Identify Conservation Opportunities Research Articles

Reproductive response of the Samoan swallowtail butterfly to variability in host plant and habitat characteristics

AbstractThe Samoan swallowtail butterfly (Papilio godeffroyi) has become restricted to Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Factors driving its extirpation on other islands may be partly due to the availability and suitability of habitat, given the singular association we observed of P. godeffroyi with its host plant, Micromelum minutum. We expected that as a host plant specialist, P. godeffroyi might respond to variation in the physical traits and habitat context of M. minutum, which could help identify conservation opportunities throughout its present and former range. Because the ecology of P. godeffroyi is largely unknown, we conducted systematic surveys during 15 months in 2013 and 2014 on Tutuila to investigate its reproductive response to the physical and phenological variability of individual host trees and to the structural and geographical variability of the stands in which they occurred. We searched foliage for eggs, larvae, and pupae and monitored seasonal trends in herbivory and production of leaves, flowers, and fruits on 117 host trees in 8 rainforest stands, mostly within the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA), starting in March 2013 and ending in August 2014. We observed high variability in butterfly reproductive output between individual trees and stands, due largely to a strong negative relationship between leaf biomass (at both tree and stand levels) and oviposition density (number of eggs per foliar biomass) and frequency (number of eggs per survey). Distribution patterns of larvae and pupae were less distinct but generally followed trends in oviposition. Our findings indicate that the butterfly is reproducing widely across Tutuila and is likely to respond positively to management to increase the availability of small host trees in low‐density stands. Thus, the species is a good candidate for conservation management focusing on habitat.

Mapping connectivity and conservation opportunity on agricultural lands across the conterminous United States

Depending on management practices, agricultural lands can either pose substantial barriers to species movement or can support landscape connectivity by linking areas of high-quality habitat. Balancing connectivity and sustainable food production on agricultural lands is critical to conservation in the conterminous United States (CONUS) where agriculture makes up close to half of total land area. However, limited guidance exists on where to target conservation resources to maximize benefits for native species and food security. To quantify the potential contribution of agricultural lands to the movement of organisms, we developed a novel method for estimating agricultural management intensity (based on remotely sensed temporal variation in vegetation cover) and incorporated these estimates into a CONUS-wide model of ecological flow connectivity. We combined our connectivity results with data on the productivity, versatility, and resilience of agricultural lands (PVR) to identify conservation opportunities that support both biodiversity and food production. The highest levels of connectivity on agricultural lands occurred on relatively unmodified rangelands and on cropland and pasture surrounded by large amounts of natural land cover. Mapping connectivity and PVR across CONUS revealed 10.2 Mha of agricultural lands (2.7 %) with high value for both connectivity and food production, as well as large amounts of agricultural land (>140 Mha in total) with high value for either cultivation or supporting biodiversity. Drawing on these findings, we provide recommendations on the types of conservation approaches most suitable for a given agricultural system and link these recommendations to specific government incentive programs.

Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) resource selection within a private working pine (Pinus spp.) forest landscape

Private working forest landscapes provide wildlife habitat and understanding how species interact with these landscapes is critical to identifying conservation opportunities. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus; hereafter, tortoise) is a species endemic to the Coastal Plain ecoregion of the southeastern United States, with private working pine (Pinus spp.) forests encompassing a substantive portion of area within the species’ range. Although private working pine forests contain tortoises, uncertainty exists about how tortoises use these landscapes. Specifically, there is limited information regarding tortoise habitat associations within these landscapes relative to current forest management practices. Therefore, we used radio telemetry data from 55 adult tortoises collected over 3 years to estimate resource selection within a private working forest landscape dominated by planted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the Upper Coastal Plain ecoregion of Georgia, USA. The strongest predictor of resource selection by tortoises was proximity to permanently open areas, specifically a utility right-of-way and areas adjacent to unpaved forest roads and, to a lesser extent, areas of higher elevation containing soils suitable for tortoises. On our study area, we identified permanently open areas as an important landscape component to adult tortoises. Although adult tortoises persist within these landscapes, more work is needed to understand tortoise recruitment in private working pine forest landscapes.

