Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Wildlife conservation'

With a growing population in the world today, the pressure on land areas and wildlife is also increasing. In order to preserve certain land areas and endangered wildlife, so called community-based conservation programs are being created around the world. These programmes are aiming to benefit both local communities and wildlife in the same area. The difficult task is, however, to create incentive for poor communities to devotedly participate in these projects in order to prevent poaching, a common problem within conservation conflicts. It is important to consider all aspects regarding this issue, both from a conservation management and the communities’ point of view, and many times a change in behaviour, attitude and participation plays a key role in reaching the conservation and community goal.

The conservation of wildlife is an important concern for many political actors. Wildlife is valued in a number of different ways and the development, priorities and outcomes of conservation policy can be better understood with recognition of these distinct ‘wildlife’ values held by the varied political actors involved in the policy process. This thesis describes these wildlife values and explores their impact on conservation policy through a comparison of six global conservation agreements; the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, Antarctic Treaty system, Ramsar wetlands convention, Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is argued that the policy-arenas within which these agreements developed have features a broad variety of wildlife values, yet that the debate has, in fact, been dominated by just a few. The policy-arena has also featured a broad range of political actors placing distinct values on wildlife. States are characterised as reactive primarily to the economic and political value of wildlife and its conservation. Non-governmental organisations broaden the spectrum of values to include, in particular, ecological and animal-welfare values. The centrality of natural scientists to conservation policy acts to promote the importance of wildlife’s educational value. Business and industrial actors, along with individuals, are also considered to have a significant impact upon the valuation of wildlife. It is argued that the distribution of wildlife values expressed and acted upon in international conservation policy reflects political power or influence. It is further argued that the dominance of economic priorities, with an attendant need to express the value of wildlife economically, tends actually to greatly under-value wildlife. Thus the effectiveness of state-centric wildlife conservation is questioned.

Captive breeding plays an increasingly significant role in conservation programs, providing program managers with the challenge of preventing over-crowding, whilst also maintaining genetic and behavioural integrity of the population. This thesis assesses a new approach to the reproductive and genetic management of individuals in conservation programs by using contraception. Suprelorin contraceptive implants containing the GnRH agonist deslorelin were used to manage reproduction in two conservation-dependent species, the Tasmanian devil and burrowing bettong. A Tasmanian devil insurance population was established in 2006 due to the threat of devil tumour disease (DFTD). Female devils were selected for contraception in 2015 and 2017 based on their genetic profile with the aim of equalizing founder representation and maximising the genetic benefit per breeding event. Suprelorin implants were ineffective in male devils. Intensive dose-response trials in female devils demonstrated that a 4.7mg implant achieved contraception for one year, while a 9.4mg implant was effective for up to two years. Implants were trialled on female devils in free-ranging enclosures and on Maria Island, which demonstrated that treatment was reversible and had no effect on access to food, social status, movements, survival and body weight. This novel use of contraceptives therefore also enables animals to be group housed, thus reducing operational costs and maintaining wild behaviours and relationships. The 4.7 mg Suprelorin implants were also trialled as a potential tool for managing a locally overabundant burrowing bettong population at the Arid Recovery reserve. There were no negative side effects, yet efficacy could not be proven.

Tanzania is famous for it’s beautiful nature and rich wildlife. Proud of it’s natural heritage, Tanzania has dedicated over 20% of it’s territory as protected areas to shield the wildlife from human interference. But the wildlife is regarded as a menace by the local communities that lives close to the impressive national parks. At the same time, the increasing human population threatens the survival of the large migratory species in the parks by blocking vital dispersal areas.

This essay describes the human/wildlife conflict around Tarangire National Park and focuses on communities close to park borders. The intention is to examine if a buffer zone could solve the conflict in this area. By studying the political ecology of wildlife conservation in Tanzania, from local to global scale and through a historical perspective, it is concluded that the poor state-society relation as experienced in local communities is a crucial factor for the diminishing wildlife.

Current research about wildlife has tended to emphasize the contributions of scientific perspectives. This thesis argues that the practice of wildlife rehabilitation (WR) also offers significant information to academic discourse. The goals of my study were to explore and describe the different perspectives and knowledges generated about wildlife through the practice of wildlife rehabilitation and the rehabilitators' relationships with their wild animal patients, through the use of qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews and autoethnography. I interviewed seven WR professionals about their nonhuman animal patients, education animals, and human staff and volunteers. The autoethnographic information used in this study was gathered from my own experience as a wildlife rehabilitator.

Five key themes emerged from my research. 1) The altruistic roles taken on by wildlife rehabilitators (both caregiving and training roles) improve communication with other animal individuals. 2) The subjective experience plays critical roles, both positive and negative, in the practice of wildlife rehabilitation and the ability to understand wildlife. 3) The sense of obligation and responsibility to address anthropogenic injuries to other animals leads humans to become wildlife rehabilitators. 4) Wildlife experience with, and education about, other animal species are important factors in forming an appreciation for wildlife. 5) The practice of wildlife rehabilitation generates significant information about wildlife and medicine that is useful to discourse about wildlife.

This study will be relevant to professionals from other fields that work with wildlife and nonhuman animals: conservation, wildlife management, animal communication, and to the new field of trans-species psychology, among others. Captive environments and enrichment for education animals at WR centers could be used as models for captive animals in other industries: entertainment (zoos and circuses), as well as laboratory and research institutions. Finally, this theoretical analysis of WR, placed in the context of power relations, offers a significant contribution to human-centered studies such as those of human ethics (biomedical, especially, and around human test subjects), medicine and public health, and studies of social justice.

