and that ignoring behavior may lead to failure of management programs. While the field has been rapidly developing among behavioral ecologists (including a new book A primer of conservation behavior), and a new conservation behavior framework published in Behavioral Ecology, most conservation practitioners, while intuitively aware of the importance of animal behavior, rarely employ behavior in their management plans. Indeed, the subject of using animal behavior in conservation management has not been a subject for a symposia or workshop in previous SCB meetings. If behavioral biologists worked more closely with wildlife managers, behavior could be successfully integrated within an adaptive management framework for conservation planning. The symposium's goals are to elucidate the principles of conservation behavior, present case studies of successful applications of animal behavior in conservation programs, inspire new linkages between the disciplines, and, finally, explore our understandings of human behavior in a conservation context.

Prioritising and Evaluating Biodiversity Projects
SY9 (SY13-766803); Dec-06, afternoon
Cullen, R, Lincoln University; White, P, University of York
The importance of careful targeting of effort to conserve biodiversity, and of evaluating biodiversity projects to determine their effectiveness and cost effectiveness. Funds available for biodiversity projects are scarce. Choices must be made on how to use limited resources most effectively. These decisions should be based on clear and measurable objectives for achievement. Biodiversity projects should be evaluated to determine if use of scarce resources has achieved the objective (effectiveness), and if the projects achieve the objective at lower cost than alternative uses of the resources (cost effectiveness). Failure to set and pursue clear objectives, consider expected outcomes and cost when selecting projects, and evaluate biodiversity projects results in the inefficient use of resources and less overall conservation progress than could be achieved. Project selection and evaluation methods are used patchily by biodiversity project providers and researchers. The goals of this symposium are to inform the audience of the paramount importance of project selection and evaluation; explain the range of selection and evaluation methods available; examine their relative merits and where they are best applied; and debate how to overcome the hurdles to adoption and continuation of project selection and evaluation methods. Benefit will be an enhanced understanding of how biodiversity projects can be selected and managed to deliver better-targeted, and more cost-effective gains.

Modelling the response of the biosphere to global change
SY5 (SY44-827419); Dec-06, morning
Tim Newbold & Jorn Scharlemann, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Biodiversity continues to be lost at an unprecedented rate, with associated declines in ecosystem function and the provision of ecosystem services. In order to meet the new targets for reducing the rate of biodiversity loss set in Nagoya, Japan, we urgently need models that project how the biosphere will respond to future changes and, through effects on the provision of ecosystem services, how changes in the biosphere will impact human well-being and the economy. There are many possible approaches to projecting changes in the biosphere, from statistical models that relate observed patterns of biodiversity and species composition to environmental variables, to process-based models that try to capture the ecology underlying observed patterns from theory and empirical evidence. In this symposium, we would bring together ecologists, at the cutting-edge of ecological modelling, employing different approaches including: process-based modelling of global vegetation patterns and ecosystem service provision; and statistical modelling of species distributions, patterns of species richness and functional trait diversity. The symposium would facilitate discussion of the different ways in which we can project future changes in the biosphere. The topic is timely and would be of interest to most conservation biologists, particularly those involved in assessments like the Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Climate Change Case Studies: Using Historical Data to Predict Future Responses
SY10 (SY72-227237); Dec-06, afternoon
Toni Lyn Morelli, U.C. Berkeley
As managers and policymakers look to enable biological systems to adapt to anthropogenic climate change, and thus conserve biodiversity, scientists struggle to understand exactly how changes are affecting populations and ecosystems. The need for baseline data is apparent, but such data are scarce. In this symposium, researchers will present the latest sources of historical data and their use to reveal patterns in biological responses to climate change. Examples that will be discussed include museum specimens, genetic samples, long-term animal census data, forest and fire history, palentological research, and citizen science. Through these presentations we will show that there are untapped opportunities to capitalize on existing datasets for conserving species and understanding response to global change. We will close the symposium with a discussion of how better to utilize and synthesize existing data in a way that optimizes their use in conservation.

Setting priorities for eradicating invasive alien species: perspectives from global to local
SY11 (SY91-342638); Dec-07, morning
Butchart, S., BirdLife International; Croll, D., University of California; Holmes, N., Island Conservation
Conservation Management. Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are among the greatest threats to biodiversity, being a major driver of recent extinctions and impacting a substantial proportion of threatened species, as well as having major impacts on ecosystem services and human health. Islands are particularly vulnerable to this threat, as they contain a disproportionate percentage of global biodiversity (including a large number of endemic and threatened species) that are impacted by IAS, especially introduced vertebrates. However, advances in technology and knowledge mean that we are more capable than ever before in controlling or eradicating alien vertebrates on islands. Nevertheless, with over 180,000 islands globally, the scale of the problem relative to available resources means that prioritization of interventions is required. This symposium will bring together leaders in the field to present and discuss approaches to priority-setting for tackling island IAS, including an overview of the problem, the first robust global datasets on insular biodiversity and threat, national scale examples, and promising new prioritization approaches.

