The value, limitations, and challenges of employing local experts in conservation research

Abstract: Evidence suggests that the involvement of local people in conservation work increases a project's chances of success. Involving citizen scientists in research, however, raises questions about data quality. As a tool to better assess potential participants for conservation projects, we developed a knowledge gradient, K, along which community members occupy different positions on the basis of their experience with and knowledge of a research subject. This gradient can be used to refine the citizen–science concept and allow researchers to differentiate between community members with expert knowledge and those with little knowledge. We propose that work would benefit from the inclusion of select local experts because it would allow researchers to harness the benefits of local involvement while maintaining or improving data quality. We used a case study from the DeHoop Nature Preserve, South Africa, in which we conducted multiple interviews, identified and employed a local expert animal tracker, evaluated the expert's knowledge, and analyzed the data collected by the expert. The expert animal tracker J.J. created his own sampling design and gathered data on mammals. He patrolled 4653 km in 214 days and recorded 4684 mammals. He worked from a central location, and his patrols formed overlapping loops; however, his data proved neither spatially nor temporally autocorrelated. The distinctive data collected by J.J. are consistent with the notion that involving local experts can produce reliable data. We developed a conceptual model to help identify the appropriate participants for a given project on the basis of research budget, knowledge or skills needed, technical literacy requirements, and scope of the project.     

甘肃兴隆山自然保护区濒危马麝(Moschus sifanicus)秋季利用生境特征

于2006~2007年9~10月间采用样线样带法研究了甘肃兴隆山自然保护区马麝的秋季生境利用特征,共布设286个空白对照样地和55个利用样地,测量并比较两类样地内的海拔等17个生境变量.结果表明,马麝秋季利用样地的乔木密度(0.90±0.14)和灌木均高(1.92 m±0.53 m)显著低于非利用样地(乔木密度1.35±0.07;灌木均高3.01 m±0.53 m),而且距水源距离(<1 000 m,76.37%)和人为干扰活动距离(<1 000 m,76.36%)较近的中下坡位生境(82.82%)(P<0.05).对喜好生境变量的主成分分析表明,地理因子(由海拔、水源距离、植被类型和坡向构成)是制约兴隆山马麝秋季栖息地选择的首要因子,此外,郁闭度因子(由郁闭度和坡度构成)、食物因子(由食物多度和乔木胸径构成)和隐蔽因子(由隐蔽度和避风性构成)也是影响兴隆山马麝秋季生境选择的重要因素.由于秋季对食物和水源的强烈选择,兴隆山马麝对生境隐蔽性和距人为干扰距离的选择强度较低,即承受较大强度的人为干扰.表5参31     

南亚热带常绿阔叶林林冠层附生植物及其宿主叶片的形态解剖特征

选择南亚热带常绿阔叶林中具有代表性的4种林冠层附生植物：白背瓜馥木（Fissistigma glaucescens）、瓜子金（Dischidia chinensis）、蔓九节（Psychotria serpens）、山蒌（Piper hancei）及其主要宿主植物：厚壳桂（Cryptocaryachinensis）、荷木（Schimasuperba）、华润楠（Machilus chinensis）、锥栗（Castanopsis chinensis）为研究对象,对其叶片形态结构和解剖结构特征进行比较。研究结果表明：宿主植物与附生植物的叶片形态结构差异显著。相对于4种宿主植物,4种附生植物叶片无蜡被,比叶面积大,且具有含水量高,上下表皮厚度增加,气孔密度、气孔面积减少等特征,有利于叶片对水分和养分的吸收、贮存和利用。着生在林冠层不同部位的附生植物的叶片形态结构特征随着光合有效辐射、温度、湿度等微环境因子的变化表现出显著的差异：位于冠层顶部的瓜子金和蔓九节叶片小而厚,含水量高,气孔密度低且覆盖角质膜,更适应冠层顶部高温、低湿、高光照的环境;位于冠层下部的白背瓜馥木和山蒌叶片相对较薄,气孔面积较大,叶肉细胞分化明显,海绵组织排列松散,更适应冠层中下部低温、高湿、弱光照环境。变化的叶片结构是植物适应环境条件的重要表现。     

鄱阳湖自然保护区生物多样性保护研究

鄱阳湖自然保护区于1983年建立,占地224平方公里.保护区的建立对改善生态环境,保护生物多样性有着重要的意义.20多年来,保护区内生态环境得到明显改善,生物资源不断丰富.为了进一步科学保护区内生物多样性,合理利用资源,针对自然保护区内生物多样性的历史和现状,适当扩大保护区范围,改善当地的经济发展模式等措施,将进一步改善自然保护区的生态环境,保护生物多样性.     

辽宁老秃顶子国家级自然保护区植物区系调查研究

植物区系是在特有的历史条件下发展产生而形成的某一特定地区生长的全部植物类型的总和,是植物科、属、种的自然综合体。它多数是以种群方式存在的,对应组成该地区植被的主体,也是大自然地理生态环境中的集中反映和自然保护区生态环境变化的依据。研究老秃顶子国家级自然保护区的植物区系的组成和地理组成部分等相关资料,对于分析研究植物区系与自然地理要素之间的关系意义重大。     

