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INTERNATIONAL SECTION NEWS
AFRICAA year ago the Section launched in full gear with many eager, talented volunteers leading a wide range of initiatives. Now, many of our dreams are becoming realities. We believe cohesion of conservation biologists and their efforts to ensure ecological sustainability in Africa will be achieved in the near future. SCB has been an effective mechanism that is helping new ways of handing conservation issues to emerge in Africa. Core Projects Need Your Support Advanced Conservation Biology Short Course. This project has been well received by many, including SCB's Board of Governors, and our dedicated volunteers are working hard to implement our vision. Take part in this exciting program by helping to design the course and assist in raising funds. We can be reached at africabog@conservationbiology.org. Young Female Conservation Biologists' Workshop. Several recent studies have shown that women play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity in Africa. However, very few women pursue education and careers in conservation at higher levels. This program seeks to network young women who are pursuing various studies and professions in conservation biology whilst familiarizing themselves with activities of SCB and senior conservation biologists. Suggestions about potential sources of funding are much appreciated. Contact us at africabog@conservationbiology.org. Poem--A New Africa I hear the cry of
Her cry transcends the chaos
Yet in that cry I hear the
A new Africa is emerging! An elite of young professionals
A new Africa is emerging!
We trust there will be continuity in service, concordance, and synergy in the Africa Section, fortified with trust, compassion, and love. Even if you cannot attend the Africa Section symposium, Section Members' Meeting, and other events at SCB's 2004 annual meeting in New York, you are still a valued partner. We thank our volunteers and well wishers and encourage them not to relent in their efforts. Stephen Awoyemi
AFRIQUECela fait un an que la section a été lancée avec l'aide de beaucoup de volontaires passionnés et talentueux, dirigeant des initiatives diversifiées. Actuellement, beaucoup de nos rêves sont entrain de devenir une réalité. Nous croyons à la cohésion des biologists de la conservation, et leurs efforts d'assurer la sustainabilité écologique en Afrique seront accomplis dans un prochain avenir. La SCB a été un mechanism efficace qui est entrain d'aider à l'émergence de nouvelles façons de prendre soin des problèmes de la conservation en Afrique. Les Projets de Base ont Besoin de Votre Support Cours Avancés de Court Term en Biologie de la Conservation. Ce projet a été bien accueuilli par beaucoup, entre autre l'administration des Gouverneurs de la Societé de la Biology de Conservation, et nos volontaires dédiés sont entrain de travailler durement à l'application de notre vision. Prends part à ce program excitant en aidant à fabriquer le cour et chercher les fonds de financement. Vous pouvez nous contacter à l'adresse suivante africabog@conservationbiology.org. Workshop pour Jeune Filles en Biologie de la Conservation. Plusieurs travaux récents ont montré que les femmes jouent un role crucial en matière de la conservation de la biologie en Afrique. Cependant, très peu de femmes poursuivent une éducation ou une carrière de haut niveau dans ce domaine. Ce programe a l'intention de metre en contact de jeunes femmes qui sont entrain de poursuivre des études et des profession variées en matière de conservation en même temps qu'elles se familiarisent avec les activités de la Société et les aînés dans le domaine. Vos idées et sugestions pour le support financier seront très appréciées. Contactez-nous à l'adresse suivante africabog@conservationbiology.org. Poême--Une Nouvelle Afrique J'entends le cri d'une mère sous les douleurs de l'accouchement Ses cris surmontent le chaos et la décadence autour d'elle,
Une nouvelle Afrique est entrain d'émerger! Une élite de professionels est née
Une nouvelle Afrique est entrain d'émerger!
Nous faisons confiance à la continuation du service, la concordance, la sinergie dans la Section Afrique, fortifiée avec confiance, compassion et amitié. Même si vous ne pouvez pas aller au Symposium de la Section, la Section de la rencontre des membres, et les autres évènements de la rencontre annuelle du SCB 2004 à New York, vous restez toujours un partenaire de valeur. Nou remercions nos volontaires, ceux de bonne volonté et nous les encourageons à continuer dans leurs efforts. Traduit respectueusement par Fatimata Palé AUSTRALASIAWhilst the southern hemisphere summer is slipping away and the evening chill is returning, the Australasian Section has been running hot. Our members and Board have been actively involved in SCB activities at the local and international level. We currently have 325 Section members, roughly half of whom reside within Australasia. Members from within the region come from (in order of prevalence) Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Fiji, Palau, and Vanuatu. Andy Mack represented our Section at the Board of Governors meeting in March. Much discussion focused on continuing the internationalization process, including how often to hold annual meetings outside the United States. There is a possibility of hosting a meeting in our region (or in collaboration with other Sections, such as Marine or Asia) in 2007 or 2009. Contact Rob Davis (rob@graduate.uwa.edu.au) if you wish to assist with hosting a meeting in our region. Elections have closed and all Board positions filled. Details will appear in the August newsletter. We also are pleased to have completed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacific Conservation Biology [see SCB Newsletter 11(1)] and welcome Harry Recher to the Section's Board of Directors. Our strong link with Pacific Conservation Biology is an exciting opportunity and we encourage all members to contribute to our "local" conservation journal and subscribe via SCB's Web site. Fifth New Guinea Biology Conference As reported in the February newsletter, the Section successfully co-hosted the Fifth New Guinea Biology Conference (Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, August 2003). We asked the winner of the SCB award for best student presentation, Miriam Supuma, to tell us what winning the SCB award meant to her. It was an honor for me to receive an award from SCB. My presentation was based on my Honors dissertation, Plant dynamics of a Papua New Guinean hill forest. This two-year project (started in 2002) involved recensusing 42 4.2-ha phenology plots established by Dr. Debra Wright at Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area in 1992. I looked at mortality, recruitment, and distribution of trees after the initial census in 1994. Dr. Wright and I found that this site was very dynamic due to very high rainfall and dramatic topography. This study was the first of its kind in Papua New Guinea to be carried out and the data collected can be very useful for making comparisons between logged and unlogged forests and for proper management of forests. We plan to recensus these plots every five years to gather more information. Papua New Guinea has a wealth of biodiversity in its forests; sadly, approximately 80% of its forests are assigned to logging concessions. Living in a third world country makes our government place more emphasis on development and less on conservation and proper management of natural resources. The award I received from SCB means that people / organizations out there recognize the efforts of other people living in third world countries. Thank you SCB for the award! I am also fortunate to interact with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Papua New Guinea. This gives me the opportunity to work alongside my own people to promote conservation. It is very encouraging to see the enthusiasm and quality of the students working in the Pacific and neighboring countries, and the Australasia Section is keen to increase our representation and support in this region. Education Committee The Section's Education Committee has been moving slowly but steadily. To date I am the sole member and recruiting additional members is a high priority. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me (Jean-Marc Hero) at M.Hero@griffith.edu.au. The first initiative I have launched is a Web site on educational training opportunities in Australasia. The site will include information on scholarships for students at all educational levels, subdivided by region (e.g., Pacific Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea); short courses for postgraduates and industry members; and opportunities for postgraduate diplomas. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network facilitates collaboration to achieve its vision of preventing the extinction of New Zealand's most threatened native plants and plant communities. New Zealand is well known as a "hotspot" of biodiversity. In a recent national conservation assessment, 119 indigenous vascular plant taxa, 89 bryophytes, and 50 fungi were classified as acutely threatened, with a further 102 vascular plants in decline (for definitions of threat categories see the Network's Web site, www.nzpcn.org.nz). Many native plants face extinction in the wild as a result of human land use, spread of non-native species, and animal pests. More than 100 people attended an inaugural meeting of the Network in August 2003. Participants included botanists, horticulturalists, and representatives of restoration groups, botanic gardens, zoos, local councils, universities, and the Department of Conservation. The meeting was structured around the targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Global and national plant conservation issues were discussed and priorities for action to prevent further decline in indigenous species were determined. The 16 targets of the GSPC include protection of important plant areas, education and training, cultivation of threatened species, and species restoration. By establishing a national network, New Zealand already has implemented Target 16. The full text of the GSPC can be obtained from the Network Web site. Peter de Lange (Chief Plant Conservation Scientist, New Zealand Department of Conservation), one of several speakers at the meeting, identified biosystematics, legal protection of plants, and inclusion of cryptogams and fungi in conservation programs as key areas for future work. Workshops were held to address how New Zealand might implement the GSPC. Key recommendations and conclusions from the workshops were that the Network should
Membership in the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network is open to any individual, group, or government agency. You may join directly using the Web site or download a copy of the membership form. Subscription rates are $30 for individuals, $20 for concessions, $200 for corporations, and $75 for nongovernmental organizations. For more information, or to join the Network, please contact us at New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, P.O. Box 16-102, Wellington, New Zealand, info@nzpcn.org.nz or secretary@nzpcn.org.nz, www.nzpcn.org.nz. Eric Dorfman and John Sawyer
Rob Davis, Andy Mack, Karen Firestone, Miriam Supuma, Jean-Marc Hero, and Eric Dorfman MARINEThe Scientists' Statement on Protecting the World's Deep-sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems, endorsed by SCB's Marine Section, was signed by 1136 scientists from 69 countries and presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on 15 February 2004. This statement, drafted by Section members Elliott Norse (President Elect) and Lance Morgan, calls on the world's governments and the United Nations to protect these deep-sea marine ecosystems. For more information, see the Marine Conservation Biology Institute Web site, www.mcbi.org. Carolyn Lundquist and Elliott Norse represented the Marine Section at the Board of Governors meeting in March. Before the Section was established, marine conservationists organized two international symposia on marine conservation, one in Victoria in 1997 and one in San Francisco in 2001. One of our goals is to continue to host meetings focusing on marine conservation, but to do so concurrently with SCB annual meetings, thus increasing representation of marine conservationists at SCB annual meetings. At the March meeting, the Marine Section volunteered to organize a significant marine component of SCB's annual meeting at least every three years by offering to join the local organizing committee. With support of the Board of Governors, we hope to begin holding a major marine conservation meeting every three years beginning in 2006. Section Board member Glenn VanBlaricom recently attended a research planning workshop at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The workshop addressed the decline of sea otter abundance in the Aleutian Islands and southwestern mainland Alaska. The once thriving sea otter populations in the region have been reduced to about 3% of estimated carrying capacity. Factors driving the decline are unknown, but a shift in diet of killer whales is suspected to be a significant contributor. The ultimate causes of such a shift are unknown and controversial. Scientists from Russia, Canada, and the United States made recommendations for a suite of research projects intended to understand causes of the decline. A primary goal of the effort is to make recommendations to management authorities for appropriate and feasible mitigating actions that might reverse the decline. It was recognized that such actions may not exist. Section Board member Rob Wilder (rob@h2fuelcells.org) is running for City Council in Encinitas (northern San Diego County, California, USA). We wish him luck and thank him for reminding us that opportunities for participating in local, regional, and national government are available to many of us, and that active participation in local governance is one way that conservationists can influence environmental management. As this newsletter went to press, the MacArthur Foundation awarded more than US$4 million to help protect the marine ecosystems of Melanesia. For details, see www.macfound.org/announce/press_releases/4_06_2004_1.htm. Web Excerpts: Updates on Marine Science and Policy For further details, search "ocean" on the United Nations Foundation news service, www.unwire.org/Channels/Env.asp.
