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INTERNATIONAL SECTION NEWS
AFRICAHighlights from the 2004 Annual Meeting At the 2004 annual meeting, the Africa Section sponsored a symposium, Conservation in areas of high population density in sub-Saharan Africa. The symposium was organized by Norbert Cordeiro, Andrew Plumptre, Neil Burgess, Delali Dovie, and Beth Kaplin. In addition to participants from Europe and the United States, eight African conservation biologists participated in the symposium; we were able to assist many of them in finding sources of travel funds for their trip to New York. The symposium organizers negotiated with the journal Biological Conservation to devote a special section to peer-reviewed manuscripts from the symposium. The Africa Section Mentoring Committee, led by Matt Kauffman, will assist authors who would like guidance on writing, statistics, and so forth. If you are interested in the Mentoring Committee or would like to take advantage of its services please contact Matt.Kauffman@mso.umt.edu. Fundraising by Steve Caicco was a great success and we owe him our thanks. Steve gathered a suite of beautiful photographs of African wildlife and landscapes. These were offered in a silent auction, with all funds going to the Section. Please contact Ron Abrams (ronwoolf@ix.netcom.com) if you have fundraising ideas for our Section. 2005 Annual Meeting The African Section has embarked on a collaborative relationship with the Austral and Neotropical America Section to jointly organize a symposium, Enabling, mainstreaming and implementation: putting conservation plans to work in the South. This initiative is led by Delali Dovie of the Africa Section in collaboration with Javier Simonetti and other members of the Austral and Neotropical America Section. Under the leadership of Ron Abrams and Delali Dovie, the Africa Section also has been pursuing the possibility of jointly organizing a symposium with the Marine Section. Other Initiatives The Africa Section has been pursuing a relationship with the East African Wild Life Society, which publishes African Journal of Ecology. We are interested in expanding opportunities for publication of research on African conservation issues and partnership with the journal would serve as an excellent venue. This initiative is led by Mac Hunter, Paula Kahumbu, William Oloput, and others. The following suggestions emerged from the Africa Section meeting at SCB's 2004 annual meeting.
Beth Kaplin
ASIAThe Asia Section has made considerable progress during the past year. Our Web site, www.conbio.org/asia, contains information of particular relevance to Section members. We also have a listserv, AsiaList, with regular postings about events, job opportunities, and so forth. Subscription is free and is open to both SCB members and nonmembers. Our first Section meeting, Biodiversity Conservation in Asia: Current Status and Future Perspectives, has been scheduled for 17-20 November 2005 in Katmandu, Nepal. The goal of the meeing is to bring together practitioners of biodiversity conservation from Asia and beyond to share experiences and effective strategies for preserving Asia's biodiversity. The anticipated outcome of the meeting is an enhanced understanding of how conservation biology best can be developed and promoted in Asia. Together, we will strive for improved working relationships throughout the region. The meeting will feature oral and poster presentations, workshops, and conservation films. A post-meeting excursion to Royal Chitwan Conservation Park will be offered. Please register promptly; capacity is limited to about 150 people. Call for Papers Session topics will be established based on contributed abstracts that are accepted by the review committee. We believe this will allow the widest possible range of topics to be addressed by participants. However, contributing authors are encouraged to think broadly in development of their abstracts, paying particular attention to the meeting goals and to critical issues such as biodiversity assessment, the role of protected areas, endangered species, transboundary issues, community-based conservation, sustainable use of biological diversity, conservation education and its reform, technological advancements in the realm of conservation biology, and implementation of major treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES. Individuals who wish to present research results are urged to include the conservation or policy implications of their findings in their abstracts and to specify what actions they believe need to be taken. Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and in English. Authors should indicate clearly whether they are submitting an abstract for an oral or poster presentation. The deadline for submitting abstracts for oral presentations is 31 May 2005. Abstracts for poster presentations will be accepted until 31 August 2005. Submit abstracts by e-mail to Linda Whittaker, linda.whittaker@nature-parks.org.il. Individuals who wish to organize and chair specific workshops or panel sessions must present a one page proposal to the organizing committee no later than 1 March 2005 indicating the need, goals, and expected outcome of the session. If accepted, the session chair must submit a completed panel outline (with participant list) or workshop outline to the organizing committee by 1 June 2005. Workshop and panel sessions should be two to four hours maximum. Please visit the Asia Section's Web site for more information on meeting logistics, venue, and registration procedures. Other News SCB seeks proposals for the 2007 annual meeting. Please contact Linda Whittaker if you might be interested in hosting the annual meeting. The Section may be able to provide assistance with organization. According to our bylaws, we are due to hold elections for four new members on the Board of Directors. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please submit your name to Linda Whittaker. Please provide a curriculum vitae or resume and a short statement explaining why you seek nomination.
