Tim W. Clark

Endangered species recovery : finding the lessons, improving the process

Endangered Species Recovery presents case studies of prominent species recovery programs in an attempt to explore and analyze their successes, failures, and problems, and to begin to find ways of improving the process. It is the first effort to engage social scientists as well as biologists in a wide-ranging analysis and discussion of endangered species conservation, and it provides valuable insight into the policy and implementation framework of species recovery programs.

Population viability analysis as a tool in wildlife conservation policy: With reference to Australia

Wildlife conservation policy for endangered species restoration follows a six-phase process. Population viability analysis (PVA) can play a major contributing role in four of these. PVA, as discussed here, is a technique where extinction vulnerabilities of small populations are estimated using computer simulation modeling. The benefits and limitations of using PVA in wildlife decision and policy processes are reviewed based on our direct experience. PVA permits decision makers to set time frames for management, estimate the required magnitude of restoration efforts, identify quantitative targets for species recovery, and select, implement, monitor, and evaluate management strategies. PVA is of greatest value for rare species policy and management. However, a limitation of PVA simulation models is that they are constrained by the amount of biological data available, and such data are difficult to obtain from small populations that are at immediate risk of extinction. These problems may be overcome with improved models and more data. Our experience shows benefits of PVA far outweigh its limitations, and applications of the approach are most useful when integrated with decision analysis and completed within an adaptive management philosophy. PVAs have been carried out for 14 Victorian species and less used elsewhere in Australia. Management and recovery plans are developed from these PVAs. We recommend that PVA be used to guide research programs, develop conservation strategies, and inform decision and policy making for both endangered and nonendangered species because it can significantly improve many aspects of natural resource policy and management.

Population attributes for the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) at Meeteetse, Wyoming, 1981-1985

Numbers of adults and juveniles in the single known free-ranging population of the endangered black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes ) at Meeteetse, Wyoming were estimated annually in July from spotlighting as 88 (1983), 129 (1984), and 58 (1985). Population sizes in September, determined from mark-recapture studies, were 128 ± 25 (1984) and 31 ± 8 (1985). Lower population estimates in 1985 reflected, at least in part, an ongoing epizootic of canine distemper in ferrets that decimated the population through November 1985, reducing it to ca. 6 individuals. From 1982 to 1985, adult sex ratio was 1 male: 2.2 females; juvenile sex ratio (1 male: 0.80 females) did not differ significantly from 1:1. The ratio of young to adults averaged 1.95:1 from 1982 to 1984 and 1.2:1 in 1985. At least 224 young were produced in 68 litters from 1982–1985, with a mean litter size at emergence of young of 3.3. Juvenile ferrets reached adult weight by September. Only one female tagged as a juvenile was recaught at 1 year of age, and she reproduced. Intercolony movements were primarily by juvenile males and occurred from September to October. Adults maintained geographic fidelity between years. Disappearance (mortality and emigration) rates ranged from 53 to 86% annually and were highest for juveniles. Observed ferret mortality in the absence of disease was primarily from predation. Reduction of the population during the epizootic suggests persistence of this population in the wild is unlikely.

Attitudes and knowledge of people living in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Concerns over threats to the integrity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) have increasingly led to calls for coordinated management of the region. To be most effective, GYE management requires an understanding of the attitudes and knowledge of local people. A structured knowledge and attitude survey of 308 people living within the GYE was conducted. A large majority of respondents recognized the importance of coordinated management of the GYE to conserve and protect the regions natural attractions, but most misunderstood or were worried about the economic and political implications of ecosystem management. The belief that ecosystem management would lead to loss of local control in the region was prevalent. Most respondents also believed that ecosystem management would negatively affect their communities, lifestyles, and natural resource‐based industries. Although most people were knowledgeable about the areas attributes, few were aware of the sizable problems facing coordinated management of the...

Practicing natural resource management with a policy orientation

All natural resource managers want to contribute to successful conservation programs. Having and applying an explicit policy orientation is indispensable. The policy sciences are described and a case is made that, if natural resource managers utilize this set of conceptual and applied tools in their natural resource work, their effectiveness could be enhanced. The policy sciences offer a contextual, problem-oriented, and multimethod approach to meeting complex problems. Two kinds of knowledge are needed to solve problems—substantive knowledge about the resource and process knowledge about the decision and policy processes used to derive courses of management action. The interplay of science, analysis, and politics are examined. The wildlife management community is used to illustrate many points, including the important role implementation plays in the overall policy process.

