An adaptive management case study for managing macropods on Maria Island National Park, Tasmania, Australia: adding devils to the detail

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janeane Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Integrated Monitoring ◽  
Juvenile Mortality ◽  
Management Actions

Adaptive management is driven by structured decision making and evidence from monitoring in a ‘learning’ framework that guides management actions. In a conservation context, this iterative approach includes evaluation of the impacts on natural processes. On Maria Island National Park, Tasmania, Australia, introduced Forester kangaroo, Bennetts wallaby and Tasmanian pademelon have been intensively managed by an annual cull since 1994. Management actions were triggered by high parasite loads, intense grazing pressure and high juvenile mortality during drought periods. Criticism of the annual cull from animal welfare groups initiated the development of an adaptive management approach for decision making that replaces the historic ‘trial and error’ process. Following a comprehensive review of the existing macropod management program in 2011, an integrated monitoring strategy was established to provide evidence for informed decision making. Assessments of animal health and estimates of population trends are the key indicators for management actions to occur. Maintaining viable macropod populations and protecting natural values form the basis of management objectives. Management actions in each year, for each species, represent ‘treatments’ as spatial replication is not possible at such a small scale. An adaptive management approach for macropod management on Maria Island has resulted in only one species being culled in 2014 and 2015 for the first time in almost 20 years. However the recent introduction of a major predator, the Tasmanian devil, has increased uncertainty for long-term macropod management on Maria Island with no cull occurring in 2016 and 2017.

scholarly journals How Information Communication Technology Can Enhance Evidence-Based Decisions and Farm-to-Fork Animal Traceability for Livestock Farmers

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
G. Mwanga ◽  
E. Mbega ◽  
Z. Yonah ◽  
M. G. G. Chagunda
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Due to changes in the livestock sector and the rise of consumer demand for comprehensive and integrated food security and safety, there has been a concern on the use of farm data in enhancing animal traceability and decision-making by farmers and other decision-makers in the livestock sector. To ensure high production through effective decision-making and auditable standards, producers are required to have better traceability and record systems. Therefore, this study aimed at (1) reviewing the current recording/data management and animal traceability systems used by small-scale farmers in developing countries and (2) analyzing how data management systems should be designed to enhance efficient decision-making and animal traceability from farm to fork. This study found that, still, a majority of small-scale farmers do not keep records leading to poor decision-making on the farm and policymaking. We also found that those who keep records do not store their data in electronic format, which again poses another challenge in data analysis. Moreover, this study found that the majority of traceability tools used by farmers in developing countries do not meet international standards based on tools they use for tracing animals; farmers were reported to use tools like branding and ear tagging, which provide very little information about the animal. Such tools lack the capability to keep track of useful information about an animal, e.g., information about feeding and animal health. In conclusion, this study recommended a better electronic system to be used at the farm level to facilitate data analysis, hence promoting informed decision-making and adherence to the international animal traceability standards. Otherwise, there is a need for researchers to conduct more studies in developing different analytical models for exploring on-farm data in order to improve the decision-making process by farmers and other stakeholders.

scholarly journals Fostering a Wildlife-Friendly Program for Sustainable Coffee Farming: The Case of Small-Holder Farmers in Indonesia

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Marco Campera ◽  
Budiadi Budiadi ◽  
Esther Adinda ◽  
Nabil Ahmad ◽  
Michela Balestri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Stakeholder Consultation ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Before And After