Invasive ant species: Prediction, prevention, and control
SY17 (SY86-600144); Dec-07, afternoon
Gloria M. Luque, Franck Courchamp, Universite Paris Sud XI
Ants figure prominently among lists of invasive species (18 invasive ants among the world's worst invaders) because they are extremely successful invaders (threat to biodiversity, agricultural production, and pests in household) causing major environmental, social, and economic impacts. Their success has been shown to be related to some key attributes common to invasive ants that increase the probability of transport, survival, establishment, spread, and high impact. Thus, prevention of establishment and management of invasive ants present special challenges. Globally, successful management of ant invasions is often not well known to the public, and sometimes even to scientists, causing widespread pessimism that not much can be done to alleviate an increasing problem. Yet, New Zealand and Australia are worldly renown for two points regarding biological invasions. In particular, they have developed pioneering programs for invasive ants with many successful examples. Second, public awareness of impacts and control efforts are considered determinant for successful outcomes of current programs6 as well as for moving to a more proactive approach. This symposium aims at confronting the expertise of invasive ant specialists with different views with SCB conservationists and NZ invasion biologists and practitioners, to provide insights into the underlying principles necessary to create decision frameworks for the successful prevention and control of invasive ants.

All By Myself? Increasing the Involvement of Conservation Scientists in Effective Grassroots Conservation Action Worldwide
SY12 (SY130-632631); Dec-07, morning
Anderson, S.S., California State University Channel Islands and C. Sekercioglu, University of Utah
University-based conservation scientists are not as involved in grassroots conservation as they should be. This is particularly important for convincing decision-makers to take the necessary conservation action. Our experience has shown that decision-makers, especially in the developing world, are more likely to follow the recommendations of university-based scientists, whose academic credentials they trust, than those of independent NGOs, who they often suspect of having political agendas. Therefore, increased collaboration between grassroots conservation NGOs and research-focused conservation scientists is key to the success of effective, evidence-based conservation efforts. We will showcase a range of grassroots conservation case studies, all of which have fostered science-based, tangible conservation progress over many years while simultaneously educating and improving the quality of life for the general public and building true community-based support. We will highlight consistent themes from these case studies that span the globe and that have allowed them to persist and grow. We will make the case for why university-based conservation scientists should be more involved in grassroots conservation and outline effective ways of doing so, including undertaking evidence-based conservation science, communicating the results successfully to the decision-makers, and conducting public outreach and media engagement.

Getting to Ground: science-driven cooperative initiatives on four continents to conserve
biodiversity at large landscape scales
SY18 (SY45-930358); Dec-07, afternoon
Michael Soulé & Kenyon Fields, Wildlands Network; Paul Beier, N. Arizona University
There is a growing consensus that success in conservation depends on cooperation between governments, NGOs, businesses, indigenous groups, and private landowners. To conserve biodiversity in the face of habitat fragmentation, climate change, and socio-political dispassion or outright obstruction, cooperative conservation initiatives are springing up globally, implementing strategies that engender broader participation. Inherent in these efforts are two needs: to inspire people with a grand vision which overcomes the limited appeal and reach of local conservation campaigns; and to emphasize the imperative of ecological connectivity across broad regions. Such connectivity across landscapes can only be achieved by a corresponding connectivity amongst human interests. We will present examples of the leading large landscape conservation initiatives from Australia, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. Each of these efforts is a collaboration among public and private land managers, transportation agencies, indigenous communities, industry, and passionate citizens. Each is tackling a complex patchwork of management and ownership boundaries, and needing to reconcile competing land use policies and goals. We will address successful strategies, from policy, to planning, mapping of ecological priorities, management, and on-the-ground implementation, emphasizing lessons that can be applied to other initiatives around the world. This symposium is a continuation of SY-2 (yesterday morning) on key scientific issues in connectivity analyses.

Conserving Biodiversity in Urban Environments: Engaging Policymakers, Developers, and
Citizens
SY13 (SY3-304132); Dec-07, morning
Hostetler, M, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Cities are a key leverage point for connecting society with the natural environment. In this symposium, we explore the dynamic roles of policymakers, developers, and citizens and how to engage them in urban biodiversity conservation. We first present a heuristic model about the important relationship among policymakers, developers, and citizens. Policymakers create policies and programs that enable conservation practices to be adopted by developers and citizens; developers, in turn, create the framework for residential subdivisions and commercial districts that hinder or promote the conservation actions of citizens; and day-to-day decisions by citizens impact biodiversity conservation within yards, neighborhoods, and public spaces. Next, we present case studies, techniques, and programs that have successfully engaged these three decision makers in urban and urbanizing landscapes. Conserving urban biodiversity is contingent on both the design and management across multiple scales, and conservation biologists can help to achieve positive outcomes through their involvement. We discuss case examples where planners have incorporated principles and practices from conservation research into policies; techniques and programs that have shifted developer and landowner perceptions away from conventional development; and outreach programs that have changed public perceptions and increased the adoption of biodiversity conservation practices.

