AAAS Report: Ecosystem Services

aaasAre you a bean counter or a scientist? According to two different sessions focused on ecosystems services at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston last weekend, you should probably be both.

A Saturday morning session, featuring Jane Lubchenco, still of NOAA, as a discussant, illustrated just how sophisticated ecosystem services accounting has become. And while there was even a representative from the World Bank who discussed both the general and specific accounting principles at work in analyzing ecosystem services, it wasn’t all about money. The key term is values, especially cultural values.

The key concept is asking stakeholders what they want, whether it is from a fishery or a forest, then balancing conflicting wants in a way with broad benefits. Lisa Mandle of the Natural Capital Project introduced the concept of “serviceshed,” which is a concept that tries to prevent there being winners and losers of ecosystem services.

An example is when a wetland is destroyed in an urban area, and then, thanks to the Clean Water Act, a new one is created or preserved in a rural area — outside of the original serviceshed. In theory, the ecosystem benefits from the preserved wetland. In practice, the people in the city lose the ecosystem services provided by the wetland (flood control, pollution abatement, fish, etc.), while the people in the rural area gain even more of them.

Extensive examples of ecosystem services driving conservation efforts were given from South Africa and Quebec, Canada.

The star of this show was the Natural Capital Project, so check out their website and their InVEST ecosystem services modeling tool.

AAAS Report: Future of Conservation

aaasIn a session at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting this weekend in Boston about the future of conservation, Peter Kareiva, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, said that in the global ecosystem, multinational corporations like Cargill, Rio Tinto, and Dow are “keystone species” that conservation can only ignore to its peril.

John Robinson of the Wildlife Conservation Society was skeptical about the value of ideas like naturalness and wilderness. He said there has been a shift from valuing nature for its own sake toward creating conservation goals through an analysis of the cultural values associated with the aspect of nature under threat.

Both speakers promoted an ecosystems services approach to conservation.

The third panelist, Alan Thornhill, spoke about his recent experience as a science adviser at the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the agency that oversees continental shelf oil-drilling leases. Thornhill said that the agency actually had hundreds of scientists on staff, but their information was buried under layers of bureaucracy. The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe allowed those scientists’ voices to be heard, he said, by forcing the agency the agency to reorganize, which brought the science function closer to the executive level.

Earlier in the day there had been an entire panel devoted to ecosystem services, and we’ll cover that session tomorrow.

 

 

Changes at the Top

A new presidential term is driving some of the changes at the head of agencies and institutions important to wildlife research, but for others, it was just time.

Chief among those changes at the top is the news that Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar will step down.
Read about his term on the CNN website here.
A look at his legacy is on a New York Times blog here. (Wildlife is not mentioned.)

The Salazar announcement was preceded by the news that Jane Lubchenco would leave her post as the head of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. At the time of her appointment there was excitement that a research scientist of her caliber was taking such a high-level government post.
A Washington Post article on her departure, including the reprint of an email signed “Dr. Jane.”

Lost in the hubbub has been the news that the head of the U.S. Geological Survey, Marcia McNutt, is also leaving. The USGS is, after all, the federal agency that conducts wildlife research (a role that was stripped from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the Clinton administration). Life is good when your agency doesn’t have any regulatory or management responsibilities, she says in an interview with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Science Insider.
Read it here.

But all the changes have not been at the federal level. The Wildlife Society recently announced that Dr. Byron Kenneth (Ken) Williams will become its executive director. Williams has completed stints with the USGS and the USFWS.
Read the Wildlife Society announcement here.

Bat Conservation International is a significant partner in bat research in addition to bat advocacy, so it is worth noting that it recently named Andrew B. Walker as its executive director. (Also worth noting is the Walker will work out of Washington, DC, not Austin, TX.)
Read the BCI press release here.

Finally, not all changes go smoothly. In Idaho, the daughter of a California game warden is facing a confirmation fight in the state Senate over her appointment to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. At issue seems to be the fact that she has not held a hunting license every year since she her first in the state in 2002. Opponents to her appointment would prefer a more avid hunter and angler.
Read the whole story in the Spokane Spokesman-Review here.

Foxes and Big Game from the Air

palenkitfox_sarah1What do you do when your collared foxes are missing? The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Investigations Lab has been tracking desert kit foxes to study an outbreak of canine distemper. Deana Clifford, the Wildlife Investigation Lab’s (WIL) wildlife veterinarian for non-game threatened and endangered species is running the project.

Over the summer, however, some of the collared foxes’ radio signals disappeared after flash flooding in the study area. After several attempts on foot, the researchers took to the air and found the missing foxes with an airplane equipped with a tracking antenna.

