145 posts · 27,148 views
Conservation Maven reviews the latest groundbreaking research and books in the field of conservation.
Rob Goldstein
145 posts
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- March 9, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 15 views
Evaluating protected areas in China and North Korea
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
... Read more »
Tang, L., Shao, G., Piao, Z., Dai, L., Jenkins, M., Wang, S., Wu, G., Wu, J., & Zhao, J. (2010) Forest degradation deepens around and within protected areas in East Asia. Biological Conservation. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.01.024
- March 9, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 20 views
Automating bird surveys with remote sensors
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
Researchers have developed and tested an automated system for remotely surveying birds based on their vocalizations. The system involves using pole-mounted, remote sensors to collect ongoing acoustic data...... Read more »
Kasten, E., McKinley, P., & Gage, S. (2010) Ensemble Extraction for Classification and Detection of Bird Species☆. Ecological Informatics. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2010.02.003
- March 8, 2010
- 04:00 AM
- 23 views
Protecting Europe's last, old-growth forests
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
Whenever I think of old-growth forests, I envision the redwoods of Northern California or the Amazon region of South America - not the continent of Europe where forest destruction and intensive management have been widespread for millennia. However, in parts of Europe, areas of virgin forest still exist - mostly in Russia, but also in other countries, as well.
A new study in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation reflects a growing effort to identify and protect these remnant old-growth fo........ Read more »
Veen, P., Fanta, J., Raev, I., Biriş, I., Smidt, J., & Maes, B. (2010) Virgin forests in Romania and Bulgaria: results of two national inventory projects and their implications for protection. Biodiversity and Conservation. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-010-9804-2
- March 5, 2010
- 06:00 AM
- 35 views
Can marine reserves boost fish populations outside their borders?
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study shows that higher fish reproduction inside marine reserves is likely to benefit fisheries outside, as ocean currents carry the tiny, young fish to surrounding waters.
However, the study also indicates that if the young, exported from marine reserves, disperse across large areas it may be extremely difficult to detect a boost to fisheries.... Read more »
Pelc, R., Warner, R., Gaines, S., & Paris, C. (2010) Marine Reserves Special Feature: Detecting larval export from marine reserves. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907368107
- March 4, 2010
- 12:06 PM
- 30 views
An innovative approach for monitoring tidal wetland restoration success
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
Researchers from the US Geological Survey at the San Francisco Bay Estuary Station have created a new, cost-effect, and more accurate method for measuring early sediment accretion in restored, tidal marshes.
Their innovative method involves using sound waves to determine water depth. The echosounder system is mounted onto a shallow draft kayak and includes an acoustic profiler, GPS unit, and laptop computer.... Read more »
Takekawa, J., Woo, I., Athearn, N., Demers, S., Gardiner, R., Perry, W., Ganju, N., Shellenbarger, G., & Schoellhamer, D. (2010) Measuring sediment accretion in early tidal marsh restoration. Wetlands Ecology and Management. DOI: 10.1007/s11273-009-9170-6
- March 4, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 39 views
Quantifying open space loss from urban sprawl
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
... Read more »
McDonald, R., Forman, R., & Kareiva, P. (2010) Open Space Loss and Land Inequality in United States' Cities, 1990–2000. PLoS ONE, 5(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009509
- March 3, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 36 views
Using GPS to remotely observe wildlife behavior
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
GPS plays an important role in wildlife conservation by enabling managers to track the movements of animals. But sometimes wildlife biologists want to know more than just where an animal is located at any given time - sometimes they also want to know what an animal is actually doing...... Read more »
Löttker, P., Rummel, A., Traube, M., Stache, A., Šustr, P., Müller, J., & Heurich, M. (2009) New Possibilities of Observing Animal Behaviour from a Distance Using Activity Sensors in Gps-Collars: An Attempt to Calibrate Remotely Collected Activity Data with Direct Behavioural Observations in Red Deer . Wildlife Biology, 15(4), 425-434. DOI: 10.2981/08-014
- March 2, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 28 views
Plant a tree to save a fish: riparian woodlands as stream temperature regulators
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
... Read more »
Broadmeadow, S., Jones, J., Langford, T., Shaw, P., & Nisbet, T. (2010) The influence of riparian shade on lowland stream water temperatures in southern England and their viability for brown trout. River Research and Applications. DOI: 10.1002/rra.1354
- March 1, 2010
- 07:00 AM
- 47 views
Not all species are created equal (in the eyes of scientific study)
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
Not all species are equally important in the eyes of scientific research. As a new paper in the journal Conservation Biology shows, some types of species are much more commonly studied than others.... Read more »
TRIMBLE, M., & VAN AARDE, R. (2010) Species Inequality in Scientific Study. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01453.x
- February 26, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 37 views
Popular herbicide can be a secret killer of fish
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
The chemical glyphosphate has emerged as the most widely used herbicide in the world. As a new study suggests, the popular herbicide may have unexpected negative impacts on fish by making them more vulnerable to disease...... Read more »
Kelly, D., Poulin, R., Tompkins, D., & Townsend, C. (2010) Synergistic effects of glyphosate formulation and parasite infection on fish malformations and survival. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01791.x
- February 25, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 43 views
Can biomanipulation of the sea rescue a collapsed fishery?