Conservation Objectives and Sea‐Surface Temperature Anomalies in the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract: Spatial and temporal dynamics of ecological processes have long been considered important in marine systems, but seldom have conservation objectives been set for them. Climate change makes the consideration of the dynamics of ecological processes in the design of marine protected areas critical. We analyzed sea‐surface temperature (SST) trends and variability in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) for 25 years and formulated and tested whether three sets of notional conservation objectives were met to illustrate the potential for planning to address climate change. Given mixed and limited evidence that no‐take areas increase resilience to disturbances such as anomalously high temperatures (i.e., temperatures ≥1 °C above weekly mean temperature), our conservation objectives focused on areas less likely to be affected by such events at extents ranging from the entire Great Barrier Reef to the system of no‐take zones and individual no‐take zones. The objective sets were (1) at least 50% of temperature refugia (i.e., pixels that had high‐temperature anomalies <5% or <7% of the time) within no‐take zones, (2) maximum occurrence of high‐temperature anomalies is <10%,< 20%, or <30% of total no‐take area 90% of the time, and (3) coverage of any single no‐take zone by high‐temperature anomalies occurs <5% or <10% of the time. We used satellite imagery from 1985–2009 to measure SST to determine high‐temperature anomalies. SSTs in the Great Barrier Reef increased significantly in some regions, and some of the conservation objectives were met by the park's current zoning plan. Dialogue between conservation scientists and managers is needed to develop appropriate conservation objectives under climate change and strategies to meet them.     

Evaluation of Biogeographic Classification Schemes for Conservation Planning: Application to New Zealand's Coastal Marine Environment

Abstract:  For many regions worldwide, multiple and often contrasting biogeographic classifications exist that are derived from a variety of taxa and techniques. This presents a challenge for managers who must choose appropriate large-scale spatial frameworks for systematic conservation planning. We demonstrate how systematically collected community data can be used to evaluate existing biogeographic classifications, identify the most appropriate metric for biogeographic patterns seen in other taxonomic groups, and develop an independent biogeographic classification scheme for systematic conservation planning. We evaluated 6 existing biogeographic classifications for New Zealand's nearshore marine environment with community-similarity metrics derived from abundance and presence–absence data for macroalgae (107 species) and mobile macroinvertebrates (44 species). The concordance between community metrics and the previous classifications was high, as indicated by a high multivariate classification success (CS) (74.3–98.3%). Subsequently, we carried out an independent classification analysis on each community metric to identify biogeographic units within a hierarchical spatial framework. The classification derived from macroalgal presence–absence data achieved the highest CS and could be used as a mesoscale classification scheme in which 11 regional groupings (i.e., bioregions) (CS = 73.8–84.8%) are nested within northern and southern biogeographic provinces (CS = 90.3–98.7%). These techniques can be used in systematic conservation planning to inform the design of representative and comprehensive networks of marine protected areas through evaluation of the current coverage of marine reserves in each bioregion. Currently, 0.22% of the territorial sea around mainland New Zealand is protected in no-take marine protected areas in which 0–1.5% of each bioregion represented.     

Drastic Reductions in Utilizable Fossil Fuel Reserves: An Environmental Imperative

We are living in a period of exponential growth of world population and energy consumption. Forecasts suggest that the atmospheric CO₂ concentration could reach 750 p.p.m. by 2100. At this level, the coral reefs and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would be lost and thermohaline circulation in the N. Atlantic could possibly shut down. Crippling the ocean conveyor system would have a major impact on world climate and jeopardize our chances of feeding an enlarged world population. Consumption of the total global hydrocarbon reserves would increase the atmospheric CO₂ concentration to about 2200 p.p.m. We can therefore utilize less than 20% of the global hydrocarbon reserves without an accompanying massive programme for the sequestration of CO₂ if we do not wish to cross the threshold atmospheric CO₂ concentration of 750 p.p.m. and risk a major environmental catastrophe. Attention to the global CO₂ problem will be the major task of the 21st Century.     

Effects of Buffer-Strip Retention and Clearcutting on Land Snails in Boreal Riparian Forests

Abstract:  We investigated the short-term effects of forest clearcutting on land snails (terrestrial gastropods) in 15 forest stands along small streams in Sweden. Two different silvicultural treatments were applied at each site: clearcutting across the stream channel and buffer strips 10 m wide on each side of the stream. Additionally, we studied 10 reference sites in unlogged riparian forests along similar-sized streams. All sites were studied before logging and then 2.5 years after logging. After clearcutting the number of individuals in a 0.5-m² sample from each site decreased on average from 107 to 87, and the mean number of species per sample decreased from 9.9 to 7.7. Most species were negatively affected, but there were also clear differences in sensitivity. There were correlations between species survival and ground moisture. At the wettest clearcut sites with an almost intact bryophyte cover, the land snails were unaffected by clearcutting. This result suggests that wet or moist forest floors can serve as refugia even at very small spatial scales (e.g., shallow hollows, crevices). If this is an important mechanism, the spatial distribution of small habitats could be important for the long-term survival of the snail fauna or other small, dispersal-limited organisms at clearcut sites. In the buffer strips, the number of individuals decreased but not the number of species, indicating that buffer-strip retention is a good practice for protecting land snails in riparian forests. The varying effectiveness of the buffer strip could partly be explained by the proportion of the remaining basal area, emphasizing that buffer strips could be even more effective if efforts are made to avoid heavy damage by windthrows.     

Optimal management of strategic reserves of nonrenewable natural resources

This paper studies the stockpiling issue for an oil importing country that is likely to suffer embargoes, the occurrence and duration of which are uncertain. I show the existence of a decreasing reserves path that the country wants to attain in order to hedge against these disruptions. Allowing the importing country to invest in R&D in order to free itself from the embargo threat, I determine the optimal effort that should be engaged in research. The incentive to develop a backstop is shown to increase with the depletion of the reserves.