Sunken Worlds: The Past and Future of Human-Made Reefs in Marine Conservation

AbstractStructures submerged in the sea by humans over millennia provide hard and longstanding evidence of anthropogenic influence in the marine environment. Many of these human-made reefs (HMRs) may provide opportunities for conservation despite having been created for different purposes such as fishing or tourism. In the middle of controversy around the costs and benefits of HMRs, a broad analysis of biodiversity and social values is necessary to assess conservation potential. This requires reframing HMRs as social–ecological systems, moving beyond comparisons with natural coral or rocky reefs to consider their roles as ecosystems in their own right; creating frameworks to track their type, number, size, units, location, characteristics, origins, social uses, and associated biodiversity locally and worldwide; and applying systematic assessment of conservation benefits in relation to stated conservation intentions. This integrative approach can catalyze learning, identify conservation opportunities, and inform positive management of HMRs into the future.

The influence of sampling design on spatial data quality in a geographic citizen science project

AbstractGeographic citizen science has much potential to assist in wildlife research and conservation, but the quality of observation data is a key concern. We examined the effects of sampling design on the quality of spatial data collected for a koala citizen science project in Australia. Data were collected from three samples—volunteers (n = 454), an Internet panel (n = 103), and landowners (n = 35)—to assess spatial data quality, a dimension of citizen science projects rarely considered. The locational accuracy of koala observations among the samples was similar when benchmarked against authoritative data (i.e., an expert‐derived koala distribution model), but there were differences in the quantity of data generated. Fewer koala location data were generated per participant by the Internet panel sample than the volunteer or landowner samples. Spatial preferences for land uses affecting koala conservation were also mapped, with landowners more likely to map locations for residential and tourism development and volunteers less likely. These spatial preferences have the potential to influence the social acceptability of future koala conservation proposals. With careful sampling design, both citizen observations and land use preferences can be included within the same project to augment scientific assessments and identify conservation opportunities and constraints.

Monitoring sun bears and Asiatic black bears with remotely sensed predictors to inform conservation management

AbstractAsiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus and sun bear Helarctos malayanus populations are declining throughout South-east Asia as a result of habitat loss and human disturbance. Knowledge of the distribution and status of each species is limited and largely anecdotal. Range maps are coarse, compiled by expert opinion, and presence or absence is unknown over large portions of South-east Asia. These two species co-occur in Lao People's Democratic Republic and may be faring better there than in neighbouring countries. During 2010–2013 we searched for bear sign along 99 transects within eight study sites throughout Lao. To explore countrywide relative abundance and habitat suitability, we modelled bear sign as a log-linear function of biological and anthropogenic predictors that were associated with habitat assemblages and human disturbance. Bears favored higher elevations and rugged terrain in areas less accessible to humans, and were most abundant in the north and east of Lao. Suitable habitats were rare in the southern lowland plains where bear abundance was relatively low. Our model predicted that Nam Et–Phou Louey National Protected Area had the largest areas of suitable bear habitat, followed by the Nakai-Nam Teun and Nam Ha National Protected Areas. Using transects to survey for bear sign, we created a replicable geographical information system based assessment tool for bears in Lao that can be used to identify conservation opportunities and monitor changes in bear distribution over time.

Using systematic conservation planning to establish management priorities for freshwater salmon conservation, Matanuska‐Susitna Basin, AK, USA

