Diploma thesis analyzes the viability of the selected species populations in the Czech Republic. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part contains a stochastic model simulating possible scenarios of the Eurasian lynx population size in the Czech Republic. For this model program Vortex was used. The second part is focused on Time series analysis of the Grey Partridge and the Common Kingfisher population, where data was obtained from the Czech Society for Ornithology. This analysis aims on identification of factors that may affect the viability of the two bird species.

This project investigates federal, state and local agencies and organizations that are key sources of information about Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis cremnobates) to determine the extent of the agencies' environmental education and awareness programs related to the sheep. The agencies and organizations investigated include: Bureau of Land Management, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park, Bighorn Institute, Natural Science Collaborative of the Desert Region and California Desert Managers Group. Recommendations about future educational and interpretive programs are included.

This dissertation demonstrates the construction of the Panthera Population Persistence (PPP), an individual-based model for the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) which provides proper theoretical and application frameworks for the conservation of this tiger sub-species in central Sumatra. The PPP model was developed to gain insight into tiger-preyhabitat relationships as well as the effect of human impacts on the persistence of tiger populations. The model addresses three main problems for the survival of the Sumatran tiger: tiger poaching, prey depletion, and habitat loss. The description of the PPP model serves as an in-depth study of existing literature and covers the most important factors of existing models for tiger conservation. Existing modelling approaches have been improved by the inclusion of finer description of individual-level traits and behaviours in the PPP model. The modelling approach allows a direct inter-relationships between individuals and their environment. The relationship between individual behaviours, intrinsic states, and external factors are simulated spatially explicitly in a bottom-up approach where the emergence of the population dynamics of tiger and prey can be observed under different scenarios. The integration between the PPP model and geographical information system (GIS) has provided a much more meaningful spatial data by revealing the mechanism of the response of individuals to the present land-use types. The relative importance of the parameters within the PPP model was tested using two modes of sensitivity analysis: The Morris Method and the traditional One-factor-at-a-time method. The results provided guidance for the application of reasonable sensitivity analysis during the development of individual-based models. The Morris Method suggested that the overall output of the PPP model showed a high sensitivity on the change of time required by a tigress to take care of cubs. The analysis also revealed that the number of dispersers was sensitive toward perceptual distance of individuals to detect the presence of prey. Comparison with a similar predator-prey models provided insight into the predator-prey relationship. The comparison also suggested that perceptual distance of the individual is important for any spatially explicit individual-based model involving predator-prey relationships. The parameterization of the individual perceptual distance of tigers was tested by using existing literature on prey consumption by tigers as a benchmark. The simulation results were within the range of scientific acceptance for the number of prey killed by a tiger. Thus, further use of the set of parameters for a tiger’s perceptual distance is less uncertain for the output of the PPP model. The effect of habitat quality and landscape configuration on the mortality and migration of prey were evaluated through the use of virtual habitats and landscapes. The findings suggested that a good habitat quality enables prey survival, increases the population available for predation by tigers. When a low-quality habitat is combined with a high-quality habitat, the number of migrating prey was high, reducing resources for tigers. This suggested that landscape composition should be considered when predicting population persistence of the Sumatran tiger. Optimal movement of two different prey resulted in a high density of prey in high-quality habitat, providing a concentration of prey in a tiger’s habitat, but resulted in a lower tiger predation rate than random movement and species specific movement. The PPP model has been applied to evaluate the effect of poaching, prey depletion, and their combination for the probability of extinction of a tiger population. The results from the evaluation showed that prey depletion, tiger poaching, and a combination of both, created a 100% probability of extinction within 20 years if the density and frequency of those threats at high rates. However, the duration of those threats in the system caused a 100% probability of extinction from tiger poaching. The results are able to contribute to optimize anti-poaching programs in future, to reduce significantly the probability of total extinction of Sumatran tiger. Furthermore, various landscape configurations have been tested against the probability and time of extinction for the Sumatran tiger population. The integration of spatial GIS-data in the model provides an insight into the relationship between tiger-prey-habitat. The results suggested that habitat quality surrounding a protected area plays an important role for the persistence of the Sumatran tiger population. This study also recommends agroforestry systems as reasonable land-use type in the vicinity of protected areas. They provide not only positive effects for tiger conservation purpose but they also appear as adaptable to the current land-use situation in Sumatra island.:Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Zusammenfassung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Contents 12 1 Introduction 15 1.1 Cornerstones of Sumatran Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . 16 1.2 Scientific Challenges to Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . . 22 1.3 Roles of Modelling in Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.4 Individual-Based Models for Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . 30 1.5 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1.6 Thesis Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2 Literature Review 34 2.1 Fragmentation and Population Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . 35 2.2 Population Extinction and its measures . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.3 Modelling the Effect of Fragmentation on Population Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 2.4 Individual-Based Modelling of Population Persistence . . . . 51 2.5 Sensitivity Analysis in Individual-based Model . . . . . . . . 53 3 Methods ..........................................................................55 3.1 Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3.2 Model Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3.3 Land-use Map Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 3.4 Model Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 4 Results 73 4.1 Structure and Sensitivity Analysis of Individual-based Predator- Prey Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 4.2 Where to Go and How to Hide? Measuring the Relative Effect of Movement Decisions, Habitat Quality, and Landscape Configuration on theMortality andMigration of Tigers’ Prey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 4.3 The Extinction Potential of a Sumatran Tiger Population after the Removal of Poaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 4.4 The Influence of Agroforest and Other Land-use Types on the Persistence of a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris suma- trae) Population: An Individual-Based Model Approach . . 135 5 General Discussion 159 5.1 Main results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 5.2 Discussion of the results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 6 Conclusions and Perspectives 170 6.1 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 6.2 Perspectives for Future Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Bibliography 174 Appendices 191 / Die vorliegende Dissertation beschreibt die Entwicklung des Panthera Populations Persistence (PPP) Modells, eines individuenbasierten Simulationsmodells für den Sumatra-Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Dieses stellt einen geeigneten theoretischen und anwendungsbezogenen Rahmen für den Schutz dieser Tiger-Unterart in Zentralsumatra bereit. Das PPP-Modell wurde entwickelt, um Einblicke in die Tiger-Beute-Habitat-Beziehungen zu gewinnen, sowie um den Effekt anthropogener Einflüsse auf den Fortbestand von Tigerpopulationen abzuschätzen. Dabei werden die drei Hauptprobleme für das Überleben des Sumatra-Tigers analysiert: die Wilderei, der Rückgang von Beutetieren und der Verlust von geeigneten Habitaten. Die Beschreibung des PPP-Modells gibt zunächst einen umfassenden Überblick zum aktuellen Wissensstand auf dem Gebiet des Tigerschutzes und integriert die wichtigsten Faktoren bereits existierender Modellansätze. Diese konnten durch die Einbeziehung einer detaillierten Beschreibung von individuellen Merkmalen und Verhalten verbessert werden. Das PPPModell stellt somit das Individuum in einen direkten Zusammenhang mit dessen Umwelt. Die Beziehung zwischen individuellem Verhalten, intrinsischen Merkmalen und externen Faktoren werden räumlich-explizit in einem bottom-up Ansatz simuliert. Damit kann sowohl die Populationsdynamik des Tigers als auch die seiner Beutetiere unter verschiedenen Annahmen beobachtet werden. Die Verknüpfung des PPP-Modells mit Geographischen Informationssystemen (GIS) bietet die Möglichkeit, die Reaktionsmechanismen der Individuen basierend auf der gegenwärtigen Landnutzungssituation zu simulieren und somit realitätsnahe räumliche Daten zu generieren. Die relative Bedeutung der Modell-Parameter auf die Simulationsergebnisse kann durch Sensitivitätsanalysen ermittelt werden. Hier wurden zwei verschiedene Ansätze verwendet: die Morris-Methode und die herkömmliche One-factor-at-a-time Methode. Der Vergleich beider methodischen Ansätze zeigte somit beispielhaft die Eignung unterschiedlicher Sensitivitätsanalysen für individuenbasierte Modelle auf. Die Morris-Methode zeigte, dass das Gesamtergebnis des PPP-Modells eine hohe Sensitivität gegenüber der Veränderung der Zeit aufweist, die ein Tigerweibchen braucht, um ihre Jungen aufzuziehen. Die Analyse zeigt auch, dass die Anzahl an abwandernden Tigern sensitiv gegenüber der IndividuellenWahrnehmungsdistanz von Beute ist. Der Vergleich mit einem ähnlichen