Brian Miller

Strongly Interacting Species: Conservation Policy, Management, and Ethics

Abstract Obsolescence of environmental laws and regulations is unavoidable, and policies dealing with endangered species and ecosystem conservation often lag decades behind the relevant science. For example, endangered species laws and regulations and other conservation statutes typically fail to consider the interactions of strongly interacting species, probably because the importance of such interactions was not well understood when the laws were drafted. By failing to consider current knowledge, therefore, natural resource scientists and managers may be harming the species and systems they are charged with protecting. Most ecologists agree that the conservation of biodiversity is facilitated by maintaining population densities and distributions of strongly interactive species above estimable thresholds for ecological effectiveness. Assuming that conservation biologists and natural resource managers are “physicians to nature,” we therefore propose they are obligated to adhere to a doctrine of “best conservation practices based on the best science,” applying a more rigorous standard for the management of relatively interactive species than may be mandated by older statutes and effected by current practice and convention.

Reintroduction of the black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes )

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) (Figure 27.1) is a small, secretive, nocturnal member of the family Mustelidae (Hall, 1981; Honacki, Kurman and Koeppl, 1982). Ferrets have an obligate dependence on the prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) community, utilizing the prairie dog for food and its burrows for shelter (Campbell et al., 1987).

Prairie Dogs: An Ecological Review and Current Biopolitics

Abstract In recent years, people have interpreted scientific information about the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) in various, and sometimes conflicting, ways. Political complexity around the relationship among black-tailed prairie dogs, agricultural interests, and wildlife has increased in recent years, particularly when prairie dogs occur on publicly owned lands leased to private entities for livestock grazing. Some have proposed that estimates of prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) numbers from 1900 are inflated, that prairie dog grazing is not unique (other grazers have similar affects on vegetation), and that prairie dogs significantly reduce carrying capacity for livestock and wildlife. We address all these issues but concentrate on the degree of competition between prairie dogs and ungulates because this motivates most prairie dog control actions. We conclude that the available information does not justify holding distribution and numbers of prairie dogs at a level that is too low to perform their keystone ecological function. We further conclude that it is especially important that prairie dogs be sufficiently abundant on public lands to perform this function.

The Value of Enrichment to Reintroduction Success

Reintroduction attempts have faced low, albeit improving, success rates, especially for threatened and endangered species reintroduced from captivity to the wild. This is not only a concern for conservation, as the low success of reintroduction also implies an animal welfare issue for the individuals concerned. Success rates are particularly low for species that live in complex social structures, require greater training during development, and exhibit higher levels of intelligence. Aside from mitigating the original cause of a species extirpation from an area, behavior factors arguably represent the most important aspect influencing an animals survival following reintroduction. Indeed, we previously recommended using behavioral indicators for determining relative reintroduction success, especially as practitioners develop and compare protocols or if survivorship is difficult to gauge. Strategic enrichment programs targeted toward developing specific skills important for survival in the wild promise to improve reintroduction success by providing individuals with opportunities to develop and improve behavioral skills, such as avoiding predation, foraging (especially for predators and primates), interacting in social groups, courtship and mating, habitat selection, and learning movement and migration routes. Enrichment also improves the physical condition of most individuals, which should also increase reintroduction success. Last but not least, such programs offer the prospect of improved animal welfare both pre- and post-release. We explore how behavioral enrichment has influenced reintroduction success and welfare in a variety of different species.

A model for improving endangered species recovery programs

This paper discusses common organizational problems that cause inadequate planning and implementation processes of endangered species recovery across biologically dissimilar species. If these problems occur, even proven biological conservation techniques are jeopardized. We propose a solution that requires accountability in all phases of the restoration process and is based on cooperative input among government agencies, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and the academic community. The first step is formation of a task-oriented recovery team that integrates the best expertise into the planning process. This interdisciplinary team should be composed of people whose skills directly address issues critical for recovery. Once goals and procedures are established, the responsible agency (for example, in the United States, the US Fish and Wildlife Service) could divest some or all of its obligation for implementing the plan, yet still maintain oversight by holding implementing entities contractually accountable. Regular, periodic outside review and public documentation of the recovery team, lead agency, and the accomplishments of implementing bodies would permit evaluation necessary to improve performance. Increased cooperation among agency and nongovernmental organizations provided by this model promises a more efficient use of limited resources toward the conservation of biodiversity.