The success of state fish and wildlife agency conservation efforts depends highly on their engagement with wildlife recreationists, ranging from those with consumptive (i.e., hunters and anglers) to nonconsumptive (i.e., birders, wildlife viewers) interests. However, declines in their historic constituent base of consumptive recreationists, coupled with an increasingly diverse and interconnected group of nonconsumptive recreationists, has placed new pressures on state fish and wildlife agencies. Human dimensions research into recreationists' behaviors and perceptions can help these agencies determine how best to serve and involve wildlife recreationists, including developing services that fit their interests, engaging them in conservation activities, and providing them with a suite of funding and support mechanisms to contribute to conservation. Developing this understanding can be complicated though, due to the range of behaviors and perceptions wildlife recreationists have regarding conservation and the role of state fish and wildlife agencies. Given this need to better understand how state fish and wildlife agencies can successfully engage their growing and changing wildlife recreation constituency in order to advance conservation, we investigated the perceptions, behaviors, and interactions of Virginia wildlife recreationists relative to the state fish and wildlife agency, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). Using a mixed-methods research design, we first looked into the intersection of wildlife recreation identities, to gain a clearer understanding about the implications of individuals who identify as multiple types of recreationists (i.e., consumptive-only, nonconsumptive-only, consumptive-viewers, and comprehensive recreationists). We also used recreation identity to explore how participation in conservation behaviors differs among recreationists. Next, to compare findings from our focus groups and survey, we explored how wildlife recreationist groups (i.e., birders or viewers, hunters or anglers, and multi-recreationists) felt served by a state fish and wildlife agency relative to agency services received by other recreation groups. Lasty, we investigated how recreation groups and level of familiarity with DWR predicted recreationists' future likelihood to financially contribute to the agency via voluntary and user-pay funding mechanisms. Our results highlight the opportunity that wildlife recreationists present for the future success of state fish and wildlife agencies, and the complex conservation challenges these agencies face in engaging with their growing and changing recreation constituencies. Wildlife recreationists are multidimensional in their recreational pursuits, and differ in their familiarity with and perceptions of state fish and wildlife agencies, which has implications for their future support of these agencies. Our findings illustrate the need for state fish and wildlife agencies to develop engagement strategies that provide multiple entry points into and interests in their conservation programs, while also working to enhance agency familiarity among nonconsumptive recreationists, and ensuring that all wildlife recreation groups feel valued in relation to one another.
Doctor of Philosophy
State fish and wildlife agencies play a critical role in the conservation and management of wildlife and their habitats in North America. To successfully carry out their conservation and management goals, state fish and wildlife agencies rely on support from the general public. Specifically, people who view and harvest wildlife provide valuable support to these agencies, in the form of funding, participating in conservation programs, reporting wildlife sightings, and providing wildlife habitat. However, groups like hunters and anglers are declining in participation levels, while groups like birders and other wildlife viewers are growing in number. The changing levels of participation in these groups may consequently place new expectations on state fish and wildlife agencies. Gaining a deeper understanding of recreationists' behaviors and thoughts can help state fish and wildlife agencies determine how best to serve and engage these groups. We used focus groups and a survey to explore whether people view themselves as participating in and as being a member of multiple wildlife recreation activities and how that may affect their participation in conservation. Next, we explored how different wildlife recreation groups view the level of services they receive from a state fish and wildlife agency compared to what they believe others receive from the agency. Lasty, we studied how the level of familiarity recreation groups had in a state fish and wildlife agency influenced their future likelihood to financially support the agency. Our results highlight the important role that people who view and harvest wildlife have in the future success of state fish and wildlife agency conservation efforts. Many people view themselves as being a member of multiple wildlife-oriented activities, which can influence their familiarity with and thoughts of state fish and wildlife agencies, and has implications for their future support of these agencies. Our findings suggest the need for state fish and wildlife agencies to develop engagement strategies that provide multiple opportunities for people of different wildlife interests to participate in conservation, while also working to enhance agency awareness among wildlife viewers and ensuring these groups feel valued in relation to one another.

The extent of human disturbance is increasing, even in protected areas. I evaluated human disturbance impacts in Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA), Uganda, a park in the Albertine Rift biodiversity hotspot, using two approaches. First, I quantified vegetation patterns and edge effects using remote sensing data in the MFCA interior, a boundary zone, and exterior zone. I observed abrupt changes in productivity between the park and adjacent unprotected areas, indicating a "hard edge", and found evidence of edge effects that extended 4-6 km into MFCA. Second, I evaluated the impact of restored oil pads, roads, the park boundary, and anthropogenic noise on mammal distribution using camera traps and occupancy modeling. Few species avoided, and some were attracted to, more disturbed sites, where restoration may have provided food resources. As human populations continue growing around MFCA and oil production begins, evaluating human disturbance impacts on the landscape will be increasingly important.

Breeding bird surveys were conducted on 7 properties belonging to 2 ranches in South Texas. Using these data I calculated temporal trends, and tested the effects of total May–April precipitation and cattle stocking rate on avian abundance. Trends were calculated for each ranch, the East Foundation and King Ranch, individually due to different range and wildlife management practices. Total avian abundance increased significantly on the 3 East Foundation properties between 2008 and 2015. During 39 breeding bird surveys, 16,441 individual birds of 88 species were recorded. Non-breeding bird surveys were also conducted on East Foundation properties, an increasing trend in total avian abundance was also calculated from these data. Total breeding bird abundance was stable on the 4 King Ranch properties between 2005 and 2013. A total of 19,162 individual birds of 87 species were recorded during 40 breeding bird surveys. The combined effect of livestock use and precipitation had a significant effect on total avian abundance on all King Ranch properties, and on the abundance of some individual species and groups.

This thesis is an 'alternative format thesis', and thus the body of this work takes the form of a number of research papers. Its fundamental achievement is to significantly develop our understanding of the characteristics, practices, role/ significance, challenges and regulation of two contemporary and innovate forms of ecotourism which have rapidly expanded in recent years. They are international conservation tourism and private wildlife ranching in South Africa. Although quite separate entities, these sectors have a great deal in common. Both commodify wildlife and wild places for sale. Both have become increasingly commercialised and profit driven enterprises. Both have rapidly evolved in a rather piecemeal or organic fashion ahead of government regulation, and both have the potential to contribute to biodiversity conservation, community development and public education. These two types of ecotourism are directly linked through the huge popularity of South Africa's private wildlife ranches as a destination for international conservation tourism holidays. The intense coupling of nature and society created by these two forms of tourism required an interdisciplinary approach and research methods combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques. This thesis takes a political ecology approach to show how historical factors, ways of viewing the environment and power relations are shaping this emerging form of conservation. The thesis concludes with an overview of the substantive findings and suggestions for future research.

I studied current educational efforts about urban wildlife in Tucson, Arizona using three main approaches: a) interviews with key informants, b) analysis of the dissemination of and reaction to informative booklets about urban wildlife, and c) a review of regionally-relevant news articles published online from 2013 to 2015. These triangulated research efforts provide a general snapshot of the relative effectiveness of urban wildlife education practices and result in suggestions for improvement with future efforts. Key informants provided insight into successful human-wildlife conflict resolution and avoidance techniques and successful education practices. An analysis of the dissemination of information on living with urban wildlife, revealed that 53% of the small participating businesses valued the effort and requested additional booklets for their clients. All 45 of the recipients of the educational booklet found them useful and 65% cited them as their only such source of information about wildlife. Thus, I recommend additional concerted dissemination of such materials towards improved education of the public about urban wildlife interactions. Analysis of online news articles revealed that 51% focused on human-wildlife conflicts and, of these, 30% contained information about conflict avoidance. By contrast, 35% of all articles reviewed were strictly educational and yet, of these, 74% addressed conflict avoidance. Thus, I recommend that future media efforts continue this focus on human-wildlife conflict avoidance and resolution strategies. The culmination of this work demonstrates that much work is being conducted towards urban wildlife education and revealed education projects and strategies that may be applied in the future to help facilitate an informed coexistence with urban wildlife.