The influence of valuational and organizational considerations on the success of rare species translocations

Abstract Translocations of rare and endangered species face significant valuational and organizational challenges; however, these dimensions are rarely discussed in the translocation literature. We employed a 98 question sample mail survey to assess these variables and received 131 responses from 110 individuals in 10 nations. In contrast to the literature which suggests that most translocations fail, a large proportion of the programs surveyed were perceived as being successful and most respondents identified relatively few valuational or organizational problems or difficulties in their translocation programs. While perceived local support was correlated with perceived translocation success, the presence of public relations/education programs was not. Therefore, simply having a public relations/education program is no guarantee that public support will increase or that a translocation will be more successful. Organizationally, translocations which established special groups or teams were perceived as increasing innovation, but not in improving program organization, nor decreasing conflict. Further, the presence of special groups or teams was not correlated with translocation success. Finally, translocations with the objective of augmenting populations were perceived to suffer from more problems, including greater local opposition, poorer public understanding, less money, and poorer leadership, than were translocations aimed at establishing or re-establishing populations. The results illustrated the difficulty of analyzing valuational and organizational aspects of conservation programs using questionnaires.

Vernal Pool Conservation in Connecticut: An Assessment and Recommendations

Vernal pools, a variety of ephemeral wetlands, are threatened in many areas of the United States. As habitat fragmentation and degradation increase, some vernal pool amphibian species are declining in numbers. Uneven implementation of state regulations further hampers effective conservation. To prevent further species decline and vernal pool loss, we evaluated alternatives for improving vernal pool conservation. We used transcripts from a recent vernal pool conference, interviews with members of relevant interest groups, and a literature review to determine opportunities for and constraints on improving vernal pool conservation policy. Participants from different interest groups had very diverse views about appropriate protection strategies. We have examined these different perspectives and alternatives and offer policy recommendations on both the state and local level. These recommendations can foster awareness of vernal pools as unique habitats, increase protection of these areas, and expand citizen participation in the vernal pool regulatory process.

High-performance teams in wildlife conservation: A species reintroduction and recovery example

Reintroduction of animals to the wild to establish free-ranging viable populations is a valuable conservation tool, but ecological skills alone are not enough to ensure a successful reintroduction; also needed to do the work are effectively designed and managed programs. This article suggests general guidelines for organizing and managing reintroduction programs, reviews some basic organizational issues, and considers ways to develop high-performance teams The need to integrate reintroduction programs into their larger interorganizational context is discussed. The reintroduction programs structure must be appropriate for its function and should be properly staffed, led, and buffered from its political environment It should process information well, learn rapidly from its own mistakes, and be creative A high-performance team devotes most of its energies to solving external rather than internal problems

Some spacing relations among the central males of a transplanted troop of Japanese macaques (Arashiyama west)

In February, 1972, a troop of 150 Japanese macaques was tranplanted from Kyoto, Japan, to Laredo, Texas, USA, after 20 years of study in Japan. As part of the general adaptation of the troop to its new environment, spacing behavior was observed in the central adult males [by independent rank, (1)Dai, (2)W, (3)Bus 62, and (4)Kojiwa 59]. Spot checks of locations, vertical space use, mobility patterns, and paths to and from a box of apples suggested that the major influences on spacing were rank, personality and history, social interactions, and several environmental factors (availability of vertical space, water, and shade, extreme heat, daily provisioning, etc).Dai exceeded the other males in use of vertical space, rate and distance of travel, and proximity to the apple box.W confined his high use of vertical space use primarily to one structure. His distance and rate of travel were low, and he maintained the greatest distance from the apple box.Bus 62 ranked second in use of vertical space, distance and rate of travel, and proximity to the apple box.Kojiwa 59 frequently changed sites in his use of vertical space. His distance and rate of travel were low, and he maintained long distances from the apple box.

The Greater Yellowstone policy debate: What is the policy problem?

Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding mountainous region comprise the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), a 19 million acre area that is one of the few relatively intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states. Conservationists believe that continuation of present land management practices in the region will disrupt the ecological integrity of the GYE. Many authors have identified and described these threats, but as yet there has been no sustained effort to make sense of these threats in the context of the ongoing dynamic policy debate. We develop the foundation for such understanding by examining the implicit problem definitions that have emerged from this debate. They fall into three general categories: 1) a scientific definition, 2) an economic definition, and 3) a bureaucratic definition. This process produces an exploratory definition of the policy problem, which suggests a strategy for better understanding and policy design. We propose several intervention points at which substantive, one-the-ground improvements in the management of the GYE are possible.