Räuber-Beute-Modell lässt vermuten, dass diese Wahrnehmungsdistanz eines Individuums generell als ein entscheidender Faktor für Räuber-Beute-Beziehungen in räumlich-expliziten Individuenmodellen an- gesehen werden kann. Die Parametrisierung der IndividuellenWahrnehmungsdistanz des Tigers wurde so gewahlt, dass die damit ermittelten Simulationsergebnisse den Beutekonsum des Tigers, wie in der Literatur beschrieben, weitgehen widerspiegeln. Sie ist somit für die weitere Anwendung im PPP-Modell ausreichend gut beschrieben. Simulationsszenarien, welche verschiedene Habitatqualitäten sowie Landnutzungsmuster berücksichtigen, zeigen auch deren Bedeutung für die Mortalität und Migration der Beutetiere. Eine gute Habitatqualität hat eine geringe Mortalität der Beutetiere zur Folge, welche dann wiederum für den Tiger in ausreichender Zahl zur Verfügung stehen. Treten geringe Habitatqualitäten angrenzend an ein Habitat mit hoher Qualität auf, führte dies zu einer hohen Anzahl an abwandernden Beutetieren, womit sich die Ressourcen für den Tiger verringern. Die Landschaftsmerkmale sollten also bei der Vorhersage des Populationsfortbestandes des Sumatra-Tigers berücksichtigt werden. Die optimale Bewegung von zwei verschiedenen Beutetieren ergab eine hohe Beutedichte in einem Habitat mit hoher Qualität und stellte konzentriert Beute in einem Tigerhabitat bereit. Allerdings resultierte dies auch in einer geringeren Prädationsrate des Tigers, verglichen mit zufälligen oder artenspezifischen Bewegungen. Das PPP-Modell wurde angewandt, um die Auswirkungen von Wilderei, Beutetierrückgang sowie die Kombination beider Faktoren auf die Aussterbewahrscheinlichkeit einer Tigerpopulation zu bewerten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die genannten Faktoren eine 100-prozentige Aussterbewahrscheinlichkeit innerhalb von 20 Jahren zur Folge haben, wenn die Dichte und Häufigkeit dieser Bedrohungen hoch sind. Die Dauer dieser Bedrohungen im System verursachte allerdings eine 100-prozentige Aussterbewahrscheinlichkeit nur für die Wilderei von Tigern. Betrachtet man unabhängig von Dichte und Häufigkeit einzig die Dauer der Bedrohung, führt lediglich die Wilderei zum 100%-igen Aussterben. Diese Ergebnisse können maßgeblich dazu beitragen, zukünftig Schutzprogramme gegen die Wilderei zu optimieren, um das Aussterben des Sumatra-Tigers zu verhindern. DesWeiteren wurde der Einfluss von unterschiedlichen Landnutzungsmustern auf die Aussterbewahrscheinlichkeit und -zeit einer Sumatra-Tigerpopulation aufgezeigt. Die Integration von räumlichen GIS-Daten in das Modell ermöglichte einen Einblick in die Beziehungen zwischen Tiger, Beutetieren und Habitat. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Habitatqualität um Schutzgebiete herum eine wichtige Rolle für den Fortbestand der Population spielt. Die vorliegende Arbeit empfiehlt Agroforstsysteme als eine geeignete Landnutzungsform in der Nähe von Schutzgebieten, welche sowohl positive Effekte für den Tigerschutz bietet als auch mit den gegenwärtigen Landnutzungsmustern in Sumatra vereinbar erscheint.:Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Zusammenfassung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Contents 12 1 Introduction 15 1.1 Cornerstones of Sumatran Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . 16 1.2 Scientific Challenges to Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . . 22 1.3 Roles of Modelling in Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.4 Individual-Based Models for Tiger Conservation . . . . . . . 30 1.5 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1.6 Thesis Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2 Literature Review 34 2.1 Fragmentation and Population Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . 35 2.2 Population Extinction and its measures . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.3 Modelling the Effect of Fragmentation on Population Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 2.4 Individual-Based Modelling of Population Persistence . . . . 51 2.5 Sensitivity Analysis in Individual-based Model . . . . . . . . 53 3 Methods ..........................................................................55 3.1 Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3.2 Model Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3.3 Land-use Map Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 3.4 Model Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 4 Results 73 4.1 Structure and Sensitivity Analysis of Individual-based Predator- Prey Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 4.2 Where to Go and How to Hide? Measuring the Relative Effect of Movement Decisions, Habitat Quality, and Landscape Configuration on theMortality andMigration of Tigers’ Prey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 4.3 The Extinction Potential of a Sumatran Tiger Population after the Removal of Poaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 4.4 The Influence of Agroforest and Other Land-use Types on the Persistence of a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris suma- trae) Population: An Individual-Based Model Approach . . 135 5 General Discussion 159 5.1 Main results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 5.2 Discussion of the results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 6 Conclusions and Perspectives 170 6.1 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 6.2 Perspectives for Future Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Bibliography 174 Appendices 191