The white-tipped dove (Leptotila verreauxi) is a sedentary, secretive columbid that ranges from Argentina to the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of south Texas. Since its designation as a game species in 1984, little research has been dedicated to the species’ reproductive ecology. My objectives were to (1) identify predators of white-tipped dove eggs and nestling, (2) determine how the predator community differs among land cover types, (3) examine the impact of vegetation and landscape variation in both citrus and woodland land cover types on nest survival, (4) examine the impact of temporal variation on nest survival, (5) provide information on general nest ecology that is currently lacking, (6) investigate movements of doves and examine feasibility of tracking and recapture using a GPS/VHF transmitters pilot study. During the summers of 2015 and 2016, I conducted nest searches in citrus and woodland sites in Hidalgo County, Texas. I placed real-time, infrared emitting camera systems on a subset of nests to monitor predation. I also trapped, banded, and placed backpack transmitters on doves in Estero Llano Grande State Park (ELGSP) In the 2 years, I located 63 dove nests, 34 in citrus and 29 in woodland. I placed camera systems on 33 nests and identified 9 species of nest predator. Green jays (Cyanocorax incas) were our most common nest predator, accounting for 10 of 28 predation events. Other predators were crested caracara (Caracara cheriway), Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), great-tailed grackle (Quisicalus mexicanus), tawny crazy ant ( Nylanderia fulva), rat (Rattus spp.), opossum ( Didelphis virginiana), house cat (Felis catus), and Texas indigo snake (Drymarchon melanurus erebennus). Based on AIC candidate model selection, I identified nest stage as the best predictor of daily nest survival rate across both land cover types. By separating land covers for a second step to model selection, I identified different environmental variables as predictors of daily survival rate in each land cover type. In the woodland site, my null model was most important, indicating that no measured variables were important for predicting nest survival. In citrus, canopy cover was the top model. In citrus, a diverse predator community due to heavy human disturbance may have increased the importance of canopy cover and other concealment variables for nest survival. The different predator communities they encounter in the two land cover types that they nest in prioritize much different environmental conditions for nest survival.

Southern flying squirrels (SFS; Glaucomys volans) are known kleptoparasites on the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker’s (RCW; Picoides borealis) cavities and cost land managers time and money to control, and the ecology of SFS in habitats managed for RCWs is poorly understood. This study is designed to obtain a better understanding of the general ecology of SFSs surrounding RCW habitat and provide possible non-lethal deterrent methods to prevent harmful interactions between SFSs and RCWs. Spatially-explicit capture-recapture showed generally higher SFS densities and habitat associations outside of RCW cluster partitions. Stable isotope analysis of SFS diets across Mississippi and Alabama revealed a narrow dietary breath relative to food items, thus habitat management may still be viable option to control SFSs. Lastly, investigation of odor deterrents resulted in the greatest avoidance of cavities containing gray rat snake (Pantherophis spiloides ) feces and warrants further investigation.

The purpose of this research was to develop, implement, and evaluate a citizen science program to survey and monitor for jaguars (Panthera onca) and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) within key mountain ranges in southwest Arizona. I had three main objectives: 1.) develop and implement a citizen science program to train participants with little or no knowledge of wildlife conservation, 2.) identify program effectiveness in comparison with experts in terms of the quality of data gathered and the financial and administrative costs/benefits, 3.) understand what creates an effective citizen science program and how it can be replicated in the future. This research examined the efficacy of using citizen science as a tool to connect the public and scientific community through education and a research-based project. A network of citizen scientists were provided extensive education and training by field experts to participate in jaguar and ocelot monitoring in southern Arizona. The scale and scope of this project is unprecedented in the citizen science literature; participants drove and hiked off-trail monitoring wildlife cameras monthly for a minimum of one year in extremely rugged backcountry conditions in the mountains near the U.S./Mexico border. Citizen science participants were challenged by terrain, weather, and border issues during their time on this project. Despite these challenges, our group of nine citizen scientists successfully downloaded and sorted 28,637 photos from 22 cameras at 14 monitoring sites over 12 months. They logged a total of 327 hours of fieldwork including driving, hiking, and performing camera maintenance. After finishing a site visit, citizen scientists also sorted photos identifying wildlife, logging approximately 109 hours of data organization. In addition, 100% of our citizen scientists adhered to our protocols that we tested and implemented in the field over a one-year period. Citizen scientists continue to monitor remote wildlife cameras in the rugged mountainous regions of this southern Arizona study area. Citizen science is often criticized because of skepticism from the scientific community regarding data integrity, quality control, and potentially biased data. This research aimed to exam the data integrity of citizen scientists by comparing it to the data analyzed by experts. When comparing the ability of citizen scientists and field team experts in sorting and correctly identifying wildlife, I found strong positive correlations between the levels of data quality. These high positive correlations indicate that, with training, citizen scientists are capable of accurately identifying wildlife from camera data nearly as well as the field team experts, and can be an excellent surrogate for experts. Connecting volunteers to the natural landscape through hands-on science research has the potential to create many positive experiences. Citizen science can increase participant’s knowledge of science, build trust and foster understanding, and can create a more informed public. Despite these benefits, data integrity is the most important aspect of research and data collected by non-scientists remains heavily scrutinized. Collaboration amongst professionals, educators, program designers, and data managers is necessary to ensure that project goals are achieved while maintaining scientific integrity. Continuing to examine citizen science programs is important to advance the field of citizen science and foster meaningful relationships between the public and scientists. This study provided a unique opportunity to use non-scientists to augment data collection and assessment in the scientific workplace to advance jaguar and ocelot conservation. We strongly believe that citizen scientists remain an underutilized resource for helping scientists collect and analyze data in a climate of reduced funding and increasing need for long-term monitoring.

Kuwait is an arid small country with a severe climate, but an interesting and diverse biological heritage. Historically Kuwait was the home for 28 mammalian, over 300 bird, and 40 reptilian species. Expanding human population and technology are increasingly altering Kuwait's natural habitat. Currently, 8 mammalian species are locally eradicated from Kuwait, but available elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. On the endangered list is 4 mammals, 5 birds. The status of most reptiles is unknown. A comprehensive overview of Kuwait's historic and contemporary wildlife is described. Major wildlife habitat types are identified and mapped. A conservation strategy addressing the wildlife and their habitats in Kuwait is suggested. The key to a successful strategy is habitat restoration and protection combined with legal protection of the wildlife. In addition, a program for re-introducing locally eradicated species to their historic range in Kuwait is suggested.

