Conservation Professionals Research Articles

Farmer Perspectives on OCA (Oxalis tuberosa; Oxalidaceae) Diversity Conservation: Values and Threats

Traditional crops contribute to food security and agroecological sustainability, but their diversity is threatened by economic, environmental, and sociocultural factors. We use a case study of the Andean tuber crop oca (Oxalis tuberosa; Oxalidaceae), in Pisac District, Cusco Region, Peru, to explore the commonly held assumptions that: 1) farmers maintain traditional crop diversity for practical purposes and 2) that the major threats to this diversity occur when increased access to resources compromises farmers’ motivations for maintaining traditional crops. Using a qualitative research approach, we examine motivations for, and threats to, oca diversity in two smallholder farming communities. Farmers reveal agricultural, economic, and dietary and medicinal motivations for oca conservation, though they are most strongly motivated by intangible cultural factors. Farmers describe threats to some of these motivations, but they suggest that oca conservation is most immediately threatened by the oca weevil (Adioristidius tuberculatus), which has compromised their ability to obtain and maintain oca diversity. We encourage academics and conservation professionals to consider and honor the role of cultural values in shaping agricultural landscapes, and we call for increased research emphasis on traditional crops to support farmers in their efforts to conserve them.

Choosing between alternative placement strategies for conservation buffers using Borda count

There is inherent ambiguity when comparing decision criteria in multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). A fuzzy Borda count was developed to take into account some of the ambiguity and derive criteria weights by linguistically comparing decision criteria. This study extends the fuzzy Borda count to take into account agents’ confidence in their preferences for criteria weights. The procedure is applied to prioritize agricultural lands for conservation buffer placement using multiple criteria in the Raritan River Basin in New Jersey. These criteria, which include soil erodibility, hydrological sensitivity, wildlife habitat, and impervious surface, capture the conservation buffers’ ecosystem services in terms of reducing soil erosion, controlling runoff generation, enhancing wildlife habitat, and mitigating stormwater impacts, respectively. A survey was conducted of conservation professionals including federal employees at NRCS, state and local agencies and nongovernmental environmental organizations to elicit agents’ preferences for multiple benefits of conservation buffers using a fuzzy pairwise comparison method. The study compares the fuzzy MCDM procedure to a class-based MCDM procedure for prioritizing agricultural lands for conservation buffer placement. The comparative results show that both procedures have their advantages and disadvantages, but generate comparable prioritization results. Further research is needed to improve the proposed fuzzy MCDM procedure to handle missing values in eliciting agents’ preferences for comparing multiple criteria.

A personal issue: feminist standpoint theory, epistemologies of ignorance, and perceptions of HIV transmission among northern Tanzanian wildlife conservation professionals

Drawing on ten months of qualitative research from 2009/10, we present a case study of situated HIV transmission knowledge claims among wildlife conservation actors in northern Tanzania. Utilizing feminist standpoint theory and epistemologies of ignorance, this article explores why a single professional group consistently articulated divergent explanations of the causal forces shaping on-going HIV transmission dynamics. Elite respondents were more likely to consistently attribute viral transmission to individual-level behaviors, while non-elite conservation actors more often situated HIV transmission dynamics in relation to extra-personal structural forces. This case study reveals the experiential grounding of HIV-related knowledge claims; illuminates the partiality of authoritative knowledge and the intersections of practices of power, embodied understandings and socio-structural location with hierarchical matrices of status and privilege; disrupts the presumed accuracy of certain forms of knowledge by foregrounding the insights of those in positions of subordination; and exposes ineffectual HIV/AIDS interventions in northern Tanzania.

Developing an objectives hierarchy for multicriteria decisions on land use options, with a case study of biodiversity conservation and forestry production from Papua, Indonesia

A framework was developed for the construction of an objectives hierarchy for multicriteria decisions in land use planning. The process began through identification of fundamental objectives; these were iteratively decomposed into a hierarchy of subobjectives until a level was reached at which subobjectives had measurable attributes. Values were derived for attributes through a variety of methods and weights assigned to objectives through preference elicitation. The framework assumed that the objectives could be incorporated into a linear value function; this required attributes to satisfy preference and difference independence conditions. Strategies were developed to address typical features that distinguish land use decisions from many other multicriteria decisions. The methodology was illustrated with a case study of land use planning in a forestry concession in the Merauke region of Papua Province, Indonesia. The problem involved severe hard constraints; the analysis showed how these can be accommodated within the framework. Results integrated interests and preferences of a diverse set of stakeholders (resident peoples, developers, and conservation professionals) and were intended for implementation. This methodology is extendible to other land use problems.

