Bisc 309 – Conservation Biology

Bisc 309 – Guests + AssignmentManaging Species at Risk

Court case: Failure of Dept Fisheries and Oceans to identify critical habitat for nooksak dace

Lawsuit launched by Ecojustice

May 4-7, 2009 10am onwards3rd Floor, 701 West Georgia Street, Vancouver 

Freshwater water fish in lowland streams of the Fraser Valley

Bisc 309 – Lectures

From molecules to landscapes

in 13 weeks

or 40 minutes

Conservation of molecules or genetic diversity

WHY is this important?

Loss of genetic variation may

Reduce individual survival/productivityReduce populations ability to adapt

increase extinction risk

Habitat loss Pollution Overexploitation Invasive species

Small fragmented isolated popn’s

Inbreeding Loss of genetic diversity

Reduced survival and reproductionReduced ability to adapt

Reduced N An Extinction Vortex

ExamplesLow genetic diversity reduces reproductive output or survival

Conservation of molecules or genetic diversity

How big is big enough?

5000 individuals?

What are the issues?

Genetic processes are slowPurging may counter inbreedingWe don’t measure variation for selected traitsOther factors are more immediate/importantRecovery targets are rarely based on genetics

March 2008: Panda genome to be sequenced in a bid to conserve species

“ the giant panda is a global conservation symbol and deserving of such an effort”

Oliver Ryder, endangered species biologist

Conservation of Small populations

Why are small populations a concern?

Small populations are especially vulnerable to

stochastic processesallee effects

that reduce population growth

---> an extinction vortex

Environmental stochasticity

EG Onager

Strong effects on λ in all populations

Demographic stochasticityEG Dusky seaside sparrowStrong effects on λ in small populations

Managing small populations

Population viability analysisa tool to assess extinction risk

Questions/Issues How do they work?What are the problems?What else can you use them for?

Managing small populationsReintroductions

Key questionsWhen do they work best?What other factors need to be considered?

Conservation concernsHabitat loss, Degradation and Fragmentation

habitat

Edge effects

Primates634 species50% on IUCN Red ListMajor threat – habitat loss

Africa – red colobus Asia – Grey shanked douc langur

Conservation concernsHabitat loss and degradation

Can produce

edges

sink habitat

ecological traps

population declines

Managing habitat loss and degradation

Establishing reservesRestoring habitat

Conservation concernsHabitat loss and Fragmentation

Patches, area/isolation effects

Patches, area/isolation effects

Area Isolation

Occ

upa

ncy

Metapopulations and the matrix

Managing patches and metapopulations

Corridors

Simberloff asked questionCONSERVATION BARGAINS OR POOR INVESTMENTS?

We evaluated evidence thatanimals/plants use corridorscorridors influence demographycorridors influence genetic

structurecorridors influence diversity

do corridors influence species diversity?

Gilbert et al. 1998 ProcRSoc 265: 577-82

Expt withMoss micro-arthropod communities on rocks

Conservation concerns Invasive species

Pine trees in Africa

African dung beetles in Australia

Australian Possum in New Zealand

New Zealand snails in North America

Invasive species

KEY QUESTIONS

What characteristics of a community favour invasions?

Can we predict which species have large impacts?

Do invasions lead to community meltdown?

How will removal impact the current community?

Managing invasive speciesBiological Control “is the only long term solution” to invasive weeds/pests

Judy Myers (UBC)

% fo

liage

re

mo

ved

Pla

nt b

iom

ass

Purple loosestrife control

Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit 1992

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Each party must as far as possible

1. Establish a system of protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity

2. Develop where necessary guidelines for the selection, establishment and management of protected areas

Do protected areas work?Perc

en

t n

atu

ral veg

eta

tion

Amazon Atlantic coast forest

Congo forest West African forest

Joppa et al PNAS 2008

Do protected areas work?

A + B Brazil C Nigeria D Ghana

Do marine protected areas work?

Mosqueira Mosqueira et al. 2000et al. 2000Animal ConservationAnimal Conservation

(236)

Targetspecies

6543210-1

(110)

Non-targetspecies

Overall

(541)

Response ratio

More fishin reserve

More fishout of reserve

Overall effect of 12 reserves around the world

How do you design a reserve system that includes and sustains all biodiversity and ecosystem processes of the region?

What features can be used as surrogates for overall biodiversity?

Reserve networks – case studies

Different approaches - what lessons were learnt

Cape Floristic Region Phillipines

Conservation concern – climate change

Climate change is having detectable effects

Loss of sea-ice reduces access to prey and has led to a decline in body weights and reproductive successCould adapt by switching to snow goose eggs

Climate change, by improving conditions for chytrid fungus, is implicated in extinctions of 74 harlequin frog species

The main message

Climate

Humans

Biodiversity

Adaptation and mitigation are necessaryBiodiversity/conservation plays a role in

climate regulationBiodiversity/conservation is central to

tackling climate change

Climate change

If we act as if it’s too late, then it will be

However, unlikely success might be we can’t abandon efforts to cut carbon emissions – we don’t have a better option

George Monbiot

Rich nations have promised $18 billion to help poor nations with climate change but they have disbursed only 5% of that

Guardian

Conservation Biology

“do you build models or actually do something”

Kathy Martin (CWS, UBC, forest ecologist)

Biology

provides the tools to help identify trends, evaluate data, test hypotheses and suggest solutions

Economics, Development and Politics

are critical for their implementation and success

Your job

Spread the word

Use the biology

Build models

And

Actually do something