Six Common Mistakes in Conservation Priority Setting

A vast number of prioritization schemes have been developed to help conservation navigate tough decisions about the allocation of finite resources. However, the application of quantitative approaches to setting priorities in conservation frequently includes mistakes that can undermine their authors’ intention to be more rigorous and scientific in the way priorities are established and resources allocated. Drawing on well‐established principles of decision science, we highlight 6 mistakes commonly associated with setting priorities for conservation: not acknowledging conservation plans are prioritizations; trying to solve an ill‐defined problem; not prioritizing actions; arbitrariness; hidden value judgments; and not acknowledging risk of failure. We explain these mistakes and offer a path to help conservation planners avoid making the same mistakes in future prioritizations. Seis Errores Comunes en la Definición de Prioridades de Conservación     

Conservation Genetics of the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Previous studies of relationships among the subspecies of snapping turtles ( Chelydra serpentina } based on morphological and osteological characters have been inconclusive. We investigated relationships among the four currently recognized subspecies using restriction endonuclease fragment patterns of mtDNA and protein electrophoresis. Sixteen six-based recognizing restriction endonucleases yielded 90 variable fragments that define 11 different haplotypes. Individuals of the two North American subspecies, C. s. osceola and C. s. serpentina , are closely related, differing by a maximum of 0.5% sequence divergence. The Central American subspecies, C. s. rossignonii and C. s. acutirostris , are more distinct, both from each other (a minimum of 1.7% sequence divergence) and from the North American samples (an average of 4.45% sequence divergence). The degree of allozymic variation among the four subspecies was found to be limited and could not be used to diagnose the four recognized subspecies. The mtDNA data presented here support the species-level distinctness of C. s. rossignonii and C. s. acutirostris from each other and from a C. s serpentina-C. s. osceola complex. The recognition of three distinctive groups of Chelydra rather than one widespread polytypic species has important conservation implications because it focuses attention on the poorly known middle and South American species.     

Common and Conflicting Interests in the Engagements between Conservation Organizations and Corporations

The conservation community increasingly views the corporate sector as a positive force for conservation. Collaborations between corporations and nongovernmental conservation organizations (NGOs) seek to mitigate the negative effects of corporate activities and augment positive conservation outcomes. I reviewed the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies by corporations; the emerging focus on environmental practices and sustainability; and the history of engagement between corporations and nongovernmental organizations. I considered the ethical and reputation vulnerabilities of these collaborations, which depend especially on the financial nature of the relationship and reviewed how CSR approaches have influenced corporate practices. I concluded that whereas CSR practices can act to mitigate negative environmental impact, to date they have had limited positive effect on biodiversity conservation. Intereses Comunes y Conflictivos en los Compromisos entre Organizaciones y Corporaciones de Conservación     

Forest-Dwelling Native Amazonians and the Conservation of Biodiversity: Interests in Common or in Collision?

Although concern for biodiversity and its conservation originated in the biological sciences, with growing international interest an increasing number of interest groups are claiming standing in discussions of the best ways to conserve biodiversity. One of these groups, formed by various indigenous peoples and their advocates, has repeatedly defended its claim to standing by stating that indigenous peoples are well equipped to conserve biodiversity. These claims have had far-reaching consequences, as millions of hectares of Amazonian forest have been deeded to indigenous groups, at least partially on the reasoning that such actions would conserve biodiversity. In this paper, we bring to the attention of the community of conservation biologists a group representing 229 native Amazonian groups comprising 1.2 million people in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia. In a document entitled "To the Community of Concerned Environmentalists," this group of indigenous peoples proposes a broad template for cooperation between conservation biologists and the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. Following reiteration of the statement, we discuss the fact that these two groups define biodiversity and its conservation in different ways, with indigenous peoples focusing more on preservation of general habitat characteristics and exclusion of extensive habitat alteration. We conclude that the interests of conservation biologists may not be completely compatible with the agenda of indigenous peoples and their advocates but that by cooperating valuable time is being bought by both sides.     

Conservation Biology and Real-World Conservation

Abstract:  In the 20 years since Conservation Biology was launched with the aim of disseminating scientific knowledge to help conserve biodiversity and the natural world, our discipline has hugely influenced the practice of conservation. But we have had less impact outside the profession itself, and we have not transformed that practice into an enterprise large enough to achieve our conservation goals. As we look to the next 20 years, we need to become more relevant and important to the societies in which we live. To do so, the discipline of conservation biology must generate answers even when full scientific knowledge is lacking, structure scientific research around polices and debates that influence what we value as conservationists, go beyond the certitude of the biological sciences into the more contextual debates of the social sciences, engage scientifically with human-dominated landscapes, and address the question of how conservation can contribute to the improvement of human livelihoods and the quality of human life.     

Conservation of the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract:  The Cerrado is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. In the last 35 years, more than 50% of its approximately 2 million km² has been transformed into pasture and agricultural lands planted in cash crops. The Cerrado has the richest flora among the world's savannas (>7000 species) and high levels of endemism. Species richness of birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, and insects is equally high, whereas mammal diversity is relatively low. Deforestation rates have been higher in the Cerrado than in the Amazon rainforest, and conservation efforts have been modest: only 2.2% of its area is under legal protection. Numerous animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, and an estimated 20% of threatened and endemic species do not occur in protected areas. Soil erosion, the degradation of the diverse Cerrado vegetation formations, and the spread of exotic grasses are widespread and major threats. The use of fire for clearing land and to encourage new growth for pasture has also caused damage, even though the Cerrado is a fire-adapted ecosystem. Ecosystem experiments and modeling show that change in land cover is altering the hydrology and affecting carbon stocks and fluxes. Cerrado agriculture is lucrative, and agricultural expansion is expected to continue, requiring improvements in and extension of the transportation infrastructure, which will affect not only the Cerrado but also the Amazon forest. Large-scale landscape modification and threats to numerous species have led to renewed interest from various sectors in promoting the conservation of the Cerrado, particularly through strengthening and enlarging the system of protected areas and improving farming practices and thus the livelihoods of local communities.