A comparative approach to assess drivers of success in mammalian conservation recovery programs.

The outcomes of species recovery programs have been mixed; high-profile population recoveries contrast with species-level extinctions. Each conservation intervention has its own challenges, but to inform more effective management it is imperative to assess whether correlates of wider recovery program success or failure can be identified. To contribute to evidence-based improvement of future conservation strategies, we conducted a global quantitative analysis of 48 mammalian recovery programs. We reviewed available scientific literature and conducted semistructured interviews with conservation professionals involved in different recovery programs to investigate ecological, management, and political factors associated with population recoveries or declines. Identifying and removing threats was significantly associated with increasing population trend and decreasing conservation dependence, emphasizing that populations are likely to continue to be compromised in the absence of effective threat mitigation and supporting the need for threat monitoring and adaptive management in response to new and potential threats. Lack of habitat and small population size were cited as limiting factors in 56% and 42% of recovery programs, respectively, and both were statistically associated with increased longer term dependence on conservation intervention, demonstrating the importance of increasing population numbers quickly and restoring and protecting habitat. Poor stakeholder coordination and management were also regularly cited by respondents as key weaknesses in recovery programs, indicating the importance of effective leadership and shared goals and management plans. Project outcomes were not influenced by biological or ecological variables such as body mass or habitat, which suggests that these insights into correlates of conservation success and failure are likely to be generalizable across mammals.

Private Landowners, Voluntary Conservation Programs, and Implementation of Conservation Friendly Land Management Practices

AbstractPrivate land conservation mechanisms are critical components employed by policy makers and conservation professionals to support the stewardship and protection of vital ecosystem services. While most research on voluntary conservation programs focuses on motives and barriers to participation, little is known about landowner activities and ecological status once property is enrolled in programs. Our mailed survey to landowners with property enrolled in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program in U.S.A. revealed that (1) environmental motives, (2) residential motives like family life, and (3) having more land enrolled in the program were strong predictors of individuals who implemented conservation actions such as removal of invasive species and control of erosion. We also found that landowners witnessing environmental improvements on their land reported more conservation actions than those perceiving unchanged environmental conditions. A better understanding of landowner perceptions and conservation outcomes can help policy makers improve private land conservation programs.

Agricultural preservation professionals' perceptions and attitudes about cost-effective land selection methods

A consensus exists among academics that cost-effective land preservation should involve both benefits and costs. In reality, the vast majority of programs do a poor job at being cost-effective. Few studies have examined why conservation professionals have failed to adopt cost-effective approaches. This study reports on a survey conducted with conservation professionals associated with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, a leading program in the United States where county program administrators have experience with both traditional benefit targeting approaches and optimization approaches. Results show that conservation professionals place lower importance on cost-effectiveness than transparency and fairness, which are the most critical elements. Administrators also report a lack of incentives as a major obstacle for them to adopt cost-effective selection processes, but are more likely to adopt cost-effective conservation techniques if training and software is provided. These findings provide economists with valuable insights when designing cost-effective mechanisms that could be adopted and used in the future.

Integrating biodiversity conservation and water development: in search of long‐term solutions

Fresh water, a resource necessary for most life on Earth, currently experiences impacts that reduce both water quality and quantity. These impacts compromise human wellbeing and threaten the existence of many nonhuman species, the latter including freshwater biodiversity as well as other species requiring water to survive. In response, development and conservation professionals strive to ensure that adequate fresh water is available for people and other organisms. Here we examine the need to coordinate efforts in these two areas of intervention to ensure long‐term success for both. We begin by discussing how places needing water development and biodiversity conservation tend to be located in the same parts of the world, suggesting that projects in each subject area may well co‐occur. We then summarize briefly the current challenges facing water development and freshwater‐related biodiversity conservation, as well as the main approaches to address those challenges. The study examines potential strategies to provide improved access to water for both people and nature through integrated water resources management and less formal approaches to avoiding unintended impacts of one activity on the other. Example projects reveal several benefits of linking development and biodiversity conservation efforts to maintain water resources. The study closes by arguing for the need to coordinate water development and biodiversity conservation activities in a manner that seeks practical synchronized solutions for particular project settings. WIREs Water 2016, 3:301–311. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1142This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness Engineering Water > Planning Water

Perpetual private land conservation: the case for outdoor recreation and functional leisure