In the last decade, the use of molecular markers revealing polymorphism at DNA level has played an increasing role in animal genetic and population studies. Amongst others, microsatellites have become the most widely employed markers, due to their easy use and to their high polymorphism that provides a large degree of information. Molecular markers are interesting and useful tools to assess genetic variability of species, breeds and populations, to infer population structure, to estimate genetic distances between breeds and individuals and also to define traceability methods for the identification of the origin of animal products for human consumption, a particularly important issue considering the widespread consumer demand for food safety. They are essential for the construction of genetic and physical maps and are increasingly used to assist selection and conservation plans. Moreover, they allow paternity and maternity tests, which can be a valid support to check genealogic information. Recently, molecular genetic markers have found wide application in the study of the interaction between landscape features and gene flow in natural populations. The first part of this thesis is aimed to apply an individual-based approach, with a panel of 25 microsatellites developed for roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), to examine the genetic structure of a natural roe deer population distributed over the the provinces of Trento and Belluno (north-esastern Italy. Georeferenced samples from a total of 657 roe deer, harvested in the hunting seasons 2003-2004 (for the samples of Belluno), and 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 (for the samples of Trento) were used.The results showed a significant heterozygosity deficit. The application of a Bayesian statistical approach, using the STRUCTURE and GENELAND programs, detected the presence of seven spatially separated subpopulations. The identification of hypothetical barriers was carried out by principal component analysis (PCA) using the software SURFER. The second part of the thesis is an application of the discipline “landscape genetics” assess whether the main landscape features that can be assumed as being relevant for roe deer ecology are associated with gene flow boundaries between subunits and with gene flow within subunits. Pairwise inter individual genetic distances (ar) were calculated with GENEPOP. To consider spatial and landscape distances between each pair of individuals, we calculated the Euclidean distance (the length of the straight line that connects one individual to another) and a “least cost distance” (the trajectory that maximizes the use of wooded corridors). To take into account other landscape features, we assigned a relative cost to each distance, which varied according to the proportion of potential obstacles to roe deer movement (high elevation areas, open areas, and urban areas). Finally, we analyzed, within each subpopulation, the correlation between pairwise genetic distances and the various geographic distances using Mantel test and Partial Mantel Test. The results showed that linear and least cost distances were correlated with gene flow in almost all populations, with slightly better values for least cost distances. Correlations improved when distances were weighed for land use and morphology costs, confirming that the assumed landscape features have an incidence on landscape connectivity for roe deer. In addition, the results suggested a difference in gene flow between males and females, although this indication should be better explored with a larger females sample. In conclusion, this approach is certainly very promising for studying the genetic and spatial structure of wild animal populations, and for identifying landscape features limiting gene flow. In the specific case of the studied roe deer population, the results obtained can help in devising ecologically meaningful management units and in understanding the species movement patterns-habitat features at a landscape scale. The increasing availability of specific GIS tools and and geographic databases, and the expected analytical improvements and cost reduction for molecular genetic markers, the applications of landscape genetics can certainly expand and provide information on microevolutionary processes and patterns of movement of wild animal populations
Nell’ultimo decennio, l’uso di marcatori molecolari in grado di rilevare polimorfismi a livello del DNA ha acquisito sempre maggiore importanza nella genetica e nello studio delle popolazioni animali. I microsatelliti sono i più diffusamente impiegati, per la loro facilità d’impiego e il loro elevato polimorfismo, che li rende altamente informativi. I marcatori sono strumenti interessanti ed utili per evidenziare la variabilità genetica di specie, razze e popolazioni, per indagare la struttura delle popolazioni, per determinare distanze genetiche fra razze e individui e anche per la definizione di metodi di tracciabilità genetica al fine di identificare l’origine di prodotti animali destinati all’uomo, questione di particolare importanza data l’esigenza oramai diffusa di sicurezza da parte del consumatore. Essi sono decisivi per la costruzione di mappe genetiche e fisiche e sono sempre più studiati e impiegati a sostegno dei piani di selezione e conservazione. Consentono inoltre l’applicazione di test di paternità e maternità, e possono quindi contribuire al controllo delle informazioni genealogiche. L’obiettivo generale di questo lavoro è stato l’applicazione dell’analisi con microsatelliti ad una popolazione naturale di capriolo distribuita sul territorio delle province di Trento e Belluno, con l’individuazione di nuclei di sottopopolazioni da poter, eventualmente, utilizzare a fini gestionali. Infine, è stata condotta un’indagine sull’interazione fra le caratteristiche del paesaggio e la struttura genetica delle (sotto)popolazioni di capriolo identificate. Il primo contributo sperimentale comprende la messa a punto di un panel di 25 marcatori molecolari microsatellite per il capriolo (Capreolus capreolus) e la sua applicazione per l’identificazione della struttura genetica della popolazione di capriolo nelle province di Trento e Belluno, nelle Alpi orientali. La popolazione di capriolo è stata caratterizzata geneticamente per stabilire il livello di diversità genetica e per ricercare evidenze di un’eventuale strutturazione interna. Sono stati analizzati 657 campioni provenienti da capi abbattuti nelle province di Trento e Belluno nel corso delle stagioni venatorie 2003-2004 (per i campioni di Belluno) 2007-2008 e 2008-2009 (per i campioni di Trento). La caratterizzazione genetica effettuata sul campione analizzato ha dimostrato un forte deficit di eterozigosi. Sono stati applicati diversi approcci statistici per l’identificazione di eventuali sottopopolazioni e per l’identificazione di ipotetiche barriere. L’applicazione di un approccio statistico di tipo Bayesiano, utilizzando i software STRUCTURE e GENELAND, ha consentito di rilevare la presenza di sette sottopopolazioni, spazialmente separate, nell’intera area di studio. L’identificazione di ipotetiche barriere è stata effettuata tramite l’analisi delle componenti principali (PCA), utilizzando il software SURFER. Il secondo contributo sperimentale rappresenta un’applicazione della disciplina denominata “landscape genetics”, che consiste nello studio dell’interazione fra le caratteristiche del paesaggio e processi microevolutivi quali il flusso genico, la deriva genetica e la selezione. L’associazione fra struttura genetica e conformazione del territorio è stata quindi ulteriormente approfondita nel tentativo di identificare le variabili che hanno un ruolo maggiore nell’influenzare il flusso genico. Sono state calcolate tra ogni coppia di individui due tipi di distanze geografiche: la distanza euclidea (la lunghezza della linea retta che unisce un individuo ad un altro) e la distanza di minimo costo (la traiettoria che massimizza l'utilizzo dei corridoi di bosco per spostarsi da un luogo ad un altro). Sono state, successivamente, calcolate entro ciascuna popolazione le correlazioni fra le matrici di distanza genetica ottenute con GENEPOP e le corrispondenti matrici di distanze geografiche utilizzando due approcci statistici, il Mantel test e il Partial Mantel test. Queste correlazioni sono state verificate andando a considerare vari modelli del paesaggio, che hanno preso in considerazione diversi parametri quali la presenza di bosco, la presenza di insediamenti urbani, ecc. I risultati hanno dimostrato che tutte queste variabili incidono sulla connettività della popolazione. E’ stato messo in rilievo, inoltre, un differente impatto della struttura del territorio sui due sessi. Purtroppo, l'esiguo numero totale di femmine disponibili per ogni sotto-popolazione ha impedito un'adeguata analisi di questi sotto-campioni e il suo confronto con gli altri.. In conclusione, i risultati di questo lavoro hanno messo in luce, entro un’area geograficamente abbastanza limitata, l’esistenza di 7 sottopopolazioni di capriolo spazialmente separate che possono essere la base per la definizione di unità di gestione su base ecologica e non amministrativa. Inoltre, hanno fornito indicazioni a scala di paesaggio sulle relazioni fra la specie e l’uso e la morfologia del suolo. Da un punto di vista generale, inoltre, possiamo concludere che questo approccio è sicuramente molto promettente sia per studiare la struttura genetica e spaziale, e quindi evolutiva, delle popolazioni di animali selvatici, sia per affrontare con un criterio innovativo le relazioni fauna-ambiente. Il campionamento, se si tratta di specie cacciabili, è semplice e con costi modesti si possono ottenere numerosità consistenti. La possibilità di georeferenziare la localizzazione del singolo campione e di descrivere l’ambiente con strumenti di tipo GIS permette poi di collegare le informazioni genetiche a quelle ambientali e spaziali. Con l’ormai consolidata disponibilità di software GIS e basi cartografiche approfondite, e con la prevedibile diminuzione dei costi e l’affinamento delle indagini sui marcatori genetici molecolari, le applicazioni di landscape genetics potranno certamente estendersi e fornire indicazioni sulla storia recente, sugli scambi genetici e sulla dipendenza dai fattori ambientali delle popolazioni selvatiche.

