1
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White SL, Rash JM, Kazyak DC. Is now the time? Review of genetic rescue as a conservation tool for brook trout. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10142. [PMID: 37250443 PMCID: PMC10213484 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Brook trout populations have been declining throughout their native range in the east coast of the United States. Many populations are now distributed in small, isolated habitat patches where low genetic diversity and high rates of inbreeding reduce contemporary viability and long-term adaptive potential. Although human-assisted gene flow could theoretically improve conservation outcomes through genetic rescue, there is widespread hesitancy to use this tool to support brook trout conservation. Here, we review the major uncertainties that have limited genetic rescue from being considered as a viable conservation tool for isolated brook trout populations and compare the risks of genetic rescue with other management alternatives. Drawing on theoretical and empirical studies, we discuss methods for implementing genetic rescue in brook trout that could yield long-term evolutionary benefits while avoiding negative fitness effects associated with outbreeding depression and the spread of maladapted alleles. We also highlight the potential for future collaborative efforts to accelerate our understanding of genetic rescue as a viable tool for conservation. Ultimately, while we acknowledge that genetic rescue is not without risk, we emphasize the merits that this tool offers for protecting and propagating adaptive potential and improving species' resilience to rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L. White
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science CenterKearneysvilleWest VirginiaUSA
| | - Jacob M. Rash
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources CommissionMarionNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - David C. Kazyak
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science CenterKearneysvilleWest VirginiaUSA
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2
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Cohen AS, Lutzke L, Otten CD, Árvai J. I Think, Therefore I Act: The Influence of Critical Reasoning Ability on Trust and Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2022; 42:1073-1085. [PMID: 34601741 PMCID: PMC8662233 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Actively open-minded thinking (AOT) operates in three dimensions: it serves as a norm accounting for how one should search for and use information in judgment and decision making; it is a thinking style that one may adopt in accordance with the norm; and it sets standards for evaluating the thinking of others, particularly the trustworthiness of sources that claim authority. With the first and third dimensions in mind, we explore how AOT influences trust in public health experts, risk perceptions, and compliance with recommended behaviors aimed at slowing the spread and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from a nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 857), we tested whether AOT will lead people to place greater trust public health experts (H1). Because these experts have been consistently messaging that COVID-19 is a real and serious threat to public health, we also hypothesized that trust in experts would be positively associated with high perceived risk (H2), which should have a positive influence on (self-reported) compliance with CDC recommendations (H3). And because AOT is a self-directed thinking style, we also expected it to directly influence risk perceptions and, by extension, compliance (H4). Our results support all four hypotheses. We discuss the implications of these results for how risk communication and risk management efforts are designed and practiced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Segrè Cohen
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Lauren Lutzke
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | | | - Joseph Árvai
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Decision ResearchEugeneORUSA
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3
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Long AM, Colón MR, Morrison ML, Mathewson HA. Demonstration of a multi‐species, multi‐response state‐and‐transition model approach for wildlife management. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Long
- Agricultural Center and School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana 70803 USA
| | - Melanie R. Colón
- Agricultural Center and School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana 70803 USA
| | - Michael L. Morrison
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Heather A. Mathewson
- Wildlife and Natural Resources Tarleton State University Stephenville Texas 76402 USA
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4
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Hagerman S, Satterfield T, Nawaz S, St‐Laurent GP, Kozak R, Gregory R. Social comfort zones for transformative conservation decisions in a changing climate. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1932-1943. [PMID: 33993550 PMCID: PMC9487985 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Novel management interventions intended to mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity are increasingly being considered by scientists and practitioners. However, resistance to more transformative interventions remains common across both specialist and lay communities and is generally assumed to be strongly entrenched. We used a decision-pathways survey of the public in Canada and the United States (n = 1490) to test two propositions relating to climate-motivated interventions for conservation: most public groups are uncomfortable with interventionist options for conserving biodiversity and given the strong values basis for preferences regarding biodiversity and natural systems more broadly, people are unlikely to change their minds. Our pathways design tested and retested levels of comfort with interventions for forest ecosystems at three different points in the survey. Comfort was reexamined given different nudges (including new information from trusted experts) and in reference to a particular species (bristlecone pine [Pinus longaeva]). In contrast with expectations of public unease, baseline levels of public comfort with climate interventions in forests was moderately high (46% comfortable) and increased further when respondents were given new information and the opportunity to change their choice after consideration of a particular species. People who were initially comfortable with interventions tended to remain so (79%), whereas 42% of those who were initially uncomfortable and 40% of those who were uncertain shifted to comfortable by the end of the survey. In short and across questions, comfort levels with interventions were high, and where discomfort or uncertainty existed, such positions did not appear to be strongly held. We argue that a new decision logic, one based on anthropogenic responsibility, is beginning to replace a default reluctance to intervene with nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Hagerman