There is an urgent need for a global transition to sustainable and wildlife-friendly farming systems that provide social and economic equity and protect ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. Java is home to 60% of Indonesia’s population and harbors many endemic species; thus, managing agriculture alongside human well-being and biodiversity is vital. Within a community of ~400 coffee farmers in the province of West Java, we assessed the steps to develop a wildlife-friendly program until reaching certification between February 2019 and October 2020. We adopted an adaptive management approach that included developing common objectives through a process of stakeholder consultation and co-learning. We firstly investigated via interviews the expectations and the issues encountered by 25 farmers who converted to organic production in 2016. Their main expectations were an increase in income and an increase in coffee quality, while they had issues mainly in finding high quality fertilizers, reducing pests, and increasing productivity. We used this information to establish a problem-solving plan for the transition to community-wide wildlife-friendly practices. As part of the adaptive evaluation, we assessed the quality of coffee plantations before and after the implementation of coproduced actions. The quality of coffee significantly improved after our interventions to reduce the coffee berry borer, especially in the fields that started as inorganic and converted to organic. We uncovered additional issues to meet the standards for certification, including banning hunting and trapping activities and increasing coffee quality for international export. We describe the coproduced actions (agroforestry, conservation education, local law, organic alternatives) and phases of the program and discuss the potential barriers. We provide novel evidence of adaptive management framework successfully used to implement management actions and reach shared goals.

An assessment of the roles of tenure and inclusion in conflict mediation at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry N. Mooney ◽  
Miguel A. Cárdenas Jr ◽  
Miguel A. Cárdenas
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
National Park ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Performance Standards ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marine Tenure ◽  
Conflict Mediation

Purpose This study aims to unify phenomena in academic and grey literature into a theory of marine spatial disappropriation based on geopolitical relationships. It is argued that conflict over marine space arises as a result of top-down sovereign control of marine resources, and that the recognition of marine tenure and greater inclusivity in marine development* decision-making would lessen conflict between users, such as artisanal fishermen and ecotourism businesses. Design/methodology/approach A preliminary literature review was conducted, followed by a research study at Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP) in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Findings The results demonstrate that though CPNP's tenure structure is unique and inclusivity is an element of its management, the degree to which it is practiced is not sufficient to eliminate the chance of eventual disappropriation and ensuing conflict. Practical implications The results of this assessment can be used to strengthen the argument in favour of developing stronger requirements for deliberative democratic decision-making in marine delineation, as well as bolder social performance standards in marine development industries. Originality/value Research on socio-environmental revolutions are not new, but the authors contest that they are not alone a sufficient condition for achieving reduced conflict long-term. Instead, the originality of this research lies in its exploration of the importance of customary and formal tenure over marine resources, and its suggestion that this on the whole reduces conflict between exclusive and competing interests. One popular alternative, as demonstrated in numerous cases around the globe, can often be the marginalization of small-scale ocean users through the forceful appropriation of ocean resources.

scholarly journals Towards an adaptive management approach for the conservation of rare antelope in the Kruger National Park - outcome of a workshop held in May 2000

Koedoe ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.C. Grant ◽  
J.L. Van der Walt
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
High Density ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Predator Control ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Equus Burchelli ◽  
The Subject

A precipitous drop in rare antelope numbers specifically roan (<i>Hippotragus equinis</i>) sable (<i>Hippotragus niger</i>) and tsessebe (<i>Damaliscus lunatus</i>) since 1986 has become one of the main concerns of management. The zebra (<i>Equus burchelli</i>) population in the preferred habitats of these species had increased with the development of artificial waterpoints especially in the areas occupied by roan and tsessebe, and these events are hypothesised to be the main cause of the decline. Closure of artificial waterpoints resulted in moving the high-density, water-dependent zebra from the northern basalt plains, the preferred roan habitat. However, the expected responding increase in the rare antelope populations did not materialise. This lack of response over six years necessitated a critical re-evaluation of the management of rare antelope in the Kruger National Park. Subsequently, a workshop was held at Skukuza during May 2000. The options for adaptive management of the declining rare antelope populations, which was discussed at the workshop, is the subject of this manuscript. The participants felt that the removal/closure of artificial waterpoints was the most unintrusive management tool available to move high density grazers from the habitats preferred by rare antelope. Waterpoints to be closed should be carefully evaluated, and time allowed for rare antelope to respond to habitat changes. Boosting populations of roan and tsessebe by supplementing animals was seriously considered, with the proviso that it should be done under favourable circumstances. Small patch fires that could provide green grazing over extended periods were recommended. Predator control was discussed but could not obtain general support as a viable option in the Kruger National Park.