This research addressed two important issues concerning conservation of orang-utans in Indonesia, the prevalence of diseases in orang-utans at reintroduction centres and the extent of intra-subspecific genetic variation between isolated populations of Bornean orang-utans. The research was conducted at the Wanariset Orang-utan Reintroduction Centre in East Kalirnantan fiom 1994 to 1997, during which time extensive field excursions were made throughout Borneo, and at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands in 1998. Analysis of clinical records fiom 1991 to 1997 showed that during this period 339 orang-utans were admitted to Wanariset, of which 96 (28.3%) died and 108 (31.8%) were released. Studies were designed to identify and determine the prevalence of diseases, specifically gastro-intestinal parasites, tuberculosis and certain viral diseases. Further studies defined the factors associated with mortalities of orang-utans at the reintroduction centre. Gastro-intestinal parasites, in particular Strongyloides spp. and Balantidium coli, posed health problems for rehabilitant orang-utans. Strongyloides spp. and Strongyle sp. eggs and B. coli were detected in faecal samples from new arrivals, rehabilitant, released and wild individuals. Trichuris trichura was present in new arrivals, released and rehabilitant orang-utans, whereas Ascaris sp., and Cyclospora sp. were present only in rehabilitants. There was a high prevalence of B. coli in new arrivals (41.6%), rehabilitants (100%) and released individuals (100%) and a low prevalence in wild individuals (12.5%). Faecal egg counts of individuals infected with Strongyloides spp. showed that 47.8% of rehabilitants and 14.3% of new arrivals had egg counts over 1000 eggs/gm, 81.8% of released individuals had egg counts less than 500 eggslgm and all wild individuals had egg counts less than 100 eggs/mg. Strongyloidosis was the primary cause of death (21.9%) of rehabilitant orang-utans, prior to the incorporation of oral ivermectin into the parasite control program. There was a low prevalence of tuberculosis, which was detected in one individual (0.8%) and suspected to have caused the death of two others (2.1% of deaths). Diagnosis of tuberculosis in orang-utans was complicated by inaccuracies and difficulties in interpreting the diagnostic tests commonly used in humans and nonhuman primates. Further research is required to develop more reliable and accurate tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in orang-utans. A study of the serological prevalence of a number of viral infections in captive orangutans showed evidence of exposure to hepatitis B virus (42.6%), hepatitis A virus (34.9%), herpes simplex viruses (14.7%), simian D-type retroviruses (11.2%) and human T-lymphotrogic viruses (1.4%). There was no evidence of exposure to simian or human immunodeficiency viruses. Molecular studies to determine the origin of the hepatitis B virus, showed the virus was not of human origin as has been generally assumed, but was an indigenous virus which also occurred naturally in wild populations. The virus was subsequently named Orangutan Hepadnavirus. A molecular study using mitochondrial DNA was undertaken to determine whether there was significant genetic diversity between six isolated populations of wild orangutans within Borneo. It was concluded that there are at least four genetically distinct populations located in East Kalimantan, southwest Kalirnantdcentral Kalirnantan, northwest KalimantdSarawak, and Sabah. The findings of this research are discussed in terms of the implications for management policies for reintroduction centres, as well as for the conservation of wild populations. They will also be of relevance to zoos and primate centres.

This research addressed two important issues concerning conservation of orang-utans in Indonesia, the prevalence of diseases in orang-utans at reintroduction centres and the extent of intra-subspecific genetic variation between isolated populations of Bornean orang-utans. The research was conducted at the Wanariset Orang-utan Reintroduction Centre in East Kalirnantan fiom 1994 to 1997, during which time extensive field excursions were made throughout Borneo, and at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands in 1998. Analysis of clinical records fiom 1991 to 1997 showed that during this period 339 orang-utans were admitted to Wanariset, of which 96 (28.3%) died and 108 (31.8%) were released. Studies were designed to identify and determine the prevalence of diseases, specifically gastro-intestinal parasites, tuberculosis and certain viral diseases. Further studies defined the factors associated with mortalities of orang-utans at the reintroduction centre. Gastro-intestinal parasites, in particular Strongyloides spp. and Balantidium coli, posed health problems for rehabilitant orang-utans. Strongyloides spp. and Strongyle sp. eggs and B. coli were detected in faecal samples from new arrivals, rehabilitant, released and wild individuals. Trichuris trichura was present in new arrivals, released and rehabilitant orang-utans, whereas Ascaris sp., and Cyclospora sp. were present only in rehabilitants. There was a high prevalence of B. coli in new arrivals (41.6%), rehabilitants (100%) and released individuals (100%) and a low prevalence in wild individuals (12.5%). Faecal egg counts of individuals infected with Strongyloides spp. showed that 47.8% of rehabilitants and 14.3% of new arrivals had egg counts over 1000 eggs/gm, 81.8% of released individuals had egg counts less than 500 eggslgm and all wild individuals had egg counts less than 100 eggs/mg. Strongyloidosis was the primary cause of death (21.9%) of rehabilitant orang-utans, prior to the incorporation of oral ivermectin into the parasite control program. There was a low prevalence of tuberculosis, which was detected in one individual (0.8%) and suspected to have caused the death of two others (2.1% of deaths). Diagnosis of tuberculosis in orang-utans was complicated by inaccuracies and difficulties in interpreting the diagnostic tests commonly used in humans and nonhuman primates. Further research is required to develop more reliable and accurate tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in orang-utans. A study of the serological prevalence of a number of viral infections in captive orangutans showed evidence of exposure to hepatitis B virus (42.6%), hepatitis A virus (34.9%), herpes simplex viruses (14.7%), simian D-type retroviruses (11.2%) and human T-lymphotrogic viruses (1.4%). There was no evidence of exposure to simian or human immunodeficiency viruses. Molecular studies to determine the origin of the hepatitis B virus, showed the virus was not of human origin as has been generally assumed, but was an indigenous virus which also occurred naturally in wild populations. The virus was subsequently named Orangutan Hepadnavirus. A molecular study using mitochondrial DNA was undertaken to determine whether there was significant genetic diversity between six isolated populations of wild orangutans within Borneo. It was concluded that there are at least four genetically distinct populations located in East Kalimantan, southwest Kalirnantdcentral Kalirnantan, northwest KalimantdSarawak, and Sabah. The findings of this research are discussed in terms of the implications for management policies for reintroduction centres, as well as for the conservation of wild populations. They will also be of relevance to zoos and primate centres.

Masai Mara, a large nature reserve in south-western Kenya, was created in the midst of semi-arid agropastoralist rangelands to protect wildlife. Wildlife and indigenous people co-existed for many years, usually with limited conflict; but in recent years, the conflict has intensified, mainly due to increasing human population, changing land use patterns, and altered perceptions of wildlife. This study examines the causes and nature of wildlife-human conflict in the Masai rangelands of Kenya, and considers how wildlife conservation and human development needs can best be integrated.
Findings indicate that common conflicts are livestock depredation and crop damage, human deaths or injuries, transmission of diseases, and competition for resources. Land surrounding the reserve can be divided into two distinct topographic and agroclimatic regions. The degree of conflict is spatially varied within the region. Upland ranches have high land use potential, high human and livestock population densities, and more development of agriculture. They experience limited conflict with wildlife. Lowland ranches are more arid, have lower human population density and little agriculture, but have high wildlife and livestock population densities and experience a high degree of conflict. These conflicts vary seasonally, and with distance from the protected area.
Perceptions of wildlife and attitudes towards conservation are related to past experience with wildlife. The degree of loss, effectiveness of damage control, fairness of government compensation, and involvement in wildlife tourism affect the degree of tolerance for wildlife conflict. Various socio-economic factors including level of education, knowledge of conservation priorities, and system of land ownership are related to attitudes towards wildlife. As human activity increases in the region, wildlife is more likely to be displaced. Because most animals are migratory, conflict in the land surrounding the reserve puts the viability of animal population in the protected area in question.
A two-phase program for integrating wildlife conservation with human needs is proposed. The first phase involves designation of the region into four zones: Zone A--the protected area, Zone B--the peripheral area, Zone C--multiple use, and Zone D--agriculture. The second phase of the program is the integration of the wildlife conservation with human interests through: community wildlife-damage-control, compensation for loss, sharing of tourism benefits with local people, conservation education, and local participation in wildlife conservation policy. The program provides a framework within which operational decisions can be made, and serves broader natural resource management and community development objectives in the rangelands.

