Thesis (M.S.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on August 27, 2009). Department of Geography, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Jan Ramer, Aniruddha Banergee, Jeffery Wilson. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-52).

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on October 6, 2009). Thesis advisor: Dr. Douglas B. Noltie. Includes bibliographical references.

This paper presents the issue of endangered species from a Law & Economic's perspective. In this way, instead of defending the creation of legal mechanisms oriented to public protection of animals (seen as a heritage of humanity), the author maintains the reasons why animals should be considered under a private property regime that provides incentives for their care and for productivity. / Revisión por pares

Rehabilitation of sturgeon populations requires an understanding of sturgeon autecology during all life stages, especially during early life when high mortality occurs. To begin to understand sturgeon early-life history I determined river of origin on a multi-basin scale (i.e., potential rivers of origin). I then determined habitat needs and early life demographics on a more localized scale (i.e., specific river). Trace elements differ between river reaches of the central US and may be used to determine origin of age-0 sturgeon. My trace element analyses suggested that age-0 sturgeon captured in the Middle Mississippi River, which extends from the confluence of the Missouri River downstream to the confluence of the Ohio River, drifted from as far upstream as the Gavins Point Dam on the Missouri River (> 1200 km), while other individuals originated locally in the Middle Mississippi River. On a more refined scale of habitats, I used trawling to identify habitat features used. Age-0 Scaphirhynchus sturgeon catch rates were highest around artificial structures (i.e., wing dikes) and island areas while main channel habitat comprised the lowest catch rates. Within these habitats, young sturgeon frequently occupied low velocities (i.e., ~0.1), moderate depths (i.e., 2 to 5 m), and sand substrate. Although determination of river of origin and specific habitats used are imperative for restoration, sturgeon populations are likely regulated by factors within habitats that affect early-life dynamics. Mean sturgeon growth rates ranged from 1.42-1.50 mm/d over the four years but did not differ among years. Individuals hatched over a 25 to 50-d period and peak hatch dates were between 10- 20 May during all years. Hatching coincided with optimum spawning temperatures of 17-20oC and a rise in river stage. Abundance was positively related to river stage, with longer durations of high water related increasing abundance. Mortality of age-0 sturgeon increased with the number of days where water temperature exceeded 28 oC. In the end this study has set benchmarks for understanding factors affecting the early-life ecology of Scaphirhynchus sturgeon.

The marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is a semi-aquatic rodent classified as state-threatened in Illinois due to historical wetland loss coupled with being on the northern periphery of its range. The most recent survey for this species in Illinois occurred in 1988, and this study reassessed its status and distribution. From 2007 to 2009, I used live traps to sample for rice rats at previously occupied and random wetland-dominated sites in 5 southern Illinois watersheds. I captured 132 individual rice rats 192 times in 13,248 trap nights. Capture success was 15.10 captures/1,000 trap nights. I detected rice rats within 3 of 5 watersheds, 16 of 48 sites, and 5 new locations. Most rice rats were captured in permanent or semi-permanent emergent wetlands and rice rat occurrence was strongly related with coal mine-associated wetlands. I collected microhabitat measurements at 10% of trap locations and recorded landcover types within and around sites. I analyzed data using t-tests, logistic regression, and occupancy modeling. Percent herbaceous cover and percent visual obstruction (0.0-0.5m) positively influenced rice rat occurrence and were among the most important microhabitat models. The best model in the candidate set of landcover variables included proportion of upland grass in areas surrounding wetlands as a predictor of rice rat occurrence. I believe insufficient evidence exists to warrant removal of the threatened status of the marsh rice rat. However, current management practices, such as wetland restoration, grassland restoration, and mowing of roadside ditches, likely benefit rice rat populations. Slight modification of these management activities may facilitate the eventual delisting of marsh rice rats.

