1
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Eikenberry SE, Iacona G, Murphy EL, Watson G, Gerber LR. Identifying opportunities for high resolution pesticide usage data to improve the efficiency of endangered species pesticide risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:170743. [PMID: 38325484 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170743] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The US pesticide registration and review process requires regular re-assessment of the risk of pesticide use to species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), yet current assessment methods are inefficient when applied to hundreds of pesticides potentially impacting multiple species across a continent. Thus, many pesticides remain on the market without complete review. We assessed the value of using high resolution pesticide usage data in the risk assessment process to rapidly improve process efficiency. By using data available only in California, we found that high resolution data increased the number of species deemed not likely to be adversely affected by pesticides from <5 % to nearly 50 %. Across the contiguous US, we predicted that 48 % of species would be deemed not likely to be adversely affected using high resolution data, compared to 20 % without. However, if such data were available in just 11 states, 68 % of the available gains in efficiency could be obtained. Overall, using existing high-resolution data in California and a focused collection of such information from 11 other states could reduce risk assessment burden across the contiguous U.S. by one-quarter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen E Eikenberry
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA.
| | - Gwen Iacona
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA.
| | - Erin L Murphy
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA.
| | - Greg Watson
- Regulatory Scientific Affairs, Bayer U.S. Crop Science, Chesterfield, MO 63107, USA.
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe 85281, AZ, USA.
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2
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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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3
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Murphy EL, Gerber LR, Rochman CM, Polidoro B. A macroplastic vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. Sci Total Environ 2024; 908:168247. [PMID: 37918749 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168247] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is having devastating consequences for marine organisms across the planet. However, the population level effects of macroplastic pollution remain difficult and costly to quantify. As a result, there is a need for alternative approaches to evaluate species risk to plastic pollution and inform management needs. We apply a trait-based framework for macroplastic pollution to develop a relative vulnerability index-informed by three dimensions: likelihood of exposure, species' sensitivity, and population resilience-for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles found in Hawai'i. This index ranks 63 study species based on their population level vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, with the highest scoring species being the most vulnerable. Our results indicate that ducks, waders, and noddies with large populations were the least vulnerable to macroplastics, while the most vulnerable were the Hawaiian monk seal, sea turtles, baleen whales, and some albatross and petrel species. This index can inform species in need of population monitoring in Hawai'i, and direct other management priorities (e.g., locations for clean-ups or booms). More broadly, this work exemplifies the value of qualitative risk assessment approaches for better understanding the population level effects of macroplastic pollution and showcases how vulnerability indices can be used to inform management priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Murphy
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe Camus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 351, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Earth Sciences, Room 3054, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada.
| | - Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe Camus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 351, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America
| | - Chelsea M Rochman
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Earth Sciences, Room 3054, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Beth Polidoro
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe Camus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 351, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, West Campus, PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069-2352, United States of America
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4
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Gerber LR, Barton CJ, Anderson DM. Aligning the logics of inquiry and action to address the biodiversity crisis. Conserv Biol 2023; 37:e14128. [PMID: 37259634 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14128] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite an abundance of research reaffirming biodiversity's importance to the health of the planet and society, species continue to go extinct at an alarming rate. Why has continued research on the value of biodiversity not had the intended effect and what can be done about it? We considered biodiversity loss as a public value failure and the result of a misalignment between the logic of inquiry (which guides scientists) and the logic of action (which guides practitioners). We drew lessons from our own research to propose the creation of a national biodiversity strategy designed to link the logic of inquiry with the logic of action and coordinate the production of actionable conservation science and informed conservation action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chris J Barton
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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5
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Murphy EL, Fredette-Roman C, Rochman CM, Gerber LR, Polidoro B. A multi-taxonomic, trait-based framework for assessing macroplastic vulnerability. Sci Total Environ 2023:164563. [PMID: 37271404 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164563] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Individual interactions with plastic pollution have been documented in hundreds of marine species. However, the population and community level effects of these interactions remain poorly understood. Trait-based approaches provide a method for assessing the relative vulnerability of populations or communities to plastic pollution when empirical studies and data are limited. We conducted a literature review and identified 22 traits that influence likelihood of exposure, species sensitivity, and population resilience to the physical impacts of macroplastic. The resulting trait-based framework provides a process for assessing the relative vulnerability of marine biota to macroplastic ingestion and entanglement. Our framework can be applied to develop vulnerability indices for marine taxonomic groups that can inform targeted management efforts, identify priorities for long-term monitoring, and identify species for future quantitative risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Murphy
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America.