Conservation and Poverty Reduction - working together to create win-win situations
SY19 (SY5-175058); Dec-07, afternoon
Timothy Boucher & Craig Leisher, The Nature Conservancy
Our symposium topic fits within the Conservation Management theme, as we will highlight conservation strategies that both help sustain or improve the ecological condition of ecosystems and reduce the poverty of those people who are reliant on those systems. Quite often, and especially in developing countries, the people living in conservation areas are poor, and rely heavily upon local natural resources for their survival. To sustain our conservation efforts over the long-term, we have to ensure that our conservation strategies offer tangible benefits to this important, yet often overlooked and vulnerable constituent. If our actions work to reduce poverty, then a clear win-win situation is created, greatly enhancing the long-term viability of our conservation efforts. Additionally, we might also be able to convince the development community that consideration of the environment in their projects will not be a needless drain on their scarce recourses. But can strategies be designed to protect nature and also help reduce rural poverty? This question was addressed by assessing the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of a number of conservation initiatives in various countries that specifically incorporate poverty reduction in their strategies. We demonstrate how one can empirically measure changes in human well-being from conservation projects, extract lessons learned, and present the results from case studies in tropical marine protected areas, temperate grasslands, and freshwater protection.

Management of wildlife diseases - Shifting the paradigm
SY14 (SY69-413331); Dec-07, morning
Dan Tompkins, Landcare Research; Richard Jakob-Hoff, New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine
Disease is a key threatening process impacting native biodiversity. Many of the characteristics of endangered and threatened species and their habitats (such as small population size, inbreeding, habitat fragmentation and degradation) make them vulnerable to disease impacts that healthy populations living in healthy habitats would be resilient to. Indeed, pathogens and diseases are a natural part of healthy ecosystems. Hence to solve disease threats in a long-term sustainable fashion you need to treat the causes and not the symptoms. For example, in species with low genetic diversity making them vulnerable to disease, expending resources to treat infections in the wild may be wasted effort since you are not addressing the cause of the issue. A paradigm shift from current wildlife disease management practises, where the traditional approach of diagnosing and treating specific illnesses still prevails, is thus needed. By only dealing with the proximate and not the ultimate causes of ill-health, current approaches are insufficient for the longer term aim of securing and restoring biodiversity. This symposium will bring together a group of wildlife disease experts to present the benefits of such a paradigm shift and discuss the hurdles to be surmounted. Key to accomplishing this shift will be the successful engagement of society to adopt a long-term view on biodiversity and conservation, overcoming the political need to demonstrate short-term benefits of management actions.

Conservation success in a changing world - Building resilience
SY20 (SY83-822252); Dec-07, afternoon
Sue Mainka, IUCN
Healthy ecosystems, with their diversity of genes and species, offer the best chance of adapting to the changes in climate, population, and economics that are sure to characterize the coming years. Ensuring resilience, the ability to cope with these changes, will require building public and political support and participation in biodiversity conservation action. It also requires building a base of knowledge, tools and guidance that facilitate mainstreaming biodiversity conservation across all disciplines and sectors. By exploring specific case studies of conservation successes, this symposium explores key elements required to build resilience for the future and the particular role that engaging civil society has in those efforts.

Engaging Society in Forest Conservation: International Year of Forests (SCB Presidents
Symposium, Part I)
SY15 (SY32-609536); Dec-07, morning
Dominick A. DellaSala, Geos Institute
The United Nations has declared 2011 - International Year of Forests (IYF) in recognition of the role that forests can play in sustainable development, poverty eradication, and internationally agreed upon development goals. While global rates of deforestation have slowed, forests still face mounting pressures from land use and climate change. This symposium draws on forest conservation from select regions. It includes a proclamation on forests prepared by SCB Section Presidents and submitted to the United Nations and the Secretariats of the Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate, Desertification and International Trade in Endangered Species. At the close, Section Presidents will conduct a public forum on forests. Speakers will address the following questions: 1. What could the IYF mean for forest conservation globally and SCB's role in international treaties and domestic policies? 2. How might forests change in relation to climate change? 3. What are high conservation value forests and what methods are best for identifying them? 4. How much is left of forests in temperate, boreal, and tropical systems? 5. What role do forests play in the global carbon cycle? 6. How can we manage forests in dynamic landscapes? 7. What can governments, citizens, the UN, and other major organizations do to maintain forests in these changing times?

Engaging Society in Forest Conservation: International Year of Forests (SCB Presidents
Symposium, Part II)
SY15 part II (SY31-939794); Dec-07, afternoon
Dominick A. DellaSala, Geos Institute
The United Nations has declared 2011 - International Year of Forests (IYF) in recognition of the role that forests can play in sustainable development, poverty eradication, and internationally agreed upon development goals. While global rates of deforestation have slowed, forests still face mounting pressures from land use and climate change. This symposium draws on forest conservation from select regions. It includes a proclamation on forests prepared by SCB Section Presidents and submitted to the United Nations and the Secretariats of the Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate, Desertification and International Trade in Endangered Species. At the close, Section Presidents will conduct a public forum on forests. Speakers will address the following questions: 1. What could the IYF mean for forest conservation globally and SCB's role in international treaties and domestic policies? 2. How might forests change in relation to climate change? 3. What are high conservation value forests and what methods are best for identifying them? 4. How much is left of forests in temperate, boreal, and tropical systems? 5. What role do forests play in the global carbon cycle? 6. How can we manage forests in dynamic landscapes? 7. What can governments, citizens, the UN, and other major organizations do to maintain forests in these changing times?

