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Guerrero-Pineda C, Iacona GD, Duzy L, Eikenberry S, Frank AR, Watson G, Gerber LR. Prioritizing resource allocation to reduce adverse effects of pesticide risk for endangered species. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171032. [PMID: 38378065 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The use of pesticides promotes food security because of the multiple benefits it brings to agriculture, such as reduction in crop losses. However, the use of pesticides can be potentially harmful to non-target species. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency regulates the use of pesticides to manage the risks associated with these agents and to protect species under the Endangered Species Act. As part of these regulations, pesticides must be registered and then reviewed every 15 years to ensure the use conditions are updated with the best available data. The registration and review process can invoke corrective measures to ensure protection of endangered species. However, the registration review process is highly resource and time consuming. There is currently a backlog of unreviewed pesticides, leaving a large quantity of pesticides without updated use conditions to protect species. Identifying ways to streamline this process is urgently needed. We develop a sequencing approach to address the risk assessment bottleneck in the pesticide registration and review process and identify species that would benefit most from detailed assessments. We then demonstrate the magnitude of potential efficiencies using this sequencing process for 61 terrestrial listed species in the state of California. Our results show a consistent ranking of listed species according to their relative benefits from assessment, with 90 % of the species being robustly classified across scenarios in the sensitivity analysis. We found that prioritizing the assessment of a small group of species could potentially result in high conservation benefits, and identify species in need of more detailed data for a robust sequencing. We examine how a sequencing approach can guide decisions about what species might benefit most from different levels of assessment. Our results demonstrate the conservation benefits of employing a sequencing approach to prioritize the allocation of limited resources for endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Guerrero-Pineda
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Gwenllian D Iacona
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Leah Duzy
- Compliance Services International, Lakewood, WA 98499, USA
| | - Steffen Eikenberry
- School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Ashlea R Frank
- Compliance Services International, Lakewood, WA 98499, USA
| | - Greg Watson
- Regulatory Scientific Affairs, Bayer U.S. Crop Science, Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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2
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Stanley AE, Epanchin-Niell R, Treakle T, Iacona GD. Attributes of preemptive conservation efforts for species precluded from listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Conserv Biol 2024; 38:e14200. [PMID: 37817673 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Preemptive conservation efforts to reduce threats have been credited with precluding the need to list some imperiled species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Such efforts can result in outcomes where species are conserved and regulatory costs associated with ESA listing are avoided. Yet, the extent and type of conservation effort involved in achieving preclusion from listing are not well understood. We quantified the attributes of conservation efforts identified as important for 43 species whose preclusion from listing was attributed to conservation efforts, as described in U.S. Federal Register documents that report the decisions not to list. We considered 2 features of preemptive conservation: effort applied (measured as the number of conservation initiatives) and number of conservation partners involved. We also quantified the type and location of conservation actions. We found a mean of 4.3 initiatives (range 1-22) and 8.2 partners (range 1-31) documented per precluded species; both measures of conservation effort were significantly and positively associated with the species' range area and the proportion of private land across its range. The number of initiatives was also positively related to the number of threats affecting a species. Locations of conservation actions varied; more species had actions on public land than on private land (p = 0.003). Numbers of species with restorative actions (e.g., invasive species control) were similar to numbers with prohibitive actions. Our findings highlight relationships between species' context and preemptive conservation activities, providing a first cross-species analysis of conservation efforts for species that were precluded from listing under the ESA due to conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle E Stanley
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rebecca Epanchin-Niell
- Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Tyler Treakle
- Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Gwenllian D Iacona
- Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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3
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Treakle T, Epanchin-Niell R, Iacona GD. Factors associated with preemptive conservation under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Conserv Biol 2023; 37:e14104. [PMID: 37185993 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been an increasing emphasis on proactive efforts to conserve species being considered for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) before they are listed (i.e., preemptive conservation). These efforts, which depend on voluntary actions by public and private land managers across the species' range, aim to conserve species while avoiding regulatory costs associated with ESA listing. We collected data for a set of social, economic, environmental, and institutional factors that we hypothesized would influence voluntary decisions to promote or inhibit preemptive conservation of species under consideration for ESA listing. We used logistic regression to estimate the association of these factors with preemptive conservation outcomes based on data for a set of species that entered the ESA listing process and were either officially listed (n = 314) or preemptively conserved (n = 73) from 1996 to 2018. Factors significantly associated with precluded listing due to preemptive conservation included high baseline conservation status, low proportion of private land across the species' range, small total range size, exposure to specific types of threats, and species' range extending over several states. These results highlight strategies that can help improve conservation outcomes, such as allocating resources for imperiled species earlier in the listing process, addressing specific threats, and expanding incentives and coordination mechanisms for conservation on private lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Treakle
- Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C., USA
- ASU School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Rebecca Epanchin-Niell
- Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C., USA
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Gwenllian D Iacona
- Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C., USA
- ASU School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Iacona GD, Avery-Gomm S, Maloney RF, Brazill-Boast J, Crouse DT, Drew CA, Epanchin-Niell RS, Hall SB, Maguire LA, Male T, Newman J, Possingham HP, Rumpff L, Runge MC, Weiss KCB, Wilson RS, Zablan MA, Gerber LR. Hurdles to developing quantitative decision support for Endangered Species Act resource allocation. Front Conserv Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.1002804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees the recovery of many species protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recent research suggests that a structured approach to allocating conservation resources could increase recovery outcomes for ESA listed species. Quantitative approaches to decision support can efficiently allocate limited financial resources and maximize desired outcomes. Yet, developing quantitative decision support under real-world constraints is challenging. Approaches that pair research teams and end-users are generally the most effective. However, co-development requires overcoming “hurdles” that can arise because of differences in the mental models of the co-development team. These include perceptions that: (1) scarce funds should be spent on action, not decision support; (2) quantitative approaches are only useful for simple decisions; (3) quantitative tools are inflexible and prescriptive black boxes; (4) available data are not good enough to support decisions; and (5) prioritization means admitting defeat. Here, we describe how we addressed these misperceptions during the development of a prototype resource allocation decision support tool for understanding trade-offs in U.S. endangered species recovery. We describe how acknowledging these hurdles and identifying solutions enabled us to progress with development. We believe that our experience can assist other applications of developing quantitative decision support for resource allocation.
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Epanchin-Niell RS, Jackson-Smith DB, Wilson RS, Ashenfarb M, Dayer AA, Hillis V, Iacona GD, Markowitz EM, Marquart-Pyatt ST, Treakle T. Private land conservation decision-making: An integrative social science model. J Environ Manage 2022; 302:113961. [PMID: 34700077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Owners and managers of private lands make decisions that have implications well beyond the boundaries of their land, influencing species conservation, water quality, wildfire risk, and other environmental outcomes with important societal and ecological consequences. Understanding how these decisions are made is key for informing interventions to support better outcomes. However, explanations of the drivers of decision making are often siloed in social science disciplines that differ in focus, theory, methodology, and terminology, hindering holistic understanding. To address these challenges, we propose a conceptual model of private land conservation decision-making that integrates theoretical perspectives from three dominant disciplines: economics, sociology, and psychology. The model highlights how heterogeneity in behavior across decision-makers is driven by interactions between the decision context, attributes of potential conservation behaviors, and attributes of the decision-maker. These differences in both individual attributes and context shape decision-makers' constraints and the potential and perceived consequences of a behavior. The model also captures how perceived consequences are evaluated and weighted through a decision-making process that may range from systematic to heuristic, ultimately resulting in selection of a behavior. Outcomes of private land behaviors across the landscape feed back to alter the socio-environmental conditions that shape future decisions. The conceptual model is designed to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and integration across disciplines and points to methodological innovations that can expand understanding of private land decision-making. The model also can be used to illuminate how behavior change interventions (e.g., policies, regulations, technical assistance) could be designed to target different drivers to encourage environmentally and socially beneficial behaviors on private lands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas B Jackson-Smith
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA.
| | - Robyn S Wilson
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | | | - Ashley A Dayer
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Vicken Hillis
- Human Environment Systems, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | | | - Ezra M Markowitz
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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Weiss KCB, Iacona GD, Tuñas Corzón Á, Davis ON, Kemppinen K, Surrey KC, Gerber LR. Aligning actions with objectives in endangered species recovery plans. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C. B. Weiss
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Gwenllian D. Iacona