As natural areas, agricultural lands, and open spaces continue to be developed at unprecedented rates, it is important for land conservation professionals to understand the individuals who might play a role in permanently protecting these lands and their ecological services. Many factors have been shown to influence land protection decisions among private owners, including land-use activities, demographic characteristics, and environmental intention and behavior. With the hypothesis that individuals already involved in land conservation programs would be candidates for permanent protection, we set out to model conservation easement decisions within a group of participants in southern Indiana’s Classified Forest and Wildlands Program (ICFWP). We used a mailed questionnaire to survey 500 landowners, garnering 308 responses, about their interest in conservation easements. Our results indicated significant positive relationships between interest in conservation easements with variables representing perception of landscape change, outdoor recreation behavior as an adult, and environmental organization membership. By better understanding the ways these factors promote permanent land-use decisions, land conservation professionals can better allocate limited resources through strategic investments in targeting and outreach.

Educating future professionals in conservation science: The challenges of an interdisciplinary field

Training and education paths in conservation science have been the subject of ongoing debate over the last two decades. A key issue is that conservation science, although not a new field, is not adequately defined, which leads to a lack of consensus regarding the competencies needed. During the ICCROM Forum 2013 on Conservation Science, education for conservation scientists was discussed, with a particular focus on those necessary competencies which exceed the scientific domain. This paper reflects on the outcomes of these discussions as well as the results of surveys carried out by ICCROM in preparation for the Forum on education, job advertisements, and the relationship between conservation professionals and science. Challenges identified included current professional paths, dissemination of scientific findings, use of specialized terminology, and the need for professionals who serve more than one area of specialization. These challenges could be viewed as an opportunity to revise and modify educational programmes. New interactive platforms could be used to facilitate participative science projects, and could change the way projects are carried out in the near future.

Perspectives of wildlife conservation professionals on intensive deer management

Intensive deer management (IDM) is fundamentally changing how one of the most important game species in North America is being managed, but little is known about how wildlife conservation professionals view these changes. The IDM approach encourages privatization of deer (Odocoileus spp.) through practices including feeding, high fencing, artificial insemination and markets in deer semen, and translocation. To evaluate support for IDM practices, we surveyed 208 registrants of the 2010 Southeast Deer Study Group Meeting held in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Specifically, we evaluated support for IDM practices using state-agency wildlife biologists, private wildlife managers, and academics, and we evaluated how geographic region and employment type are related to opinions about IDM. Using Principal Components Analysis, we created 3 new scales that measured respondents’ opinions about deer management, deer husbandry, and deer hunting. We detected strong opposition to IDM among respondents, with respondents from universities having the strongest opposition, followed by state-agency employees from Texas, and private consultants from Texas (the latter having the greatest support for IDM). Our study highlights the need for critical and empirical evaluation of the articulation between IDM and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, particularly the tenets that assert wildlife are held in the public trust and advocate elimination of markets for wildlife. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Internet-Based Approaches to Building Stakeholder Networks for Conservation and Natural Resource Management.

Social network analysis (SNA) is based on a conceptual network representation of social interactions and is an invaluable tool for conservation professionals to increase collaboration, improve information flow, and increase efficiency. We present two approaches to constructing internet-based social networks, and use an existing traditional (survey-based) case study to illustrate in a familiar context the deviations in methods and results. Internet-based approaches to SNA offer a means to overcome institutional hurdles to conducting survey-based SNA, provide unique insight into an institution’s web presences, allow for easy snowballing (iterative process that incorporates new nodes in the network), and afford monitoring of social networks through time. The internet-based approaches differ in link definition: hyperlink is based on links on a website that redirect to a different website and relatedness links are based on a Google’s “relatedness” operator that identifies pages “similar” to a URL. All networks were initiated with the same start nodes [members of a conservation alliance for the Calumet region around Chicago (n = 130)], but the resulting networks vary drastically from one another. Interpretation of the resulting networks is highly contingent upon how the links were defined.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The importance of natural resources in sustaining productivity and environmental protection is now relatively more realized than the past. Over the past few decades or so, more and more attention is being paid all over the world to conserve the Natural Resources. Natural resources are important material basis for a stable economy and social development too With Industrialization and Urbanization, mankind’s great demand for natural resources and their large scale exploitation and consumption has resulted in the weakening, deterioration and exhaustion of these resources. Human existence depends on the natural resources and the environment and the maintenance of which is now increasingly being considered as essential for mankind. As human populations increase and natural resources become more limited, there is a critical need for trained conservation professionals in natural resources conservation.
 Natural Resources are those environmental gifts which satisfy the human wants. They are the means of attaining social objectives. Conservation of natural resources is the wise use of the earth's resources by humanity to achieve its benefits for the longest possible period of time and ensure availability of these resources for the further generation. One difficult task faced by all countries is to guarantee the lasting utilization of natural resources at the lowest possible environmental cost while still assuring economical and social development.