Conservation Translocations: From Reintroduction to Assisted Colonisation
SY16 (SY62-633989); Dec-07, morning
Ewen, JG, Zoological Society of London; Seddon, P., University of Otago; Armstrong, A., Massey University, Parker, K., Massey University
Reintroduction is a widespread technique for conserving endangered species but there is growing debate over whether species should be translocated outside their recorded range to address extinction risks such as climate change. Existing terminology refers to such interventions as ‘conservation introductions’ i.e. movements of organisms to suitable habitat outside their historic range. Proactive Assisted Colonization is contentious, creating a rift between those who see moving individuals to more climatically suitable conditions as a tool to prevent extinctions, and those who consider the risk to both the organisms and recipient communities as too high to warrant its use. To address those risks and in anticipation of increasing attempts to establish species outside their historic range, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) has established a Task Force on Moving Plants and Animals for Conservation Purposes, organised by the Re-introduction Specialist and the Invasive Species Specialist groups. The Task Force is engaging the biological and social science community in a review of IUCN policy on all forms of Conservation Translocation, from reintroduction to assisted colonization. Ecologists, population modelers, geneticists, animal husbandry professionals, veterinarians, and conservation NGOs and community groups all have important contributions to make, with differing goals and approaches. Our symposium brings experts from these various fields together to present and discuss the creation of a unified framework for conservation translocations.

Quantitative tools for identifying critical habitat of endangered species
SY21 (SY119-572447); Dec-07, afternoon
Dr. Janelle Curtis, Dr. Marten Koops & Dr. Mark Poos, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Understanding the ecological trade-offs with identifying critical habitat of endangered species has broad societal importance. Unreliable estimates of critical habitat can result in inappropriate prioritization of areas of conservation value, setting legal precedence when unfounded, or failing to protect habitat which may actually be critical to the species survival or recovery. There are several ecological trade-offs to consider when identifying and conserving critical habitat, including trade-offs in deciding which species/ecosystems to conserve, the areas that are prioritized for management, and the stakeholders which will be impacted from those decisions. By its very nature, recognition to critical habitat inherently focuses attention towards species with conservation goals and not necessarily the recipient ecosystem, which may cause further ecological trade-offs. For example, in Canada the management of endangered northern abalone has been hampered by the expansion of sea otter populations, which are also of conservation concern. There is a need for quantitative tools to explore, identify, and weigh decisions for identifying critical habitat. This symposium will discuss quantitative tools for weighing ecological trade-offs in identifying critical habitat. Included in this discussion will be the development of new analytical tools for improving decision making, the development of scenario-based simulations, and identification of future research needs.

Knowing and Doing: Addressing Effectiveness, Failure and the Research-Implementation Gap
SY22 (SY9-917202); Dec-08, morning
Knight, A.T., Stellenbosch University
Implementing effective conservation initiatives is a highly complex undertaking. Although research on conservation science has burgeoned, we are far from being able to guarantee the comprehensive or timeous achievement of conservation goals. The vast majority of peer-reviewed literature addresses the technical dimension of conservation using reductionist techniques of "knowing" how to undertake conservation activities. Comparatively little is documented on the operational issues of "doing" conservation. Bridging this gap between "knowing" and "doing" is the eternal challenge facing conservation biologists. The factors fundamental to defining an effective conservation professional are elusive. There is a recently emerging body of conservation literature on these topics, yet much research remains to be undertaken into how to embody these practices into pragmatic conservation initiatives. All of the confirmed speakers are recognised world-leaders in these fields, both academically and practically, with each contributing a novel but complementary perspective on how to translate conservation science into practical and effective conservation action. These issues are fundamental to "engaging society in conservation", and to implementing effective conservation in New Zealand, and globally.

Integrating Research and Community-led Management
SY27 (SY15-963488); Dec-08, afternoon
Al Glen, Landcare Research
In recent years the community and private sector have become increasingly involved in conservation. This includes environmental monitoring, invasive species management, advocacy and education, as well as establishing privately owned sanctuaries. Members of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society have been at the forefront, engaging community groups to develop and promote best-practice methods for conducting conservation initiatives and monitoring their outcomes. This symposium will feature examples of collaboration between professional scientists, the private sector and community groups to optimise the outcomes of community-led conservation. Speakers will describe successful approaches as well as lessons learned and priorities for further improvement. Too often, the results of research are communicated only to a scientific audience. This not only disenfranchises the broader community from conservation, but also delays incorporation of the latest knowledge into management. It is vital that scientists proactively engage natural resource managers and the community, not only to communicate their findings and recommendations, but to work together in planning, conducting and applying the results of their research.