| | - Cassidy Fredette-Roman
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, West Campus PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069-2352, United States of America
| | - Chelsea M Rochman
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Wilcocks St, Earth Sciences, Room 3054, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe Camus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 351, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America
| | - Beth Polidoro
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 209, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America; School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, West Campus PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069-2352, United States of America; Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe Camus, Life Sciences Center A Wing 451 E Tyler Mall, Room 351, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America
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6
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Carr Kelman C, Barton CJ, Whitman K, Lhoest S, Anderson DM, Gerber LR. Five approaches to producing actionable science in conservation. Conserv Biol 2023; 37:e14039. [PMID: 36511152 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14039] [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: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge produced by conservation scientists must be actionable in order to address urgent conservation challenges. To understand the process of creating actionable science, we interviewed 71 conservation scientists who had participated in 1 of 3 fellowship programs focused on training scientists to become agents of change. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified 16 activities that these researchers employed to make their scientific products more actionable. Some activities were more common than others and, arguably, more foundational. We organized these activities into 3 nested categories (motivations, strategies, and tactics). Using a co-occurrence matrix, we found that most activities were positively correlated. These correlations allowed us to identify 5 approaches, framed as profiles, to actionable science: the discloser, focused on open access; the educator, focused on science communication; the networker, focused on user needs and building relationships; the collaborator, focused on boundary spanning; and the pluralist, focused on knowledge coproduction resulting in valuable outcomes for all parties. These profiles build on one another in a hierarchy determined by their complexity and level of engagement, their potential to support actionable science, and their proximity to ideal coproduction with knowledge users. Our results provide clear guidance for conservation scientists to generate actionable science to address the global biodiversity conservation challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Carr Kelman
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chris J Barton
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Kyle Whitman
- Office of University Affairs, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Simon Lhoest
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Derrick M Anderson
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- ASU School of Public Affairs, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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7
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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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8
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Murphy EL, Bernard M, Iacona G, Borrelle SB, Barnes M, McGivern A, Emmanuel J, Gerber LR. A decision framework for estimating the cost of marine plastic pollution interventions. Conserv Biol 2022; 36:e13827. [PMID: 34467557 PMCID: PMC9292852 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Although there has been a surge in global investment for implementing interventions to mitigate plastic pollution, there has been little attention given to the cost of these interventions. We developed a decision support framework to identify the economic, social, and ecological costs and benefits of plastic pollution interventions for different sectors and stakeholders. We calculated net cost as a function of six cost and benefit categories with the following equation: cost of implementing an intervention (direct, indirect, and nonmonetary costs) minus recovered costs and benefits (monetary and nonmonetary) produced by the interventions. We applied our framework to two quantitative case studies (a solid waste management plan and a trash interceptor) and four comparative case studies, evaluating the costs of beach cleanups and waste-to-energy plants in various contexts, to identify factors that influence the costs of plastic pollution interventions. The socioeconomic context of implementation, the spatial scale of implementation, and the time scale of evaluation all influence costs and the distribution of costs across stakeholders. Our framework provides an approach to estimate and compare the costs of a range of interventions across sociopolitical and economic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Murphy
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Miranda Bernard
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Gwenllian Iacona
- Center for Biodiversity OutcomesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
- Resources for the FutureWashingtonDC
| | - Stephanie B. Borrelle
- David H. Smith Conservation Research ProgramSociety for Conservation BiologyWashingtonDC
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- College of EngineeringUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Megan Barnes
- Centre for Environmental Economics & Policy, School of Agriculture and EnvironmentUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Alexis McGivern
- School of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Jorge Emmanuel
- Institute of Environmental and Marine SciencesSilliman UniversityDumaguetePhilippines
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
- Center for Biodiversity OutcomesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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9
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Surrey KC, Iacona G, Madsen B, Newman C, Gerber LR. Habitat Conservation Plans provide limited insight into the cost of complying with the Endangered Species Act. Conservat Sci and Prac 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katie C. Surrey
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Gwenllian Iacona
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Becca Madsen
- Electric Power Research Institute Palo Alto California USA
| | | | - Leah R. Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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10
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Murphy EL, Eikenberry S, Iacona G, Watson G, Gerber LR. The value of increased spatial resolution of pesticide usage data for assessing risk to endangered species. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Murphy
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Steffen Eikenberry
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Gwenllian Iacona
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Resources for the Future Washington DC USA
| | - Greg Watson
- Regulatory Scientific Affairs Bayer U.S. – Crop Science Chesterfield Missouri USA
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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11
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Abstract
Contributory citizen science programs focused on ecological monitoring can produce fine-grained and expansive data sets across spatial and temporal scales. With this data collection potential, citizen scientists can significantly impact the ability to monitor ecological patterns. However, scientists still harbor skepticism about using citizen science data in their work, generally due to doubts about data quality. Numerous peer-reviewed articles have addressed data quality in citizen science. Yet, many of these methods are not useable by third-party scientists (scientists who are not directly involved in the citizen science program). In addition, these methods generally capture internal data quality rather than a dataset’s potential to be used for a specific purpose. Assessing data fitness for use represents a promising approach to evaluating data accuracy and quality for different applications and contexts. In this article, we employ a Spatial, Temporal, Aptness, and Application (STAAq) assessment approach to assess data fitness for use of citizen science datasets. We tested the STAAq assessment approach through a case study examining the distribution of caribou in Denali National Park and Preserve. Three different datasets were used in the test, Map of Life data (a global scale citizen science mobile application for recording species observations), Ride Observe and Record data (a program sponsored by the park staff where incentivized volunteers observe species in the park), and conventionally collected radio collar data. The STAAq assessment showed that the Map of Life and Ride Observe and Record program data are fit for monitoring caribou distribution in the park. This data fitness for use approach is a promising way to assess the external quality of a dataset and its fitness to address particular research or monitoring questions. This type of assessment may help citizen science skeptics see the value and potential of citizen science collected data and encourage the use of citizen science data by more scientists.
