LECTURE 11 Flashcards
Adapting conservation strategies & management for climate change is critical
Conservation strategies include (3)
Conservation strategies include:
Protected Areas
Connectivity and conservation on productive lands
Species management (e.g. translocations, rescue)
What is the problem with using protected areas as a conservation strategy?
Problem with Protected Areas:
The boundaries are fixed!
BUT species ranges are dynamic!
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Climate change can result in
Range shifts out of protected areas
Range shifts into protected areas
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
_______ ______ matters
Rear edge matters!
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Why does the rear edge matter?
The rear edge mattes because
Most stable in ice age cycles
Acted as refuge in past cold periods
Have highest genetic richness
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Describe an example of rear edge.
Cold-sensitive, drought tolerant species!
- Pattern of low global extinction NOT found at regional level
- Most populations went extinct in Europe (glacial periods)
- Species that persisted did so in trailing edge populations (rear edge matters!) in Mediterranean
Long term warming; rear edge populations at risk
- Rear edge populations rescued things from the Pleistocene from going extinct
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Aside from rear edge, what is another aspect that matters when considering protected areas?
Metapopulation range shift with respect to a protected area
Area of Occupancy (AO)
- you want to protect the healthy populations (the sources and not the sinks where recruitment is low)
- small populations might be sinks so it would be more effective to reserve the larger ones (indicative of health and size of population)
- modeling is playing a huge role in this
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Protected areas are most efficient when they…
Maximize suitable habitat for species now
Account for impacts of climate change in future
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Multiple protected areas
1000+ species will move out of reserves by 2050
- Mediterranean shrubs (South Africa)
- Plants and animals (Europe and Mexico)
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
What can be done to reverse this trend of species moving out of reserves?
Adding more reserves can reverse this trend!
Setting up more than one protected area
*lots of SDMs being run to see where species are moving
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
Multiple protected areas
What makes it hard to pick which areas to protect multiple species at once?
Because species respond to climate change differently
Protected Areas and Range Shifts
T or F: All species move in the direction that we predict.
False: Not all species move in the direction that we predict.
Protected-Area System Design
Designing protected area systems for climate change is part of _______ ____ _______
Designing protected area systems for climate change is part of plan for persistence
Protected-Area System Design
Plans need to include:
Pattern and process targets
Protected-Area System Design
Plans need to include pattern and process targets.
What are pattern targets?
Pattern targets - species/habitat types that preserve the pattern of the landscape
Protected-Area System Design
Plans need to include pattern and process targets.
What are process targets?
Process targets - capture temporal phenomena
Protected-Area System Design
What is the key driver for cost-effective planning?
Irreplaceability is a key driver for cost-effective planning.
Protected-Area System Design
What are irreplaceable sites?
Species are endemic to that site.
Protected-Area System Design
Picking sites for high irreplaceability (increases or decreases) the area needed within the system.
Picking sites for high irreplaceability DECREASES the area needed within the system.
Protected-Area System Design
Climate change impacts ____ and ____
Climate change impacts PATTERN and PROCESS
Pattern impacts = species distribution patterns altered, endemism can shift, patterns of irreplaceability can be impacted
Process impacts = changes in phenology
If an endemic is found in a site and this species is found nowhere else, then how irreplaceable is this site.
100% irreplaceable
Planning for Persistence
Two things to account for planning for persistence (R and R)
Resistance and Resilience
Planning for Persistence
Resistance and Resilience
What is a resistant species/site?
Resistant species or sites are less damaged by climate change
i. e. species with broad physiological tolerances
i. e. sites that are sheltered in unique microclimates
Planning for Persistence
Resistance and Resilience
What is a resilient species/site?
Resilient species or sites recover well from damage
i. e. species with high reproductive potential or good dispersal ability
i. e. sites that have high seed rain that allows plants to re-establish easily
A species with high reproductive potential is said to be ______.
resilient
Sites that are sheltered by unique microclimates are said to be _____.
resistant
If two areas with similar irreplaceability are under consideration, how do you prioritize?
If have two areas with similar irreplaceability under consideration, then protection more effective if focus on more resistant / resilient area
Areas with 100% irreplaceability (endemics) need to be _____.
Areas with 100% irreplaceability (endemics) need to be prioritized!
Marine Protected Areas
How are corals resistant/resilient to bleaching on a broad-scale?
Broad-scale
Cool currents / upwellings = cooler water temps.
Previous exposure to bleaching = survivors were more resistant / resilient
How are corals resistant/resilient to bleaching on a site-management level?