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Resources for the Future Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Álex Tuñas Corzón
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Olivia N. Davis
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Krista Kemppinen
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Katie C. Surrey
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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Wysong ML, Hradsky BA, Iacona GD, Valentine LE, Morris K, Ritchie EG. Space use and habitat selection of an invasive mesopredator and sympatric, native apex predator. Mov Ecol 2020; 8:18. [PMID: 32391154 PMCID: PMC7197163 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00203-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Where mesopredators co-exist with dominant apex predators, an understanding of the factors that influence their habitat and space use can provide insights that help guide wildlife conservation and pest management actions. A predator's habitat use is defined by its home range, which is influenced by its selection or avoidance of habitat features and intra- and inter-specific interactions within the landscape. These are driven by both innate and learned behaviour, operating at different spatial scales. We examined the seasonal home ranges and habitat selection of actively-managed populations of a native apex predator (dingo Canis dingo) and invasive mesopredator (feral cat Felis catus) in semi-arid Western Australia to better understanding their sympatric landscape use, potential interactions, and to help guide their management. METHODS We used kernel density estimates to characterise the seasonal space use of dingoes and feral cats, investigate inter- and intra-species variation in their home range extent and composition, and examine second-order habitat selection for each predator. Further, we used discrete choice modelling and step selection functions to examine the difference in third-order habitat selection across several habitat features. RESULTS The seasonal home ranges of dingoes were on average 19.5 times larger than feral cats. Feral cat seasonal home ranges typically included a larger proportion of grasslands than expected relative to availability in the study site, indicating second-order habitat selection for grasslands. In their fine-scale movements (third-order habitat selection), both predators selected for roads, hydrological features (seasonal intermittent streams, seasonal lakes and wetlands), and high vegetation cover. Dingoes also selected strongly for open woodlands, whereas feral cats used open woodlands and grasslands in proportion to availability. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Based on these results, and in order to avoid unintended negative ecological consequences (e.g. mesopredator release) that may stem from non-selective predator management, we recommend that feral cat control focuses on techniques such as trapping and shooting that are specific to feral cats in areas where they overlap with apex predators (dingoes), and more general techniques such as poison baiting where they are segregated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Wysong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
- Present Address: Nyamba Buru Yawuru, 55 Reid road, Cable Beach, WA 6726 Australia
| | - Bronwyn A. Hradsky
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Gwenllian D. Iacona
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Leonie E. Valentine
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Keith Morris
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woodvale, WA 6946 Australia
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125 Australia
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Wysong ML, Iacona GD, Valentine LE, Morris K, Ritchie EG. On the right track: placement of camera traps on roads improves detection of predators and shows non-target impacts of feral cat baiting. Wildl Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextTo understand the ecological consequences of predator management, reliable and accurate methods are needed to survey and detect predators and the species with which they interact. Recently, poison baits have been developed specifically for lethal and broad-scale control of feral cats in Australia. However, the potential non-target effects of these baits on other predators, including native apex predators (dingoes), and, in turn, cascading effects on lower trophic levels (large herbivores), are poorly understood.
AimsWe examined the effect that variation in camera trapping-survey design has on detecting dingoes, feral cats and macropodids, and how different habitat types affect species occurrences. We then examined how a feral cat poison baiting event influences the occupancy of these sympatric species.
MethodsWe deployed 80 remotely triggered camera traps over the 2410-km2 Matuwa Indigenous Protected Area, in the semiarid rangelands of Western Australia, and used single-season site-occupancy models to calculate detection probabilities and occupancy for our target species before and after baiting.
Key resultsCameras placed on roads were ~60 times more likely to detect dingoes and feral cats than were off-road cameras, whereas audio lures designed to attract feral cats had only a slight positive effect on detection for all target species. Habitat was a significant factor affecting the occupancy of dingoes and macropodids, but not feral cats, with both species being positively associated with open woodlands. Poison baiting to control feral cats did not significantly reduce their occupancy but did so for dingoes, whereas macropodid occupancy increased following baiting and reduced dingo occupancy.
ConclusionsCamera traps on roads greatly increase the detection probabilities for predators, whereas audio lures appear to add little or no value to increasing detection for any of the species we targeted. Poison baiting of an invasive mesopredator appeared to negatively affect a non-target, native apex predator, and, in turn, may have resulted in increased activity of large herbivores.
ImplicationsManagement and monitoring of predators must pay careful attention to survey design, and lethal control of invasive mesopredators should be approached cautiously so as to avoid potential unintended negative ecological consequences (apex-predator suppression and herbivore release).