This thesis deals with international trade in species of parrots covered by CITES convention between European Union and third countries. The trade has been done for 2004-2010, EU annual reports were used as a basic source. Import and export data has been assessed separately. Numbers of traded specimens have been evaluated for both of these two categories. Main countries of import and export, source and purpose of trade were also identified. Subsequently, trends have been statisticaly analysed. It was found, that the trend of import of parrots specimens to EU during that period was declining, although the trend between 2006-2010 was slightly increasing. The trend of export of specimens was increasing.

abstract: This work is an assemblage of three applied projects that address the institutional and spatial constraints to managing threatened and endangered (T & E) terrestrial species. The first project looks at the role of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in protecting wildlife and whether banning non–conservation activities on multi-use federal lands is socially optimal. A bioeconomic model is used to identify scenarios where ESA–imposed regulations emerge as optimal strategies and to facilitate discussion on feasible long–term strategies in light of the ongoing public land–use debate. Results suggest that banning harmful activities is a preferred strategy when valued species are in decline or exposed to poor habitat quality. However such a strategy cannot be sustained in perpetuity, a switch to land–use practices characteristic of habitat conservation plans is recommended. The spatial portion of this study is motivated by the need for a more systematic quantification and assessment of landscape structure ahead of species reintroduction; this portion is further broken up into two parts. The first explores how connectivity between habitat patches promotes coexistence among multiple interacting species. An agent–based model of a two–patch metapopulation is developed with local predator–prey dynamics and density–dependent dispersal. The simulation experiment suggests that connectivity levels at both extremes, representing very little risk and high risk of species mortality, do not augment the likelihood of coexistence while intermediate levels do. Furthermore, the probability of coexistence increases and spans a wide range of connectivity levels when individual dispersal is less probabilistic and more dependent on population feedback. Second, a novel approach to quantifying network structure is developed using the statistical method of moments. This measurement framework is then used to index habitat networks and assess their capacity to drive three main ecological processes: dispersal, survival, and coexistence. Results indicate that the moments approach outperforms single summary metrics and accounts for a majority of the variation in process outcomes. The hierarchical measurement scheme is helpful for indicating when additional structural information is needed to determine ecological function. However, the qualitative trend between network indicator and function is, at times, unintuitive and unstable in certain areas of the metric space. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Applied Mathematics for the Life and Social Sciences 2013

The Knysna seahorse Hippocampus capensis is South Africa’s only endemic seahorse species, and is found in only three adjacent estuaries along the southern coast. The conservation of this endangered species is important on a national and international level. This study presents the first research on this species within the Knysna estuary since 2001 and specifically focuses on aspects of its ecology within a residential marina estate (Thesen Islands Marina). The physico-chemical and habitat features of the marina were described and the population ecology, habitat use, and behaviour of the Knysna seahorse were investigated. Physico-chemical conditions within the western section of the marina, characterised by high water current velocities, were similar to that of the adjacent estuary. The eastern section of the marina was characterised by lower water current velocities and higher turbidity. Four major habitat types were identified within the marina canals: (I) artificial Reno mattress (wire baskets filled with rocks); (II) Codium tenue beds; (III) mixed vegetation on sediment; and (IV) barren canal floor. Seahorse densities within the marina were significantly higher compared to densities found historically within the estuary. Highest seahorse densities were specifically found within the artificial Reno mattress structures and within the western section of the marina. Seahorse density varied spatially and temporally and the type of habitat was an important predictor for seahorse occurrence. An experimental investigation found that H. capensis chooses artificial Reno mattress habitat over Zostera capensis when given a choice. GoPro cameras were used successfully to investigate daytime seahorse behaviour within the Reno mattress habitat. Seahorses were more active during the morning, spent most of their time (> 80 %) feeding, and morning courting behaviour for this species were confirmed. However, during the summer holiday period (mid-December to mid-January) few seahorses were observed on camera, which suggests that the increase in motor boat activity and the related increase in noise had a negative effect on H. capensis feeding and courting behaviour. The marina development, and in particular the Reno mattresses, created a new habitat for this endangered species within the Knysna estuary. In addition to the protection and restoration of natural habitats in which H. capensis is found, the conservation potential of artificial structures such as Reno mattresses should be realised.

