Communicating research with the public : evaluation of an invasive earthworm education program

Ecologists are increasingly encouraged by funding agencies and professional societies to communicate their research with the public. However, most receive relatively little training in how to do this effectively. Furthermore, evaluation of whether such an investment by ecologists actually achieves conservation objectives is rare. We created an education program, involving print, television, radio, and internet media, to increase awareness about earthworm invasions and to discourage anglers from dumping earthworm bait. Using pre- and post-surveys, we evaluated our program’s success in reaching its target audience and in changing knowledge and behavior. Few participants (4.1%) recalled seeing the program material and knowledge of the fact that earthworms are non-native in Alberta remained low (15.8% before, 15.1% after). Further, after being told about the negative effects of earthworms in forests, 46.7% of the anglers surveyed stated they would not change their bait disposal behavior in the future, with many commenting that they did not believe earthworms could be harmful. These results highlight the importance of evaluating education programs, rather than assuming they are successful. Given many participants' doubts that earthworms have negative effects, both regulations and education may be needed to reduce earthworm introductions

Annual and monthly range fidelity of female boreal woodland caribou in respons to petroleum development

Petroleum-sector development in northern Alberta, Canada has been implicated as one factor influencing the decline of boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Previous research showed that caribou are farther from petroleum-sector disturbances within their home range than expected. As petroleum development increases, the distance caribou can selectively place themselves relative to industrial disturbance must decrease, because distances between disturbances decrease. Conceptually, the number of local disturbances becomes so large that caribou either abandon their local avoidance behaviour or leave their traditional home range. We evaluated whether an intense petroleum- development event in northern Alberta was sufficient to result in home range abandonment by female woodland caribou. Using well locations as an index of petroleum development, we found that caribou studied from 1992 to 2000 did not change their annual or monthly range fidelity as a function of development intensity. Caribou remained in peatland complexes containing a large number of petroleum-sector disturbances rather than move to new areas, presumably because the risks of dispersing across upland habitat to reach other suitable habitat are high. Such range fidelity may have fitness consequences for woodland caribou if they suffer greater predation in areas where petroleum development is occurring

Estimated Avian Nest Loss Associated with Oil and Gas Exploration and Extraction in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Annual mortality within bird populations can be attributed to numerous sources; however, the extent to which anthropogenic sources of mortality contribute to avian demography is largely unknown. Quantifying the relative magnitude of human-related avian mortality could inform conservation efforts, particularly if multiple sources of human-related mortality can be contrasted. The unintentional destruction of nests and their contents by industrial activities conducted during the breeding season of resident and migratory birds presumably leads to one such source of human-caused avian mortality. As part of a broader effort to quantify major sources of human-related avian mortality, we estimated the magnitude of nest loss resulting from the terrestrial oil and gas sector in Canada, including: (1) seismic exploration, (2) pipeline right-of-way clearing, (3) well pad clearing, and (4) oil sands mining within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). We estimated nest losses as the product of estimated nest densities, the area disturbed annually, and the proportion of annual disturbance presumed to occur during the breeding season. The estimated number of nests disturbed annually by all oil and gas sectors combined ranged between 11,840 - 60,380. Interannual variation in exploration and extraction, and uncertainty in nest densities and the proportion of the disturbances occurring during the breeding season contributed to the variation. Accounting for natural mortality suggests an estimated loss of 10,200 - 41,150 (range) potential recruits into the migratory bird population in a subsequent year. Although nest destruction is only one small component of the potential impacts of the oil and gas industry upon avian populations, these estimates establish a baseline for comparison with other sources of human-caused avian mortality. Models are now needed to compare nest losses against the legacy effects of oil and gas sector habitat disturbances and associated cumulative effects so that mitigation efforts can be prioritized