Linda Whittaker
AUSTRALASIAThe Pacific Nations currently are isolated not only in a biogeographical sense, but also in terms of interaction with the broader conservation community. To help address this sense of isolation, increase communication within the Australasia Section, and bring a bit of recognition to conservation professionals in the Pacific Nations, the Section has initiated what we hope will be a regular Bula [hello] Column' from the South Pacific for the News and Views section of Pacific Conservation Biology. Some of these columns will be reprinted in the SCB newsletter. In this issue, for example, Craig Morley presents an overview of current programs and challenges that conservation scientists face in Fiji. We warmly welcome further op-ed pieces, news items, research overviews, and so forth from others working in the Pacific Islands. Bula! Vinaka vakalevu (thanks!)
Karen FirestoneConservation in Fiji Fiji is full of research opportunities, yet little conservation and ecological work has been conducted. Most research has focused on the marine environment while the terrestrial environment often has been ignored. However, we are redressing this imbalance. Recent projects undertaken on the land include surveying crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) habitat, especially on remote dry forest islands (Wildlife Conservation Society, University of the South Pacific, and the National Trust of Fiji); field surveys of significant bird sites (Birdlife International); the Pacific-Asia Biodiversity Transect Network, a program for investigating Fiji's biodiversity (a joint project involving USP and most of the NGOs); a wildlife trade monitoring network (TRAFFIC International); field surveys of freshwater ecosystems (Wetlands International and USP); a forest and environmental education program (WCS); and establishment of a captive breeding program for the endangered Fijian ground frog (Platymantis vitianus). Biologically speaking, therefore, Fiji is an exciting location. In the past three years, several international conservation organizations (e.g., Wildlife Conservation Society, Wetlands International, and Birdlife International) arrived and brought with them a wealth of new ideas, values, and conservation projects. Most importantly, their arrival has contributed to and complimented many of Fiji's established conservation programs. But even with this progress we are still in need of good researchers and much more can be done. We particularly need taxonomic assistance. We are still discovering many new species, especially invertebrates. Unfortunately, many of the original animal collections from Fiji are held offshore in museums around the world; this does not help biologists currently working in Fiji. Other areas of concern are freshwater ecology; destruction and fragmentation of tropical rain forest, dry forest, and cloud forest; and extirpation of some important endemic vertebrates, such as the red-throated lorikeet (Charmosyna amabilis), pinked billed parrotfinch (Erythrura kleinschmidti), long-legged warbler (Trichocichla rufa), crested iguana, ground frog, and lizards like Emoia nigra. Fiji is at a crossroads. Currently, the government is promoting high economic growth targets that could have negative environmental impacts. Some of our Pacific neighbors already have been devastated by logging and it would be unfortunate if similar destructive activities occurred here. Most Fijian land is owned by individuals and it is with them that many of our hopes remain. Indeed, efforts are underway to save more than 20,000 ha of tropical lowland rain forest in the Sovi Basin. If this effort succeeds, the Sovi Basin will become one of the largest reserves in the tropical South Pacific. The team working on this project has worked long and hard; the potential benefits are immense. If the project is successful, Fiji will serve as an example of island community conservation to the world. Fiji is a land of conservation opportunities. This work will depend on training new biologists and obtaining the necessary support, both financial and logistical. In my next report, I will focus on creation of a conservation ethic and conservation education in the tropical South Pacific. Craig Morley