Defining “Official” Built Heritage Discourses within the Irish Planning Framework: Insights from Conservation Planning as Social Practice

Conservation of built heritage is a key planning process and goal which shapes urban development outcomes across European cities. In Ireland, conservation of the built heritage is a key part of the planning framework, albeit one that is, in comparative terms, only recently established. While it is widely recognized that the underlying rationale for conservation of built heritage varies considerably (from cultural priorities to place marketing), the literature suggests that heritage and conservation professionals perform a key role in controlling decision-making through an official or “authorized” heritage discourse (AHD), emphasizing expert values and knowledge and based around selective heritage storylines often reflecting elite tastes. Drawing on policy and practice in Ireland, in this paper, we contribute to these debates by further unpacking the AHD, exploring tensions within the heritage policy elite through examination of competing views and representations relating to the purpose of built heritage protection. Based on a discourse analysis following interviews with key national actors, we identify two key narratives—a “museum-curatorial” discourse and an “inclusive heritage” discourse—which in turn frame conservation practices. We argue that subtle variations of heritage meanings have the potential to either reproduce (museum-curatorial discourse) or challenge (inclusive heritage discourse) conventional modes of practice, particularly relating to the relationship between built heritage and identity and the role of public engagement.

Optimizing Collections Care: Configuring Preservation Strategies for Unique Art Library Collections

AbstractAlthough a large number of resources are now available in digital environments and platforms, art libraries still hold countless materials that can be found only in the printed word and image. With so many paper-based research collections still in high demand in art and design libraries, maintenance, repair, and care continue to be a high priority. Without the support of trained preservation and conservation professionals and units, small libraries may find it difficult to care for their paper-based collections. This article examines how one art museum librarian developed a preservation program with in-house repairs to support collections care.

Documentation and dissemination of the sculptural elements of Canada's Parliamentary Buildings: Methodology development and evolution, a case study

Abstract. Parliament Hill consists of four historic gothic revival buildings, which form part of the Parliament Buildings National Historic Site of Canada in the National Capital of Ottawa. There are more than 2000 masonry sculptural elements throughout the four buildings. Three of the buildings are in the middle of multi-year rehabilitation projects. Extensive Heritage Documentation is being undertaken to support various activities and conservation teams throughout the interior and exterior of the buildings while also serving as a key posterity records. One of the significant heritage documentation projects is the 3D digitization of the 2000+ heritage character defining sculptural elements. The Heritage Conservation Directorate (HCD) of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) was tasked by the Parliamentary Precinct Branch (PPB) of PWGSC to document these character defining elements. The sculptures vary in size from as small as 100mm in width to up to 2 meters in size. This project is in its third year and much has been learned and researched about the most appropriate and efficient means by which to document these elements. Although a methodology was in place to document the sculptures at the inception of the project, it has gone through several iterations in order to improve the gathered data, and in turn increase the efficiency, quality and speed of data acquisition. This paper will describe the evolution of the methodology, as well as the rationale for the alterations in technique. With over 600 of the approximate 2000 (heritage character defining) sculptural elements captured to date, the project is entering a critical phase where an efficient and effective method for sharing and disseminating the information to a wide audience is being explored and evaluated. The end result is intended to allow the client (PPB) and the general public a way to look at and interactively manipulate the viewpoint of each digital model. This will provide a unique opportunity for a wide audience to evaluate and appreciate these elaborate works of art. This database of information can also be of use for academic study and research. To date the data captured by HCD has been utilized by conservation professionals and by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) of Carleton University. HCD has partnered with CIMS to explore a wide variety of potential uses for the data including the creation of 2D-drawings, stone carving profile templates, 3D printed scale models, CNC carved maquettes, robotic stone carving, and digitally-designed replacement elements. CIMS and HCD have tested the limits of digital technologies to assist stone carvers in restoring carved elements while also learning from the sculptors and masons to better understand their approach when conserving or restoring a sculptural element. Examples of how the conservation team, specifically the stone carvers have been working with the data and technology will also be presented.