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
The cod stock in the Baltic Sea collapsed in the 1990s because of overfishing and climate change, and this once-valuable fishery has not yet recovered. Could intensified harvesting of sprat—a small fish that eats cod eggs and competes with young cod for planktonic food—be the solution to restore cod, as some people suggest? ... Read more »
Lindegren, M., Möllmann, C., & Hansson, L. (2010) Biomanipulation - a tool in Marine Ecosystem Management and Restoration?. Ecological Applications, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1890/09-0754
- February 25, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 34 views
Study finds post-restoration wetland succession highly variable
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois has looked at wetland restoration projects across the state and found that successional trends vary substantially from one site to another. The study findings have implications for the Clean Water Act and its ability to meet its mandate of enforcing no net-loss of wetland area or function in the United States...... Read more »
Matthews, J., & Endress, A. (2010) Rate of succession in restored wetlands and the role of site context. Applied Vegetation Science. DOI: 10.1111/j.1654-109X.2010.01076.x
- February 24, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 46 views
Does land conservation reduce the local housing supply?
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study wades into the contentious debate about whether land protection negatively affects the housing supply for local communities.
Pro-development advocates have argued that land conservation removes properties from the pool of potential residential housing and therefore drives up home prices. Some studies have found empirical support for this argument.
However new research from scientists at Stanford University and the Nature Conservancy finds that conservation efforts in the suburb........ Read more »
Denning, C., Mcdonald, R., & Christensen, J. (2010) Did land protection in Silicon Valley reduce the housing stock?. Biological Conservation. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.01.025
- February 24, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 58 views
When wildlife avoids perfectly good habitat: the perceptual trap
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
What should we do when perfectly good habitat exists but certain species of wildlife decide to avoid it anyway? Researchers from the University of Oklahoma grapple with this potential mismatch between wildlife perception and habitat quality - a phenomenon they call the "Perceptual Trap."... Read more »
Patten, M., & Kelly, J. (2010) Habitat selection and the perceptual trap. Ecological Applications, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1890/09-2370
- February 23, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 48 views
The impact of seismic oil exploration on rainforest wildlife
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
... Read more »
Rabanal, L., Kuehl, H., Mundry, R., Robbins, M., & Boesch, C. (2010) Oil prospecting and its impact on large rainforest mammals in Loango National Park, Gabon. Biological Conservation. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.01.017
- February 23, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 57 views
Creating vegetation barriers to block the spread of invasive species
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study in the journal Biological Invasions shows that land managers may be able to contain highly invasive annual plants like by establishing barriers of perennial bunchgrasses to block the spread...... Read more »
Davies, K., Nafus, A., & Sheley, R. (2010) Non-native competitive perennial grass impedes the spread of an invasive annual grass. Biological Invasions. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9710-2
- February 22, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 49 views
Study links mercury contamination with changes in birdsongs
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study in the journal Auk finds evidence that mercury contamination can modify the singing behavior of birds.
Kelly Hallinger and fellow researchers from William and Mary's Cristol Lab recorded and analyzed bird songs from four species at sites along the mercury-contaminated South River in Virginia. They also studied birds of the same species at nearby uncontaminated sites.... Read more »
Hallinger, K., Zabransky, D., Kazmer, K., & Cristol, D. (2010) Birdsong Differs between Mercury-polluted and Reference Sites. The Auk, 127(1), 156-161. DOI: 10.1525/auk.2009.09058
- February 19, 2010
- 06:00 AM
- 67 views
A method for evaluating the potential ecological impact of invasive species
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
Researchers have developed and tested a new method for evaluating the potential ecological impact of the invasive species at a site. Their approach, called the Index of Alien Impact - is innovative for a couple of reasons...... Read more »
Magee, T., Ringold, P., Bollman, M., & Ernst, T. (2010) Index of Alien Impact: A Method for Evaluating Potential Ecological Impact of Alien Plant Species. Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-010-9426-1
- February 18, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 56 views
Snakes interrupted: roads causing genetic decline
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
For wildlife like the timber rattlesnsake, trying to cross even light-traffic country roads presents a formidable life-or-death challenge. As a new study in the journal Conservation Biology shows, these roads can also contribute to the genetic decline of the species.... Read more »
CLARK, R., BROWN, W., STECHERT, R., & ZAMUDIO, K. (2010) Roads, Interrupted Dispersal, and Genetic Diversity in Timber Rattlesnakes. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01439.x
- February 18, 2010
- 05:00 AM
- 53 views
Seawalls may affect abundance of prey for shorebirds, salmon
by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven
A new study in Puget Sound, Washington, suggests that building seawalls and other shoreline structures may reduce the diversity and abundance of some intertidal invertebrates and coastal insects. Because these creatures are food for salmon, shorebirds, and other wildlife, shoreline armoring might indirectly alter the broader ecosystem...... Read more »
Sobocinski, K., Cordell, J., & Simenstad, C. (2010) Effects of Shoreline Modifications on Supratidal Macroinvertebrate Fauna on Puget Sound, Washington Beaches. Estuaries and Coasts. DOI: 10.1007/s12237-009-9262-9
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