Lots of information on this project from CDFW WIL:
Here’s the blog post on the air search
Here’s the background on canine distemper in desert foxes.
And here’s an post about the first kit fox pup of the year.

Idaho Fish and Game is taking to the air, too. But this is just a routine big game survey, which they do in key hunt units every three years.
Read the press release here.

Photo: A remote camera photographs a radio collared fox in California’s Chuckwalla Valley – part of the Colorado Desert. Photo courtesy of David Elms from California’s Region 6 DFW office.

2012 Year in Review

besskin_ferret3What were the biggest North American wildlife stories in 2012? The ten stories with the most views by State Wildlife Research News readers — in order of popularity — were:

Resident Mountain Lions in Michigan?
(Michigan Confirms U.P. Mountain Lion Photos was a top story too)
Coyote/Wolf Hybrids in the East
Deer (as a whole category)
NY State Seeks Rabbit Heads
New Black-footed Ferret Colony Found in S.D.
Lynx and Bobcat in Northeast
Wild Cat News (Florida panthers, bobcats and Kansas mountain lion)
Tool: Infrared Monitoring (which appeared before the finding of using infrared cameras to detect rabies in bats)
Wolverine Wanders from Wyoming to Colorado

But were these the most important stories? Yes, our focus here at State Wildlife Research News is non-game terrestrial species, but some of the biggest news of the year was about game species or hunting.

Wolves, endangered or not, hunted or not, had a saga of their own. (Also see these stories.)
The efforts to keep sage grouse off the endangered species list were also big news.
And of course, those efforts are closely related to the impact of energy extraction and collection on wildlife. Whether it was tortoises and solar power, birds and wind power, gas and grouse or oil spills, it was significant in 2012.Wildlife disease was big news too, including a bad year for epizootic hemorrhagic disease in deer, particularly in the Midwest and white nose syndrome in bats.

The white nose syndrome news wasn’t all bad. It included a faster test for the disease and other rays of hope. But there were other wildlife bright spots, too.
Evidence is starting to pile up on the success of wildlife overpasses and underpasses.
There was that new population of black-footed ferrets.
Bears are making a comeback in many states (and creating problems in urban areas, which is not-so-good news).

The technology of the year? As far as I’m concerned, it’s stable isotope analysis. The Journal of Mammalogy devoted an entire issue to it.

Here’s to more good news and more good research in 2013.

Photo: Black-Footed Ferret photo by Charlene Bessken, courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service

The Gift of Wildlife

2013_Calendar_cover_thumbPsst. Looking for a last-minute gift idea? Well, your state fish and wildlife (or game or natural resources) department has just the thing.

Never mind that the gift of wildlife doesn’t fit under a tree. Lots of state departments have sent out press releases with their own suggestions.

Oregon Fish and Wildlife suggests a hunting or fishing license. There is some fine print, however: “If you are giving a license as a gift, make sure you have the hunter’s or angler’s full name and date of birth (day, month, year). If the person has previously had a license, make sure you have their ODFW hunter/angler ID number, which is found at the top of their license. If you are purchasing a license for someone who has never had a license, you will have to provide his or her social security number in compliance with Federal and State laws.”

Uhhh. Better make that a gift certificate for a license. That’s what the Indiana Department of Natural Resources suggests. Just keep in mind that it can’t be returned. Idaho Fish and Game wants you to give a chance at a Super Hunt tag. Win and you can participate in any hunting season in Idaho. Lose, and… oh, never mind.

Who has calendars?
New Hampshire Fish and Game
The Missouri Department of Conservation

What about a magazine subscription?
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Arizona Game and Fish Department
(There are many wonderful state wildlife magazines out there. These are just the ones we received press releases from suggesting holiday giving. Same goes for calendars.)

Missouri and Minnesota are promoting their gift shops. With the Missouri Department of Conservation, you can shop on-line. (Navigate to different product types using the dark blue bar near the top.) The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a gift shop in a state park. You need to go there in person, but there’s a big holiday sale.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has a free National Wildlife Refuge app, that it is suggesting for loading on that iPad that you’re giving.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is playing it the other way, and suggests that you donate to its Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund. North Carolina suggests the same, with a donation to its Wildlife Diversity Endowment Fund.

What’s the most unique gift item available from your state wildlife department? Leave a comment and let us know.

Photo: New Hampshire Fish and Game’s 2013 wildlife calendar.

Wild Cat News

Three Florida panthers (Puma concolor) were hit and killed by vehicles in a one week period this November, the Naples News reports. That brings the Florida panther death total to 23 for the year. It’s possible that this year will tie or break the record number of panther deaths of 25, set in 2007. But more important, the trend of the total number of deaths each year generally increasing over the last 10 years.