Island conservation: Restoration outcomes and life after eradication
SY28 (SY37-508083); Dec-08, afternoon
Jones, Holly, UC Santa Cruz
Island conservation is a substantial and important field in conservation biology, and one that New Zealand has led the world in through the development of efficient pest eradication technologies and the development of innovative restoration strategies for islands. Because of the importance and diversity of island conservation in New Zealand and throughout the world of conservation practitioners, we propose two back-to-back symposia to address this topic. We have logically divided the symposia across the lines of pre-eradication, with a focus on inputs to eradication programmes, and post-eradication, with a focus on outcomes from eradication programmes. In both cases the proposed symposia are organized by leading experts in the respective fields, and draw upon international speakers to present cutting-edge research and developments in the broad topics of island conservation. The congress topic of engaging societies in conservation is central to both symposia, as island conservation more so than ever is now a human endeavour, both in empowering communities and stakeholders to undertake eradication projects on islands, and in ensuring that the outcomes of island eradications lead to successful restoration of island ecosystems. The proposed format for this joint symposium is a 30-minute introduction to the topic with a focus on island eradications, followed by six 15-minute talks on inputs, a brief break, followed by six 15-minute talks on outputs, a final 30-minute conclusion with a focus on island restoration.

Quantifying the impacts of roads and traffic on biodiversity
SY24 (SY43-641355); Dec-08, morning
Clara Grilo, Universidade de Lisboa; Alex Bager, Universidade Federal de Lavras; Rodney van der Ree, University of Melbourne
Linear infrastructure (such as roads, railways and utility easements) dissects all continents and influences biodiversity and ecosystem processes for many hundreds and even thousands of meters. When combined with vehicles (including cars, trucks, trains and planes), their effects on wildlife are often negative and profound. In the past two decades, the amount of research on the effects of roads and traffic and the use and effectiveness of mitigation works (such as fencing to prevent road-kill and under- and over-pass structures to facilitate connectivity) has increased dramatically. However, recent reviews have highlighted that many studies are poorly designed, have insufficient replication and are too short in duration to understand the impacts at the level of populations, communities and ecosystems. This symposium will focus on the effects of roads on higher orders, greater spatial scales and over longer time periods. This symposium will address the SCB theme of Conservation Management by presenting pure and applied research into the effects of roads and traffic on biodiversity. The engagement of society in this issue is a critical step towards conserving biodiversity and presenters have been encouraged to consider how to engage with society on this issue of global importance. A second complementary symposium will focus on mitigation programs that aim to reduce the effects of roads and traffic on biodiversity.

Swimming in the Alphabet Soup: Key opportunities and challenges in IPBES, the CBD,
UNFCCC, CITES, and CMS -- How Science Can Help Policy Make Sense.
SY29 (SY46-877103); Dec-08, afternoon
Fitzgerald, J.M., Society for Conservation Biology
The theme and purpose is to demonstrate how scientists can use a new invitation from the United Nations to engage with policy makers in a way that enhances our scientific integrity and theirs. We will discuss how we can use specific policies and procedures that we helped bring about to bring science into the policy process in a transparent, considered way. Brendan Mackey from the host region will help the panel ensure that points and examples address specific concerns of the region as well as the globe. We have called for precautionary use of ecosystem science in climate change policy, Scientific Integrity Policies and for the formation of an IPBES at previous meetings all three are novel in that we are now called upon to shape or apply those things we asked for in concept before. We must prepare to do that. We will address question of how to improve the use of science in policy processes. This will be made current and concrete with substantive examples such as how to ensure that the best science on forests (and other ecosystems) and climate change will be used both now and as our understanding evolves in the development of the REDD+ and LULU (land use) programs under the UNFCCC process. Finally, we will consider improvements science can bring to policy enforcement (e.g., the recent paper from the Hague--on improving the enforcement of MEAs http://www.envirosecurity.org/helf/HELF_Report2.pdf )

Looking back and moving forward on the conservation of threatened species
SY25 (SY24-194086); Dec-08, morning
Bottrill, MC, University of Queensland
The CBD 2010 biodiversity target was to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, but has fallen short of reaching this goal. Populations of threatened species continue to decline, while conservation expenditures are shifting from single-species strategies to more ecosystem-based approaches. Conservation efforts post-2010 should both address the inadequacies of past performances in species management and provide guidance to improve outcomes in the future. Knowledge on effectiveness of actions in achieving threatened species recovery is needed to assess changes in policy, evaluate what has worked (and what has not), and also inform future investments about which actions are likely to lead to species recovery. This symposium focuses on approaches to planning and evaluation of national and regional strategies targeted at threatened species recovery. In a series of case studies representing perspectives from the Oceania region and further afield, this symposium explores (1) retrospective approaches which evaluate the effectiveness of different past actions; and (2) prospective approaches which aim to prioritise the actions most likely to be effective in the future. Being explicit about the effectiveness of our efforts to protect threatened species is critical in engaging society in their conservation by promoting accountability, improving transparency, while also raising awareness and managing expectations of the level of resources needed to halt declines.