The feeding of wildlife is a popular activity that is regularly undertaken throughout the Western world and despite the potential positive and negative impacts for both the wildlife and people involved there is very little known about the practice. Negative impacts are associated with issues of dependency, population and behavioural changes, and the risk of disease to name a few. Positive impacts of the practice are associated with the support that wildlife may receive through extra supplements to natural resources, and for people involved in the activity, there are benefits to both their well-being and conservation values through fostering the opportunity to connect with nature. Previous wildlife feeding research has shown that public wildlife feeding in the United Kingdom and Australia is quite extensive yet very little is known about why people engage in the activity and if there are any difference in feeding behaviour between the two countries. The general wildlife feeding attitudes in each country are strikingly different. In the United Kingdom wildlife feeding is encouraged, particularly of birds, to help support and conserve species within populated areas. In contrast, in Australia there is an unofficial opposition to the practice and it is generally discouraged based on concern about potential negative impacts. Due to these differences in wildlife feeding attitudes it was predicted that wildlife feeding practices would be different when comparisons were made between the two countries. The research explores the wildlife feeding practice in each country using an online survey to investigate the pattern of feeding, wildlife feeding motivations and attitudes, and the love, care and connection with nature of participants and any relationships this connection has with conservation values and behaviours. It was found that despite the difference in feeding attitudes in Australia and the United Kingdom the pattern of feeding was very similar in most instances. Additionally the predominant motivations to feed wildlife were also similar in both countries where the majority of participants feed wildlife to help support and care for the wildlife; as well as for the pleasure the activity brings them, which was consistent with previous research. The participants in this research were also found to have a high level of love, care and emotional connection with nature; that in turn was seen to demonstrate a positive relationship with both pro-environmental values and behaviour.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment.
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

The work presented here is a primarily qualitative examination of the meanings, values and perceptions ascribed to Australian wildlife and the influence and impact this has on its management. I argue that there is good reason to believe Australian wildlife management is fundamentally different from models based on game management as practiced in Europe and North America. Instead, Australian management models are grounded almost exclusively in the management of those species defined as pests. The approach taken here was to use a grounded theory methodology during the data collection and analysis and a social constructionist analysis for higher order abstractions. The approach was adopted because of an identified need to re-evaluate some of the precepts of Australian wildlife management. Although Australian fauna is generally intrinsically valued, such value appears not to have arrested its critical decline. With some exceptions, Australia's wildlife has not typically been valued as a resource although many of the 'pest' species killed in this country are utilised as food elsewhere. A partial explanation of what makes a species edible or worth conserving or needing to be culled appears to lie within the constructions different social groups hold for wildlife. I reasoned that if evidence was found that different groups of people constructed wildlife differently then this diversity of perception would clearly emerge during wildlife conflicts. There were three principle sources of data used in this thesis. The first was participant observations of a number of wildlife conflicts, the second was the textual analysis of newspaper texts that pertained to wildlife and the third were interviews with different stakeholders involved in a wildlife conflict. The data suggested different groups will construct wildlife differently, with the 'good' wildlife needing to be conserved while the 'bad' had to be 'managed.' However, there was no apparent consensus on which species were good and which were bad. Conflicts over wildlife often occur where a species is valued by one group and deplored by another. These conflicts can be simple, involving a single complainant and an individual of a species, or they can be community-wide, involving nuisance behaviours of sub-populations of a species, or they can be complex and reflect a range of deeper social tensions. In the studies presented here, these tensions included 'values clashes' between urban and rural groups, between groups who sought to nurture and protect wildlife and those who sought to manage risks associated with human-wildlife interactions. I argue that the way wildlife is constructed by the different groups, in addition to the values those groups ascribe to wildlife, often lies at the heart of a wildlife conflict - and that those constructions often reflect deeper differences than those relating to the treatment of wildlife itself. Observations of 11 conflicts informed development of a wildlife conflict typology describing the process by which these conflicts escalated into wider, and often intractable, disputes. Analysis of newspaper texts and interview transcripts allowed development of a second model which identified complexity, moral imperatives, ownership and the differing constructions as being key factors influencing the development and resolution of wildlife based conflicts. Both models were successfully tested against a serious wildlife dispute over the management of dingoes on Fraser Island. Based on these findings I conclude that in order to manage wildlife in a way which meets the expectations of Australians, wildlife professionals must recognise that there are a diversity of valid constructions and values ascribed to wildlife. Understanding these differing constructions will become a powerful tool for the resolution of wildlife conflicts that occur when the presence and behaviours of wildlife cause deterioration in relations between different social groups expressing an interest in that wildlife.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Full Text

Several state, federal and non-profit agencies have developed collaborative goals for restoring habitat in New England and New York for a declining rabbit species, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis, NEC). My goal was to evaluate habitat restorations at both the local, or site, scale, and the landscape scale. In order to objectively quantify the suitability of the sites being managed, I developed a Habitat Suitability Index, based on the HSI models designed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I identified candidate habitat variables for NEC, including types of cover and refuges, and food, and then asked a panel of NEC experts to rank the importance of the candidate variables. I collected data on the most important habitat variables at 60 sites managed for NEC across New England and eastern New York. The NEC experts also ranked the same 60 sites from 1 (unsuitable) to 5 (optimal). The model was optimized to improve agreement with expert opinions for the 60 sites. Specific applications may include determining when a site is suitable for releasing translocated or captive breed rabbits, and identifying habitat features that need modification as forest succession progresses. To evaluate habitat restoration efforts at a larger landscape scale, I created metapopulation models for two management focus areas (Cape Elizabeth and Kittery-Berwick) in Maine for population viability analyses. I ran simulations to compare the relative effects of the two focus areas as well as five management scenarios. I conducted a sensitivity analysis to determine the importance of various model parameters on extinction risk. The Cape Elizabeth focus area, which has more habitat patches that are closer together, had lower extinction risks than Kittery-Berwick. Reintroductions and creating additional habitat appeared especially important in the Kittery-Berwick focus area. The simulation results were sensitive to changes in the standard deviations of the survival and recruitment rates, and the probability of catastrophic mortality, indicating that variation is detrimental to NEC metapopulation growth. Variation in weather caused by climate change may need to be mitigated by monitoring and managing NEC habitat and populations.