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Newman B, Wilson KA, Melbourne J, Mathews D, Wysong M, Iacona GD. The contributions of nature to people within the Yawuru Indigenous Protected Area. Conservation Science and Practice 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Newman
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
| | - Kerrie A. Wilson
- Institute for Future EnvironmentsQueensland University of Technology Brisbane QLD Australia
| | | | | | | | - Gwenllian D. Iacona
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
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10
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Gerber LR, Runge MC, Maloney RF, Iacona GD, Drew CA, Avery-Gomm S, Brazill-Boast J, Crouse D, Epanchin-Niell RS, Hall SB, Maguire LA, Male T, Morgan D, Newman J, Possingham HP, Rumpff L, Weiss KCB, Wilson RS, Zablan MA. Endangered species recovery: A resource allocation problem. Science 2018; 362:284-286. [PMID: 30337394 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat8434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sarah B Hall
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations
| | | | - Tim Male
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations
| | - Don Morgan
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations
| | - Jeff Newman
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations
| | | | - Libby Rumpff
- See supplementary materials for author affiliations
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Iacona GD, Sutherland WJ, Mappin B, Adams VM, Armsworth PR, Coleshaw T, Cook C, Craigie I, Dicks LV, Fitzsimons JA, McGowan J, Plumptre AJ, Polak T, Pullin AS, Ringma J, Rushworth I, Santangeli A, Stewart A, Tulloch A, Walsh JC, Possingham HP. Standardized reporting of the costs of management interventions for biodiversity conservation. Conserv Biol 2018; 32:979-988. [PMID: 30039609 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Effective conservation management interventions must combat threats and deliver benefits at costs that can be achieved within limited budgets. Considerable effort has focused on measuring the potential benefits of conservation interventions, but explicit quantification of the financial costs of implementation is rare. Even when costs have been quantified, haphazard and inconsistent reporting means published values are difficult to interpret. This reporting deficiency hinders progress toward a collective understanding of the financial costs of management interventions across projects and thus limits the ability to identify efficient solutions to conservation problems or attract adequate funding. We devised a standardized approach to describing financial costs reported for conservation interventions. The standards call for researchers and practitioners to describe the objective and outcome, context and methods, and scale of costed interventions, and to state which categories of costs are included and the currency and date for reported costs. These standards aim to provide enough contextual information that readers and future users can interpret the cost data appropriately. We suggest these standards be adopted by major conservation organizations, conservation science institutions, and journals so that cost reporting is comparable among studies. This would support shared learning and enhance the ability to identify and perform cost-effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenllian D Iacona
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Bonnie Mappin
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Vanessa M Adams
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul R Armsworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, U.S.A
| | - Tim Coleshaw
- Natural England, Parkside Court, Hall Park Way, Telford, TF3 4LR, U.K
| | - Carly Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Ian Craigie
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Lynn V Dicks
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - James A Fitzsimons
- The Nature Conservancy, Suite 2-01, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Jennifer McGowan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
- Key Biodiversity Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
| | - Tal Polak
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Israeli Nature and Park Authority, Southern District, 3 Yotam Road, Eilat, 880000m, Israel
| | - Andrew S Pullin
- Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, U.K
| | - Jeremy Ringma
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, The University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2500 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, U.S.A
| | - Ian Rushworth
- Ecological Advice Division, Scientific Services, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, P.O. Box 13053, Cascades 3202, South Africa
| | - Andrea Santangeli
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 17, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annette Stewart
- Bush Heritage Australia, Level 1, 395 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Ayesha Tulloch
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jessica C Walsh
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Office of the Chief Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA, 22203-1606, U.S.A
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12
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Iacona GD, Bode M, Armsworth PR. Limitations of outsourcing on-the-ground biodiversity conservation. Conserv Biol 2016; 30:1245-1254. [PMID: 27112504 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
To counteract global species decline, modern biodiversity conservation engages in large projects, spends billions of dollars, and includes many organizations working simultaneously within regions. To add to this complexity, the conservation sector has hierarchical structure, where conservation actions are often outsourced by funders (foundations, government, etc.) to local organizations that work on-the-ground. In contrast, conservation science usually assumes that a single organization makes resource allocation decisions. This discrepancy calls for theory to understand how the expected biodiversity outcomes change when interactions between organizations are accounted for. Here, we used a game theoretic model to explore how biodiversity outcomes are affected by vertical and horizontal interactions between 3 conservation organizations: a funder that outsourced its actions and 2 local conservation organizations that work on-the-ground. Interactions between the organizations changed the spending decisions made by individual organizations, and thereby the magnitude and direction of the conservation benefits. We showed that funders would struggle to incentivize recipient organizations with set priorities to perform desired actions, even when they control substantial amounts of the funding and employ common contracting approaches to enhance outcomes. Instead, biodiversity outcomes depended on priority alignment across the organizations. Conservation outcomes for the funder were improved by strategic interactions when organizational priorities were well aligned, but decreased when priorities were misaligned. Meanwhile, local organizations had improved outcomes regardless of alignment due to additional funding in the system. Given that conservation often involves the aggregate actions of multiple organizations with different objectives, strategic interactions between organizations need to be considered if we are to predict possible outcomes of conservation programs or costs of achieving conservation targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenllian D Iacona
- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, U.S.A..
| | - Michael Bode
- The University of Melbourne, School of Botany, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Armsworth
- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, U.S.A
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenllian D. Iacona
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Franklin D. Price
- Florida Natural Areas Inventory; 1018 Thomasville Road Suite 200-C Tallahassee FL 32303 USA
| | - Paul R. Armsworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall Knoxville TN 37996 USA
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Iacona GD, Kirkman LK, Bruna EM. Effects of resource availability on seedling recruitment in a fire-maintained savanna. Oecologia 2009; 163:171-80. [PMID: 19921271 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2008] [Accepted: 10/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gwenllian D Iacona
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430, USA.
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