Is Ignoring Evolution Intelligent Design for Conservation? Mark Reynolds, Gretchen LeBuhn, Dick Cameron, and Rebecca Shaw
Outline Evolution and Conservation Practice Biodiversity Pattern and Process Global priorities & conservation planning Conservation management effectiveness What are some QUESTIONS from conservation practitioners that evolutionary biologists can help answer? Can these questions help frame research and synthesis to influence policy and action?
Biodiversity Conservation The goal of conservation is to protect and maintain biodiversity in perpetuity Not possible without ecological and evolutionary processes Conserving evolutionary processes elusive thus far Confounded by anthropogenic alteration of processes
Biodiversity Conservation Conservation Planning incorporates biodiversity pattern e.g. Global Prioritization Ecoregional Planning Conservation Area Planning Q: Where do we go? Conservation Management often incorporations processes e.g. species recovery efforts, habitat management Q: What do we do when we get there?
Global Conservation Priorities Brooks et al. Science 2006
Global Conservation Priorities A. Approaching incorporating vulnerability B. Approaching not incorporating vulnerability Brooks et al. Science 2006
Global Conservation Priorities A. Reactive = high threat B. Proactive = low threat *total area highlighted by > 1 approaches = ~80% Brooks et al. Science 2006
Global Conservation Priorities Questions: Irreplacibility estimates are species-based and vertebrate- and plant-biased. How much does this matter? Can metrics of evolutionary process be developed and incorporated? What if we view threats as selection?
Systematic Conservation Planning Select Conservation Targets Species Set Conservation Goals Assess Viability of Target Occurrences Size Ecological Communities Ecological Systems Number and Distribution Condition Landscape Context
Selecting Portfolio: most spatially efficient configuration that meets conservation goals Use MARXAN/SITES: GIS-based site-selection software tool as first step...identifies efficient design that meets goals + NAME %ECOREGOH_G Mixed Chaparral 0.2902 25 Urban 0.1430 35 Desert Scrub 0.1083 35 Coastal Scrub 0.1078 35 Pinyon-Juniper 0.0718 35 Annual Grasslan 0.0707 35 Chamise-Redsha 0.0570 35 Agriculture 0.0337 35 Coastal Oak Wo 0.0231 35 Jeffrey Pine 0.0164 35 Montane Hardwo 0.0119 50 + Targets Goals Costs
Systematic Conservation Planning MARXAN results: best run = minimum # planning units that best meet goals California Southcoast Ecoregion
+ Fine-filter = rare species (rare genotypes?) Coarse-filter = communities, ecosystems (transition zones, ecological & evolutionary processes?)
+ Suitability Index = unsuitable areas urban, roads, agriculture (margins of which = hard selection gradient?
= the Portfolio is a conservation hypothesis
Systematic Conservation Planning Observation: it s all about spatial data Questions: How can transition areas and range edges be incorporated? Breeding & non-breeding areas? Does protecting larger and better connected areas subsume evolutionary processes? Are plans durable to climate change & habitat shifts? What about adaptation?
Biome shifts
Threat synergies: Climate change + Habitat shifts + Constraints (elevation gradients, hardscape unsuitable areas)
Conservation Management Effectiveness Endangered species management Ecological & evolutionary processes (e.g. predators, fire) Habitat management wildland-urban interface Invasive species management Questions How can we manage micro-evolution in conservation landscapes (e.g. WUI, core-buffer transitions, habitat transitions)?
Evolutionary Conservation in Practice Evolutionary Biology Conservation Practice
Evolutionary Conservation in Practice Strengthening the dialogue Conservation Priorities and Plans are hypotheses evolutionary conservation science can make them better Work together on identifying and filling critical data gaps If it can be mapped, it can be protected