Abstract The Alaskan Matanuska‐Susitna Basin (MSB) provides habitat for all five Pacific salmon species, and their large seasonal spawning runs are important both ecologically and economically. However, the encroachment of human development through urbanization and extractive industries poses a serious risk to salmon habitat in the MSB. Using systematic conservation planning techniques, different methods of incorporating anthropogenic risks were assessed to determine how to conserve salmon habitat in the area cost‐effectively. The consequences of four distinct conservation scenarios were quantified: no consideration either of urbanization or extractive industries (‘Risk ignored’ scenario); accounting for the risk of urbanization, and avoiding conservation in all areas rich in fossil fuels (‘Urbanization accounted, all extraction avoided’ scenario); accounting for urbanization and oil and gas development, but avoiding conservation in coal‐rich areas (‘Urbanization accounted, coal areas avoided’ scenario); and accounting for all anthropogenic risks to habitat, and allowing conservation in oil, gas, or coal‐rich areas (‘All risks accounted’ scenario). To compare conservation success and resilience, the impacts of these risks were estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. The final cost of each solution was then divided by the number of conservation targets met to determine a return on investment. Results from scenarios that avoided all extractive activities, or only coal, suggest that conservation targets cannot be met simply by avoiding areas rich in fossil fuels, and these scenarios resulted in lower returns on investment than those in which risks from extraction were incorporated into the solution. By developing a method for setting priorities that are economically based, this study provides a method for local managers and conservation groups to identify conservation opportunities in MSB river basins.

Catchment zoning to enhance co‐benefits and minimize trade‐offs between ecosystem services and freshwater biodiversity conservation

Abstract Integrating ecosystem services (ESs) in landscape planning can help to identify conservation opportunities by finding co‐benefits between biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of regulating and cultural ecosystem services. The adequate integration of ESs needs careful consideration of potential trade‐offs, however, especially between provisioning services and biodiversity conservation (e.g. the potentially negative consequences of agricultural water extraction within areas important for the maintenance of biodiversity). These trade‐offs have been overlooked in systematic spatial planning to date, especially in freshwater systems. marxan with zones was used to identify priority areas for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity (139 species of freshwater fish, turtles, and waterbirds) and the provision of freshwater ESs in the Daly River, northern Australia. Four different surrogates for ESs were mapped, including those potentially incompatible with conservation goals (i.e. groundwater provision for agriculture and recreational fisheries) and those that are more compatible with conservation (i.e. flood regulation by riparian forests; provision of perennial water). The spatial allocation of multiple management zones was prioritized: (i) three conservation zones, aiming to represent freshwater biodiversity and compatible ESs to enhance co‐benefits; and (ii) two production zones, where access to provisioning ESs could be granted. The representation of ESs obtained when using the multi‐zoning approach was compared with that achieved with a single management zone approach. The comparison was performed across different representation targets. Different results were found with low and high targets for ESs. With low targets (<25% of all ESs), the multi‐zoning approach achieved up to 53% more co‐benefits than the single‐zone approach. With high targets (>25% of all ESs), the trade‐offs avoided were more evident, with up to 56% less representation of incompatible ESs within conservation zones. Multi‐zone planning could help decision makers respond better to the increasingly complex catchment management context, caused by an increasing demand for provisioning services and a diminishing availability of resources, as well as manage and plan for challenges in other realms facing similar problems.

Modelling oxygen transfer using dynamic alpha factors

Due to the importance of wastewater aeration in meeting treatment requirements and due to its elevated energy intensity, it is important to describe the real nature of an aeration system to improve design and specification, performance prediction, energy consumption, and process sustainability. Because organic loadings drive aeration efficiency to its lowest value when the oxygen demand (energy) is the highest, the implications of considering their dynamic nature on energy costs are of utmost importance. A dynamic model aimed at identifying conservation opportunities is presented. The model developed describes the correlation between the COD concentration and the α factor in activated sludge. Using the proposed model, the aeration efficiency is calculated as a function of the organic loading (i.e. COD). This results in predictions of oxygen transfer values that are more realistic than the traditional method of assuming constant α values.The model was applied to two water resource recovery facilities, and was calibrated and validated with time-sensitive databases. Our improved aeration model structure increases the quality of prediction of field data through the recognition of the dynamic nature of the alpha factor (α) as a function of the applied oxygen demand. For the cases presented herein, the model prediction of airflow improved by 20–35% when dynamic α is used. The proposed model offers a quantitative tool for the prediction of energy demand and for minimizing aeration design uncertainty.