Local upwellings / currents = increase resilience locally
Physical shading = cooler waters
How are corals resistant/resilient to bleaching on a site-management level?
Local upwellings / currents = increase resilience locally
Physical shading = cooler waters
Resilient reefs are
Resilient reefs are sources of recolonization.
Resistant reefs are where
Zooxanthellae can colonize damaged reefs / increase resilience
What are MPAs?
Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Zoning map for great barrier reef marine park
There was extensive coral bleaching within the park. What was done in response?
In response, a zoning plan was put in place.
Tourism was excluded from these recovering areas
Allows damaged areas to recover
Incorporates impacts of climate change into other management objectives
Give an example of climate change and MPAs.
Loss of sea ice in North Bering Sea
Loss of sea ice in North Bering Sea
- retreat of sea ice had major ecological implications
- more productive food webs in water column
- loss of energy and nutrients entering benthic region
- mollusks replaced by brittle stars
- walrus and speckled eider feed on benthic community (brittle stars = less nutritional)
- loss of sea ice = more energy required (swimming in water and foraging deeper to find mollusks)
BOTH populations declined
Give an example of climate change and MPAs.
Loss of sea ice in North Bering Sea
Cold water sill on ocean floor near St. Lawrence Island
- Prevents ground fish from entering North Bering Sea
- Breaking down as water temps increase
- Once gone, ground fish will compete for benthic food
Bottom-trawling fisheries will follow groundfish
- Disruption to ocean floor = increased loss of mollusk
- Additional pressure on already stressed system
MPA needs to be established to protect benthic habitat = maintain food sources for walrus & eiders
Cannot reverse sea loss impacts from ocean warming
Can prevent exacerbation of declines due to trawling
Give an example of climate change and MPAs.
Loss of sea ice in North Bering Sea
MPA needs to be established to protect benthic habitat = maintain food sources for walrus & eiders
T or F: Cannot reverse sea loss impacts from ocean warming
Can prevent exacerbation of declines due to trawling
TRUE
Cannot reverse sea loss impacts from ocean warming
Can prevent exacerbation of declines due to trawling
If you increase the number of protected areas, this helps to ____
If you increase the number of protected areas, helps compensate for protection losses due to range shifts
T or F: For many species, there is not enough scientific knowledge to identify future protection areas and come up with management plans.
False!
For many species, there IS enough scientific knowledge to identify future protection areas and come up with management plans.
What is connectivity?
Connectivity is habitat protected areas for conservation.
What are the four types of connectivity?
Total connectivity
Partial connectivity
Intensive connectivity
Extensive connectivity
What does it mean by total connectivity?
Give an example.
Total connectivity - corridors that connect two protected areas
i.e. natural forest corridors
What does it mean by partial connectivity?
Give an example.
Partial connectivity - managing human use areas to provide connectivity
i.e. shade grown coffee
What does it mean by intensive connectivity?
Intensive – narrow corridors of connection
What does it mean by extensive connectivity?
Extensive – broad landscapes of conservation-friendly managed areas that connect multiple protect areas
Why establish connectivity?
Protects area-demanding species (e.g. large carnivores)
↑ geneflow between protected populations
Allows for future range shifts (also dispersal to new areas)
T or F: Forests in England are much more intact that Canadian forests.
Therefore, it is more possible to have high connectivity in the UK.
False - Canadian forests are more intact (not pristine but better than the UK which has agricultural fields)
Large distance connectivity is _____
Large distance connectivity is unlikely.
Large distance connectivity is unlikely. Why?
Most landscapes impacted by human use
Unlikely for species in future to find corridors not impacted by human activity
Problem avoided if we mitigate climate change
Connectivity: What is the problem of edge habitat?
Corridors have ↑ edge / core habitat
Land near corridors = human disturbance
Avenues for invasive edge species / disease / pests
Connectivity needs depend on what?
Connectivity needs depend on the species involved.
Connectivity needs depend on the species involved.
What are area-demanding species?
Area-demanding species
- Large animals / top carnivores with large home ranges (multiple habitats)
- Climate change can impact different habitats in different ways
What is the poster child for connectivity?
the Jaguar
Jaguar and the landscape species concept
Jaguars are the poster child for connectivity
To give them a large enough home range
These are fairly solitary until they need a mate and then go back to their home range
You have to make sure the males and females can find each other so the species persists
You can’t just protect one area; you have to protect all the area range
This is called the landscape approach
Predators keep prey in check.
What are two examples of this?
Bottom up – something that impacts productivity (primary producers); increase in primary producers, more food for primary consumers, etc.
