December 2004

The basis for conservation, protecting and promoting recovery of biodiversity and ecosystems, is to use good science. And good science is a result of using the scientific method including publishing the results in the peer-reviewed literature. Conservation Science Institute is all about promoting this process and providing the science which helps people and organizations make the right choices.

Conservation Science Institute celebrates its tenth year with the initiation of the CSI Report and the CSI International Environmental Educator Award. CSI has transformed from a regional non-profit to an organization representing and working with scientists and policy makers around the world. See our list of fellows; we have fellows from Switzerland working on sharks near Fiji, from University of California at Berkeley working on contaminant issues in Angola, and from the University of British Columbia working on corals off the coast of Panama. Our most recent fellow, Mark Buckley, is working with farmers in California, and he reports on his activities in this issue of the CSI Report.

The CSI Report editor, Brian Petersen, will include updates from one or two fellows each month, as well as include interesting articles about conservation research and management issues from around the world. The CSI Report is a monthly publication, so check back regularly to keep informed. We also encourage our colleagues to provide editorial comments and articles.

The first CSI International Environmental Educator Award has been given to an Alaskan research biologist, Bonita Nelson, who developed and organizes an impressive environmental education program for elementary students. We are proud of her work and highlight its success so that others can follow her model. You can learn more about Ms. Nelson's work by going to her web page (http://www.conservationinstitute.org/awardnelson.htm) and more about the CSI International Environmental Educator Award at http://www.conservationinstitute.org/edaward.htm. We welcome nominations for this award at anytime.

The newest CSI publication (Okey, T.A., U.R. Sumaila, and D. Zeller. 2004. The dynamic steady state economy. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2(8):401.) is worth locating and reading. Publishing our work in peer-reviewed journals and in the popular press is an important way for CSI to get information to our colleagues and constituents. You can read about some of CSI's recent publications and past accomplishments at http://www.conservationinstitute.org/accomplishments.htm.

Conservation Science Institute is an active think tank and research organization founded in 1994 to resolve emerging ecological and environmental dilemmas. We are dedicated to providing quality science for the recovery of ecosystems and to sharing that knowledge with our colleagues and the public. The CSI Report is just one tool we have for accomplishing this goal.

Mark Buckley approaches problems facing conservation and restoration efforts from a social perspective, focusing on the economic and strategic dimensions. He is currently finishing his PhD dissertation at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Mark uses game-theoretic and other simulation methods to examine the individual and group level dynamics that influence policy implementation success. His research moves beyond the typical aggregate society-level economic analyses such as cost-benefit, which are used for policy identification and justification but do not easily capture the interactions and feedbacks within social systems and between social and natural systems.

The bulk of Mark's dissertation research focuses on the landscape-scale restoration efforts along more than 160 km of the Sacramento River in California. Conflicts between restoration efforts and some landowners, primarily farmers, in the Sacramento River Conservation Area (SRCA) have stymied restoration and conservation projects, led to a reduction in the size of the SRCA by almost two-thirds, and changed the on-farm management in ways that work against restoration goals. Some farmers perceive negative effects spreading from restoration areas in the forms of increased weeds, invertebrate and vertebrate pests, flooding severity, endangered species establishment, and

trespassing. Some farmers in turn have increased usage of chemicals, fencing, rip-rapping and political opposition. Mark is working with local landowner organizations, government agents, and restorationists to identify stable cooperative solutions that reduce negative impacts for both sides through compromise, design, and information exchange. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation, STEPS Institute for Innovation in Environmental Research, and other organizations.

Mark holds a B.A. in Economics from Davidson College and served as an economic consultant to the U.S. EPA and U.S. Forest Service while at Research Triangle Institute. He has served as an economic consultant to the Santa Cruz water department and currently Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund. For Earthjustice, Mark lately works on the problem of marine life mortality caused by coastal power plant cooling operations.

Mark's research focus on conservation of rivers and other water resources comes from a lifelong pursuit of time on the water in a kayak. Mark's paddling has led him to class 5 multi-day whitewater expeditions around the world, including first descents. He has been a kayak instructor and raft guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Outward Bound, and numerous Costa Rican companies. Mark has left his days of competition as a sponsored professional kayaker. When not working though, he can still be found high in the Sierra Nevadas on a bedrock granite creek or in the backcountry snow.

The study gathered population, habitat, and other data on all of the 5,743 described species of amphibians. Of those species, nearly 33 percent are threatened and another 43 percent of the species are showing population declines. Perhaps even more troubling, the study found that many species in decline reside in near pristine habitat. The decline of these enigmatic species, those declining in areas that contain suitable habitat, is not yet fully understood, but scientists have cited climate change and disease as two of the most likely causes.