scholarly journals Balancing stakeholder interests in kangaroo management – historical perspectives and future prospects

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. McLeod ◽  
R. B. Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
State Government ◽  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Animal Protection ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Management Plans

Kangaroos are commercially harvested in five mainland states of Australia, with the harvest regulated by state government wildlife management agencies and overseen by the Commonwealth government. Non-commercial culling is permitted, and although most kangaroos have traditionally been taken by the commercial kangaroo harvesting industry, the proportion taken non-commercially has increased in recent years. Management plans that guide the regulation of the harvest support the management objectives of wildlife management agencies and the kangaroo industry, but the plans do not successfully address the objectives of other stakeholders including pastoralists and animal protection groups, which focus on minimising the grazing impacts of kangaroos and animal welfare issues respectively. We reviewed the objectives outlined in the management plans for kangaroos in the Australian rangelands and examined alternative systems for managing natural resources to identify if improvements to management could be made. Current management plans for kangaroos principally use fixed harvest rates that are responsive only to the state of the kangaroo population and not to changes in the environments in which kangaroos live. This type of management is reactive, and opportunities for improving management of the environment are limited. A viable alternative is active adaptive management which focuses on explicit measurement of the response of the natural system to management actions and use of this information to modify interventions to better meet management objectives. Active adaptive management is appropriate when management actions can strongly influence system state but the impacts of management are uncertain. We argue that the management of kangaroos and the environments in which they live would benefit from the adoption of an active adaptive management approach by wildlife management agencies.

Can ecological thinning deliver conservation outcomes in high-density river red gum forests? Establishing an adaptive management experiment

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 262 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Gorrod ◽  
P. Childs ◽  
D. A. Keith ◽  
S. Bowen ◽  
M. Pennay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Floodplain Forests ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Land Use Legacies ◽  
River Red Gum

Newly protected areas often have land-use legacies that affect their capacity to deliver conservation outcomes into the future. The management actions required to achieve conservation outcomes may be uncertain. This uncertainty may be resolved through experimental adaptive management that draws on knowledge of the ecology and history of the ecosystem. In New South Wales, Australia, river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) floodplain forests were gazetted as National Park in 2010, including Murray Valley National Park. Land-use legacies had resulted in one-third of river red gum forests and woodlands occurring as high-stem-density (>400 stems ha−1) stands at the time of gazettal. High-stem-density stands are characterised by dominance of narrow straight trees, a paucity of large and hollow-bearing trees, modified understorey vegetation and reduced coarse woody debris. A simple state-and-transition process model captured knowledge of the processes that led to the high-stem-density river red gum forest state being widespread. We describe the establishment of a manipulative experiment to evaluate whether ecological thinning can achieve conservation outcomes in high-stem-density stands of river red gum floodplain forest. The experiment was designed to reduce intrastand competition for water and other resources, and encourage development of spreading tree crowns. Future results will inform management decisions in high-stem-density stands of river red gum floodplain forests. The adaptive management approach employed provides a template for using knowledge of the ecosystem to resolve uncertainty about management, particularly in newly protected areas.

scholarly journals Habitat Restoration Across Large Areas: Assessing Wildlife Responses in the Clearwater Basin, Idaho

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. K. Svancara ◽  
G. Servheen ◽  
W. Melquist ◽  
D. Davis ◽  
J. M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Management Actions

