La politique canadienne en matière de biodiversité compte des failles importantes, notamment l'adoption tardive d'une loi protégeant les espèces en péril. Au cours des dernières années, le gouvernement fédéral à tenté à trois reprises d'adopter une législation sur les espèces en péril, et le dernier projet, qui a reçu la sanction royale en décembre 2002, a été sévèrement critiqué par plusieurs observateurs. Nous croyons que le gouvernement fédéral a longtemps attendu avant de mettre en place une loi sur les espèces en péril parce qu'il considérait durant de nombreuses années, que dans le contexte du fédéralisme les coûts politiques associés à une telle mesure étaient plus importants que les bénéfices. Plus précisement, nous démontrerons que la théorie mise de l'avant par Kathryn Harrison sur le calcul des coûts et bénéfices sur la mise en place d'une politique (notamment en terme d'appui dans l'opinion publique), est une explication crédible pour comprendre l'élaboration d'une politique environnementale canadienne sur les espèces en péril.

In the past two decades, China has achieved a spectacular success in its economic growth. As a basic input for the production process, the forest resource has been one of the fundamental factors propping up the expansion of China's economy. When China is absorbing imports of timber products in the global market, studies of China's forestry system and its timber market incite greater interest. This paper represents a systematic approach to probe into the comprehensive realities of China's forestry system and its timber market. Econometric methods are applied in analyzing the demand and supply patterns. The empirical analysis is used to forecast the quantity demanded for timber products in China.

Master of Science / Department of Biology / Craig Paukert / The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) was extirpated throughout much of its range but is now recovering in many areas. Consequently, there is a need to determine river otter occupancy and habitat associations. We conducted sign surveys from January to April 2008 and 2009 in eastern Kansas to assess how local- and landscape-scale habitat affects river otter occupancy and how survey methods and habitat affect the detectability of river otter sign. Multiple observers surveyed 3-9 400-m stretches of stream and reservoir shorelines for 110 randomly-selected sites and measured local-scale (within a 100 m buffer of site) habitat variables (e.g., stream order, sinuosity, proportion of land cover types) and landscape-scale (Hydrological Unit Code 14 watershed) habitat variables (e.g., road density, shoreline diversity, proportion of land cover types). We then modeled occupancy and detection probability as a function of these covariates using Program PRESENCE. The overall probability of occupancy accounting for detection probability was 0.329. The best-fitting model indicated river otter occupancy increased with the proportion of woodland cover and decreased with the proportion of cropland and grassland cover at the local scale. The best-fitting model also indicated occupancy increased with decreased shoreline diversity, waterbody density, and stream density at the landscape scale, possibly because of the influence of large reservoirs in the watershed. Occupancy was not affected by land cover or human disturbance at the landscape scale, perhaps due to our relatively homogeneous study area or because river otters are habitat generalists. Detection probability for 400-m surveys was highest in mud substrates (p = 0.600) and lowest in snow (p = 0.180) and litter substrates (p = 0.267). Detection probability for scat was more than double that for tracks, and detection probabilities were 17-64% lower for novice observers than experienced observers. Detection probability also increased with survey length. Sign surveys are a useful technique for monitoring many species, including river otters, and accounting for detection probability will improve estimation of occupancy. Furthermore, understanding the ecological factors and the scale important to river otter occurrence will be useful in identifying areas for restoration and management efforts.

Waterbirds have died of lead poisoning from ingesting lead sinkers in the United States and Europe. Other tackle and litter has also caused injury and mortality to waterbirds. Despite risks posed to waterbirds, no studies of the abundance of tackle or litter in freshwater systems of the United States have been completed. We tested the effectiveness of a metal detector to search for lost and discarded tackle, and developed a technique to correct densities of sinkers. We then quantified tackle and litter abundance at various sites around the United States. Tackle and litter densities varied among sites, but were generally highest in heavily fished areas. Based on the distribution of tackle in light of known mortalities caused by ingestion of sinkers, restrictive management of lead poisoning from sinkers may not be justified. However, lead is a toxic substance and its continued use when nontoxic alternative are available is not logical.

The objective of this work is to estimate the effect of floods on the riparian vegetation communities of the Gila Box, Arizona, based on historical maps, satellite images, and GPS-referenced airborne video. The condition and extent of selected riparian vegetation communities in 1973, 1982, and 1991 are documented. Changes in riparian vegetation communities for the time period from 1973 to 1982 and from 1982 to 1991 are analyzed to assess the potential effect of floods that occurred in 1978 and 1983, respectively. The results indicate that the floods in 1978 and 1983 may have had an impact on the mesquite riparian community. The effect of floods on riparian vegetation is most apparent in the downstream portion of the Gila River. The information collected and presented in this work can be used to formulate effective management plans to the Gila Box area.

A case study is used to illustrate and assess the applicability of participatory democracy theory to public participation in public land decision-making. In this case, public outcry against a Bureau of Land Management acquisition plan resulted in adoption of a coordinated resource management process, an application of participatory democracy theory which is purported to improve public acceptance of administrative decisions by providing improved access and representation, information exchange and learning, continuity of participation, and shared decision-making authority. The study suggests that in order to satisfy the public, a participatory democracy approach to public participation should give participants tangible evidence that their input will influence agency decisions, preferably by giving them the authority to collectively make decisions that will be binding on all participants, including agencies. Furthermore, organizational and decision-making rules, as well as legal and bureaucratic limitations on the process, must be explicit.