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12
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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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13
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Kittinger JN, Bernard M, Finkbeiner E, Murphy E, Obregon P, Klinger DH, Schoon ML, Dooley KJ, Gerber LR. Applying a jurisdictional approach to support sustainable seafood. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.386] [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: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John N. Kittinger
- Conservation International Center for Oceans Honolulu Hawaii USA
- Global Futures Laboratory & School of Sustainability Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Conservation International Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science Arlington Virginia USA
| | - Miranda Bernard
- School of Life Sciences, Life Sciences Center Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Elena Finkbeiner
- Conservation International Center for Oceans Honolulu Hawaii USA
| | - Erin Murphy
- School of Life Sciences, Life Sciences Center Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Pablo Obregon
- Conservation International Center for Oceans Honolulu Hawaii USA
| | - Dane H. Klinger
- Conservation International Center for Oceans Honolulu Hawaii USA
- Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Harvard University Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Michael L. Schoon
- Global Futures Laboratory & School of Sustainability Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Sustainability Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Kevin J. Dooley
- The Sustainability Consortium Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University Scottsdale Arizona USA
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Life Sciences Center Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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14
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Mair L, Bennun LA, Brooks TM, Butchart SHM, Bolam FC, Burgess ND, Ekstrom JMM, Milner-Gulland EJ, Hoffmann M, Ma K, Macfarlane NBW, Raimondo DC, Rodrigues ASL, Shen X, Strassburg BBN, Beatty CR, Gómez-Creutzberg C, Iribarrem A, Irmadhiany M, Lacerda E, Mattos BC, Parakkasi K, Tognelli MF, Bennett EL, Bryan C, Carbone G, Chaudhary A, Eiselin M, da Fonseca GAB, Galt R, Geschke A, Glew L, Goedicke R, Green JMH, Gregory RD, Hill SLL, Hole DG, Hughes J, Hutton J, Keijzer MPW, Navarro LM, Nic Lughadha E, Plumptre AJ, Puydarrieux P, Possingham HP, Rankovic A, Regan EC, Rondinini C, Schneck JD, Siikamäki J, Sendashonga C, Seutin G, Sinclair S, Skowno AL, Soto-Navarro CA, Stuart SN, Temple HJ, Vallier A, Verones F, Viana LR, Watson J, Bezeng S, Böhm M, Burfield IJ, Clausnitzer V, Clubbe C, Cox NA, Freyhof J, Gerber LR, Hilton-Taylor C, Jenkins R, Joolia A, Joppa LN, Koh LP, Lacher TE, Langhammer PF, Long B, Mallon D, Pacifici M, Polidoro BA, Pollock CM, Rivers MC, Roach NS, Rodríguez JP, Smart J, Young BE, Hawkins F, McGowan PJK. A metric for spatially explicit contributions to science-based species targets. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:836-844. [PMID: 33833421 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01432-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Convention on Biological Diversity's post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will probably include a goal to stabilize and restore the status of species. Its delivery would be facilitated by making the actions required to halt and reverse species loss spatially explicit. Here, we develop a species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric that is scalable across species, threats and geographies. STAR quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats in specific places offer towards reducing extinction risk. While every nation can contribute towards halting biodiversity loss, Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico, Madagascar and Brazil combined have stewardship over 31% of total STAR values for terrestrial amphibians, birds and mammals. Among actions, sustainable crop production and forestry dominate, contributing 41% of total STAR values for these taxonomic groups. Key Biodiversity Areas cover 9% of the terrestrial surface but capture 47% of STAR values. STAR could support governmental and non-state actors in quantifying their contributions to meeting science-based species targets within the framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Mair
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Leon A Bennun
- The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas M Brooks
- IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.,World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of The Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Stuart H M Butchart
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK
| | - Friederike C Bolam
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Neil D Burgess
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK.,GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Domitilla C Raimondo
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.,IUCN Species Survival Commission, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Xiaoli Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bernardo B N Strassburg
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and Environment, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Craig R Beatty
- IUCN, Washington DC, USA.,World Wildlife Fund, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Alvaro Iribarrem
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and Environment, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo Lacerda
- International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo F Tognelli
- Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.,IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit, Washington DC, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Maxime Eiselin
- IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Arne Geschke
- Integrated Sustainability Analysis, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Romie Goedicke
- IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jonathan M H Green
- Stockholm Environment Institute York, Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Richard D Gregory
- RSPB, Sandy, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Samantha L L Hill
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jonathan Hughes
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Marco P W Keijzer
- IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Key Biodiversity Areas Secretariat, BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Hugh P Possingham
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA.,The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Aleksandar Rankovic
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Sciences Po, Paris, France
| | - Eugenie C Regan
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK.,Springer Nature, London, UK
| | - Carlo Rondinini
- Global Mammal Assessment Programme, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrew L Skowno
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carolina A Soto-Navarro
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK.,Luc Hoffmann Institute, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Simon N Stuart
- Synchronicity Earth, London, UK.,IUCN Species Survival Commission, Bath, UK.,A Rocha International, London, UK
| | | | | | - Francesca Verones
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Leonardo R Viana
- Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.,Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc., Washington DC, USA
| | - James Watson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, New York City, NY, USA.,The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simeon Bezeng
- BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Colin Clubbe
- Conservation Science Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK
| | - Neil A Cox
- Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.,IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit, Washington DC, USA
| | - Jörg Freyhof
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lian Pin Koh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thomas E Lacher
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Penny F Langhammer
- Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Barney Long
- Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David Mallon
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Michela Pacifici
- Global Mammal Assessment Programme, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Beth A Polidoro
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | | | - Malin C Rivers
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | - Nicolette S Roach
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jon Paul Rodríguez
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Caracas, Venezuela.,Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Investigation (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.,Provita, Caracas, Venezuela
| | | | | | | | - Philip J K McGowan
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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15
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Gerber LR, Barton CJ, Cheng SH, Anderson D. Producing actionable science in conservation: Best practices for organizations and individuals. Conservat Sci and Prac 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris J. Barton
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Tempe Arizona USA