Although birds and mammals have experienced more extinctions in the past 500 years, amphibians currently face a higher extinction rate. Since 1980 nine species of amphibians have gone extinct, compared to only five bird species and zero mammal species. Also of concern, the GAA lists over 120 species of amphibians that can no longer be found. These species have disappeared since 1980 and although technically not extinct they could push the overall extinction rate even higher.

Neotropical regions harbor the most rapidly declining species, while the number of over exploited species in East and Southeast Asia topped all other areas globally. The study also found that beyond these geographical patterns, taxonomy seemed to play a role. Of all those rapidly declining, four amphibian families had the most species.

The GAA confirms that swift declines in amphibian species exist and that scientists do not have a good understanding of why. Habitat loss and over-consumption continue to play a large role in the precipitous decline, but extinction rate models continue to underestimate overall extinction because they do not incorporate decline of enigmatic species.

CITES members vote to list species on Appendix I or Appendix II. Appendix I completely restricts the international commercial trade of the species. It affords the highest level of protection and includes the great apes, species of whale, and the big cats. This year members voted to include the Irrawaddy dolphin to the list, protecting the charismatic dolphin from exploitation by Asian water parks.

Appendix II places restrictions on trade but does not completely restrict it. The members voted this year to protect the giant coral reef fish, the humphead wrasse, and the great white shark, species that face significant pressure from commercial fishing. Greater levels of regulation and protection come with Appendix II listings and will hopefully help stabilize their populations.

CITES has moved towards the protection of commodity species and this year Ramin, an Asian rainforest tree received Appendix II protections. Mahogany, a valuable rainforest tree species, received the same protection two years ago. Both species have many commercial values and have suffered from uncontrolled trade and illegal logging. Their protection seeks to control their trade and also to protect the ecosystem in which they inhabit.

A recent study in the journal Environmental Conservation indicates that marine protected areas (MPA's) may increase abundance and biomass of species targeted by fisheries. Many studies have looked at the effects of MPA's, no take reserves in the open ocean, but few have data collected before and after the adoption of reserve status of

a particular area. This study, in contrast, has data from 3-4 years before and 12-13 years after the establishment of MPA's in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

This study looked at coral trout abundance and density on inshore reefs (10-30 km from the coast). These areas receive recreational fishing pressure and because of their close proximity to the shore allow for effective surveillance. Poaching by commercial and recreational fishers does occur in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Results of the study indicate that protection of an MPA no take reserve can increase targeted fish stocks when given adequate protection and time. Biomass measures were consistently higher in the MPA's as compared to the data taken before the establishment of a MPA. Similarly, abundance data show an increase in protected areas. Both measures also show increases in MPA's compared to non-protected areas in the GBR over the same time period. In addition, no-take reserves also seem to benefit secondary species, the stripy sea perch for example, as their abundance increased with the protection as well.

Because of slight alterations in the methodology from the pre-reserve data to the post-reserve data, the authors made a point to indicate that the results do not provide unequivocal evidence that marine reserves lead to a positive response from targeted fish species. However, the study does provide reliable data on size structure and abundance of targeted species before and after the establishment of no-take reserves.

Results indicate that no-take reserves can serve the dual function of conservation and fishery management. In addition, the authors of the study posit that the results indicate that reserves could potentially positively influence fisheries outside the no-take zone if populations in the protected areas increase to the point that they can expand and inhabit non-protected areas where take is less restricted.

Scientists all over the world are of the opinion that Earth has been experiencing a warming trend over the last 200 years- and our activities are responsible for this Global warming. The process started with the industrial revolution in 1750, continued during World War II and has been escalated by recent commercialization and human demand for a push button life. The phenomenon was discovered in the early 1820's by a natural philosopher Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Fourier, who faced execution during the French Revolution. How we have traveled on this journey of 200 years is an interesting tale and worth exploring, so that we learn from our past mistakes and make efforts to rectify them before it is too late and the water is over the bridge!

Planet earth is made habitable by the presence of an atmosphere. The insulating blanket that surrounds our planet stretches about 600 miles out into the space. It serves us in several capacities; as an umbrella for shade from sunlight that is too bright, as a sun block from dangerous ultraviolet rays in sunlight, and as a blanket that traps heat and thus keep Earth's surface comfortably warm. The atmosphere succeeds in those functions even though it is a thin veil of gases; if our planet were the size of an apple, its atmosphere would be as thick as the apple peel.