What does it all mean? Another article in the Naples News quotes Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission panther team leader Darrell Land as saying the trend is no reason to worry. He says in the article that more panthers mean more deaths. He also says that known panther births are keeping pace with the panther deaths.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) does not agree, saying in a press release that something needs to be done to stem the mounting death toll of the federally endangered species.

However, it was the Naples News article that noted:

In 2004, PEER represented former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Andy Eller in an unsuccessful attempt to get his job back after he questioned the science his agency was using to approve development in panther habitat and was fired.

In other wild cat news, disease may not be the first thing you think of when you think of predators in urban areas. But Fluffy and Fido have to worry about catching (and giving) diseases to bobcats in addition to worrying about winding up as a bobcat’s dinner, a recent paper in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology says. Actually, the paper focuses on disease transmission between humans and bobcats, which may be farther off anyone’s radar, and the diseases mentioned are familiar to pet owners.

NBCNews.com has the LiveScience story, here.
You can find at least the abstract for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology paper, here. (Full access requires a subscription or fee.)

Finally, the ninth mountain lion (Puma concolor) confirmed in Kansas in modern times was seen in a trail camera photo this month, although the photo was taken in October, a press release from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says. Read the press release here.

Photo: courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

Mood Indigo Snake in Alabama

In 2005, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries staff began investigating of the status of the Eastern indigo snake in the state. Two years of intensive field investigation did not discover any of this federally-listed species, so the department, along with several partners, began to reintroduce them.

Since 2010, 78 wild indigo snakes into the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. According to the USDA blog:

Some of the released snakes were bred in captivity from wild-caught snakes from Georgia through the cooperation of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Fort Stewart. The snakes were raised at Auburn University and the Atlanta Zoo. Each captive-raised snake with this project has been implanted with a passive integrated transponder tag for permanent identification as well as a radio transmitter to track and assess their survivorship. Auburn University will monitor the snakes movements and survival in the Conecuh National Forest.

In 2011, the US Forest Service recognized the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries for their indigo snake restoration project. Other partners in the project include Conecuh National Forest, Auburn University, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Orianne Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zoo Atlanta, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Oh, and the average indigo snake is about seven feet long, making it one of the largest snakes native to North America. It is not venomous.

You can read more about the project in a press release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, here. (And no, I don’t feel the slightest bit sheepish about mentioning this release 20 days later. The “recent” award was given in 2011, after all.)

Here’s the press release from the time of the first snake release.
And here’s the USDA blog, with more information.

Photo: Indigo snake, courtesy of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Mood Indigo Snake in Alabama

In 2005, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries staff began investigating of the status of the Eastern indigo snake in the state. Two years of intensive field investigation did not discover any of this federally-listed species, so the department, along with several partners, began to reintroduce them.

Since 2010, 78 wild indigo snakes into the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. According to the USDA blog:

Some of the released snakes were bred in captivity from wild-caught snakes from Georgia through the cooperation of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Fort Stewart. The snakes were raised at Auburn University and the Atlanta Zoo. Each captive-raised snake with this project has been implanted with a passive integrated transponder tag for permanent identification as well as a radio transmitter to track and assess their survivorship. Auburn University will monitor the snakes movements and survival in the Conecuh National Forest.

In 2011, the US Forest Service recognized the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries for their indigo snake restoration project. Other partners in the project include Conecuh National Forest, Auburn University, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Orianne Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zoo Atlanta, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Oh, and the average indigo snake is about seven feet long, making it one of the largest snakes native to North America. It is not venomous.

You can read more about the project in a press release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, here. (And no, I don’t feel the slightest bit sheepish about mentioning this release 20 days later. The “recent” award was given in 2011, after all.)

Here’s the press release from the time of the first snake release.
And here’s the USDA blog, with more information.

Photo: Indigo snake, courtesy of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Wolverine Wanders from Wyoming to Colorado

According to the Denver Post, a transmitter-equipped wolverine departed Wyoming, survived the Red Desert and has been located in Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado was once part of the ever-rarer creature’s range, but there hasn’t been a breeding population in the state since 1919, the article says.

In addition to its toughness, this wolverine has an incredible sense of drama and public relations skill: the US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering adding the wolverine to the endangered species list. A court has ruled that the decision must be made by January 2013. It could be the second animal (after the polar bear) to get a federal endangered species listing because of climate change, the article says.

Read the Denver Post article here.
Read an article in the Missoulian on the proposed wolverine Endangered Species Act listing here.
And here’s a link to a press release about the Wildlife Conservation Society paper about the wolverine’s denning habitat needs that is mentioned in the Denver Post article.

Photo: Wolverine, courtesy Mountain National Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks