1
|
Garnett ST, Butchart SHM, Baker GB, Bayraktarov E, Buchanan KL, Burbidge AA, Chauvenet ALM, Christidis L, Ehmke G, Grace M, Hoccom DG, Legge SM, Leiper I, Lindenmayer DB, Loyn RH, Maron M, McDonald P, Menkhorst P, Possingham HP, Radford J, Reside AE, Watson DM, Watson JEM, Wintle B, Woinarski JCZ, Geyle HM. Metrics of progress in the understanding and management of threats to Australian birds. Conserv Biol 2019; 33:456-468. [PMID: 30465331 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although evidence-based approaches have become commonplace for determining the success of conservation measures for the management of threatened taxa, there are no standard metrics for assessing progress in research or management. We developed 5 metrics to meet this need for threatened taxa and to quantify the need for further action and effective alleviation of threats. These metrics (research need, research achievement, management need, management achievement, and percent threat reduction) can be aggregated to examine trends for an individual taxon or for threats across multiple taxa. We tested the utility of these metrics by applying them to Australian threatened birds, which appears to be the first time that progress in research and management of threats has been assessed for all threatened taxa in a faunal group at a continental scale. Some research has been conducted on nearly three-quarters of known threats to taxa, and there is a clear understanding of how to alleviate nearly half of the threats with the highest impact. Some management has been attempted on nearly half the threats. Management outcomes ranged from successful trials to complete mitigation of the threat, including for one-third of high-impact threats. Progress in both research and management tended to be greater for taxa that were monitored or occurred on oceanic islands. Predation by cats had the highest potential threat score. However, there has been some success reducing the impact of cat predation, so climate change (particularly drought), now poses the greatest threat to Australian threatened birds. Our results demonstrate the potential for the proposed metrics to encapsulate the major trends in research and management of both threats and threatened taxa and provide a basis for international comparisons of evidence-based conservation science.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S T Garnett
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| | - S H M Butchart
- BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
- Department of Zoology, The University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K
| | - G B Baker
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
| | - E Bayraktarov
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - K L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong, Victoria, 3216, Australia
| | - A A Burbidge
- 87 Rosedale Street, Floreat, Western Australia, 6014, Australia
| | - A L M Chauvenet
- School of Environment and Science & Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia
| | - L Christidis
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia
| | - G Ehmke
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- BirdLife Australia, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - M Grace
- Department of Zoology, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, U.K
| | - D G Hoccom
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Bedfordshire, SG 19 2DL, U.K
| | - S M Legge
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - I Leiper
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| | - D B Lindenmayer
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - R H Loyn
- The Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, 3690, Australia
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, 2640, Australia
- Eco Insights, Beechworth, Victoria, 3747, Australia
| | - M Maron
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - P McDonald
- Zoology, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - P Menkhorst
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
| | - H P Possingham
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203-1606, U.S.A
| | - J Radford
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - A E Reside
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - D M Watson
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, 2640, Australia
| | - J E M Watson
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, U.S.A
| | - B Wintle
- School of Bioscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - J C Z Woinarski
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| | - H M Geyle
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| |
Collapse
|