An Estimate of Nest Loss in Canada Due to Industrial Forestry Operations

Annual loss of nests by industrial (nonwoodlot) forest harvesting in Canada was estimated using two avian point-count data sources: (1) the Boreal Avian Monitoring Project (BAM) dataset for provinces operating in this biome and (2) available data summarized for the major (nonboreal) forest regions of British Columbia. Accounting for uncertainty in the proportion of harvest occurring during the breeding season and in avian nesting densities, our estimate ranges from 616 thousand to 2.09 million nests. Estimates of the impact on numbers of individuals recruited into the adult breeding population were made based on the application of survivorship estimates at various stages of the life cycle. Future improvements to this estimate are expected as better and more extensive avian breeding pair density estimates become available and as provincial forestry statistics become more refined, spatially and temporally. The effect of incidental take due to forestry is not uniform and is disproportionately centered in the southern boreal. Those species whose ranges occur primarily in these regions are most at risk for industrial forestry in general and for incidental take in particular. Refinements to the nest loss estimate for industrial forestry in Canada will be achieved primarily through the provision of more accurate estimates of the area of forest harvested annually during the breeding season stratified by forest type and Bird Conservation Region (BCR). A better understanding of survivorship among life-history stages for forest birds would also allow for better modeling of the effect of nest loss on adult recruitment. Finally, models are needed to project legacy effects of forest harvesting on avian populations that take into account forest succession and accompanying cumulative effects of landscape change

Fitomejoramiento participativo, evaluación y colección de materiales de maíz criollos en el Municipio de San Pedro Pinula, Jalapa, Guatemala, C.A.

La presente investigación se realizó en el Municipio de San Pedro Pinula, Jalapa, Guatemala, mediante el diagnóstico realizado a la producción del cultivo de maíz se encontró que en el área, el cultivo es poco tecnificado debido a la falta de asistencia técnica e introducción de tecnología. Es por ello que se realizó una colección de materiales de maíz criollos de la región para su posterior evaluación y así poder encontrar variedades que mejor se adapten a los sistemas de producción del área y las condiciones climáticas adversas que se presentan, debido a que el cultivo es exclusivamente de temporal. También se determinó que el flujo genético a nivel local constituye el principal elemento que facilita la obtención de semilla a nivel de comunidad, ya que el 94% de los agricultores utilizan semilla local, esto nos da a entender la importancia que tienen los sistemas locales de producción de semillas en la seguridad alimentaria de la comunidad. La aplicación de metodologías de Fitomejoramiento Participativo son de vital importancia debido a que el mismo agricultor forma un papel determinante en la evaluación de las variedades, posibilitando disponer de mayor información para la toma de decisiones en la selección, implementación y desarrollo de nuevas variedades. De los materiales evaluados bajo condiciones de estrés hídrico se presentaron algunas variedades mejoradas por el ICTA con rendimientos hasta de 5000 kg/ha y algunas variedades locales con rendimientos entre 3000 y 3500 kg/ha, cabe destacar que estos materiales locales superaron en rendimiento a variedades mejoradas como ICTA B-1, ICTA B-5 e ICTA B-7 en un 47%, posiblemente debido a una mejor adaptabilidad a las condiciones climáticas. Es importante disponer de información de los materiales locales, que en un futuro pueden ser la base para el desarrollo de nuevas variedades que eleven el rendimiento actual

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) territory placement near seismic lines is influenced by forest regeneration and conspecific density

