15: Individual-based conservation Flashcards
What is in situ vs ex situ conservation
In situ = inside place (natural habitat)
Ex situ = outside of place (e.g. zoos)
Ex situ conservation often targets…
one or more focal species via intensive work with individuals
What is the ‘DUE’ criteria for individual based conservation
Determine what species should be protected
- Distinctiveness:
- Utility (culture, tourism)
- Endangered
What species should be protected?
Maybe focal species (indicator, flagship, umbrella)
Keystone species
Ex situ conservation stops what gap of the extinction vortex?
Gap between low effective population size and extinction
Slide 7
Example of ex situ vs in situ
What are the types of conservation translocations
- Introduce novel species to performance particular ecological functions in new habitat
- Reinforce declining pop with important ecological functions
- Reintroduce populations of species that were extirpated
- Garner support for broader conservation efforts
Give examples of introduction, reinforcement, reintroduction and garnering support as conservation translocation methods
Introduction: assisted migration or biocontrol
Reinforcement: head-starting vulnerable spp
Reintroduction: wolves in Yellowstone
Garnering support: Golden lion tamarin in Brazil
What is assisted colonization
Creation of new population(s) outside of historic range of species through human translocation
When using conservation translocation, it is important to avoid…
Ecological damage, conflict with people, introduction of disease, extinction of other species
What is the reason for assisted colonization
Save species from invasive species, continued declines, or climate change
Example of bison reintroduction program
16 new animals introduced to Panther River valley from Elk Island National Park on Feb 1, 2017
First calf born April 2017
Released to larger area in spring 2018
Have been growing in pop size every year
More examples of reintroduction programs slides 12-16
Take a look
Potential problems associated with re-introduction
Disease, damage to communities, genetic impacts
Three IUCN guidelines for reintroduction programs
Understand ecology of species
Understand genetics of species and released individuals
Ensure there is enough viable habitat
Reintroduction success is more likely when animals are…
herbivores, reintroduced to excellent habitat in the core of their historic range
sourced from wild-born stock
reintroduced in groups
have ongoing support
Captive bred ferrets reintroduction example slides 20-21
Look
Example of ex situ conservation and management affect behavioural ecology of populations
Supplemental feeding of endangered kakapo (NZ owl parrot) was intended to bolster populations but led to a huge male bias in sex ratio of offspring
Why are metapopulations critical to population persistence
Connected populations less likely to go extinct because
- rescue by other individuals
- less inbreeding depression
- adapt to change
- less stochasticity
What are the sources of reintroduced individuals
- zoos and aquariums
- parks and botanical gardens
- seed banks
- gene banks
- genetic engineering
What are the ethical quandaries in ex situ conservation
- do they compete financially or logistically with in situ conservation
- should extinct or extirpated species be brought back into ecosystems that have adapted to continue without them
- Who should decide which species to protect in zoos, aquaria, seed banks, etc
What is wrong with zoos
Population size, costs 50x more than in sity, adaptation to captivity, genetic drift, concentration
What is mitigation or biodiversity offset
Directed at legally protected species/habitats
Includes reduction in the extent of damage, establishment of new populations and habitat as compensation for what is being destroyed, enhancement of what remains after development
Cop out
What should be given priority over biodiversity offset? Why
Protection of existing populations
Poor success of most attempts to create new populations of rare species
What is conservation behaviour? Conservation physiology?
Behaviour: applies knowledge and methods from animal behaviour to understand and solve conservation problems
Physiology: applies knowledge and methods from animal physiology to understand and solve conservation problems
What is behaviour
Everything an animal does as they interact with their environment and each other
Tinbergen’s questions relating to physiology and behaviour
Mechanism (P): description of an organisms structure and how its mechanisms work
Adaptation (B): explanation for the characteristics of a species based on how they give a selective advantage
Why are caribou threatened with relation to behaviour
Human landscape alteration, predation, climate change all affecting behaviour
What is conservation behaviour
Implication of all animal (and plant) behaviour for conservation problems and solutions
Observable expression of physiological stress
Name some common behaviour-mediated processes in individuals
Conspecific attraction
Social facilitation
Imprinting
Landscapes of fear
What are landscapes of fear
behaviour of animals that are preyed upon is shaped by psychological maps of their geographical surroundings which accounts for the risk of predation in certain areas
Animals are aware when their in a high risk region, behave differently
Slide 55
Avoider, adapter vs exploiter
Population numbers versus urbanization level