Systematic management of marine mega-fauna in a changing climate.
SY30 (SY33-557825); Dec-08, afternoon
Mariana Fuentes, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Marine mega-fauna, which include seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals, and elasmobranchs, are key components of marine ecosystems that have social and economical value globally. Many populations of marine mega-fauna have declined in recent decades due largely to anthropogenic threats. Further impacts to this important group will likely occur from predicted climate change and affect their distribution, behavior, reproduction and demographics. Therefore conservation strategies that help species moderate or cope with projected climate change are needed. However, dealing with the reality of climate change is challenging as incorporating actions to alleviate the impacts of climate change into ongoing conservation projects is often limited largely by uncertainties in what action can be taken. Thus, there is the need for new, flexible and dynamic conservation strategies that integrate climate impacts, species responses and changing ecological relationships. Thus, this symposium will focus on the systematic management of marine mega-fauna in a changing climate. It will highlight the threats that marine mega-fauna face as climate change progresses, potential option for prioritizing the management of these threats and ways to engage the broad society to achieve desired conservation goals. It will also showcase the types of activities that are currently underway in the conservation world, highlight successes and possibilities for coordination of future work and development of guidelines.

Effects of climate change on biodiversity in Oceania
SY26 (SY22-213844); Dec-08, morning
Prof. Richard Kingsford, Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, University of NSW
This symposium aims to tackle a major issue for the region with a series of thematic and regional talks on the effects of Climate in our region. Thematic talks would review the literature on current impacts for terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, predict future if no change, provide options for management and policy. Regional talks would review current status of climate change in each of the regions (Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands) and identify Government processes and their effectiveness.

Confronting the climate-biodiversity crisis: tackling climate threats through innovative
applications of connectivity science
SY31 (SY67-823649); Dec-08, afternoon
Jupiter, S.D. and J. Watson, Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji Country Program
Protected areas are increasingly recognized for their role in promoting climate change adaptation, resilience and mitigation. However, protected areas are embedded within a physical landscape and seascape, as well as within a policy landscape of other sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy and development. Therefore, conservation planners and policy makers are beginning to look beyond individual protected areas to the broader landscape when developing their conservation, climate and development strategies. Increasing the connectivity of landscapes and seascapes will likely be a critical strategy for addressing climate change impacts on biodiversity. This symposium explores some of the most recent thought and research on connectivity conservation as a way to address the impacts of climate change, including what connectivity needs look like for various species and groups under climate change, and what types of policy and management options exist or need to be developed to maintain or increase connectivity on the landscape. Talks will address theoretical, empirical, modeling and policy approaches for ameliorating climate change impacts through increased connectivity, including connectivity between humans and their environment. Through case studies from around the world, the talks will provide much-needed clarity on how to define and identify connectivity for climate change so that conservation practitioners and managers can implement these strategies.

Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy Communities? : Links between Conservation and Food Security
SY32 (SY58-962136); Dec-08*, morning
Clare Gupta, UC Berkeley
To effectively engage society in conservation, the conservation community must understand and highlight the ways in which biological diversity provides for human populations across the globe. Conservation must be viewed not merely as the protection of charismatic wildlife species and revered ecosystems, but as an endeavor to sustain the ecosystem services and goods upon which human society depends. One issue of particular long-standing importance to the global community is food security, which has significant yet often overlooked links to the conservation of biological diversity. Our symposia will assemble a panel of speakers who will present a range of perspectives on this topic, from scholars who study the links between natural resource dependence and food availability to practitioners who examine the interactions between biodiversity and sustainable agricultural systems. A key point of discussion will be the ways in which conservation and food security goals can overlap under different conditions. We will examine how conservation can provide for or inhibit food security among different groups of people and across different geographical regions. Speakers will present primary research findings as well as implications for management and policy. This panel will be interdisciplinary and will be comprised of both ecologists and social scientists who will provide varied yet complementary analyses of the complex relationship between ecosystem health and community health in the context of food production and availability.
*Note new date change

Balancing conservation and development: impacts of conservation strategies on human societies and biodiversity
SY37 (SY73-243093); Dec-09, afternoon
Vanessa M. Adams and Robert L. Pressey, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
The establishment of comprehensive networks of protected areas has long been the focus of conservation planning. However, with increasing population size and reliance on natural resources for survival, strict reserves are not viable in many regions. Therefore, the challenge for conservation planners is to develop a larger suite of conservation tools that address human and social needs while still achieving conservation outcomes. At the forefront of this challenge has been the ongoing discussion of how conservation and development can be balanced to achieve joint outcomes for biodiversity and human well-being. Central to this discussion is whether conservation projects have positive or negative impacts on local residents, and what the implications are for the need to supplement livelihoods for those impacted. At the heart of the meeting's theme, "engaging society in conservation", is the challenge for conservation scientists to balance conservation and social outcomes. This symposium will discuss evidence of impacts from conservation projects on both local communities and ecological systems to examine whether conservation and livelihood objectives are being met. Talks will present progress to date of both traditional protected areas and more recently developed conservation incentive programs to meet both conservation and development objectives. The case studies will discuss the evidence for both positive and negative impacts as these conservation projects progress.

