Does Conservation Status Matter if You’re Ugly? An Experimental Survey of Species Appeal and Public Support

Wildlife conservation is of the utmost importance to the preservation of a healthy planet, with the extinction of wild animals increasing at previously unseen rates. However, conservation is also becoming increasingly difficult without strong public support, and this often varies in extent and success when it comes to different species and taxa. There is considerable research investigating how the physical characteristics of species affect public support of their conservation. Results suggest species seen as more charismatic, or even more likeable, are more likely to gain support for their conservation, regardless of conservation status. This study aimed to identify whether conservation status, and concern for it, is as important of a consideration for endangered species that are not seen as simply likeable or appealing, or whether this tends to be more ignored for such species. We found that for the treatments/species we chose in our experiment, and in the context we distributed the survey in, their conservation status was a more significant factor than their perceived appeal when it came to public support for their conservation. These results have implications for wildlife conservation efforts, as it shows that appeal is not always the most important factor when attempting to garner support, and that influencing the perception of concern for certain species may be a more effective avenue than relying on appeal for successful wildlife conservation

Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater invertebrates, 2013

The conservation status of 644 freshwater invertebrate taxa, across five Phyla, 28 Orders and 75 Families, was assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) criteria. Forty-six species were ranked Nationally Critical, 11 Nationally Endangered and 16 Nationally Vulnerable. One hundred and seventy-two taxa were listed as Data Deficient. A full list is presented, along with summaries and brief notes on the most important changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for freshwater invertebrates

Conservation, Creation, and Evolution: Revising the Darwinian Project

There is hardly anything more central to our universe than conservation. Many scientific fields and disciplines view the law of conservation as one of the most fundamental universal laws. The Darwinian model pivots the process of evolution on variability, reproduction, and natural selection. Conservation plays a marginal role in this model and is not really universal, as the model allows exceptions to conservation, i.e. non-conservation, to play an equally important role in evolution. This anomalous role of conservation in the Darwinian model raises questions: What is the reason for this anomaly? Is conservation really universal, as we tend to believe or is it not, as the Darwinian model suggests? This contribution proposes a new model of evolution that focuses on levels of organization, rather than of species, organisms, or populations. It argues that conservation is central to evolution. Not only does this new model restores the universal status of conservation but it also makes possible to resolve some outstanding problems and controversies that continue to plague the Darwinian model. The article tries to advance the broad Darwinian project that seeks to explain the process of evolution as a product of the spontaneous processes in nature

Guidelines for assessing favourable conservation status of Natura 2000 species and habitat types in Bulgaria

This executive summary describes the methodology for assessing the favourable conservation status of N2000 habitats and species on site level in Bulgaria and gives guidelines for its application. The methodology was developed in the frame of the BBI/Matra project 2006/014 “Favourable Conservation Status of Natura 2000 Habitat types and Species in Bulgaria”. The project was generously supported by the Dutch government under the BBI/Matra programme, which is a combination of two international policy programs of the Dutch government. The objectives and financial resources of the BBI/Matra Programme fall within the remit of the Matra Social Transformation Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the International Policy Program on Biodiversity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

Heterosternuta sulphuria (Coloptera: Dytiscidae) Occurence in the Sulphur Springs Headwater System and in Buffalo National River Tributaries (Arkansas, USA): Current Distribution, Habitat Conditions, and Biomonitoring Framework

Heterosternuta sulphuria is an endemic aquatic species of concern in Arkansas, with a priority score of 80 out of 100 and a conservation rank of S1and G1. A need of the Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan (AWAP) was to obtain baseline information on distribution and population status of H. sulphuria. Here, we report new H. sulphuria records for 39 sites across 10 counties in the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountain ecoregions and a determined habitat type of shallow margins and small bedrock pools of perennial streams and spring seeps. Few habitat patches were observed per site because detection was typically rapid and (unconfirmed) field identifications were possible because of the unique coloration of the pronotum, therefore only a small portion of the total available habitat was surveyed. We conclude that from our surveys and information gathered from other sources that in Arkansas H. sulphuria is probably ubiquitous among permanently wet aquatic habitats (primarily in upland headwater systems) throughout the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountain ecoregions. Based on the number of occurrences, we recommend a downgrade of conservation status to S3 or S4. While some locations provide protection for current H. sulphuria populations (e.g., Buffalo National River, Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, Sherfield Cave effluent stream, and USFS Richland Creek Wilderness), populations on unprotected lands in urban and agricultural settings probably have a much greater risk of population decline. A final determination of conservation status should consider several factors including dispersal capacity, population sizes, and genetic differentiation among populations. Furthermore, determining if existing H. sulphuria populations are isolated subpopulations or an interacting metapopulation and the habitat area required for population persistence are key for developing effective conservation actions. Monitoring existing populations should involve revisiting current H. sulphuria sites, and this is especially important for potentially fragmented populations in unprotected streams. Bioassessment programs could benefit from monitoring these easily observed populations that might positively relate to the overall physical and biological integrity of permanent Ozark streams and riparian corridors

