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WILD AND FREE:
WHAT ARE WE CONSERVING
HOW DO WE MEASURE IT?
Matthew Child, Jeanetta Selier et al.
AND
INTRODUCTION
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Minimum goal is saving species from extinction
Ideal goal is to conserve (& create) wild, flourishing,
adaptive & self-sustaining populations
IUCN Red List – only wild populations can be
considered
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There is no clear definition of wild
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Wildness - spectrum from captive-bred to free roaming
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management intensity and property size, location and
isolation
Viability in short or long term
South Africa unique situation
GOALS
1.
Need an objective framework that
a.
b.
2.
unambiguously measures the conservation value or
wildness of a subpopulation, regardless of the
management system or philosophy
evaluates which subpopulations are eligible for the
Red List assessments.
A more proactive & inspiring metric of conservation
success (saving something from extinction is the
minimum goal).
METHODS
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Two expert workshops
Achieved the following:
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Used Redford et al. 2014 defined nodes along wilderness
spectrum as a starting point, adapted it to local requirements
Listed the potential management attributes / actions that applied to each
wildness node
Developed measurable thresholds for each attribute for each node
Averaged the score for each attribute to determine the wildness status of
each subpopulation and used radar plots to visualise the score
Framework was then tested for subpopulations of several spp. incl. Cape
mountain zebra and roan
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Red List requested data from the wildlife ranching sector
Data obtained from wildlife ranching survey (EWT)
Manipulation of
all vital rates
Feeding every winter
Simulated
natural
No manipulation
of resource
Near natural
Self sustaining
Captive
managed
Attributes & actions
Intensively
chosen to reflect
managed
effects on short-term
survival of
individuals, as well as
Manipulation of all
long-term resilience
resource
of the overall
population based on
subpopulation
connectivity &
adaptive capacity.
No manipulation of
vital rates
 Potential
South African wildness nodes
1. Captive managed: Social resource dynamics completely negated by
management.
2. Intensively managed: Direct intervention at the individual and/or subpopulation
levels. May exist in extensive systems (as opposed to breeding camps) but with
conditions controlled to benefit the focal species.
3. Simulated Natural: Limited set of interventions directed at subpopulation
sustainability and mitigating extrinsic factors (for example, metapopulation
management).
4. Near Natural: Interventions are directed at long-term ecosystem process
management and not at the individual or subpopulation level.
5. Self-sustaining: No deliberate interference to sustain or grow subpopulations
and can adapt to change.
Attributes relating to ecological and
evolutionary functioning
Space
Home
range
Dispersal
Disease &
parasite
resistance
Natural
predation
Vet
care
Exposure
to native
predators
Food
limitations
Presence
& freq.
food
prov.
Water
limitations
Reproduction
Mate
selection
Freq. &
spatial
orientation
H2O
Augmenta
tion
Strategy
Attribute thresholds between wildness nodes
No.
Attribute
description
Captive managed
Intensively managed
Simulated natural
Near natural
Self-sustaining
1
Functional space
Single species camps
< home range
=> home range
=>2 x home range
Home range units > no. social groups present
1a
Dispersal
Impermeable fences: total
Impermeable fences: large animals
Permeable / wildlife-friendly fences
Wildlife-friendly / no fences
No fences / fences are not barrier (large area)
2
Disease & parasite
resistance
Continuous preventative and
reactive veterinary care to
all individuals
Non-selective permanent preventative measures; reactive
veterinary care. Care focused on the individual
Ad-hoc preventative vaccination (threatened / mandated
spp). Focus on population presistance.
Ad-hoc reactive measures to major disease
outbreaks
No disease control
3
Predator removal
Total predator community
exclusion through lethal
control/mere incompatibility
Apex predators removed (lethal or non-lethal); ad hoc
removal of mesopredators (lethal or non-lethal) - occasional
exposure to mesopredators
Frequent exposure to mesopredators; occasional exposure
to apex predators; selective removal of individuals (problem
animals)
Functional guild of predators present (at least one
apex); no predator control
Full complement of predators present, no
predator control
3a
Predator exclusion
Impermeable camp fences:
total
Impermeable fences: large predators
Permeable / wildlife-friendly fences
Wildlife-friendly / no fences
No fences / fences are not barrier (large area)
4
Food provision
Continuous supplementary
feeding to individuals.
Feeding > 75 % of year
Supplementary feeding in winter. Feeding 25 – 75 % of
year.
Supplementary feeding in droughts, where < 25 % feeding
perhaps.
No supplementary feeding
No supplementary feeding
4a
Habitat management
for resources
Single species enclosures
Modifying habitat for focal species (e.g. planting pastures)
Habitat management for ecosystem functioning (e.g. alien
invasive removal / mosaic burning); continual
Habitat management for ecosystem functioning
(e.g. alien invasive removal / mosaic burning);
periodic
No habitat management
4b
Endemism
Inside or outside natural
range
Inside or outside natural range
Inside or outside natural range
Inside natural range
Inside natural range
5
Water provisioning and
fluctuations
Continuous water provision
to individuals
More artificial water-points than natural; artificial waterpoints permanent
More artificial water-points than natural but >50%
artificial water-points temporary
Natural or only temporary artificial water-points
Only natural water sources
5b
Water-point
distribution
>1 water-point / home range
unit
>1 water-point / home range unit
< 1 water-point / home range unit
< 1 water-point / home range unit
< 1 water-point / home range unit
6
Breeding competition
Individuals matched and
selected for specific traits
Selective breeding for production (not trait specific);
periodically replacing breeding stock
males and females have choice in mating partners; regular
introduction / removal of individuals into breeding herd(s)
Multiple social groups present (e.g. presence of
bachelor groups)
No breeding manipulation
6a
Harvesting
Selecting individuals for
harvesting / translocation
Selecting individuals for harvesting / translocation; may
disrupt social structure (e.g. hunting female leopards)
Selecting individuals for harvesting / translocation to
simulate predation or gene flow (e.g. hunting postreproductive individuals)
Non-selective harvesting of individuals across
species
Very occasional non-selective harvesting
6b
Translocation
Selecting individuals for
harvesting / translocation
Selecting individuals for harvesting / translocation; may
disrupt social or ecological structure (e.g. introducing alien
ecotypes / subspecies)
Selecting individuals for harvesting / translocation to
simulate predation or gene flow (e.g. to conserve genetic
diversity; only native ecotypes / subspecies)
Non-selective translocation (only native ecotypes /
subspecies)
No translocation following initial
reintroduction (if applicable)
Just to show we have put some work into this…..
Analysis methods
Space
5
4
Reproduction
3
2
Disease and
parasite resistance
1
0
Exposure to
natural water
limitations and
fluctuations
Exposure to
natural predation
Exposure to
natural food
limitations and
fluctuations
>80% individuals on private
land eligible
Total wild population: 2,381–
3,247 mature individuals
Reproduction
Space
5
4
3
2
1
0
Exposure to
natural water
limitations and…
Exposure to
natural predation
Exposure to
natural food
limitations and…
<12% individuals on private
land eligible
Total wild population: :
233-272 mature individuals
Roan
Disease and
parasite
resistance
OBVIOUSLY more work to do…
• Thresholds need calibrating
through ground-truthing.
• Specialised survey design.
• Measure formally protected areas
for baseline wildness.
• Exhaustive list of management
actions allowed in each node.
• Need buy-in from all stakeholders.
• Could potentially form the basis of
a certification /branding scheme for
the industry
THANK YOU
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C. Birss
D. Buijs
B. Coverdale
H. Davies Mostert
P. Goodman
M. Hoffman
D. Mallon
L. Nel
M. Pfab
M. Peel
J. Power
D. Peinke
F. Radloff
A. Taylor