Choice for goods under threat of destruction

The choices related to preservation often involve consideration of the fate of the non-selected land. Yet, theory traditionally assumes that the fate of non-selected goods does not influence consumers’ preferences. Results from a framed field experiment involving the private choice of wine show that consumer preferences can dramatically shift for items under the threat of imminent destruction. This shift (upwards of 58% increase) may explain why conservation professionals, despite decades of scientific evidence, have failed to adopt cost-effective techniques that would yield large conservation benefits at no additional cost. Interestingly, economists exhibit similar preference shifts.

Emerging conservation challenges and prospects in an era of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.

Globally, extensive marine areas important for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning are undergoing exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas resources. Such operations are expanding to previously inaccessible deep waters and other frontier regions, while conservation-related legislation and planning is often lacking. Conservation challenges arising from offshore hydrocarbon development are wide-ranging. These challenges include threats to ecosystems and marine species from oil spills, negative impacts on native biodiversity from invasive species colonizing drilling infrastructure, and increased political conflicts that can delay conservation actions. With mounting offshore operations, conservationists need to urgently consider some possible opportunities that could be leveraged for conservation. Leveraging options, as part of multi-billion dollar marine hydrocarbon operations, include the use of facilities and costly equipment of the deep and ultra-deep hydrocarbon industry for deep-sea conservation research and monitoring and establishing new conservation research, practice, and monitoring funds and environmental offsetting schemes. The conservation community, including conservation scientists, should become more involved in the earliest planning and exploration phases and remain involved throughout the operations so as to influence decision making and promote continuous monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystems. A prompt response by conservation professionals to offshore oil and gas developments can mitigate impacts of future decisions and actions of the industry and governments. New environmental decision support tools can be used to explicitly incorporate the impacts of hydrocarbon operations on biodiversity into marine spatial and conservation plans and thus allow for optimum trade-offs among multiple objectives, costs, and risks.

The Smithsonian-Mason Semester for Conservation Studies: Advancing Innovative Ways to Teach the Practice of Conservation

The Smithsonian-Mason Semester for Conservation Studies is the cornerstone of an innovative partnership between George Mason University and the Smithsonian Institution, established to educate future conservation practitioners in an experiential framework. This 16-credit residential program addresses complex conservation imperatives within diverse disciplines, including the biological, physical, and social sciences. We aim to teach conservation as conservation is practiced, engaging students in real-world experiences. The semester is rooted in an integrative teaching design, focusing on dialogue and problem-solving using case studies in immersive field and laboratory experiences. Students learn from a large number of conservation practitioners and professionals, often up to 50 in one semester, enabling a collaborative atmosphere in which students develop a professional network. Class sizes are kept deliberately small so that students may engage in intensive mentoring with faculty. Since the beginning of the program in 2008, faculty have been using a pre- and post-semester learning gains assessment, including quantitative and qualitative questions, to gauge student understanding of the academic subject matter and their proficiency with professional skills. Data from these assessments will be compiled and reviewed to evaluate student learning gains of complex skills within the field of conservation and investigate long-term career development outcomes of alumni.

Bombing for Biodiversity in the United States: Response to Zentelis & Lindenmayer 2015

Zentelis & Lindenmayer (2015) contend military training areas (MTAs) “have the potential to make a significant formal contribution to biodiversity conservation,” yet their conservation value has not been rigorously assessed. We believe their paper is an important step in raising awareness of the potential conservation value of MTAs to policy makers, scientists, and conservation professionals. Here, we offer an empirical evaluation of their statements regarding size, distribution, and representation of ecological systems (i.e., vegetation communities) within MTAs for the contiguous United States (CONUS) by comparing MTAs with lands managed by other U.S. federal agencies. We used lands managed by Department of Defense (DoD) as a proxy for MTAs. By combining the Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US; USGS-GAP 2012) and the National GAP Land Cover (USGS-GAP 2011), we determined total number of ecological systems across all units of DoD and other agencies; and proportion of each ecological system that each agency represents across all lands. DoD lands occur in every state (Figure S1) and represent 467 of 565 total ecological systems within CONUS on 8.1 million hectares (Table S1). This ecological diversity is exceeded only by the National Park Service (NPS), which represents 479 ecological systems across 10.2 million hectares. In contrast, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, despite being 8.5 and 8.6 times larger than DoD lands, represent only 458 and 293 ecosystems, respectively. Therefore, even though DoD lands comprise only 5% of the total area of federal lands, they represent 82.6% of the diversity