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Terre Satterfield
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sara Nawaz
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | | | - Robert Kozak
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Robin Gregory
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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5
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Watermeyer KE, Guillera-Arroita G, Bal P, Burgass MJ, Bland LM, Collen B, Hallam C, Kelly LT, McCarthy MA, Regan TJ, Stevenson S, Wintle BA, Nicholson E. Using decision science to evaluate global biodiversity indices. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:492-501. [PMID: 32557849 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Global biodiversity indices are used to measure environmental change and progress toward conservation goals, yet few indices have been evaluated comprehensively for their capacity to detect trends of interest, such as declines in threatened species or ecosystem function. Using a structured approach based on decision science, we qualitatively evaluated 9 indices commonly used to track biodiversity at global and regional scales against 5 criteria relating to objectives, design, behavior, incorporation of uncertainty, and constraints (e.g., costs and data availability). Evaluation was based on reference literature for indices available at the time of assessment. We identified 4 key gaps in indices assessed: pathways to achieving goals (means objectives) were not always clear or relevant to desired outcomes (fundamental objectives); index testing and understanding of expected behavior was often lacking; uncertainty was seldom acknowledged or accounted for; and costs of implementation were seldom considered. These gaps may render indices inadequate in certain decision-making contexts and are problematic for indices linked with biodiversity targets and sustainability goals. Ensuring that index objectives are clear and their design is underpinned by a model of relevant processes are crucial in addressing the gaps identified by our assessment. Uptake and productive use of indices will be improved if index performance is tested rigorously and assumptions and uncertainties are clearly communicated to end users. This will increase index accuracy and value in tracking biodiversity change and supporting national and global policy decisions, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Watermeyer
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | | | - Payal Bal
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael J Burgass
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, U.K
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- Biodiversify, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24, U.K
| | - Lucie M Bland
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Lucie Bland Editing, 1-3 Theobald Street, Thornbury, VIC, 3071, Australia
| | - Ben Collen
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetic, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Chris Hallam
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Luke T Kelly
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael A McCarthy
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Tracey J Regan
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
| | - Simone Stevenson
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Brendan A Wintle
- Quantitative and Applied Ecology, School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Emily Nicholson
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
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Snake River sockeye and Chinook salmon in a changing climate: Implications for upstream migration survival during recent extreme and future climates. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238886. [PMID: 32997674 PMCID: PMC7526937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2015, the Pacific marine heat wave, low river flows, and record high water temperatures in the Columbia River Basin contributed to a near-complete failure of the adult migration of endangered Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, NOAA Fisheries 2016). These extreme weather events may become the new normal due to anthropogenic climate change, with catastrophic consequences for endangered species. Existing anthropogenic pressures may amplify vulnerability to climate change, but these potential synergies have rarely been quantified. We examined factors affecting survival of endangered sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and threatened Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) as they migrated upstream through eight dams and reservoirs to spawning areas in the Snake River Basin. Our extensive database included histories of 17,279 individual fish that migrated since 2004. A comparison between conditions in 2015 and daily temperatures and flows in a regulated basin forced by output from global climate models showed that 2015 did have many characteristics of projected future mean conditions. To evaluate potential salmon responses, we modeled migration timing and apparent survival under historical and future climate scenarios (2040s). For Chinook salmon, adult survival from the first dam encountered to spawning grounds dropped by 4-15%, depending on the climate scenario. For sockeye, survival dropped by ~80% from their already low levels. Through sensitivity analyses, we observed that the adult sockeye migration would need to shift more than 2 weeks earlier than predicted to maintain survival rates typical of those seen during 2008-2017. Overall, the greater impacts of climate change on adult sockeye compared with adult Chinook salmon reflected differences in life history and environmental sensitivities, which were compounded for sockeye by larger effect sizes from other anthropogenic factors. Compared with Chinook, sockeye was more negatively affected by a history of juvenile transportation and by similar temperatures and flows. The largest changes in temperature and flow were projected to be upstream from the hydrosystem, where direct mitigation through hydrosystem management is not an option. Unfortunately, Snake River sockeye have likely lost much of their adaptive capacity with the loss of the wild population. Further work exploring habitat restoration or additional mitigation actions is urgently needed.