Like the glass in a greenhouse, Earth's atmosphere allows the sun's light energy to pass through. As sunlight reaches the earth, it is absorbed by plants, water bodies, and everything else on the planet. Some of this energy is utilized for maintaining life and balancing of the ecosystem, and the remaining is radiated back to space as infrared radiation. Part of this heat energy is trapped by the gases present in the atmosphere and redirected back to Earth's surface, keeping it warm. In the absence of our atmosphere, the average temperature at Earth's surface would be a frigid -180C, all water would be frozen, and we would probably not be here. The greenhouse effect of our atmosphere increases the surface temperatures to +150C and contributes to the existence of life on earth. The most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen. Together they account for 99% of our atmosphere, but they are unable to absorb infrared radiation from the Earth's surface. The remaining 1% is composed of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane. Our greenhouse effect depends on these gases. Because of our industrial and agricultural activities, we are in the process of increasing the concentration of these greenhouse gases to an extent which will cause the melting of the glaciers, increase in the sea levels and flooding of the coastal cities, storms, and violent winds. Some of today's rich farmlands could become deserts and other parts of the world, where it is now too cold to grow crops, might become the fertile farmlands of the future. Wildlife species could be faced with extinction. We can enter another ice age!

According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change, a group of 2000 leading international Scientist, global temperatures could rise by as much as 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years. The most noticeable signs of global warming can be witnessed in colder regions like Canada, Northern Russia and Alaska. From 1970 to 2000, for example, the average temperature in Alaska increased by 50F (2.80C). Alaskan cruise ships used to stop close to the Columbia Glacier, for passengers to experience what biting cold is and see giant structures of icebergs breaking and dropping into Prince William Sound. However, this no longer is possible because the chunks of ice are now breaking off more frequently, making it dangerous for passing ships. Author Mark Lynas truly describes Alaska as the canary in the coal mine, showing the rest of the world what lies ahead as global warming accelerates.

The unusually severe storms and flooding that struck Europe in November 2000 was a taste of what's to come worldwide, if global warming continued at the current rate. Floridians have been facing the wrath this time, starting with the hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. All this has been linked to the 10F to 1.50F rise in sea-surface temperatures which parallels climate change, which has been linked to everything from the ocean currents to the amount of rain that U.S receives. When the Atlantic last warmed, between 1926 and 1970, a parade of deadly storms wrapped the Caribbean and the Coastal U.S. Do we see a pattern here?

But floods and rains is not everything in our bag! According to a new analysis by the union of Concerned Scientist, chilly San Francisco summers could turn balmy, while Sacramento and Los Angeles would roast in extreme heat up to one-third of the time. Some people might argue that a few extra days at the beach doesn't sound so bad! But global warming is much more complicated than that. The climate change has also produced change in the weather cycle, migration of birds and change in their behavior, and extinction of certain species of plants and animals. English gardens are moving south by twenty meters each day. This is because with every 10C rise in temperature, climatic zones move 150 kilometers north. The migrating birds are also spreading northward to take advantage of warmer climate. Since 1959, German Scientist have been modeling climate and recording the appearance of the first flowers in spring and turning of the leaves in the fall each year. In 1993, they found that spring season was arriving six days earlier than it did in 1959. The beginning of the fall was an average of five days later. In Antarctica, the population of Adelie penguins has been falling over the last twenty-five years as the warm water cannot sustain the supplies of cold water fish on which they feed.

Is it too late? Not necessary. Do we wait and see what happens or should we act now? The problem with the “wait and see” policy is that if we don't act now, the greenhouses will build up, the temperatures will continue to rise, and eventually we may reach a point at which the problem can't be fixed. What we decide now will affect future generations. They will have to live in the world we create. To explain this urgency, let us consider the riddle that was used by Author S. George Philander in his book “Is the Temperature rising?”

In 1984 Katherine (Katy) Payne, a biologist, was at the zoo when she felt throbbing in her chest. After researching the phenomenon she discovered the zoo's elephants were communicating using strong, low frequency 20-hertz sounds. These sounds are too low for people to hear, but elephants can hear them and use them to detect other elephants in danger, the location of water, and mates.

Autonomous recording units hold the potential of unlocking the mystery of elephant communication. These devices record calls, including those inaudible to the human ear, and when used in a network of multiple units can determine from which animal the sounds originated. Placed in locations where elephants frequently converge, the devices can provide valuable data on elephant behavior in areas where researches would ordinarily have a difficult time observing populations.

Researchers can already use vocalizations to determine population size. However, this research hopes to also develop a digital process that can identify specific vocalizations. These vocalizations could contain vital indicators of health, reproduction, population levels, behavioral characteristics, and the overall viability of the population.