. 2013. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) territory placement near seismic lines is influenced by forest regeneration and conspecific density. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(1):5. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00596-080105 Research Paper Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) Territory Placement Near Seismic Lines is Influenced by Forest Regeneration and Conspecific Density Le positionnement des territoires de la Paruline couronnée (Seiurus aurocapilla) près des lignes sismiques est influencé par la régénération forestière et la densité des conspécifiques ABSTRACT. The boreal forest of western Canada is being dissected by seismic lines used for oil and gas exploration. The vast amount of edge being created is leading to concerns that core habitat will be reduced for forest interior species for extended periods of time. The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a boreal songbird known to be sensitive to newly created seismic lines because it does not include newly cut lines within its territory. We examined multiple hypotheses to explain potential mechanisms causing this behavior by mapping Ovenbird territories near lines with varying states of vegetation regeneration. The best model to explain line exclusion behavior included the number of neighboring conspecifics, the amount of bare ground, leaf-litter depth, and canopy closure. Ovenbirds exclude recently cut seismic lines from their territories because of lack of protective cover (lower tree and shrub cover) and because of reduced food resources due to large areas of bare ground. Food reduction and perceived predation risk effects seem to be mitigated once leaf litter (depth and extent of cover) and woody vegetation cover are restored to forest interior levels. However, as conspecific density increases, lines are more likely to be used as landmarks to demarcate territorial boundaries, even when woody vegetation cover and leaf litter are restored. This behavior can reduce territory density near seismic lines by changing the spatial distribution of territories. Landmark effects are longer lasting than the effects from reduced food or perceived predation risk because canopy height and tree density take >40 years to recover to forest interior levels. Mitigation of seismic line impacts on Ovenbirds should focus on restoring forest cover as quickly as possible after line cutting. RÉSUMÉ. La forêt boréale de l'ouest du Canada subit un découpage par les lignes sismiques effectuées dans le cadre de l'exploration pétrolière et gazière. La grande quantité de bordures ainsi créées soulève des préoccupations quant à l'intégrité des milieux pour les espèces forestières de massifs continus, et ce, pour de longues périodes. La Paruline couronnée (Seiurus aurocapilla) est un passereau boréal reconnu pour sa sensibilité aux lignes sismiques récemment créées parce qu'elle exclut les bandes nouvellement coupées de son territoire. Afin d'examiner les nombreuses hypothèses pouvant expliquer les mécanismes possibles derrière ce comportement, nous avons cartographié les territoires de parulines situés près de lignes, selon différents stades de régénération de la végétation. Le modèle qui explique le mieux le comportement d'exclusion des lignes inclut le nombre de conspécifiques voisins, la superficie de sol nu, la profondeur de la litière forestière et la superficie du couvert forestier. Les parulines excluent les lignes sismiques récemment coupées de leur territoire en raison du manque de couvert de protection (couvert arbustif et en petits arbres) et des ressources alimentaires réduites attribuables aux grandes superficies de sol nu. La faible quantité de ressources alimentaires et les risques perçus de prédation semblent être compensés une fois que la litière forestière (profondeur et étendue) et le couvert forestier ont ratteint les niveaux des massifs continus de forêts. Toutefois, à mesure que la densité de conspécifiques augmente, les lignes sismiques servent vraisemblablement de repères pour démarquer les limites des territoires, même lorsque le couvert forestier et la litière ont été restaurés. En modifiant la répartition spatiale des territoires, ce comportement peut amener une réduction de la densité de territoires près des lignes sismiques. L'effet de repère dure plus longtemps que les effets imputables aux ressources alimentaires réduites et au risque perçu de prédation étant donné que la hauteur et la densité des arbres prennent plus de 40 ans à ratteindre les niveaux des massifs continus de forêts. Les mesures destinées à atténuer l'impact des lignes sismiques devraient viser à restaurer le couvert forestier dès que possible

Integrating data types to estimate spatial patterns of avian migration across the Western Hemisphere

For many avian species, spatial migration patterns remain largely undescribed, especially across hemispheric extents. Recent advancements in tracking technologies and high-resolution species distribution models (i.e., eBird Status and Trends products) provide new insights into migratory bird movements and offer a promising opportunity for integrating independent data sources to describe avian migration. Here, we present a three-stage modeling framework for estimating spatial patterns of avian migration. First, we integrate tracking and band re-encounter data to quantify migratory connectivity, defined as the relative proportions of individuals migrating between breeding and nonbreeding regions. Next, we use estimated connectivity proportions along with eBird occurrence probabilities to produce probabilistic least-cost path (LCP) indices. In a final step, we use generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) both to evaluate the ability of LCP indices to accurately predict (i.e., as a covariate) observed locations derived from tracking and band re-encounter data sets versus pseudo-absence locations during migratory periods and to create a fully integrated (i.e., eBird occurrence, LCP, and tracking/band re-encounter data) spatial prediction index for mapping species-specific seasonal migrations. To illustrate this approach, we apply this framework to describe seasonal migrations of 12 bird species across the Western Hemisphere during pre- and postbreeding migratory periods (i.e., spring and fall, respectively). We found that including LCP indices with eBird occurrence in GAMMs generally improved the ability to accurately predict observed migratory locations compared to models with eBird occurrence alone. Using three performance metrics, the eBird + LCP model demonstrated equivalent or superior fit relative to the eBird-only model for 22 of 24 species–season GAMMs. In particular, the integrated index filled in spatial gaps for species with over-water movements and those that migrated over land where there were few eBird sightings and, thus, low predictive ability of eBird occurrence probabilities (e.g., Amazonian rainforest in South America). This methodology of combining individual-based seasonal movement data with temporally dynamic species distribution models provides a comprehensive approach to integrating multiple data types to describe broad-scale spatial patterns of animal movement. Further development and customization of this approach will continue to advance knowledge about the full annual cycle and conservation of migratory birds

The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts

Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups – including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems – www.predicts.org.uk). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015