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7
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Beyond choice architecture: a building code for structuring climate risk management decisions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/bpp.2020.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Although the need for urgent climate change action is clear, insights about how to make better climate risk management decisions are limited. While significant attention from behavioral researchers has focused on choice architecture, we argue that many of the contexts for addressing climate risks require increased attention to the needs of a deliberative and dynamic choice environment. A key facet of this kind of decision is the need for decision-makers and stakeholders to identify and balance conflicting economic, social and environmental objectives. This recognition of difficult, context-specific trade-offs highlights the need for structuring the decision-making process so that objectives are clearly articulated and prioritized. Equally, policy analyses and deliberations must effectively link priorities with climate risk management options. This restructuring of decision-making about climate change calls for more than a nudge. Scientific and technical efforts must be redirected to help stakeholders and decision-makers better understand the diverse implications of climate change management alternatives and to become better equipped to take actions commensurate with the urgency of the problem.
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8
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Nicholson E, Fulton EA, Brooks TM, Blanchard R, Leadley P, Metzger JP, Mokany K, Stevenson S, Wintle BA, Woolley SN, Barnes M, Watson JE, Ferrier S. Scenarios and Models to Support Global Conservation Targets. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:57-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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9
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Parlato EH, Armstrong DP. Predicting reintroduction outcomes for highly vulnerable species that do not currently coexist with their key threats. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:1346-1355. [PMID: 29455467 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting reintroduction outcomes before populations are released is inherently challenging. It becomes even more difficult when the species being considered for reintroduction no longer coexists with the key threats limiting its distribution. However, data from other species facing the same threats can be used to make predictions under these circumstances. We used an integrated Bayesian modeling approach to predict growth of a reintroduced population at a range of predator densities when no data are available for the species in the presence of that predator. North Island Saddlebacks (Philesturnus rufusater) were extirpated from mainland New Zealand by exotic mammalian predators, particularly ship rats (black rats [Rattus rattus]) but are now being considered for reintroduction to sites with intensive predator control. We initially modeled data from previous saddleback reintroductions to predator-free sites to predict population growth at a new predator-free site while accounting for random variation in vital rates among sites. We then predicted population growth at different rat-tracking rates (an index of rat density) by incorporating a previously modeled relationship between rat-tracking and vital rates of another predator-sensitive species, the North Island Robin (Petroica longipes), and accounted for greater vulnerability of saddlebacks to rat predation based on information on historical declines of both species. The results allowed population growth to be predicted as a function of management effort while accounting for uncertainty, which means formal decision analysis could be used to decide whether to proceed with a reintroduction. Similar approaches could be applied to other situations where data on the species of interest are limited and provide an alternative to decision making based solely on expert judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Parlato
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North, Private Bag, 11 222, New Zealand
| | - Doug P Armstrong
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North, Private Bag, 11 222, New Zealand
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10
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Lecuyer L, White RM, Schmook B, Calmé S. Building on common ground to address biodiversity conflicts and foster collaboration in environmental management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 220:217-226. [PMID: 29778958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Conservation biology faces critical challenges that require collaborative approaches, including novel strategies to support interactions among actors in biodiversity conflicts. The goals of this study were to investigate the concept of common ground across multiple issues and to explore its practical application for the support of environmental management. We conceptually defined common ground as the areas of relevance underlying the suite of issues expressed by people regarding environmental management in a particular context. We then empirically tested this in the Calakmul region of Mexico, where the complex socio-historical context and high biodiversity have created environmental management challenges that are now being addressed by a local, multi-stakeholder management board. We conducted 26 open interviews with members of the board and a further round of quantitative prioritisation of issues raised. Using a coding process designed to reveal common ground, we categorized the issues at four levels ranging from coarse to fine (themes, topics, sub-topics and perspectives). We then analysed two levels, topics (n = 14 issues) and sub-topics (n = 51 issues). To do so, we built common ground matrices to identify and analyze common ground among actors and across issues. First, cluster and non-metrical data analyses revealed the diversity of actor positions and the lack of consistent grouping among actors by occupational activity. This demonstrated that focusing on actors' differences might be misleading, and that actors' views were not closely aligned with their roles. Second, we located issues according to their levels of common ground and importance among actors. We showed that by not focusing on single issue conflicts, the identification of common ground across multiple issues can pinpoint synergies. We then proposed a framework for collaboration that prioritizes issues of high importance with greater common ground (e.g. sustainable resource use activities), to support the development of trust and norms of reciprocity among actors, strengthening the potential for future cooperation. By adopting this approach, environmental managers could support the initial stages of collaborative conservation strategies, engaging with other actors to seek common ground, avoid the creation of polarised groups and help effectively manage biodiversity conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Lecuyer
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada.