In response to a growing concern over the rising rates of extinction of the world's plants and of habitat destruction, studies of Southern African threatened plants were initiated in the 1970's. These studies, which have largely concentrated on Western Cape flora, led to the publication of "Threatened Plants of Southern Africa" by Hall et al., 1980, which attempted to list as many threatened or possibly threatened species as possible. It was however marred by a lack of recent herbarium records and detailed studies from many parts of the region, the Eastern Cape being one of these. In order to extend these detailed studies to gain a clearer picture of the numbers of threatened species in the Eastern Cape and evaluate the conservation status of Eastern Cape vegetation this project was initiated. Initially lists of possibly threatened and endemic taxa of the Eastern Cape were compiled from various sources. These listed taxa were then checked against herbarium records, all available information being filled onto index cards for filing purposes. This paper-based filing system was then transferred into a computer-based data bank to facilitate the efficient storage and retrieval of information. Results from this data bank show that there are 662 variously threatened plant taxa in the Eastern Cape, many of which fall into temporary categories which need to be clarified by investigation in the field. Primarily based on the above results, a table ranking the various vegetation types into an order of priority for investigations about conservation requirement was developed.Subtropical Thicket was found to be the vegetation type in most need of investigation and so an extensive phytosociological survey was carried out in the Valley Bushveld which forms the major portion of Subtropical Thicket in the Eastern Cape. Twelve sites were sampled for floristic and environmental variables along a rainfall gradient of between 300 mm yr⁻¹ and 1 000 mm yr⁻¹ and along a longitudinal gradient from the Buffalo River in the east to the Gamtoos-Kromme complex in the west. Floristic data W(re analysed using multivariate techniques of classification and ordination. A classification by two-way species indicator analysis revealed the Valley Bushveld to consist of two orders of thicket, the Kaffrarian Succulent Thicket containing the two suborders, Inland Succulent Thicket and the Coastal Succulent Thicket and the Kaffrarian Thicket containing Coastal Kaffrarian Thicket and Inland Kaffrarian Thicket. Ordina tion by detrended correspondence analysis also grouped sites according to these vegetation categories in a sequence along one axis, to which the rainfall gradient could be related. Variables such as diversity indices, numbers of endemics, numbers of threatened taxa and structural features were also extracted from the data and these were correlated with environmental variables by multiple regression analysis. Species richness and the percent woody component w\!re positively correlated with rainfall while endemism and percent succulent component were strongly negatively correlated with rainfall. Most of the other relationships were explained by interrelationships with rainfall. Finally the sites were evaluated according to floristic criteria indicative of conservation value. The Coastal Succulent Thicket appeared to have the highest conservation value mainly owing to high endemism, while Inland Kaffrarian Thicket was also important as it supports a high number of species. The thickets with high conservation value are therefore the thickets of coastal areas in the western parts of the Eastern Cape which receive a low rainfall and the thickets which receive a rainfall in excess of 800 mm. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

The study involved the predator-prey interaction of three species namely the predator (Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus), the super-predator (Lion Panthera leo), and their common prey (Impala Aepyceros melampus). The study area is the Kruger National Park. The predator being an endangered species, faces a survival problem. It is frequently killed by the super-predator to reduce competition for prey. The super-predator also scares away the predator o_ its kills. The prey forms the main diet of the predator. The plight of the predator motivated the author to formulate disease and reaction-diffusion models for the species interactions. The purpose of the models were to predict and explain the effect of large competition from the super-predator on the predator population. Important parameters related to additional predator mortality due to presence of super-predator, the disease incidence rate and induced death rate formed the focal points of the analysis. The dynamics of a predator-prey model with disease in super-predator were investigated. The super-predator species is infected with bovine Tuberculosis. In the study, the disease is considered as biological control to allow the predator population to regain from low numbers. The results highlight that in the absence of additional mortality on the predator by the super-predator, the predator population survives extinction. Furthermore, at current levels of disease incidence, the super-predator population is wiped out by the disease. However, the super-predator population survives extinction if the disease incidence rate is low. Persistence of all populations is possible in the case of low disease incidence rate and no additional mortality imparted on the predator. Furthermore, a two-species subsystem, prey and predator, is considered as a special case to determine the effect of super-predator removal from the system, on the survival of the predator. This is treated as a contrasting case from the smaller parks. The results show that the predator population thrives well in the total absence of its main competitor, with its population rising to at least twice the initial value. A reaction-diffusion three-species predator-prey model was formulated and analysed. Stability of the temporal and the spatio-temporal systems, existence and non-existence of stationary steady state solutions were studied. Conditions for the emergence of stationary patterns were deduced. The results show that by choosing the diffusion coeffcient d2 > _D 2 suffciently large, a non-constant positive solution is generated, that is, stationary patterns emerge, depicting dispersal of species. Predators were observed to occupy habitats surrounding prey. However, super-predators were observed to alternate their habitats, from staying away from prey to invading prey habitat. In the investigation, strategies to determine ways in which the predator species could be saved from extinction and its population improved were devised, and these included isolation of the predator from the super-predator.