Quantifying avian relative abundance and ecosystem service value to identify conservation opportunities in the Midwestern U.S.

Wilsey, C. B., C. M. Jensen and N. Miller 2016. Quantifying avian relative abundance and ecosystem service value to identify conservation opportunities in the Midwestern U.S. Avian Conservation and Ecology 11(2):7.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00902-110207

The rise of novelty in ecosystems.

Rapid and ongoing change creates novelty in ecosystems everywhere, both when comparing contemporary systems to their historical baselines, and predicted future systems to the present. However, the level of novelty varies greatly among places. Here we propose a formal and quantifiable definition of abiotic and biotic novelty in ecosystems, map abiotic novelty globally, and discuss the implications of novelty for the science of ecology and for biodiversity conservation. We define novelty as the degree of dissimilarity of a system, measured in one or more dimensions relative to a reference baseline, usually defined as either the present or a time window in the past. In this conceptualization, novelty varies in degree, it is multidimensional, can be measured, and requires a temporal and spatial reference. This definition moves beyond prior categorical definitions of novel ecosystems, and does not include human agency, self-perpetuation, or irreversibility as criteria. Our global assessment of novelty was based on abiotic factors (temperature, precipitation, and nitrogen deposition) plus human population, and shows that there are already large areas with high novelty today relative to the early 20th century, and that there will even be more such areas by 2050. Interestingly, the places that are most novel are often not the places where absolute changes are largest; highlighting that novelty is inherently different from change. For the ecological sciences, highly novel ecosystems present new opportunities to test ecological theories, but also challenge the predictive ability of ecological models and their validation. For biodiversity conservation, increasing novelty presents some opportunities, but largely challenges. Conservation action is necessary along the entire continuum of novelty, by redoubling efforts to protect areas where novelty is low, identifying conservation opportunities where novelty is high, developing flexible yet strong regulations and policies, and establishing long-term experiments to test management approaches. Meeting the challenge of novelty will require advances in the science of ecology, and new and creative. conservation approaches.

Using strategic foresight to assess conservation opportunity.

The nature of conservation challenges can foster a reactive, rather than proactive approach to decision making. Failure to anticipate problems before they escalate results in the need for more costly and time-consuming solutions. Proactive conservation requires forward-looking approaches to decision making that consider possible futures without being overly constrained by the past. Strategic foresight provides a structured process for considering the most desirable future and for mapping the most efficient and effective approaches to promoting that future with tools that facilitate creative thinking. The process involves 6 steps: setting the scope, collecting inputs, analyzing signals, interpreting the information, determining how to act, and implementing the outcomes. Strategic foresight is ideal for seeking, recognizing, and realizing conservation opportunities because it explicitly encourages a broad-minded, forward-looking perspective on an issue. Despite its potential value, the foresight process is rarely used to address conservation issues, and previous attempts have generally failed to influence policy. We present the strategic foresight process as it can be used for proactive conservation planning, describing some of the key tools in the foresight tool kit and how they can be used to identify and exploit different types of conservation opportunities. Scanning is an important tool for collecting and organizing diverse streams of information and can be used to recognize new opportunities and those that could be created. Scenario planning explores how current trends, drivers of change, and key uncertainties might influence the future and can be used to identify barriers to opportunities. Backcasting is used to map out a path to a goal and can determine how to remove barriers to opportunities. We highlight how the foresight process was used to identify conservation opportunities during the development of a strategic plan to address climate change in New York State. The plan identified solutions that should be effective across a range of possible futures. Illustrating the application of strategic foresight to identify conservation opportunities should provide the impetus for decision makers to explore strategic foresight as a way to support more proactive conservation policy, planning, and management.