Effective conservation of migratory species is hindered by a lack of knowledge of population links between breeding, wintering and stopover habitats. The Pacific-slope flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) is one of the many Neotropical migratory songbirds whose populations are steadily declining throughout western North America. This research contributed to the assessment of connectivity in this species by inferring relative breeding origins and habitat selection of juvenile birds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway to the South San Francisco Bay Area in the fall. Feather data collected from July 20 to October 12, 2014 were analyzed for three stable isotopes (δ²H, δ¹³C, δ ¹⁵N). Findings revealed that populations migrated sequentially from western regions throughout expected breeding latitudes, with early season migrants most likely coming from the more southern, warmer, and dryer regions of northern California, Oregon, and southern Washington while late season migrants had probable origins in the more northern, cooler, and wetter regions of northern Washington and southwestern British Columbia. This study provided new information on the annual cycle and migratory timing of Pacific-slope flycatchers, and lays the foundation for future assessments of migratory connectivity of this species.

The Pacific Coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus; plover) is listed as a federally threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to poor reproductive success from anthropogenic habitat loss, and high predation pressure. Plovers in the South San Francisco Bay use dry salt evaporation ponds, and wildlife-managed ponds, to breed and winter. However, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore up to 6,110 hectares of this habitat back to native tidal marsh, which will force plovers to breed in smaller areas and in higher densities. In order to recover plovers in these unique conditions, remaining habitat can be enhanced using oyster shells, which may camouflage breeding plovers, and decrease predation. This study evaluated the effect of oyster shell enhancement on plover breeding success by comparing nesting density, success, and brood behavior between enhanced and unenhanced areas. Plovers did select to nest in enhanced areas; however, nest survival did not increase relative to unenhanced areas. Brood behavior was also affected by enhancement, though highly correlated with the location of optimal foraging habitat. It is likely that enhancement will only improve nesting success if predators are concurrently controlled. Ultimately, plovers may benefit from the application of oyster shells as it attracts nesting effort, and may be strategically used by resource managers.

Identifying species occurrence in ecosystems of high conservation concern is especially important in the context of modern landscapes. This study investigated how stand-scale and landscape-scale factors affect priority birds associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palutris) ecosystems. Herein, I compared priority bird occupancy among 12 stand types throughout the historic range of longleaf pine. I found open pine stands positively influenced red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and Bachman’s sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) occupancy, but were not significantly linked to northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and brown-headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) occurrence. Landscape- and stand-scale factors affected red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachman’s sparrow, and brown-headed nuthatch occupancy. Northern bobwhite occupancy was influenced solely by landscape-scale factors. Red-cockaded woodpecker and Bachman’s sparrow were positively influenced by metrics associated with longleaf pine ecosystems suggesting they are effective indicator species. My analysis indicates that using this multi-scale approach is valuable to identifying areas on the landscape of conservation and restoration priority.

The coastal temperate rainforest is one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, and a major portion of the global total is found in Southeast Alaska. In this ecosystem, Sitka black-tailed deer are the dominant large herbivore, influencing large carnivores that prey on deer such as wolves and bears, as well as plant species and communities through browsing. In addition, deer play an important economic and cultural role for humans in Southeast Alaska, making up the large majority of terrestrial subsistence protein harvested each year as well as providing the backbone of a thriving tourism industry built around sport hunting. Given the importance of deer in this system, there remain a surprisingly large number of key gaps in our knowledge of deer ecology in Southeast Alaska.

These knowledge gaps are potentially troubling in light of ongoing industrial timber-harvest across the region, which greatly alters habitat characteristics and value to wildlife. This dissertation research project was undertaken with the aim of filling several connected needs for further understanding deer ecology, specifically 1) patterns of reproduction and fawn survival, 2) population dynamics in response to environmental variability, and the underlying drivers of spatial selection during 3) reproduction and 4) winter. To fill these knowledge gaps, I developed robust statistical tools for estimating rates of fawn survival, and found that fawns must be captured at birth, rather than within several days of birth, in order to produce unbiased estimates because highly vulnerable individuals died quickly and were thus absent from the latter sample. I then use this robust approach to estimate vital rates, including fawn survival in winter and summer, and developed a model of population dynamics for deer. I found that winter weather had the strongest influence on population dynamics, via reduced over-winter fawn survival, with mass at birth and gender ratio of fawns important secondary drivers.

To better understand deer-habitat relationships, I examined both summer and winter habitat selection patterns by female deer. Using summer-only data, I asked how reproductive female deer balance wolf and bear predation risk against access to forage over time. Predation risks and forage were strong drivers of deer spatial selection during summer, but reproductive period and time within reproductive period determined deer reaction to these drivers. To ensure adequate reproductive habitat for deer, areas with low predation risk and high forage should be conserved. Focusing on winter, I evaluated deer spatial selection during winter as a response to snow depth, vegetation classes, forage, and landscape features. I allowed daily snow depth measures to interact with selection of other covariates, and found strong support for deer avoidance of deep snow, as well as changes in deer selection of old-growth and second-growth habitats and landscape features with increasing snow depth. Collectively, this dissertation greatly improves our understanding of deer ecology in Alaska, and suggests habitat management actions that will help ensure resilient deer populations in the future.

The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is an imperiled songbird that breeds in early-successional plant communities of eastern North America. Conservation efforts on the breeding grounds have become a priority because population declines are understood to be driven chiefly by the loss/degradation of breeding habitat. Although the species is known to use a variety of upland and wetland habitat types, most previous research on the species has been conducted solely in uplands. I studied Golden-winged Warbler use and habitat characteristics in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. Density estimates suggest that both timber harvests and wetlands support similar densities of Golden-winged Warblers. Microhabitat occupancy models revealed that those wetlands I surveyed with high densities of 1-2 m tall shrubs (>2x as many shrubs) supported fewer Golden-winged Warblers whereas wetlands with more saplings (>2x as many saplings) and sedge cover (~1.3x as many sedge observations) supported more warblers. Finally, I found that macro-scale habitat variables that I quantified did not predict species occupancy of wetlands, likely due to the homogeneous nature of the study area. My study suggests that both wetlands and timber harvests have similar capacity to support Golden-winged Warblers. Further, wetlands in the Poconos should be evaluated at the microhabitat-scale for vegetative attributes that meet Golden-winged Warbler habitat requirements, rather than at the macro-habitat scale.

Conserving bird populations in urban landscapes often depends on interactions between extinction, recolonization, and survival in remnant habitat patches such as small nature preserves. Thus, determining the ecological value of small nature preserves to birds is a necessary step towards an informed conservation strategy. As such, I conducted a year round capture-mark-recapture study from April 2010 to March 2014 to examine population dynamics of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and Carolina Wrens ( Thryothorus ludovicianus) in a 41.7-ha nature preserve embedded in an urban matrix. More specifically, we examined variation in survival, recruitment, and realized population growth rates relative to year, season, sex, age, and wing length (as a proxy for body size) to investigate attributes that affect individual survival and to assess whether the reserve served as a population source or sink. The overall annual apparent survival rate of Northern Cardinals (0.520 ± SE 0.050) was higher than that of the Carolina Wrens (0.349 ± 0.050), and estimates in both species were similar to regional baseline estimates. The survival rates for adults were significantly higher than for immatures in both species, with body size having a positive influence on survival. Seasonal variation in survivorship was evident only in Northern Cardinals, being highest in the winter and lowest during the breeding season. Average annual population growth rate was slightly greater than 1.0 for both species, indicating stable or perhaps modestly increasing populations. These results represent the first published full annual cycle estimates of survival and population growth relative to age, sex, and body size for non-migratory passerines. Our results suggest that urban forests can provide the necessary resources to sustain growing populations of locally common birds. Furthermore, our demographic estimates derived from two healthy bird populations can serve as target values for other species of conservation concern within human-modified landscapes.