Updated Conservation Status of Protected Minnesota Caddisflies

Seven of the 13 Minnesota Trichoptera species with official protected status were located in the state during 1997-2001, including four species – Agapetus tomus, Asynarchus rossi, Hydroptila novicola, and Polycentropus milaca – not collected in nearly 40 years. Three species – Chilostigma itascae, Oxyethira ecornuta, and Polycentropus milaca – appear rare in Minnesota, two – Agapetus tomus and Asynarchus rossi – appear rare but locally abundant, and two – Hydroptila novicola and Oxyethira itascae – were found throughout northern Minnesota suggesting that they are more abundant than previously thought. Five listed species were not collected during this study and are currently of unknown conservation status. One listed species, Setodes guttatus, almost certainly does not occur in Minnesota and should be delisted

Challenging the Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is currently discussing the development of a Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) that would mirror the categories and criteria used to assess the conservation status of species. The suggested scientific foundations for the RLE are being considered by IUCN for adoption as the backbone of the RLE. We identify conceptual and operational weaknesses in the draft RLE approach, the categories, and criteria.While species are relatively well-described units, there is no consistent means to classify ecosystems for assessing conservation status. The proposed RLE is framed mostly around certain features of ecosystems such as broad vegetation or habitat types, and do not consider major global change drivers such as climate change. We discuss technical difficulties with the proposed concept of ecosystem collapse and suggest it is not analogous to species extinction. We highlight the lack of scientific basis for the criteria and thresholds proposed by the RLE, and question the need to adopt the structure of the Red List of Species for an RLE. We suggest that the proposed RLE is open to ambiguous interpretations and uncertain outcomes, and that its practicality and benefit for conservation should be carefully evaluated before final approval

Applying the Private Benefit Doctrine to Farmland Conservation Easements

Farmland or working-land conservation easements serve two purposes. One is charitable, to protect open space from development; the other is practical, to preserve the land in productive agricultural use. These purposes, however, create a tension in the easement itself that can force the land trust that holds the easement to choose between the two purposes when the easement, meant in part to protect the farm, threatens the farm\u27s continued viability. Neutral-impact amendments are amendments to working-land easements that allow farmers to improve farm production or viability without harming the conservation value of the easements. Such amendments seem beneficial: a land trust can advance one of its goals of keeping agricultural land productive–without sacrificing the other goal of preserving the conservation value of the land. By approving such an amendment, however, a land trust likely violates the private benefit doctrine and risks losing its tax-exempt status. This Note argues that the IRS should explicitly decide not to apply the private benefit doctrine to neutral-impact amendments of farmland and working-land conservation easements

Year 1 report for ‘Conserving Texas Biodiversity: Status, Trends, and Conservation Planning for Fishes of Greatest Conservation Need’

State Wildlife Grant Program, grant TX T-106-1 (CFDA# 15.634), Contract No. 459125 UTA14-001402Substantive progress was made on all major Project Activities in this first year: Activity 1. Coordinate and Facilitate Science and Conservation Actions for Conserving Texas Biodiversity - We expanded and strengthened UT-TPWD coordination, transitioning the relationship between these partners into a much more collaborative one than was previously realized. The flow of data between TPWD and the Fishes of Texas Project (supported in part by this project) has become much more bi-directional. Many newly collected TPWD specimens, agency databases, legacy data products and reports, and feedback from resource managers are now beginning to contribute substantively to growth and diversity (now including non-specimen-vouchered records) of data served through the FoTX Project’s websites. Work on cleaning and normalizing of FoTX’s online specimen-vouchered database continued, and the updated FoTX occurrence and distribution data are being actively used. Most recently they were used by this project, together with expert (TPWD, UT and others’) opinions, to develop recommendations on conservation status of native fishes of Texas’ Species of Greatest Conservation Need for TPWD’s consideration in anticipated updates to the Texas Conservation Action Plan. Within two months of this report, a new and substantially larger and improved version of the FoTX website/database and related collection of images, field notes, and ancillary datasets, will be formally announced. Activity 2. Identify Priority Geographic Management Units for Conserving Fishes of Greatest Conservation Need - We used FoTX data in a systematic conservation area prioritization analysis to identify Native Fish Conservation Areas (NFCAs) for large portions of Texas where such comprehensive planning had not been previously carried out. Updated and new FoTX data for all Texas fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) were used in production of newly improved Species Distribution Models for input into this planning process, and the results of the planning exercise have already been integrated by TPWD into management prioritizations of both those species and the resultant NFCAs. Activity 3. Develop Monitoring and Conservation Plans for Native Fish Conservation Areas - Monitoring and conservation plans were delivered to TPWD for all NFCAs identified in Activity 2. Activity 4. Conduct Field-Based Surveys Detailed Biodiversity Assessments (i.e. Bioblitzing), and Citizen-Based Monitoring - Field surveys with detailed biodiversity assessments (“bioblitzes”) and citizen-based monitoring were conducted in three areas selected collaboratively by TPWD and FoTX Project staff from within the identified NFCAs: Nueces River headwaters, Big Cypress Bayou basin, and Village Creek basin. Along with this field effort, FoTX Project staff developed and circulated guidelines and best practices, and provided training for citizen-based monitoring that leverages iNaturalist for capture and reporting of photo-vouchered occurrence records in ways that will help assure scientifically useful data are obtained. All specimens acquired during these field efforts, and from many other routine specimen acquisitions from across the state (1845 total records/jars of specimens), were cataloged in the UT Fish Collection database. From there, these new records will soon be fed into GBIF, VertNet, FishNet2 and other major online data aggregators, including the online Fishes of Texas database.Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIntegrative Biolog