Top down – impacting top of the food chain
Tertiary predators go down, less food is eaten, secondary consumers go up, less primary consumers, primary producers go up
(down, up, down, up)
Predators keep the prey in check so the primary producer level is up and happy; populations of prey don’t go through really large fluctuations
Help them persist long term
Larger fluctuations = more likely to go extinct
Example: Yellowstone National Park when wolves were reintroduced (after being absent for 70 years)
Wolves arrived (although few in number) = apex predators (impacted by humans)
Radically changed the behaviour of deer (avoiding areas of the park like valleys and gorges where they were likely to be killed) which allowed those areas to regenerate
Beavers (ecosystem engineers) building dams, creating habitat for ducks and fish
Wolves killed coyotes; number of rabbits and mice began to rise (more eagles, bears more berries on regenerating)
Bears reinforce impact of wolves
Important to maintain them!
Wolves changed behaviour of the rivers (regenerating forests helped the rivers to be more fixed in their course)
Also affected its physical geography
Large herbivores can be ecosystem engineers
Elephants eat trees
Apex predators also ecosystem engineers but not the only ones
Connectivity needs depend on species involved.
Area-demanding species
and _________ ______
Migratory Species
Connectivity needs depend on species involved.
Migratory Species
Specialized connectivity needs –> stepping stone protected areas along migration routes
Phenology –> changes in timing of migration –> changes in timing of seasonal closures, etc.
Species –> some populations stop migrating –> manage areas for migratory and for newly non-migratory populations
Migratory species – have special needs at diff times of the year
i.e. Parking lots look like lakes from the air
i.e. Canada geese and ducks (detrimental trying to land in parking lots)
Connectivity needs depend on species involved.
Migratory Species
Example
Migratory bird flyways in Europe and Africa
Flyways – migratory paths taken by birds, butterflies
Flyways very likely to shift temporarily / spatial (climate change)
Need to track changes to conserve flyways
Connectivity now and in the future
Different species have different connectivity issues
Cost effective connectivity requires that we focus both on connectivity needs now and in the future
Larger animals need connectivity between sites
Smaller organisms / plants –> connectivity within a site, between site and its unprotected periphery
Within site / between site and periphery connectivity far more cost effective (requires less area)
Need to ensure connection between present and future populations
Also to ensure connection between present and future attributes of landscapes needed for species to persist
What is a climate blowback?
Habitat loss due to changing human land uses as a result of climate change = secondary effect (blowback)
T or F: Blowback may have larger conservation impact than direct effects of climate change
TRUE - Blowback may have larger conservation impact than direct effects of climate change
Climate blowback
Biggest concern
- shifts in agriculture to track optimal conditions = more stress on ecological systems
Climate blowback example
Ex) Vineyards and wine production
Ex) Vineyards and wine production
Climate change - vineyards expanding into new areas (potential habitat loss for organisms)
Connectivity between protected sites may be at risk
Climate blowback
Conservation, climate change, and wine
Vineyards =
- barriers to wildlife movement into new suitable habitat
- increased water stress in areas of declining suitability
Connectivity and landscape management
What is needed?
Regional coordination is needed!
Connectivity and landscape management
Regional coordination is needed. Why?
Ensures resource management objectives across multiple management units match
Avoids conflicting goals for different protected areas (promote linkages between protected sites)
Area-demanding and migratory species = broad scale connectivity (regional or even multiple regions)
Finer-scale connectivity of multiple species need to be coordinated between protected areas
Species Management
What is a threatened species?
Red List of Threatened Species of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Classifications of IUCN:
- Near threatened
- Vulnerable
- Endangered
- Critically endangered
Groups of taxonomic experts = identify threatened species (expert knowledge / scientific literature)
Name two ways to manage threatened species.
Assisted migration
species rescue
Name two ways to manage threatened species.
What is assisted migration?
Done when all other in situ options are exhausted
Ex) extreme range shifts, poor dispersers
Translocation of populations into new areas of suitable habitat
Difficulty – determining when appropriate to do (e.g. dangers of creating invasives)
Name two ways to manage threatened species.
What is species rescue?
Done as a very last resort
Ex) Ex situ conservation (captive breeding, zoos)
Goal whenever possible return species to wild (can work with in situ management to that end)
Most expensive option
– better option is mitigate climate change before this becomes necessary
What is done as a very last resort to managing threatened species?
Species rescue!
What is an example of a species rescue success story?
California condors
22 rescued from wild in 1983 via captive breeding program
~200 now survive in wild in 3 populations, 100 still in captivity
successful breeding and reintro to the wild