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Samantha H. Cheng
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Tempe Arizona USA
- American Museum of Natural History New York City New York USA
| | - Derrick Anderson
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Tempe Arizona USA
- School of Public Affairs Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
- Center for Organizational Research and Design Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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16
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Kemppinen KMS, Collins PM, Hole DG, Wolf C, Ripple WJ, Gerber LR. Global reforestation and biodiversity conservation. Conserv Biol 2020; 34:1221-1228. [PMID: 32017194 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The loss of forest is a leading cause of species extinction, and reforestation is 1 of 2 established interventions for reversing this loss. However, the role of reforestation for biodiversity conservation remains debated, and lacking is an assessment of the potential contribution that reforestation could make to biodiversity conservation globally. We conducted a spatial analysis of overlap between 1,550 forest-obligate threatened species' ranges and land that could be reforested after accounting for socioeconomic and ecological constraints. Reforestation on at least 43% (∼369 million ha) of reforestable area was predicted to potentially benefit threatened vertebrates. This is approximately 15% of the total area where threatened vertebrates occur. The greatest opportunities for conserving threatened vertebrate species are in the tropics, particularly Brazil and Indonesia. Although reforestation is not a substitute for forest conservation, and most of the area containing threatened vertebrates remains forested, our results highlight the need for global conservation strategies to recognize the potentially significant contribution that reforestation could make to biodiversity conservation. If implemented, reforestation of ∼369 million ha would also contribute substantially to climate-change mitigation, offering a way to achieve multiple sustainability commitments at once. Countries must now work to overcome key barriers (e.g., unclear revenue streams, high transaction costs) to investment in reforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela M Collins
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr #600, Arlington, VA, 22202, U.S.A
| | - David G Hole
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr #600, Arlington, VA, 22202, U.S.A
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 3180 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97333, U.S.A
| | - William J Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 3180 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97333, U.S.A
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, PO Box 875402, Tempe, AZ, 85287-5402, U.S.A
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17
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Halpern BS, Berlow E, Williams R, Borer ET, Davis FW, Dobson A, Enquist BJ, Froehlich HE, Gerber LR, Lortie CJ, O'connor MI, Regan H, Vázquez DP, Willard G. Ecological Synthesis and Its Role in Advancing Knowledge. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Synthesis has become ubiquitous in ecology. Despite its widespread application to a broad range of research topics, it remains unclear how synthesis has affected the discipline. Using a case study of publications (n = 2304) from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis compared with papers with similar keywords from the Web of Science (n = 320,000), we address several questions about the comparative impact of synthesis, the role of synthesis in driving key research themes, and whether synthesis is focused on different topics than is the broader ecological literature. We found much higher citation rates for synthesis papers overall (fivefold more) and within eleven key topic themes (e.g., species richness, biodiversity, climate change, global change). Synthesis papers often played key roles in driving, redirecting, or resolving core questions and exhibited much greater cross-theme connectivity. Together, these results indicate that synthesis in science has played a crucial role in accelerating and advancing ecological knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), Santa Barbara, California, and with the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Eric Berlow
- Vibrant Data Labs, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
| | - Frank W Davis
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Andy Dobson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, and with the Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, and with the Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico
| | - Halley E Froehlich
- Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Department and with the Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Christopher J Lortie
- Department of Biology at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and with the NCEAS
| | - Mary I O'connor
- Department of Zoology and with the Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Helen Regan
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside
| | - Diego P Vázquez
- Argentine Institute for Dryland Research, National Council for Science and Technology (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina, and with the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, National University of Cuyo, also in Mendoza
| | - Geoff Willard
- Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) and with the NCEAS
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18
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Borrelle SB, Ringma J, Law KL, Monnahan CC, Lebreton L, McGivern A, Murphy E, Jambeck J, Leonard GH, Hilleary MA, Eriksen M, Possingham HP, De Frond H, Gerber LR, Polidoro B, Tahir A, Bernard M, Mallos N, Barnes M, Rochman CM. Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution. Science 2020. [PMID: 32943526 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3656/suppl_file/aba3656-borrelle-sm-data-s4.csv] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is a planetary threat, affecting nearly every marine and freshwater ecosystem globally. In response, multilevel mitigation strategies are being adopted but with a lack of quantitative assessment of how such strategies reduce plastic emissions. We assessed the impact of three broad management strategies, plastic waste reduction, waste management, and environmental recovery, at different levels of effort to estimate plastic emissions to 2030 for 173 countries. We estimate that 19 to 23 million metric tons, or 11%, of plastic waste generated globally in 2016 entered aquatic ecosystems. Considering the ambitious commitments currently set by governments, annual emissions may reach up to 53 million metric tons per year by 2030. To reduce emissions to a level well below this prediction, extraordinary efforts to transform the global plastics economy are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B Borrelle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- David H. Smith Conservation Research Program, Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeremy Ringma
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, NREM, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Cole C Monnahan
- Status of Stocks and Multispecies Assessments Program, Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laurent Lebreton
- The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- The Modelling House, Raglan, New Zealand
| | - Alexis McGivern
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Erin Murphy
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jenna Jambeck
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Michelle A Hilleary
- Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Alexandria, VA, USA
| | | | - Hugh P Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Hannah De Frond
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Beth Polidoro
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Akbar Tahir
- Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
- Research Center for Natural Heritage, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Miranda Bernard
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Megan Barnes
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, NREM, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Chelsea M Rochman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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19
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Borrelle SB, Ringma J, Law KL, Monnahan CC, Lebreton L, McGivern A, Murphy E, Jambeck J, Leonard GH, Hilleary MA, Eriksen M, Possingham HP, De Frond H, Gerber LR, Polidoro B, Tahir A, Bernard M, Mallos N, Barnes M, Rochman CM. Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution. Science 2020; 369:1515-1518. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 557] [Impact Index Per Article: 139.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is a planetary threat, affecting nearly every marine and freshwater ecosystem globally. In response, multilevel mitigation strategies are being adopted but with a lack of quantitative assessment of how such strategies reduce plastic emissions. We assessed the impact of three broad management strategies, plastic waste reduction, waste management, and environmental recovery, at different levels of effort to estimate plastic emissions to 2030 for 173 countries. We estimate that 19 to 23 million metric tons, or 11%, of plastic waste generated globally in 2016 entered aquatic ecosystems. Considering the ambitious commitments currently set by governments, annual emissions may reach up to 53 million metric tons per year by 2030. To reduce emissions to a level well below this prediction, extraordinary efforts to transform the global plastics economy are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B. Borrelle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- David H. Smith Conservation Research Program, Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeremy Ringma