SCB 2004. Many scientific sessions and social activities for marine conservationists are planned for the 2004 annual meeting. Invited symposia include Designing Networks of Reserves and The Sea of Cortez: Bi-national Science and Conservation in the Aquarium of the World. Workshops will highlight incorporation of non-use values into Marine Protected Areas planning, the Seabird Ecological Assessment Network, and emerging issues in the restoration of urban estuaries. Outstanding field trips have been organized, allowing meeting attendees to experience the Hudson River, New York Harbor, local wetlands, whale watching, and kayaking. In addition, Scott Johnston (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will convene a discussion on the impacts of offshore wind development to start off the Section Members' Meeting. The Section meeting is tentatively scheduled for 31 July and a social event for 1 August. Blue Vision Conference will be held 11-13 July 2004 in Washington, D.C. This conference will include presentations by both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, and a day of meetings with the U.S. House and Senate to inform them of growing support for legislation to protect and restore America's natural resources and marine heritage. Conveners hope that an American Oceans Act will be one of many results of this meeting. Members of the Marine Board plan to attend. For details see www.bluevizmeet.com. Section Information Journal subscriptions. Funds remain to cover memberships and subscriptions to SCB journals for marine conservationists outside of North America. Please contact marine@conbio.org if you know individuals who could benefit from these funds. Committee Involvement. Section members are welcome and encouraged to join SCB and Section committees. Details are available in the Section bylaws or from committee chairs. In particular, members are sought for SCB's Student Affairs committee to evaluate abstracts and presentations. Contact marine@conbio.org if you are interested in becoming involved. Marine Communications. We are in the process of revamping our Web site, www.conbio.org/Marine, with assistance from the Executive Office. If you have suggestions for improving the content of the site, please let us know. Marine Listserv. Please continue to post discussion items on the Section listserv, Marine@list.conbio.org. For subscription information, visit http://list.conbio.org/mailman/listinfo/Marine. Carolyn Lundquist, Glenn VanBlaricom, and Rob Wilder NORTH AMERICAThe U.S. Congress is currently considering H.R. 2933, the Critical Habitat Reform Act. This bill would substantively change how critical habitat is designated under the Endangered Species Act. The two greatest impacts of the proposed reform would be to delay critical habitat designation from listing until recovery planning and to exempt from critical habitat areas that are protected via other land use designations (e.g., National Parks, Habitat Conservation Plans). The North America Section has submitted comments on this bill to Congress. The comments, prepared by Kathryn Kennedy (Missouri Botanical Garden) and Karen Hodges (University of Montana), articulate concerns about these two major proposed changes as well as several minor proposed changes. Although critical habitat designation is highly controversial and implementation of the Endangered Species Act is subject to a flood of litigation, we think the proposed bill has little potential to solve current problems. The comments will be posted on the Section's Web site. This is the second time the Section has provided decision-makers with detailed comments on important legislative or regulatory issues. The first was in April 2003, when the Section submitted comments on proposed revisions to planning and management of U.S. National Forests. Karen Hodges FRESHWATER WORKING GROUPThe Freshwater Working Group plans to convene at 2004 annual meeting. We likely will meet on the evening of 31 July; we will try to meet at a time that will not conflict with any Section meetings. In addition to assessing progress and developments since the most recent (and first) Working Group meeting, we propose to accomplish something more substantive at this year's meeting. Oral and poster presentations are intended to showcase past work and results, so it might be interesting to use the Working Group meeting as an opportunity to share highlights of current and future work, as well as evolving ideas. This could give SCB members the chance to network with others doing similar or complementary work. This "project fair" could take any
This "straw man" idea is intended to spur discussion about how you would like to use the available time. If you like or dislike this idea, or would like to contribute your own, please send your thoughts to freshwater@conservationbiology.org. We will periodically synthesize the comments and send them back to the group via the listserv. And, if you have an interest in helping to organize the meeting, please step forward. All SCB members are welcome. Robin Abell
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