This study investigates the population dynamics, movements, and habitat use of a population of western pond turtles in Orange County, California from 2008-2012 using radio telemetry and mark-recapture data. Western pond turtles have been thought to be declining throughout their range. However, few studies have documented their status in southern California, where urbanization has changed the landscape drastically in recent decades. I individually marked 236 pond turtles using hoop-net funnel traps and estimated the population size at 308 individuals, which is the largest estimate reported in southern California. Mean capture per unit effort was 5.03±0.87. Mean female carapace length (CL) (142±14mm) was not significantly larger than males (139±14 mm). I also documented 20 nest and 9 estivation locations. Mean distances included 176 ±130.80 meters (m) and 91±58.6 m. These data identify the population demography, which can be a metric of population stability. Other known populations need to be estimated to determine their regional status.

Size-at-age of Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) has declined significantly since the 1980s. For instance, the average weight of a 20-year-old female declined from 55 kg in 1988 to 20 kg in 2014. The decline in size-at-age corresponds to a period of declining Pacific Halibut recruitment, spawning biomass, and reductions in catch limits for the directed commercial Pacific Halibut longline fishery. The causes of changes in Pacific Halibut size-at-age are poorly understood. Our project investigates several hypotheses related to declines in size-at-age, including the effects of environmental and ecological variability on growth, and the cumulative effects of harvest and size-selective fishing. Specific potential environmental covariates include the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is an index of basin-wide sea surface temperatures, and summer sea surface temperatures along the continental shelf of the Gulf of Alaska. Specific ecological variables include annual biomass estimates of Arrowtooth Flounder (Atheresthes stomias) and Pacific Halibut to investigate the potential role of inter- and intraspecific competition, respectively. We used a population modeling approach to simulate the effects of fishing on size-at-age. We found that the large increase in Arrowtooth Flounder biomass since the 1970s corresponds to declines in Pacific Halibut size-at-age. Our results also suggest that periods of high Pacific Halibut biomass relates to poor growth and low size-at-age. Finally, we found that harvest and size-selective fishing explains between 30 and 65% of observed declines since the 1980s in the Gulf of Alaska, and up to 100% of the declines in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia where harvest rates were high in the 1990s and 2000s. Our findings have implications for fisheries management, including balancing tradeoffs associated with size limits, and understanding how changes in environmental and ecological conditions can shift management reference points such as maximum sustainable yield.

Rails (Family: Rallidae) are among the least studied birds in North America, in large part due to their elusive nature. As a wetland-dependent species, understanding the timing of their migration and their habitat needs during migration is especially important since management needs to be timed to balance the needs of many species. I developed and verified a new distance sampling based nocturnal ATV spotlight survey because traditional call-broadcast surveys are not effective during autumn migration because of the drop off in call rate after the breeding season. These surveys allow us to ask point-level questions about what habitats rails select during migration and how it changes over time. Through these standardized surveys from 2012-2016 across 11 public properties in Missouri, USA, I documented the migratory timing and habitat use of migratory rails. Sora (Porzana carolina) have a wide migratory window, beginning in early August and continuing through the end of October with a peak in late September. Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) and Yellow Rails (Coturnicops noveboracensis) have shorter migratory periods, from late September through the end of October. Rails, especially Sora, migrate earlier than waterfowl, which can create a mismatch of habitat needs. We performed a 3 year experiment to examine the response of Sora and waterfowl to early autumn wetland flooding. Sora responded positively without a negative impact on waterfowl. I used monitoring data to create species distribution models to inform estimates of migratory connectivity for all three species using stable hydrogen isotopes. Sora and Yellow Rails were estimated to migrate generally north-south, with Virginia Rails coming from a wider east-west range. Through better understanding the migratory connectivity, timing and habitat use of rails in the autumn I provide a foundation to inform conservation and management of these fascinating and elusive birds. We provide a description of all variables used (Appendix II), GPS data of survey tracks and detection points (Appendix III), data sets of bird observation points, survey data, and vegetation information (Appendix IV), data sets of stable hydrogen isotope data (Appendix V), data sets of species distribution models (Appendix VI).

Sea-level rise is a concern for the future of coastal marsh obligate species such as the Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans). Clapper Rails possess the potential to indicate changes to marsh ecological state due to population variation related to habitat features exhibited in previous study. Estimates for Clapper Rail survival are among the key missing parameters to create predictive models for Clapper Rail populations. I estimated Clapper Rail survival using data collected from six automated telemetry towers located in two Mississippi marshes. Thirty adult rails were harnessed with radio transmitters around telemetry towers to provide evidence of a rail’s status, alive or dead. Using survival estimates in conjunction with existing empirical data, I created an individual-based model that incorporated existing Sea-level Affecting Marsh Models, which predict changing land cover. These models showed that Clapper Rails will likely persist, though at decreased populations, through changes in habitat due to sea-level rise.

Historically, black bears occurred throughout Mississippi but by 1932, <12 bears remained. Repatriation in neighboring states and conservation efforts in Mississippi have led to the recolonization of at least 2 subspecies (U. a. luteolus and U. a. americanus) of black bears in the state. I compiled available data to provide a synthesis of the history, current status, and management of black bears in Mississippi. Additionally, I used global positioning data collected from radio collared bears to determine the influence of distance to source population, cover type, distance to roads, distance to water, wetland reserve program areas, and human population density on black bear resource selection at various spatial scales. I studied characteristics of space use and resource selection of recolonizing bears in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (Delta). I assessed the influence of environmental parameters at the female core annual home-range (using 50% kernel density estimator) and male and female seasonal and annual home-ranges (95% kernel density estimator). Distance to source population and distance to roads had significant influence at the core female home-range scale. I found a sex-based difference in annual and seasonal home-ranges. I also found that bears exhibited response to and selection for specific resources with an affinity toward hardwood stands, particularly young-aged hardwoods. My research illustrates the importance of analyzing resource selection at multiple scales to gain a full understanding of parameters that influence the recolonization of a bear population.

Tanzania has exceptional wildlife, environment and natural resources. The traditional way of conserving nature and wildlife has been through parks and reserves. In the 1980’s community based conservation emerged as a resource management paradigm. Its premise was that giving local people a stake in wildlife would increase their incentive to conserve it. This would make wildlife an important engine of local economic development. The core elements in community based conservation projects concern development, conservation and sustainable land use. Its ambition both to improve conditions for the local communities and conserve wildlife seems like a win-win situation, but has this really been working that well when applied in the field? This study aims to review the Community Based Wildlife Management in Tanzania, exemplified by a case study in the Wildlife Management Area in Burunge, located in a migration corridor between two national parks. There has been much controversy surrounding community-based management projects. While gains for the local communities have not always been clear, gains for wildlife seem more evident. Both species numbers and individuals have increased, but at the same time there has also been increasing conflicts between locals and wildlife. This is a sign that the WMAs are only halfway to towards reaching their goal of improving conditions for both communities and wildlife. CBC stills seems like the way forwards, maybe in a modified form which allows more government control, but where local people’s rights are still respected.