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, NREM, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Cole C. Monnahan
- Status of Stocks and Multispecies Assessments Program, Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laurent Lebreton
- The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- The Modelling House, Raglan, New Zealand
| | - Alexis McGivern
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Erin Murphy
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jenna Jambeck
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Michelle A. Hilleary
- Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Alexandria, VA, USA
| | | | - Hugh P. Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Hannah De Frond
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Beth Polidoro
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Akbar Tahir
- Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
- Research Center for Natural Heritage, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Miranda Bernard
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Megan Barnes
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, NREM, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Chelsea M. Rochman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Malcom J, Schwartz MW, Evansen M, Ripple WJ, Polasky S, Gerber LR, Lovejoy TE, Talbot LM, Miller JRB. Solve the biodiversity crisis with funding. Science 2019; 365:1256. [PMID: 31604231 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay9839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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)
- Jacob Malcom
- Center for Conservation Innovation, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Mark W Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Megan Evansen
- Center for Conservation Innovation, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forestry Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Stephen Polasky
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Thomas E Lovejoy
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Lee M Talbot
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Jennifer R B Miller
- Center for Conservation Innovation, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
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21
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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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22
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Puritty C, Strickland LR, Alia E, Blonder B, Klein E, Kohl MT, McGee E, Quintana M, Ridley RE, Tellman B, Gerber LR. Without inclusion, diversity initiatives may not be enough. Science 2018; 357:1101-1102. [PMID: 28912234 DOI: 10.1126/science.aai9054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eanas Alia
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | | | | | - Earyn McGee
- Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Maclovia Quintana
- Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Robyn E Ridley
- University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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23
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Álvarez-Romero JG, Munguía-Vega A, Beger M, Del Mar Mancha-Cisneros M, Suárez-Castillo AN, Gurney GG, Pressey RL, Gerber LR, Morzaria-Luna HN, Reyes-Bonilla H, Adams VM, Kolb M, Graham EM, VanDerWal J, Castillo-López A, Hinojosa-Arango G, Petatán-Ramírez D, Moreno-Baez M, Godínez-Reyes CR, Torre J. Designing connected marine reserves in the face of global warming. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:e671-e691. [PMID: 29274104 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Marine reserves are widely used to protect species important for conservation and fisheries and to help maintain ecological processes that sustain their populations, including recruitment and dispersal. Achieving these goals requires well-connected networks of marine reserves that maximize larval connectivity, thus allowing exchanges between populations and recolonization after local disturbances. However, global warming can disrupt connectivity by shortening potential dispersal pathways through changes in larval physiology. These changes can compromise the performance of marine reserve networks, thus requiring adjusting their design to account for ocean warming. To date, empirical approaches to marine prioritization have not considered larval connectivity as affected by global warming. Here, we develop a framework for designing marine reserve networks that integrates graph theory and changes in larval connectivity due to potential reductions in planktonic larval duration (PLD) associated with ocean warming, given current socioeconomic constraints. Using the Gulf of California as case study, we assess the benefits and costs of adjusting networks to account for connectivity, with and without ocean warming. We compare reserve networks designed to achieve representation of species and ecosystems with networks designed to also maximize connectivity under current and future ocean-warming scenarios. Our results indicate that current larval connectivity could be reduced significantly under ocean warming because of shortened PLDs. Given the potential changes in connectivity, we show that our graph-theoretical approach based on centrality (eigenvector and distance-weighted fragmentation) of habitat patches can help design better-connected marine reserve networks for the future with equivalent costs. We found that maintaining dispersal connectivity incidentally through representation-only reserve design is unlikely, particularly in regions with strong asymmetric patterns of dispersal connectivity. Our results support previous studies suggesting that, given potential reductions in PLD due to ocean warming, future marine reserve networks would require more and/or larger reserves in closer proximity to maintain larval connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge G Álvarez-Romero
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Adrián Munguía-Vega
- Comunidad y Biodiversidad, A.C., Guaymas, Sonora, México
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Georgina G Gurney
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Robert L Pressey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna
- Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA
- Visiting Researcher at Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Héctor Reyes-Bonilla
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Vanessa M Adams
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Melanie Kolb
- Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, México, Distrito Federal, México
- Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Erin M Graham
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- eResearch Centre, Division of Research and Innovation, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Jeremy VanDerWal
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- eResearch Centre, Division of Research and Innovation, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Gustavo Hinojosa-Arango
- Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación, A.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional, Oaxaca, México
| | | | - Marcia Moreno-Baez
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, USA
| | - Carlos R Godínez-Reyes
- Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas: Reserva de la Biosfera Bahía de Los Ángeles, Canales de Ballenas y Salsipuedes, Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, México
- Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas: Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo, La Ribera, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Jorge Torre
- Comunidad y Biodiversidad, A.C., Guaymas, Sonora, México
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Gerber LR, Quiroga D. Incentives for Galápagos protection. Science 2017; 358:313-314. [PMID: 29051370 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
| | - Diego Quiroga
- Galapágos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
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25
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Huang B, Abbott JK, Fenichel EP, Muneepeerakul R, Perrings C, Gerber LR. Testing the feasibility of a hypothetical whaling-conservation permit market in Norway. Conserv Biol 2017; 31:809-817. [PMID: 28234428 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12916] [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: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A cap-and-trade system for managing whale harvests represents a potentially useful approach to resolve the current gridlock in international whale management. The establishment of whale permit markets, open to both whalers and conservationists, could reveal the strength of conservation demand, about which little is known. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to predict the outcome of a hypothetical whale permit market. We developed a bioeconomic model to evaluate the influence of economic uncertainty about demand for whale conservation or harvest. We used simulations over a wide range of parameterizations of whaling and conservation demands to examine the potential ecological consequences of the establishment of a whale permit market in Norwegian waters under bounded (but substantial) economic uncertainty. Uncertainty variables were slope of whaling and conservation demand, participation level of conservationists and their willingness to pay for whale conservation, and functional forms of demand, including linear, quadratic, and log-linear forms. A whale-conservation market had the potential to yield a wide range of conservation and harvest outcomes, the most likely outcomes were those in which conservationists bought all whale permits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Huang