The thesis deals with the issue of compliance in the context of international treaties on protection of endangered species. Two important treaties are subject of the analysis - the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (known as CITES) and the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. My research focuses on the question whether member states comply with their obligations arising from the treaties. If they do not, then I look for a response to the violation such as use of compliance instruments (e. g. sanctions) and its effect on the breaching state, mainly if the response (if there was any) was successful in making the state come back into compliance. Finally, based on experience with CITES, ICRW and other multilateral environmental treaties, I attempt to design some of the new ICRW compliance mechanism features in order to increase its effectiveness.

An erosion control revetment was constructed at the Falkner Island Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut during the winter of 2000–2001. At the time, Falkner Island was the fifth largest breeding colony site for the federally endangered Roseate Tern. This study measures and describes some baseline information regarding Roseate Tern nesting, behavior, and habitat use at Falkner Island during the three breeding seasons prior to revetment construction (1998–2000). This baseline information is then compared to similar information from the first breeding season following revetment construction (2001). For Roseate Tern adults, this study examined changes in pre-nesting habitat use, nest site distributions, and pre-nesting behavioral time allocation. Changes in habitat availability and habitat use by Roseate Terns are compared as a result of the revetment construction. Roseate Terns used rocky beach in a greater proportion than other habitats before revetment construction, and used revetment boulders in a greater proportion than all other habitats after revetment construction. Roseate Terns nested more often in artificial sites (nest boxes and tires) than in natural sites in all years of the study. The mean date for the first eggs in each nest did not differ between years. We observed more Roseate Terns prospecting artificial nest sites (n = 66 times) than natural sites (n = 21 times) for three years of this study. Prospecting behavior occurred later in the season in some subcolonies, but this difference did not appear to be related to the construction. For Roseate Tern chicks, this study investigated the use of crevices as hiding places from before (1999–2000) and after (2001) the construction of an erosion control revetment. In all years, Roseate Tern chicks used crevices found under artificial nest sites more frequently than expected by chance when compared to crevices found in other microhabitats. Chicks also used crevices formed in various microhabitat types at different stages of development. The erosion control revetment created crevices that had larger openings, steeper floors, and deeper lengths than those previously used by chicks before construction. In the year after revetment construction, the openings of crevices used by chicks that died were wider than crevices used by chicks that survived. We discuss our findings in the context of the potential consequences that the revetment construction had on Roseate Tern chick survival.

Användningen av sökhundar som hjälpmedel och verktyg inom naturvården är i Sverige hittills ett litet område med några få verksamma aktörer. Men precis som hos tull, polis och försvarsmakt kan hundarna implementeras i naturvårdsverksamheten som ett standardverktyg. Hunden har en unik förmåga att selektera dofter och vilja att samarbeta med människan. Dessa egenskaper kan utnyttjas för att effektivisera arbetet inom naturvården. Vi har gjort en sammanställning av aktörer i Sverige samt en litteraturstudie över forskningsområdet och jämfört dessa för att ge förslag till vidare användning av naturvårdssökhundar i Sverige. För flera av användningsområdena finns forskning som stödjer hundarnas effektivitet. Inom några användningsområden finns däremot ingen forskning, därför hade dessa behövt studeras närmare för att bekräfta hudarnas effektivitet. Flera potentiella nationella användningsområden för naturvårdssökhundar har identifierats, som spillningsinventering av fladdermöss, skadegörare som almsjuka, hotade arter, invasiva växter och däggdjur, läckor på avloppsledningar, nedlagda deponier och laboratorieanalyser. Vårt förslag för att underlätta framtida arbete både för kunder och aktörer, är en samlad databas där alla operativa aktörer inom naturvårdssökhund är inkluderade. / In Sweden the use of detection dogs as a tool in nature conservation has until now been a small field, with few practitioners. In the daily operations of customs, police and the armed forces, detection dogs are a natural part of the organization and the same could be possible in conservation work. The dog’s ability to select between scents and their willingness to work with humans make them unique, utilizing these traits can make conservation work more efficient. The Swedish practitioners are compiled, and the available research is reviewed, the practitioners are then compared to the international research, to suggest further implication in Sweden. There are some practitioners working with conservation detection dogs today, research supports the dog’s efficiency in some areas, but in some areas research is absent. These areas would need studies to confirm the dog’s efficiency. We suggest potential areas for implantation in Sweden, such as scat detection of bats, pests like elm decease, threatened species, invasive species, sewage leaks, disused landfills, and laboratory analyses. Our suggestion is a national database for all conservation detection dogs, to aid future work for both practitioners and customers.