Abstract Over the past century, fire suppression and prevention have altered disturbance regimes across the Pacific Northwest, resulting in a significant divergence of historical and current conditions in forested habitats. To address this continuing trend in habitat changes and begin restoring historical patterns of disturbance, the Clearwater Basin Elk Habitat Initiative (CEI) proposes relatively extensive management actions in the Clearwater basin of north-central Idaho. We attempted to evaluate potential effects of such management actions on selected wildlife species using extant data sets and suggest ways to improve such projects with respect to a multispecies and adaptive management approach. Although there is increased interest in ecosystem management over large areas, the increased scale of analysis and implementation require a substantial increase in the level of species information beyond what currently exists. We conclude that baseline information required for an effective multispecies land-management policy in the Clearwater basin does not exist for many terrestrial wildlife species. To implement a true multispecies or ecosystem approach, wildlife and land managers should cooperate to increase existing population data and modeling efforts for wildlife species in the basin and develop a sustainable monitoring program to evaluate habitat management changes and their influence on wildlife populations within the context of adaptive management theory. Management actions to restore disturbance patterns should attempt spatial and temporal scales that are biologically relevant to the population ecology of species being affected. West. J. Appl. For. 19(2): 123–132.

scholarly journals ABOUT PRINCIPLES OF PRECEDENCE AND TRANSCENDENCE IN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT (SOCIO-ECONOMIC-ECONOMIC CONTEXT)

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2(64)) ◽  
pp. 293-297
Author(s):  
K.V. Stepanova ◽  
V.N. Stepanov
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Past Experience ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Nonlinear Phenomena ◽  
General Description ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Methodological Aspects ◽  
High Degree

The paper discusses the methodological aspects of the principles of adaptive management for socio-economic, economic-ecological and other systems. Adaptive management includes a set of methods that allow to change the parameters of the regulating system depending on management actions and outcomes and external impacts. Adaptive management is based inter alia on the principles of �precedence� (past experience) and �transcendence� (beyond experience). The principle of precedence includes past experience in decision making (study the problem "from the bottom"). Based on the definition of transcendence (something that is fundamentally unavailable to experiential knowledge or not based on experience), transcendental analysis is considered as analysis of complex nonlinear phenomena and processes with a high degree of uncertainty (study the problem �from the top�). The paper presents a conceptual model of adaptive management based on the principles of precedence and transcendence. This model includes the next steps: definition and general description of the object of adaptive management; study of the object "from the bottom", based on past experience; study the object of adaptive management "from the top", taking into account a kind of "absolute", which goes beyond the existing experience; vision of the system based on the incidence matrix, ranking of interests and threats; decision making taking into account improvement of previous decisions and implementation of idealized transcendental model. The concept of the principles of precedence and transcendence in adaptive management is considered in the paper in the context of incident theory in order to form the system vision and rank the system from the point of view of interests (as a resource of development) or threats (as an anti-resource of development)

Adaptive management: making recurrent decisions in the face of uncertainty

2021 ◽  
pp. 313-328
Author(s):  
James D. Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Model Development ◽  
State Variables ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Information State ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Wise Decision ◽  
The Face ◽  
Development State

The key to wise decision-making in disciplines such as conservation, wildlife management, and epidemiology is the ability to predict consequences of management actions on focal systems. Predicted consequences are evaluated relative to programme objectives in order to select the favoured action. Predictions are typically based on mathematical models developed to represent hypotheses about management effects on system dynamics. For populations ranging from large mammals to plant communities to bacterial pathogens, demographic modelling is often the approach favoured for model development. State variables of such models may be population abundance, density, occupancy, or species richness, with corresponding vital rates such as rates of reproduction, survival, local extinction, and local colonisation. A key source of uncertainty that characterises such modelling efforts is the nature of relationships between management actions and vital rates. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision-making developed for decision problems that are recurrent and characterised by such structural uncertainty. One approach to incorporating this uncertainty is to base decisions on multiple models, each of which makes different predictions according to its underlying hypothesis. An information state of model weights carries information about the relative predictive abilities of the models. Monitoring of system state variables provides information about system responses, and comparison of these responses with model-based predictions provides a basis for updating the information state. Decisions emphasise the better-predicting model(s), leading to better decisions as the process proceeds. Adaptive management can thus produce optimal decisions now, while simultaneously reducing uncertainty for even better management in the future.

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