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str.4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joshua K Abbott
- School of Sustainability, Global Institute of Sustainability, and ecoSERVICES Group, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
| | - Eli P Fenichel
- Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, U.S.A
| | - Rachata Muneepeerakul
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Charles Perrings
- ecoSERVICES Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
| | - Leah R Gerber
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
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26
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Marshall KN, Levin PS, Essington TE, Koehn LE, Anderson LG, Bundy A, Carothers C, Coleman F, Gerber LR, Grabowski JH, Houde E, Jensen OP, Möllmann C, Rose K, Sanchirico JN, Smith AD. Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management for Social-Ecological Systems: Renewing the Focus in the United States with Next Generation
Fishery Ecosystem Plans. Conserv Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin N. Marshall
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA USA
| | - Phillip S. Levin
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA and The Nature Conservancy; Seattle WA USA
| | - Timothy E. Essington
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA USA
| | - Laura E. Koehn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA USA
| | - Lee G. Anderson
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, Emeritus; University of Delaware; Newark DE USA
| | - Alida Bundy
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Dartmouth NS Canada
| | - Courtney Carothers
- College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Anchorage AK USA
| | - Felicia Coleman
- Coastal and Marine Laboratory; Florida State University; St. Teresa FL USA
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- School of Life Sciences and Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability; Arizona State University; Phoenix AZ USA
| | - Jonathan H. Grabowski
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences; Northeastern University; Nahant MA USA
| | - Edward Houde
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Solomons MD USA
| | - Olaf P. Jensen
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences; Rutgers University; New Brunswick NJ USA
| | - Christian Möllmann
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Fisheries Sciences; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - Kenneth Rose
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences; Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge LA USA
| | - James N. Sanchirico
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of California; Davis CA USA
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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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28
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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. Conserv Biol 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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29
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Hernández-Camacho CJ, Bakker VJ, Aurioles-Gamboa D, Laake J, Gerber LR. The Use of Surrogate Data in Demographic Population Viability Analysis: A Case Study of California Sea Lions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139158. [PMID: 26413746 PMCID: PMC4587556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliable data necessary to parameterize population models are seldom available for imperiled species. As an alternative, data from populations of the same species or from ecologically similar species have been used to construct models. In this study, we evaluated the use of demographic data collected at one California sea lion colony (Los Islotes) to predict the population dynamics of the same species from two other colonies (San Jorge and Granito) in the Gulf of California, Mexico, for which demographic data are lacking. To do so, we developed a stochastic demographic age-structured matrix model and conducted a population viability analysis for each colony. For the Los Islotes colony we used site-specific pup, juvenile, and adult survival probabilities, as well as birth rates for older females. For the other colonies, we used site-specific pup and juvenile survival probabilities, but used surrogate data from Los Islotes for adult survival probabilities and birth rates. We assessed these models by comparing simulated retrospective population trajectories to observed population trends based on count data. The projected population trajectories approximated the observed trends when surrogate data were used for one colony but failed to match for a second colony. Our results indicate that species-specific and even region-specific surrogate data may lead to erroneous conservation decisions. These results highlight the importance of using population-specific demographic data in assessing extinction risk. When vital rates are not available and immediate management actions must be taken, in particular for imperiled species, we recommend the use of surrogate data only when the populations appear to have similar population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria. J. Bakker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - David Aurioles-Gamboa
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Pinnípedos ‘‘Burney J. Le Boeuf”, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Jeff Laake
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Leah R. Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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30
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Gerber LR, Mancha-Cisneros MDM, O'Connor MI, Selig ER. Climate change impacts on connectivity in the ocean: Implications for conservation. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00336.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Abstract
Although market-based incentives have helped resolve many environmental challenges, conservation markets still play a relatively minor role in wildlife management. Establishing property rights for environmental goods and allowing trade between resource extractors and resource conservationists may offer a path forward in conserving charismatic species like whales, wolves, turtles, and sharks. In this paper, we provide a conceptual model for implementing a conservation market for wildlife and evaluate how such a market could be applied to three case studies for whales (minke [Balaenoptera acutorostrata], bowhead [Balaena mysticetus], and gray [Eschrictius robustus]). We show that, if designed and operated properly, such a market could ensure persistence of imperiled populations, while simultaneously improving the welfare of resource harvesters.
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32
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Gerber LR, Costello C, Gaines SD. Facilitate, don't forbid, trade between conservationists and resource harvesters. Ecol Appl 2014; 24:23-24. [PMID: 24640531 DOI: 10.1890/13-1541.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
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33
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Gregory R, Arvai J, Gerber LR. Structuring decisions for managing threatened and endangered species in a changing climate. Conserv Biol 2013; 27:1212-1221. [PMID: 24299087 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The management of endangered species under climate change is a challenging and often controversial task that incorporates input from a variety of different environmental, economic, social, and political interests. Yet many listing and recovery decisions for endangered species unfold on an ad hoc basis without reference to decision-aiding approaches that can improve the quality of management choices. Unlike many treatments of this issue, which consider endangered species management a science-based problem, we suggest that a clear decision-making process is equally necessary. In the face of new threats due to climate change, managers' choices about endangered species require closely linked analyses and deliberations that identify key objectives and develop measurable attributes, generate and compare management alternatives, estimate expected consequences and key sources of uncertainty, and clarify trade-offs across different dimensions of value. Several recent cases of endangered species conservation decisions illustrate our proposed decision-focused approach, including Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) recovery framework development, Cultus Lake sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) management, and Upper Columbia River white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) recovery planning. Estructuración de Decisiones para Manejar Especies Amenazadas y en Peligro en un Clima Cambiante.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Gregory
- Decision Research, Galiano Island, 1160 Devina Drive, BC, V0N 1P0, Canada.