International Congress of Entomology The International Congress of Entomology is held every four years. In 2004, the congress was held in Brisbane, Australia. The Australasia Section awarded a prize to the student who gave the best spoken paper with a conservation theme. We hope that the award will help to illuminate the importance of invertebrate conservation. The recipient of the 2004 award was Marie Yee, a Ph.D. student at the Cooperative Research Centre for for Sustainable Production Forestry at University of Tasmania. She received membership in SCB and a subscription to her choice of SCB's journals for her presentation "Why large logs support saproxylic beetles of conservation importance." Australian Students Excel at SCB2004 Papers by Australian graduate students ranked highly at SCB's 2004 annual meeting. Samantha Fox and Leoni Valentine (James Cook University) and Tara Martin (University of Queensland) were among the 16 student award finalists [see SCB Newsletter 11(3)]. First-place awardee Martin commented, "As an Australian post-graduate student attending my first overseas conference, I wondered how my work would compare to an international field. Receiving an award for my paper "Do experts know anything about birds and grazing?" was an acknowledgment that the caliber of work by Australian students is amongst the best in the world, and that Australian scientists are leading the fields of theoretical ecology, conservation planning, conservation biology, ecological modeling, and statistical analysis of complex systems. "On a personal level, receiving the award was recognition of the interest in and potential contribution of my work to conservation biology and ecology. The paper I presented had two purposes: to examine the impact of grazing on birds in the absence of tree cover change and to investigate the role of expert opinion in increasing statistical power for an ecological question.One of our greatest challenges as researchers is predicting impacts of land use on biota. Predicting the impact of livestock grazing on Australian birds is no exception. Insufficient data and poor survey design often yield results that are not statistically significant or are difficult to interpret because researchers cannot disentangle the effects of grazing from other disturbances. As a result, there have been few publications on the impact of grazing on birds alone. "Ecologists with extensive experience observing birds in grazed landscapes could inform an analysis when time and money limit data collection. We captured this expert knowledge and incorporated it into a statistical model using Bayesian methods, which allow straightforward probability statements to be made about specific models or scenarios. Bayesian methods also allow the integration of different types of information, including scientific judgement, while formally accommodating and incorporating the uncertainty in the information provided. We used field data in conjunction with expert data to produce estimates of species persistence under grazing. For situations in which there is extensive expert knowledge but little published data, the use of expert information as priors for ecological models is a cost effective way of making more confident predictions about the effect of management on biodiversity." New Guinea Biological Conference The 6th Annual New Guinea Biological Conference was hosted by the Papua State University in Manokwari, Indonesian Papua from 6-9 October 2004. The Australasia Section donated AU$500 for student travel and prizes, and membership to SCB and a subscription to Conservation Biology as the prize for the best student presentation with a conservation theme. All four prizes were received by students from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). Chris Dahl won the top prize for his presentation, "The montane frog fauna of Mt Michael, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea." Chris's work is supported by Conservation International and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Three students tied for second place: Enock Kaledimimo (UPNG and WCS), "Density, diversity and reproductive status of small mammals in the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area of Papua New Guinea;" Michael Kigl (UPNG and WCS), "Riverine waste disposal: Porgera mine sediment impact on the Porgera-Lagaip-Strickland river systems;" and Stewart Wossa (UPNG), "Comparative analysis of the chemistry of aromatic plants of Papua New Guinea." The conference organizers clearly value their association with SCB. The SCB logo was featured on conference materials and SCB was listed as one of the three main sponsors although its financial contribution relative to the total cost of the conference was modest. Fenny Ismoyo, chair of the organizing committee, expressed gratitude to SCB and his hope that the relationship that has been developing between the New Guinea Biological Conference and SCB during the past two years will continue. SCB member and conference attendee Ross Sinclair noticed an increasing trend in the number and quality of presentations with a conservation theme. He remarked that SCB student awards are now well known and well received, and commented that with a small investment SCB is raising the profile of conservation science among biologists in New Guinea.