| | - Rehema M White
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, Irvine Building, University of St Andrews, North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, Fife, Scotland, UK.
| | - Birgit Schmook
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Av. Centenario km 5.5, CP 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | - Sophie Calmé
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada; El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Av. Centenario km 5.5, CP 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
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11
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Development of a Species Status Assessment Process for Decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.3996/052017-jfwm-041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) require scientific input on the risk that the species will become extinct. A series of critiques on the role of science in ESA decisions have called for improved consistency and transparency in species risk assessments and clear distinctions between science input and policy application. To address the critiques and document the emerging practice of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), we outline an assessment process based on principles and practices of risk and decision analyses that results in a scientific report on species status. The species status assessment (SSA) process has three successive stages: 1) document the life history and ecological relationships of the species in question to provide the foundation for the assessment, 2) describe and hypothesize causes for the current condition of the species, and 3) forecast the species' future condition. The future condition refers to the ability of a species to sustain populations in the wild under plausible future scenarios. The scenarios help explore the species' response to future environmental stressors and to assess the potential for conservation to intervene to improve its status. The SSA process incorporates modeling and scenario planning for prediction of extinction risk and applies the conservation biology principles of representation, resiliency, and redundancy to evaluate the current and future condition. The SSA results in a scientific report distinct from policy application, which contributes to streamlined, transparent, and consistent decision-making and allows for greater technical participation by experts outside of the USFWS, for example, by state natural resource agencies. We present two case studies based on assessments of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus and the Sonoran Desert tortoise Gopherus morafkai to illustrate the process. The SSA builds upon the past threat-focused assessment by including systematic and explicit analyses of a species' future response to stressors and conservation, and as a result, we believe it provides an improved scientific analysis for ESA decisions.
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Stephens SL, Collins BM, Biber E, Fulé PZ. U.S.
federal fire and forest policy: emphasizing resilience in dry forests. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Scott L. Stephens
- Division of Ecosystem ScienceDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Brandon M. Collins
- Center for Fire Research and OutreachUniversity of California Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Eric Biber
- University of California, BerkeleySchool of Law 436 North Addition Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Peter Z. Fulé
- School of ForestryCollege of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural SciencesNorthern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA
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13
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Cohen JB, Hecht A, Robinson KF, Osnas EE, Tyre AJ, Davis C, Kocek A, Maslo B, Melvin SM. To exclose nests or not: structured decision making for the conservation of a threatened species. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B. Cohen
- Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - Anne Hecht
- Northeast Region Endangered Species Program USFWS Sudbury Massachusetts 01776 USA
| | - Kelly F. Robinson
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Natural Resources Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Erik E. Osnas
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, Region 7 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska 99503 USA
| | - Andrew J. Tyre
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68588 USA
| | - Christina Davis
- New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Woodbine New Jersey 08270 USA
| | - Alison Kocek
- Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - Brooke Maslo
- Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources Rutgers University New Brunswick New Jersey 08901 USA
| | - Scott M. Melvin
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Westborough Massachusetts 01581 USA
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14
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Todd CR, Lindenmayer DB, Stamation K, Acevedo-Cattaneo S, Smith S, Lumsden LF. Assessing reserve effectiveness: Application to a threatened species in a dynamic fire prone forest landscape. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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15
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Abstract
Listing endangered and threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act is presumed to offer a defense against extinction and a solution to achieve recovery of imperiled populations, but only if effective conservation action ensues after listing occurs. The amount of government funding available for species protection and recovery is one of the best predictors of successful recovery; however, government spending is both insufficient and highly disproportionate among groups of species, and there is significant discrepancy between proposed and actualized budgets across species. In light of an increasing list of imperiled species requiring evaluation and protection, an explicit approach to allocating recovery funds is urgently needed. Here I provide a formal decision-theoretic approach focusing on return on investment as an objective and a transparent mechanism to achieve the desired recovery goals. I found that less than 25% of the $1.21 billion/year needed for implementing recovery plans for 1,125 species is actually allocated to recovery. Spending in excess of the recommended recovery budget does not necessarily translate into better conservation outcomes. Rather, elimination of only the budget surplus for "costly yet futile" recovery plans can provide sufficient funding to erase funding deficits for more than 180 species. Triage by budget compression provides better funding for a larger sample of species, and a larger sample of adequately funded recovery plans should produce better outcomes even if by chance. Sharpening our focus on deliberate decision making offers the potential to achieve desired outcomes in avoiding extinction for Endangered Species Act-listed species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