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34
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R. Gerber
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science; School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe AZ 85287-4601 USA
| | - Easton R. White
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science; School of Life Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe AZ 85287-4601 USA
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35
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Anadón JD, del Mar Mancha-Cisneros M, Best BD, Gerber LR. Habitat-specific larval dispersal and marine connectivity: implications for spatial conservation planning. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00119.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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37
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38
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Flatz R, González-Suárez M, Young JK, Hernández-Camacho CJ, Immel AJ, Gerber LR. Weak polygyny in California sea lions and the potential for alternative mating tactics. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33654. [PMID: 22432039 PMCID: PMC3303858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 02/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Female aggregation and male territoriality are considered to be hallmarks of polygynous mating systems. The development of genetic parentage assignment has called into question the accuracy of behavioral traits in predicting true mating systems. In this study we use 14 microsatellite markers to explore the mating system of one of the most behaviorally polygynous species, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). We sampled a total of 158 female-pup pairs and 99 territorial males across two breeding rookeries (San Jorge and Los Islotes) in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Fathers could be identified for 30% of pups sampled at San Jorge across three breeding seasons and 15% of sampled pups at Los Islotes across two breeding seasons. Analysis of paternal relatedness between the pups for which no fathers were identified (sampled over four breeding seasons at San Jorge and two at Los Islotes) revealed that few pups were likely to share a father. Thirty-one percent of the sampled males on San Jorge and 15% of the sampled males on Los Islotes were assigned at least one paternity. With one exception, no male was identified as the father of more than two pups. Furthermore, at Los Islotes rookery there were significantly fewer pups assigned paternity than expected given the pool of sampled males (p<0.0001). Overall, we found considerably lower variation in male reproductive success than expected in a species that exhibits behavior associated with strongly polygynous mating. Low variation in male reproductive success may result from heightened mobility among receptive females in the Gulf of California, which reduces the ability of males to monopolize groups of females. Our results raise important questions regarding the adaptive role of territoriality and the potential for alternative mating tactics in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Flatz
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
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39
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Fujitani ML, Fenichel EP, Torre J, Gerber LR. Implementation of a marine reserve has a rapid but short-lived effect on recreational angler use. Ecol Appl 2012; 22:597-605. [PMID: 22611857 DOI: 10.1890/11-0603.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in human behavior are a precursor to measurable impacts of no-take marine reserves. We investigated changes in recreational fishing site selection in response to the 2005 announcement of enforcement in a marine reserve in the Gulf of California, Mexico. We used a novel data set of daily self-reported boating destinations from emergency rescue logbooks for a recreational angling community from 2000 to 2008. Because the reserve system has no experimental control, we modeled the data two ways to test for robustness to model specification. We tested for changes in human fishing behavior with regression and fit a fleet-level discrete choice model to project a. counterfactual scenario. The counterfactual is the statistically constructed ex post expectation of the human behavior we would have observed if the reserve never existed. We included month and year fixed effects in our models to account for seasonal and interannual fluctuations in fishing behavior and catch rates. We detected a decrease in reserve use compared to the counterfactual, indicating that the reserve rapidly experienced a decrease in visitation. However, the reserve's effect to reduce trips diminished with time. These results indicate that the reserve is unlikely to meet its ecological goals without institutional changes that enhance compliance. This illustrates the value of human use data to understanding the processes underlying marine reserve function. We suggest that managers should consider human use with the same frequency, rigor, and tools as they do fishery stocks. Marine reserves directly affect people, and understanding human behavioral responses to marine reserves is an important step in marine reserve management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie L Fujitani
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-4501, USA.
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40
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Anadón JD, D'Agrosa C, Gondor A, Gerber LR. Quantifying the spatial ecology of wide-ranging marine species in the Gulf of California: implications for marine conservation planning. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28400. [PMID: 22163013 PMCID: PMC3232197 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in systematic establishment of marine protected area (MPA) networks and representative conservation sites. This movement toward networks of no-take zones requires that reserves are deliberately and adequately spaced for connectivity. Here, we test the network functionality of an ecoregional assessment configuration of marine conservation areas by evaluating the habitat protection and connectivity offered to wide-ranging fauna in the Gulf of California (GOC, Mexico). We first use expert opinion to identify representative species of wide-ranging fauna of the GOC. These include leopard grouper, hammerhead sharks, California brown pelicans and green sea turtles. Analyzing habitat models with both structural and functional connectivity indexes, our results indicate that the configuration includes large proportions of biologically important habitat for the four species considered (25–40%), particularly, the best quality habitats (46–57%). Our results also show that connectivity levels offered by the conservation area design for these four species may be similar to connectivity levels offered by the entire Gulf of California, thus indicating that connectivity offered by the areas may resemble natural connectivity. The selected focal species comprise different life histories among marine or marine-related vertebrates and are associated with those habitats holding the most biodiversity values (i.e. coastal habitats); our results thus suggest that the proposed configuration may function as a network for connectivity and may adequately represent the marine megafauna in the GOC, including the potential connectivity among habitat patches. This work highlights the range of approaches that can be used to quantify habitat protection and connectivity for wide-ranging marine species in marine reserve networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Daniel Anadón
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
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41
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Gerber LR, Estes J, Crawford TG, Peavey LE, Read AJ. Managing for extinction? Conflicting conservation objectives in a large marine reserve. Conserv Lett 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2011.00197.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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42
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Hughes ZD, Fenichel EP, Gerber LR. The potential impact of labor choices on the efficacy of marine conservation strategies. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23722. [PMID: 21887306 PMCID: PMC3161065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of marine resources is critical to the wellbeing of human communities. Coastal artisanal fishing communities are particularly reliant on marine resources for food and for their livelihoods. Management actions aimed at marine conservation may lead to unanticipated changes in human behavior that influence the ability of conservation programs to achieve their goals. We examine how marine conservation strategies may impact labor decisions that influence both the ecosystem and human livelihoods using simulation modeling. We consider two conservation strategies in the model: direct action through fisheries regulation enforcement, and indirect action through land conservation. Our results indicate that both strategies can increase the abundance of fish, and thus contribute to the maintenance of marine resources. However, our results also show that marine fisheries enforcement may negatively impact the livelihoods of human communities. Land conservation, on the other hand, potentially enhances the livelihood of the human populations. Thus, depending on management objectives, indirect or a combination of direct and indirect conservation strategies may be effective at achieving conservation and sustainability goals. These results highlight the importance of accounting for changes in human behavior resulting from management actions in conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary D Hughes