Gila chub (Gila intermedia) were at lower densities in areas of Sabino Creek with green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) than areas without sunfish. No young-of-year (YOY) chub were observed in pools where densities of sunfish were reduced by about 90% or in control pools, but YOY chub were abundant in upstream areas without sunfish. The microhabitat selected by YOY chub was nearly identical to that selected by sunfish (7.5 cm, TL). In predation experiments, sunfish (7.5 cm, TL) consumed YOY chub (2.5 cm, TL). The absence of YOY chub in areas with sunfish may, in part, be due to predation by small sunfish. In winter, chub use of microhabitat did not differ in areas with and without sunfish. In summer, chub used faster currents, areas farther from cover and shallower depths in areas with than without sunfish. In summer, niche shifts by chub may be a response to avoid negative interactions with sunfish.

The renewable natural resources (RNR) of Senegal form the basis of socioeconomic development for the population of this Sahelian country of West Africa. However, because of the current maladapted policies and practices, these resources are in a crisis that has led to a major degradation of the socioeconomic and environmental conditions. To solve these socioeconomic and environmental problems, many solutions have been developed and implemented. However, because of their disregard for both socioeconomic and traditional cultural values, these attempted solutions have often contributed to the problems. To resolve this crisis, Senegal needs to adopt a new integrated management approach along with new integrated natural resources tenure and decentralization policies. Considering the country's limited economic means, the urgent need for policy change, and the necessary progressive implementation of a new policy, this new natural resources policy will need to be developed incrementally. It should take into account the existing policies and examine different alternatives from the current ecological, economic, and sociocultural situation.

In the past few years, initiatives to conserve the Earth's biodiversity began to change from strict protection to integrated conservation and development. The goal of these programs is to preserve biodiversity while improving the quality-of-life of the local residents who live in or around protected areas. Conservation and development projects focus on environmental education, sustainable utilization of natural resources and community development. They are often designed to provide economic returns from natural resources to local residents because it is assumed that the creation of a cash income which can be invested in one's own well-being will provide an incentive for local populations to protect their biodiversity. It is also presumed that increased cash will provide the inhabitants with greater access to goods and services which will raise their standard of living Attempts in the past to measure the impacts of conservation and development programs on the local people they involve have focussed almost exclusively on issues of their access to flora and fauna resources. Impact has been primarily inferred from access, but has not been quantitatively measured This study was designed to investigate the association between natural resource use and human health in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala. Its primary hypothesis was that the small-scale utilization of non-timber forest resources (NTFRs) by rural families has a positive impact on their quality-of-life as defined by indicators of health. A second hypothesis was that the knowledge of the relationships between the biological and physical environment and human health has a positive impact on indicators of health. A final hypothesis was that rural poor families with access to NTFRs that can be sold will intensify their exploitation of these resources according to available household labor in order to maximize cash income and profit The study showed that in combination with other economic activities, commercial NTFR use is an integral element of an effect strategy for maintaining subsistence. It was also demonstrated that those households where the father believes that there are relationships between the forest and water and the forest and health, have a lower probability of having malnourished children. Finally, the research demonstrated that families in the Sierra de las Minas appear not to be motivated by profit. Instead, they will expend only enough household labor as is necessary to maintain a subsistence level This research has provided an analytical framework to examine the human impacts of conservation projects more objectively and systematically. It demonstrates the linkages between conservation of natural resources, community development and human health. In addition, the results of this work show that the small-scale commercial exploitation of NTFRs in the Reserve has potential as a component of a broader community development intervention, and can provide limited income to help maintain subsistence levels. Finally, the only way to promote true conservation and development is by being completely responsible to the people and resources it was designed to benefit. This research has provided an attempt to foster and advance this accountability / acase@tulane.edu

The northern Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus forficatus, a Neotropical migrant raptor of conservation concern, has failed to recover its former abundance and breeding range following widespread deforestation of breeding habitat and human persecution beginning in the late 19 th Century. The Louisiana-Mississippi subpopulation studied here appears to be limited by intraguild predation involving other species of raptors, especially Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus). Predation was documented using a multiple-methods approach that minimized sources of bias. Intraguild predation impacted the subpopulation in multiple ways: Raptors, particularly Great Horned Owls, killed kites of all ages, but especially adult females attending nests, possibly causing breeding-aged female limitation. During monitoring of 290 nests, recently fledged young, and radio-tagged birds (90 fledglings, 13 adults), intraguild predation was the leading cause of mortality, accounting for 50.5-56.8%. Considering mortality attributable to predators on or near nests, the Great Horned Owl was responsible for 50.5-98.1%. Raptor predation was also the leading cause (44.8%) of nest failure (N = 87 failed nests), the remainder attributable to weather and other factors. Intraguild predation was the key-factors (greatest impact on mortality of nest contents), explaining most variation in annual productivity, although weather and unknown causes were nearly as important. Productivity also declined at a rate of 0.057 young per year (1995-2005, 305 nests), and the annual frequency of nest predation contributed substantially to this decline (r = -0.728). Considering radio-tagged fledglings, 12.2% were depredated by raptors (at least 54.5% by owls) prior to first migration. Predation of adult kites attending nests during the 60-day exposure period for this species contributed between 7.87-9.62% to annual adult mortality. Raptor predation was the probable explanation for 81.8% of 22 instances of nesting neighborhood disappearance. The present study identifies the Great Horned Owl as a keystone predator of kites and many other birds Intraguild predation alone is not sufficient to explain the slowness of the kite's recovery. Additional factors implicated include (1) delayed age of first reproduction, perhaps as late as five years of age; (2) social dominance by adults slowing recruitment by pre-breeders failing to obtain a mate or territory; and (3) conspecific attraction potentially inhibiting re-colonization of formerly inhabited geographic areas / acase@tulane.edu