Conservation and sustainable management of temperate indigenous grasslands (Part 1)
SY33 (SY2-273962); Dec-09, morning
Mark, Alan F., University of Otago, Halloy, Stephan R.P., TNC; Dickinson, Katharine J.M., University of Otago
Temperate indigenous grassland are the world\'s poorest protected terrestrial biome, despite the important ecosystem services and cultural/social values in many countries> The Temperate Grasslands Conservation Initiative (TGCI) of the IUCN has convened earlier symposia and workshops at international meetings and wish to sponsor another at the Christchurch SCB meeting. Aspects of conservation, sustainable management and assessments of ecosystem services and other values would be considered.

Conservation and sustainable management of temperate indigenous grasslands (Part 2)
SY33 (SY2-273962); Dec-09, lunch session
Mark, Alan F., University of Otago, Halloy, Stephan R.P., TNC; Dickinson, Katharine J.M., University of Otago
Temperate indigenous grassland are the world\'s poorest protected terrestrial biome, despite the important ecosystem services and cultural/social values in many countries> The Temperate Grasslands Conservation Initiative (TGCI) of the IUCN has convened earlier symposia and workshops at international meetings and wish to sponsor another at the Christchurch SCB meeting. Aspects of conservation, sustainable management and assessments of ecosystem services and other values would be considered.

Meeting the challenges in spatial conservation prioritization in the 21st Century
SY38 (SY4-351153); Dec-09, afternoon
Loyola, RD, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil
Spatial conservation prioritization uses quantitative techniques to create spatial information on conservation priorities. Recent trends include the development of methods to cope with data and model uncertainties, and methods for understanding the consequences of climate change to biodiversity. Talks will address trending topics, providing the audience with cutting edge issues for which standardized methods are still being developed. We will discuss multi-action planning methods accounting for multiple costs; inclusion of system dynamics, stochasticity and uncertainty in conservation planning; incorporation of ecological and evolutionary processes in spatial planing; and how to engage all elements of the society into conservation planning development and application. This fits perfectly with the goals of the SCB meeting. Further, the symposium should provide the scientific information and recommendations needed to conserve biological diversity at different spatial scales both to conservation practitioners and managers. Finally, this symposium brings together lead scientists in the field (arising from five different countries and four different continents), whose contribution to the meeting will deliver new and significant cutting-edge knowledge both to the scientific community and to the a broad audience (conservation practitioners and managers, NGOs staff, politicians, journalists) attending the ICCB 2011.

Broadening the reach of the SCB: Alternatives for Society action to achieve conservation results
SY34 (SY23-327167); Dec-09, morning
Gedan, K, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; Aslan, C., University of California Santa Cruz; Joseph, L., Wildlife Conservation Society
Scientific research can help develop technical solutions to management problems, understand biological or social processes, and drive conservation philosophy. However, scientific findings often fail to be employed by policymakers or practitioners due to lack of access, understanding, acceptance or will. According to its 5-year strategic plan, the Society for Conservation Biology aims to overcome these obstacles and has declared its goals to facilitate the creation and dissemination of conservation science and to increase application of science to management and policy. These goals are reflected in the theme of this ICCB conference, "Engaging Society in Conservation." Our proposed symposium explores the work of past and present David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellows to illustrate the role of science in conservation action and to discuss the ability of SCB to facilitate this process. The Smith Fellowship program, administered by SCB, aims to foster creative and successful applications of science to the practice of conservation. Presenters will discuss their research and focus on the ways in which they have actively participated in political and social avenues of conservation. The presenters will also discuss specific paths by which individual members and committees of the SCB can more effectively engage in their focal conservation issue. The 25th anniversary celebration is an apropos time to examine these questions.

When adaptive management actually works: improving conservation, enhancing society
SY39 (SY28-667747); Dec-09, afternoon
Montambault, JR and Groves, CR, The Nature Conservancy
Adaptive management --  how can it at once be so banal, so important, so controversial and so often poorly done? Using information to plan and adapt our conservation efforts isn't just common sense; it is also critical given the persistent uncertainty of the state of ecological knowledge and the dynamic social, political, cultural and economic arenas within which we work. Yet there are nearly as many definitions of adaptive management as there are government agencies, universities and non-profit organizations involved in conservation. The only thing everyone seems to agree on about adaptive management is that we fail to do it well. Conservation projects never start with a clean slate and a perfectly isolated setting, so any experimental approach will always be in some way confounded by the real world. But the feedback provided by measures has produced pockets of largely unsung excellence in planning and adapting conservation efforts. In our symposium, we present five case studies highlighting different aspects of the plan-do-check-adapt cycle-- projects where adaptive management is working in the real world and where its application is making a tangible difference to the conservation of systems and species as well as to human society. From payments for ecosystem services to mountain gorilla conservation, we draw lessons and synthesis about conditions that foster adaptive management's success around the globe and propose a better definition of the term.

Conservation Genomics
SY35 (SY14-440149); Dec-09, morning
Kristina M. Ramstad, Hilary C. Miller, and Charles H. Daugherty, Allan Wilson Centre, Victoria
University of Wellington
*Symposium sponsored by the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution
Conservation biology has long embraced molecular tools to gauge the effects of small population size and isolation on the persistence of rare and endangered species. The field of genetics, however, is currently experiencing a revolution with the advent of high throughput next-generation sequencing. This has resulted in a massive leap forward in the number of molecular markers available and the power to detect adaptive genetic variation across entire genomes. The advances are both exciting and intimidating-- researchers will have unparalleled access to genomic information for a wide variety of species, but will be challenged to use it in meaningful ways and to communicate this highly technical work effectively to resource managers and the public. The proposed symposium will provide (1) a lay description of the field and techniques of Genomics, (2) examples of the use of genomics techniques in practical conservation of a broad array of taxa both in New Zealand and internationally, and (3) discussion of how genomics research can improve species conservation and be communicated broadly as we work at the crossroads of the genomics revolution and our current biodiversity crisis. To capture the most recent advances of this rapidly evolving field of research, symposium speakers will include both emerging and well established researchers that are actively working at the leading edge of Genomics.

Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations
SY40 (SY55-507481); Dec-09, afternoon
Emeritus Prof Richard Frankham, Macquarie University; Dr Katherine Ralls & Dr Jonathan D. Ballou, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Dr Mark Eldridge, Australian Museum; Dr Michele Dudash & Professor Charles Fenster,  University of Maryland; Dr Robert Lacy, Chicago Zoological Society
Genetic management of fragmented animal and plant populations is a major issue in conservation biology. Many isolated animal and plant populations are going extinct unnecessarily largely for genetic reasons. The importance of this issue has been recognized by conservation geneticists (Frankham 2010a & b), but its importance is poorly understood by the broader conservation community and it is critical that they become aware of the issue. A major impediment to rational management of fragmented populations (especially restoration of gene flow) is fear of outbreeding depression. We have made significant contributions to this field, including a novel recent paper providing a method for predicting the risk of outbreeding depression (Frankham et al. 2011). The Symposium on Genetic Management of Fragmented Populations will address loss of genetic diversity, inbreeding and outbreeding depression, predicting the risk of outbreeding depression, management of gene flow, and genetic translocations of fragmented populations to assist in adapting to climate change. It encompasses cutting edge conservation science, clear connections to conservation management, an educational role, and novelty. This issue is timely as initiatives are finally underway to implement conservation of genetic diversity (designated by IUCN as one of the 3 levels of diversity requiring conservation). Further, there is growing activity on the potential use of genetic translocations to assist species to adapt to climate change.

Making the Case for Conservation: Natural Solutions to Climate Change
SY36 (SY113-163950); Dec-09, morning
Dr Kathy MacKinnon, IUCN. World Commission on Protected Areas
Although climate change will have profound impacts on biodiversity, responses to date have largely focused on mitigation through cleaner energy and adaptation through investment in hard infrastructure such as dams, irrigation and sea walls. Protected areas are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation but also serve a critical, though often unrecognized role, in mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Protected areas store 15% of terrestrial carbon and safeguard essential ecosystem services such as water and food supplies, coastal protection, and flood control, all of which reduce human vulnerability to disaster and increasingly dramatic climatic events. More than 180 nations have ratified international conventions on both biodiversity and climate change yet policymakers are still failing to implement development strategies that meet these dual agendas. This symposium will draw on experiences of conservation practitioners and pilot programs to emphasize the importance of ecological integrity and make the case that protecting natural habitats provides cost-effective, proven and "green" solutions to climate change, providing both biodiversity and socio-economic benefits.

Opportunities and challenges offered by a biocultural approach to conservation action
SY41 (SY77-387601); Dec-09, morning*
Michael Gavin, Victoria University of Wellington; Rick Stepp, University of Florida
*Note this symposium time has changed from original
Biological and cultural diversity share similar geographic patterns (e.g., more species and ethnolinguistic groups in the tropics), face similar threats (e.g., land-use change, urbanisation, spread of global economies), and are rapidly declining (e.g., five species extinction per hour and a language extinct every two weeks). National and international policies, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, often note the links between biodiversity and cultural diversity. Unfortunately, conservation actions for cultural and biological diversity tend to occur in parallel, each form of diversity with its own set of conservation programs. At best, this model is inefficient, spreading limited resources thinly. At worst, these separate conservation agendas oppose each other (e.g., conflicts between indigenous groups and protected areas) creating conflict that further perpetuates loss of diversity. In this symposium we will investigate alternative pathways for conservation that embrace a biocultural approach and attempt to conserve both cultural and biological diversity. We seek to address four fundamental questions: (i) What constitutes a biocultural approach to conservation? (ii) Under what circumstances should a biocultural approach be the preferred conservation model?; (iii) How can a biocultural approach be adopted (i.e. what policy and management mechanisms promote biocultural conservation)?; and (iv) What are the major challenges to implementing biocultural conservation?