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
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43
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Abstract
Demographic parameters such as birth and death rates determine the persistence of populations. Understanding the mechanisms that influence these rates is essential to developing effective management strategies. Alloparental behavior, or the care of non-filial young, has been documented in many species and has been shown to influence offspring survival. However, the role of alloparental behavior in maintaining population viability has not been previously studied. Here, we provide the first evidence for adoption in California sea lions and show that adoption potentially works to maintain a high survival rate of young and may ultimately contribute to population persistence. Alloparental behavior should have a positive effect on the population growth rate when the sum of the effects on fitness for the alloparent and beneficiary is positive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Flatz
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
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44
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Gerber LR, González-Suárez M, Hernández-Camacho CJ, Young JK, Sabo JL. The cost of male aggression and polygyny in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). PLoS One 2010; 5:e12230. [PMID: 20808931 PMCID: PMC2923196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2010] [Accepted: 07/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In polygynous mating systems, males often increase their fecundity via aggressive defense of mates and/or resources necessary for successful mating. Here we show that both male and female reproductive behavior during the breeding season (June-August) affect female fecundity, a vital rate that is an important determinant of population growth rate and viability. By using 4 years of data on behavior and demography of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), we found that male behavior and spatial dynamics--aggression and territory size--are significantly related to female fecundity. Higher rates of male aggression and larger territory sizes were associated with lower estimates of female fecundity within the same year. Female aggression was significantly and positively related to fecundity both within the same year as the behavior was measured and in the following year. These results indicate that while male aggression and defense of territories may increase male fecundity, such interactions may cause a reduction in the overall population growth rate by lowering female fecundity. Females may attempt to offset male-related reductions in female fecundity by increasing their own aggression-perhaps to defend pups from incidental injury or mortality. Thus in polygynous mating systems, male aggression may increase male fitness at the cost of female fitness and overall population viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
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Chirakkal H, Gerber LR. Short- and long-term population response to changes in vital rates: implications for population viability analysis. Ecol Appl 2010; 20:783-788. [PMID: 20437963 DOI: 10.1890/09-0560.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Conservation practitioners use demographic population viability analysis (PVA) to understand long-term effects of changing demographic rates on population growth rate. Sensitivities and elasticities of stage-specific survival and fertility rates provide managers with guidelines on the relative contributions of various life-history stages to long-term population growth. However, short-term patterns, especially single-year effects, of elasticity may be dramatically different from long-term effects, calling for caution in implementing management policies focusing entirely on only long- or short-term elasticities. Here we illustrate the temporal and spatial variation in elasticity patterns for four populations of California sea lions. Short-term stochastic elasticities were significantly different from long-term elasticities, and spatial patterns of short- and long-term elasticities varied across sites. These differences may be explained by transient effects in age structure and deviations from the stable age distribution, as well as environmental variation. Our results suggest that conservation practitioners should consider calculations of both short-and long-term elasticity in viability analyses that are used to guide management and should use caution in generalizing elasticity patterns across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haridas Chirakkal
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.
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Abstract
Distribution data on biodiversity features is a major component of conservation planning that are often inaccurate; thus, the true distribution of each feature is commonly over- or underrepresented. The selection of distribution data sets may therefore lead to variability in the spatial configuration and size of proposed reserve networks and uncertainty regarding the extent to which these networks actually contain the biodiversity features they were identified to protect. Our goals were to investigate the impact on reserve selection of choosing different distribution data sets and to propose novel methods to minimize uncertainty about target attainment within reserves. To do so, we used common prioritization methods (richness mapping, systematic reserve design, and a novel approach that integrates multiple types of distribution data) and three types of data on the distribution of mammals (predicted distribution models, occurrence records, and a novel combination of the two) to simulate the establishment of regional biodiversity reserves for the state of Arizona (U.S.A.). Using the results of these simulations, we explored variability in reserve placement and size as a function of the distribution data set. Spatial overlap of reserve networks identified with only predicted distribution data or only occurrence distribution data never exceeded 16%. In pairwise comparisons between reserves created with all three types of distribution data, overlap never achieved 50%. The reserve size required to meet conservation targets also varied with the type of distribution data used and the conservation goal; the largest reserve system was 10 times the smallest. Our results highlight the impact of employing different types of distribution data and identify novel tools for application to existing distribution data sets that can minimize uncertainty about target attainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared G Underwood
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, College & University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85287-1501, USA
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Wielgus J, Gerber LR, Sala E, Bennett J. Including risk in stated-preference economic valuations: Experiments on choices for marine recreation. J Environ Manage 2009; 90:3401-3409. [PMID: 19520490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2008] [Revised: 04/13/2009] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Stated-preference surveys for the economic valuation of environmental resources typically assume no uncertainty in the hypothetical valuation scenarios. However, the outcomes of environmental policies are uncertain. We explored the effects of including information on probabilities of attribute improvement and provision in choice experiments. Our results suggest that stating explicitly a high probability for the occurrence of the valuation scenario can improve the goodness of fit of choice models and the consistency of choices. As the general public becomes more aware of the uncertainty of environmental outcomes under global change, omitting information on scenario risk may contribute to hypothetical bias and impair the validity of stated-preference valuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Wielgus
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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González-Suárez M, Flatz R, Aurioles-Gamboa D, Hedrick PW, Gerber LR. Isolation by distance among California sea lion populations in Mexico: redefining management stocks. Mol Ecol 2009; 18:1088-99. [PMID: 19226320 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R Gerber
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA.
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