Challenges to black-footed ferret recovery: protecting prairie dogs

ABSTRACT. The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) recovery program is an example of single-species management to preserve flora and fauna. We argue that conservationists must move beyond that approach for success. In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a down-listing goal of 1500 adult black-footed ferrets in 10 wild populations by 2010. The recovery program has only reached 23% of that goal. The overriding reason is the lack of regulatory mechanisms for poisoning and shooting prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) and our inability to control occurrence of plague (Yersinia pestis) in prairie dogs. We propose that prairie dogs need, and deserve, some level of federal protection to address these factors and that the primary goal for conservation of black-footed ferrets should be maintaining numbers and distributions of prairie dogs at sufficient temporal and geographic scales to restore them to a level of ecological function in the grasslands. We contend that prairie dogs qualify for protection in at least 4 of the 5 categories used to assess level of threat under the Endangered Species Act. A species needs to qualify in one of those categories to merit protection. The threat posed by plague should itself be sufficient reason to justify prairie dog protection, both for themselves and for the black-footed ferret recovery program.

People and Wildlife: Understanding and resolving the black-tailed prairie dog conservation challenge

INTRODUCTION In 1999 the US Fish and Wildlife Service recommended designating the black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) as warranted for listing as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, but precluded from such listing by other, higher priority species (US Fish and Wildlife Service 1999). This ‘warranted, but precluded’ finding flamed a management controversy that had been brewing for years and instigated a flurry of activity by agricultural interests, government agencies, conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists and others. Stakeholders became polarized between those who want to conserve prairie dogs and those who want to limit them. Although ecologists have noted for decades the huge decline of black-tailed prairie dogs, as recently as 10–15 years ago the status of prairie dogs and their management was largely neglected and therefore not controversial. How did this issue move to the forefront of conservation controversies in this country? In this chapter we use a policy sciences approach (Lasswell and McDougal 1992) to describe and analyse the controversy surrounding prairie dog conservation and management by examining the context of the issue, the key stakeholders, and the processes being used to understand and address the problem. We end with recommendations to improve prospects for black-tailed prairie dog recovery and conservation. THE CONTEXT OF PRAIRIE DOG CONSERVATION: ORIENTING TO THE ‘PROBLEM’ Fully understanding the challenge of black-tailed prairie dog recovery requires a comprehensive assessment of the context.

Capture Rates of Reptiles and Amphibians on Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) Colonies and on Uncolonized Prairie in Colorado

Abstract Prairie dog eradication negatively affects dependent wildlife. Assessing the effects of prairie dog activities on reptiles and amphibians may depend upon the efficacy of trapping designs. We compared capture rates of reptiles and amphibians on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies and on adjacent uncolonized short-grass prairie, using funnel traps and pitfall traps with drift fences, as well as ground captures. We captured 152 reptiles and amphibians representing 10 species. We captured 51.3% of all reptiles and amphibians on colonies, compared to 48.7% from uncolonized sites. Overall, captures of reptiles and amphibians were similar on colonies and uncolonized sites for all capture methods combined. We achieved higher capture rates on uncolonized sites using funnel traps and pitfall traps but higher capture rates on colonies for ground captures. For all years on all sites combined, we captured significantly more animals in funnel traps (52.6%), surpassing pitfall trap captures (23.0%) and ground captures (24.3%). We recommend using multiple Y-shaped drift fence arrays ≥ 7.6 m in length, funnel traps with double-ended openings, and black-colored pitfall traps with opening diameters ≥ 30 cm.