No description available.

No description available.

The illegal reptile trade quandary in the Western Cape province is strategically and chronologically addressed in this thesis with the implicit intention of revealing its gamut and underlying dynamics, developing a pragmatic, parsimonious and authentic conservation crime category with clearly delineated parameters, and formulating an integrated theoretical explanation regarding its aetiology that will adequately explicate herpetological, and hopefully also other forms of natural resource, crime and deviance. The thesis, by essentially transcending traditional, stereotypical edicts, throws new light on a severely neglected and underestimated form of natural resource exploitation, highlighting the need for reptiles, as the sentinels of the state of our environmental health to be preserved and perpetuated for, in the final analysis, the benefit of human kind. Through an essentially explorative enquiry, utilising an integrated qualitative -quantitative research approach, the concept of conservation crime, as a vanguard to an innovative and unified conservation criminology, is introduced in this thesis in the form of unambiguous adjunct of the mainstream criminological discipline. It is, furthermore, utilised as a conduit within the herpetological crime framework to enrich the criminological discipline as a whole, broaden its frontiers, promote effective and focussed intervention/mitigation initiatives, as well as stimulate interest for further investigation in this field. Fragmented, antiquated and nebulous legislation, deficient conservation and related role-player organisational capacity and inconsistent penalties, in concert with apathetic (and decidedly generic) societal attitudes and traditional pessimistic rubric regarding reptiles, emerge as fundamental proclivities impeding the effective intercession and management of the natural resources embodied in this sphere. Injudicious manipulation of the Western Cape's scarce and specialised reptile resources and the biodiversity ramifications such exploitation realises portend the intensification and diversification potential of such criminality. Conservation criminology, as developed and presented in this thesis, underscores the significant contribution this field of criminology can make in comprehending the illegal manipulation/exploitation of herpetological and other natural resources, expanding and enhancing its theoretical constructs and implementing justice through decisive, dedicated and holistic intervention programmes/strategies in order to defend the inherent right to the continued existence of all reptile species. / Crimonology / D. Litt et Phil. (Criminology)

Tribal water rights and instream flows for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have been a source of tensions in the western United States, particularly when tribes have undetermined water rights to support tribal fisheries listed under the ESA. Understanding the mechanics of past tribal settlements and their strengths and weaknesses in resolving disputes over instream flows for tribal trust fisheries listed under the ESA will allow parties involved in negotiations to evaluate whether similar provisions should be incorporated into future settlements. A review of the 27 congressionally approved tribal water settlements for instream flow and ESA provisions revealed that instream rights were either established as junior rights or reallocated from existing rights. The ESA was a factor in many of the settlements; however, only one actively incorporated ESA tools as part of the benefits of the settlement. After this preliminary evaluation, a comparative analysis framework with 28 criteria for evaluating environmental conflict resolution was applied to the Nez Perce Water Rights Settlement and Pyramid Lake Paiute Water Rights Settlement to identify strengths and weaknesses of using tribal water settlements as a means to resolve disputes involving instream flow claims. From my analysis, I conclude that tribal water settlements offer unique opportunities to shift the status quo and address historic inequities while minimizing harm to existing water users; however, settlement agreements may not result in an outcome that reduces conflict without a concerted effort to establish a fair process and minimize the impacts of the agreement on other parties. Furthermore, despite the many benefits of settlement agreements, since they have not delivered time-immemorial rights for fisheries, other options will likely be a continued consideration for tribes seeking to restore fisheries. However, while litigation presents a risky though lucrative outcome, rights under state law are in line with what has been granted in settlements. Given the time, effort and cost associated with settlements, I suggest that since tribal water right settlements generally use state tools to establish instream flows, states and tribes may reduce future conflict by proactively working together to establish instream flows through existing state water reallocation mechanisms. / Graduation date: 2012