Capitalized Amenity Value of Native Vegetation in a Multifunctional Rural Landscape

AbstractIn many parts of the world, natural vegetation has been cleared to allow agricultural production. To ensure a long‐term flow of ecosystem services without compromising agricultural activities, restoring the environment requires a balance between public and private benefits and costs. Information about private benefits generated by environmental assets can be utilized to identify conservation opportunities on private lands, evaluate environmental projects, and design effective policy instruments. We use a spatio‐temporal hedonic model to estimate the private benefits of native vegetation on rural properties in the state of Victoria, Australia. Specifically, we estimate the marginal value of native vegetation on private land and examine how it varies with the extent of vegetation on a property and across a range of property types and sizes. Private benefits of native vegetation are greater per unit area on small and medium‐sized properties and smaller on large production‐oriented farms. Native vegetation exhibits diminishing marginal benefits as its proportion of a property increases. The current extent of native vegetation cover is lower than the extent that would maximize the amenity value to many landowners. There is scope for improved targeting of investment in the study region by incorporating private benefits of environmental projects into environmental planning processes. Landowners with high marginal private benefits from revegetation would be more willing to participate in a revegetation program. Targeting these landowners would likely provide higher value for money because such projects could be implemented at lower public cost.

Identifying conservation opportunities for species of conservation concern in managed ecosystems

Identifying conservation opportunities for species of conservation concern in managed ecosystems

Selecting an Energy Consultant For Your “Energy Diet”Small and Large Facilities Have Different Priorities!

ABSTRACT How do you select the best energy consultant to identify conservation opportunities that don't require equipment upgrades? A survey was done to identify the key success factors in such contracts, and the results indicate that small and large facilities have different priorities, some of which are overwhelmingly dominant. This survey was done in school districts, but the results have meaning and application for many facility managers who manage multiple locations. To aid facility managers in applying this information, some questions are presented to assist them in the consultant-selection process.

Identifying Conservation Opportunities among Malinké Bushmeat Hunters of Guinea, West Africa

Bushmeat hunting plays an important role in many rural African households; however, hunting pressures are growing, threatening the survival of many bushmeat species. Wildlife resources are rapidly dwindling; yet effective conservation strategies have been difficult to develop and implement. Many dimensions of bushmeat resource use have not been sufficiently explored and are consequently ignored in conservation interventions. To improve understanding of hunting practice, we conducted semistructured interviews with 74 hunters in three Malinke villages in Guinea, West Africa regarding motivations to hunt and hunting processes. In addition, we investigated the local bushmeat trade in a nearby city. Using data from previous studies, and Robinson and Redford’s (1991) model, we find that Red-flanked duiker, bushbuck and buffalo are unsustainably harvested. Malinke hunters’ perspectives offer both opportunities and obstacles for conservation which will be valuable for the development of conservation strategies in this area.

Environmental Entrepreneurs: Keys to Achieving Wilderness Conservation Goals?

Historically Americans have relied on the federal government for wilderness protection. But the federal government has made promises too politically expensive to keep. In North America, conservation efforts are now directed to preserving biologically valuable lands outside our wilderness areas and parks. Especially those that provide habitat corridors between protected areas. In the Western United States many of the most ecologically valuable lands are in private ownership. This creates new challenges for conservationists, who traditionally relied on the federal government for public land protection. Environmental entrepreneurs specialize in identifying conservation opportunities, mobilizing resources, and building a constituency for conservation. This role is a vital, but often ignored piece of the conservation puzzle. A key to their success is the recognition that solutions will be more acceptable and successful if locals are both the beneficiaries of and participants in conservation efforts.

Energy conservation in oil refining

AbstractAn industrial energy manager can conserve energy in a number of ways. He can turn off energy loads, turn down energy intensity, install more energy efficient equipment, insulate tanks and pipe lines, recover and reuse energy, convert batch processes into continuous processes, or optimize the efficiency of converting fuel energy into a distributable medium (i.e., steam) if he knows where, why, and how much energy his plant is now using. A detailed energy audit of the plant conducted by a qualified energy consultant will identify conservation opportunities. If the energy manager can't find a qualified consultant that he can afford, there is something he can do. By establishing a set of simple ground rules to go along with his knowledge of plant operation plus an operator's spec book, he can calculate an energy audit from his desk. This paper tells how one energy manager did just this for a fats and oils plant.