Tish Silberbauer, Andy Mack, and Karen Firestone
MARINESection Events Elections for two new officers of the Marine Section board will be held online from 1-30 November 2004. Please vote! Nomination statements of candidates and voting information are available at www.conbio.org/marine. The Board of Directors will hold its first official retreat in Woodside, California, USA on 15-16 November 2004. We plan to discuss our strategic direction for the next few years, particularly focusing on involvement in SCB annual meetings including San Jose, California in 2006. Journal Subscriptions Funds from The Christensen Foundation [see SCB Newsletter 11(1)] are available to subsidize SCB memberships and subscription costs for Conservation Biology and Conservation In Practice in 2005 for marine conservationists who reside outside of North America. Please contact marine@conbio.org if you know of marine conservationists who could benefit from these funds. Priority will be given to individuals who did not receive support in 2004. Marine Conservation News The Marine Section's Web site now includes links to science and policy updates created by other organizations that have given us permission to use their material. The site also includes links to job announcements, sources of funding, Section activities, and listserv information. Among the highlights: Released by the United States Commission on Ocean Policy on 20 September 2004, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century contains the Commission's final recommendations for a new, comprehensive U.S. national ocean policy. For details, see www.oceancommission.gov/documents/welcome.html. Mexico's Olive Ridley sea turtles are making a comeback. Sea turtles are spawning in record numbers along Pacific coast of Mexico this year, mainly due to protection against poachers (www.reuters.com). A study by World Resources Institute indicates two-thirds of Caribbean coral reefs are threatened due to pressures ranging from pollution to overfishing (www.wri.org). Blue mussels were found growing 1300 km from the North Pole--a probable indication of global warming. These mussels were discovered in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, waters that are covered by ice much of the year (www.reuters.com).
Carolyn Lundquist and Elise Granek
NORTH AMERICACall for Nominations - North America Section Board The North America Section is seeking nominations for three positions on the Board of Directors opening in July 2005. All three positions are essentially "at large" positions rather than officers. To qualify for nomination, an individual must be a current member of SCB and the North America Section; must agree to attend annual meetings of the SCB parent society; must be willing and able to participate in regular e-mail correspondence and occasional Board meetings by conference call; and otherwise be engaged in the Section. To nominate a qualified individual, send a short biographical sketch to Reed Noss, rnoss@mail.ucf.edu, no later than 15 December 2004. Self-nominations are welcome. The Sections of SCB are taking on most of the responsibility for addressing critical issues at the science-policy interface within their regions. Hence, it is essential that Section boards be composed of people willing and able to be actively involved.
Reed Noss, President Elect, North America Section
FRESHWATER WORKING GROUPThe Freshwater Working Group has begun to form committees and to define roles and responsibilities for them. The committees are Student Affairs, Communications, Symposia / Workshops, Extra-SCB Outreach, Inter-SCB Outreach, and Social. Volunteers are welcome to join any committee; Inter-SCB Outreach is currently the most under-subscribed. If you are interested in joining or learning more about these committees, please e-mail Robin Abell, robin.abell@wwfus.org. Robin Abell will continue to serve as the Freshwater Working Group coordinator until the 2005 annual meeting. Mary Khoury has agreed to continue serving as the listerv moderator, and Ken Vance-Borland has volunteered to serve as secretary. We welcome any freshwater-related submissions for the first Freshwater Working Group newsletter, which will be distributed quarterly to the freshwater listserv. Send items to freshwater@conservationbiology.org. Instructions for subscribing to the listserv are at www.conbio.org/freshwater.
Robin Abell
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