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16
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Sesnie SE, Mueller JM, Lehnen SE, Rowin SM, Reidy JL, Thompson FR. Airborne laser altimetry and multispectral imagery for modeling Golden‐cheeked Warbler (
Setophaga chrysoparia
) density. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Steven E. Sesnie
- Division of Biological SciencesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque New Mexico 87103‐1306 USA
| | - James M. Mueller
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceBalcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge 24518 E FM 1431 Marble Falls Texas 78654‐4096 USA
| | - Sarah E. Lehnen
- Division of Biological SciencesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque New Mexico 87103‐1306 USA
| | - Scott M. Rowin
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceBalcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge 24518 E FM 1431 Marble Falls Texas 78654‐4096 USA
| | - Jennifer L. Reidy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Missouri 302 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia Missouri 65211 USA
| | - Frank R. Thompson
- United States Department of AgricultureForest ServiceNorthern Research Station 202 Anheuser‐Busch Natural Resources Building Columbia Missouri 65211 USA
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17
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McDonald SL, Lewison RL, Read AJ. Evaluating the efficacy of environmental legislation: A case study from the US marine mammal Take Reduction Planning process. Glob Ecol Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Troyer CM, Gerber LR. Assessing the impact of the U.S. Endangered Species Act recovery planning guidelines on managing threats for listed species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2015; 29:1423-1433. [PMID: 26108948 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of the United States was enacted in 1973 to prevent the extinction of species. Recovery plans, required by 1988 amendments to the ESA, play an important role in organizing these efforts to protect and recover species. To improve the use of science in the recovery planning process, the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) commissioned an independent review of endangered species recovery planning in 1999. From these findings, the SCB made key recommendations for how management agencies could improve the recovery planning process, after which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service redrafted their recovery planning guidelines. One important recommendation called for recovery plans to make threats a primary focus, including organizing and prioritizing recovery tasks for threat abatement. We sought to determine the extent to which results from the SCB study were incorporated into these new guidelines and whether the SCB recommendations regarding threats manifested in recovery plans written under the new guidelines. Recovery planning guidelines generally incorporated the SCB recommendations, including those for managing threats. However, although recent recovery plans have improved in their treatment of threats, many fail to adequately incorporate threat monitoring. This failure suggests that developing clear guidelines for monitoring should be an important priority in improving ESA recovery planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Troyer
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
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Árvai J, Kellon D, León R, Gregory R, Richardson R. Structuring international development decisions: confronting trade-offs between land use and community development in Costa Rica. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10669-014-9495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Seney EE, Rowland MJ, Lowery RA, Griffis RB, McClure MM. Climate change, marine environments, and the US Endangered species act. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2013; 27:1138-1146. [PMID: 24299080 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to be a top driver of global biodiversity loss in the 21st century. It poses new challenges to conserving and managing imperiled species, particularly in marine and estuarine ecosystems. The use of climate-related science in statutorily driven species management, such as under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), is in its early stages. This article provides an overview of ESA processes, with emphasis on the mandate to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to manage listed marine, estuarine, and anadromous species. Although the ESA is specific to the United States, its requirements are broadly relevant to conservation planning. Under the ESA, species, subspecies, and "distinct population segments" may be listed as either endangered or threatened, and taking of most listed species (harassing, harming, pursuing, wounding, killing, or capturing) is prohibited unless specifically authorized via a case-by-case permit process. Government agencies, in addition to avoiding take, must ensure that actions they fund, authorize, or conduct are not likely to jeopardize a listed species' continued existence or adversely affect designated critical habitat. Decisions for which climate change is likely to be a key factor include: determining whether a species should be listed under the ESA, designating critical habitat areas, developing species recovery plans, and predicting whether effects of proposed human activities will be compatible with ESA-listed species' survival and recovery. Scientific analyses that underlie these critical conservation decisions include risk assessment, long-term recovery planning, defining environmental baselines, predicting distribution, and defining appropriate temporal and spatial scales. Although specific guidance is still evolving, it is clear that the unprecedented changes in global ecosystems brought about by climate change necessitate new information and approaches to conservation of imperiled species. El Cambio Climático, los Ecosistemas Marinos y el Acta Estadunidense de Especies en Peligro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Seney
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Science and Technology, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, U.S.A.; Erin Seney Consulting, LLC, Woodbridge, VA, 22192, U.S.A
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