Browsing by Subject "Conservation"

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Achieving the minimum 20 percent conservation and reuse mandate in the SWIFT process in Texas
(2015-05) Harris, Shannon Carrie; Steiner, Frederick R.; Lieberknecht, Katherine E.; Huber, Karen L.
In November 2013, the citizens of Texas approved a new water infrastructure-financing plan called the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). SWIFT funds will provide low-cost loans for water projects included in the State Water Plan. A few conditions catalyzed this historic legislation, including a year of exceptionally severe drought in 2011, and the 2012 State Water Plan, the first such plan released since 2007. This document assumes one scenario for water planning in Texas in which the population nearly doubles and historic dry periods persist, resulting in an 8.3 million acre feet water shortage. A minimum of 20 percent of the fund must finance conservation and reuse water supply and enhancement methods. These projects must have associated capital costs and be included in the State Water Plan. Conservation strategies often have no capital costs, or if they do, expenses are lower than for other techniques such as desalination. Therefore, this research seeks to discover whether it is possible to meet the 20 percent minimum set-aside. The study focuses mostly on conservation procedures since reuse typically incurs significantly higher costs, and could, theoretically, meet the set-aside alone. Texas water users must think strategically about conservation in order meet the minimum set-aside. In a state with a history of large infrastructure projects, such as 60 years of reservoir construction, planners are no longer in tune with a diverse array of potential projects. Alternative water enhancement techniques not only supply water, but provide benefits to the local ecology and economy. The research also explores alternative water conservation technologies. Texans are fiercely independent, pragmatic, innovative people by nature. The cultural history of the state underscores these facts. The SWIFT fund is a result of creative thinking by planners, legislators, and citizens to alleviate problems before they become serious. That same vision is necessary to inspire synergies between participants using auxiliary water technologies financed through new funding mechanisms resulted from changing economic philosophies. The citizens of the state, and its ecological health, will benefit if they can muster the political will to resourcefully meet the minimum 20 percent conservation and reuse set-aside.
American Eel in Texas – what we do, don’t, and need to, know
(2016-01-22) Hendrickson, Dean A.; Cohen, Adam E.; Labay, Ben; Garrett, Gary P.; Casarez, Melissa; Martin, F. Douglas
American Eel is undoubtedly one of the most studied freshwater fishes of North America. Many recent discoveries have added new insights that re-write important aspects of the “text book” knowledge of the species’ complex life history in ways that could have significant impacts on management. Despite all of this new information, debate about the species’ conservation status continues, and new threats, such as continued habitat loss and major clandestine fisheries driven by extremely high value in the global market, have further complicated management. Though USFWS recently decided that the species does not merit listing as “Endangered,” in 2012 Canada changed that country’s assessment of the species’ status from “Special Concern” (since 2006) to “Threatened” and IUCN upped its classification in 2013 to “Endangered.” Ontario has considered it “Endangered” since 2007. All U.S. Atlantic states vowed to work together to produce, in 1999, the American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment, which mandated each state conduct standardized monitoring of recruitment and later, mandatory catch and effort monitoring. Given all that activity and data generation, it is remarkable that still so little is known about the populations of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and its tributary rivers that making any management decisions in that large, neglected part of the species’ range is virtually impossible. The Fishes of Texas Project team has been collating and improving the limited and scattered data on occurrences of the species in the region and concludes it important to promote a broad scale (Gulf of Mexico) collaborative community effort to acquire and share data and carefully curated specimens and, hopefully, develop a GOM-wide collaborative research and management plan like that implemented by Atlantic states. Here we’ll review the literature and state of knowledge about the species in Texas and GOM, and suggest ways to begin work toward such an effort.
An analysis of forest change : a case study of the Chocó-Andean conservation corridor in the Upper Guayllabamba Watershed, Ecuador
(2010-05) Gordon, Jessica Danielle; Young, Kenneth R.; Richardson, Richard H.
Deforestation in the tropics is considered to be a primary cause for worldwide loss of biological diversity. Future land use decisions have the potential to escalate or ameliorate this global problem. The goal of this research is to present a case study of an analysis of forest change within the Chocó-Andean Conservation Corridor in the Upper Guayllabamba Watershed in Northwestern Ecuador. Fieldwork, remote sensing, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to analyze land use/land cover changes within the corridor. Change detection from 1986 to 2001 using Landsat imagery confirmed that forests were rapidly being converted to other land covers, but patterns of deforestation rates varied dramatically for different types of forests. The average annual rate of overall loss of forest was 2.7% for lower montane forest, 1.7% for mid-slope cloud forest 2.1% for upper montane forest, and 2.0% for riparian forests. The patterns of deforestation also varied based on scales of analysis. For example, the overall loss of forest within the southern portion of the Chocó-Andean Conservation Corridor occurred at an average rate of 1.3% per year, while the overall annual rate of forest loss within particular sub-watersheds varied from 0.2%-3.1% and the annual average rate of overall forest loss surrounding particular communities ranged from 0.3%-3.3%. Fifty interviews were conducted in 2003 in seven communities within the conservation corridor to determine local perspectives of current land use practices, past land use trends, and future land use goals; regional changes in the forest; and opinions of local conservation projects. An intriguing finding of the study is that remote sensing in isolation of fieldwork would have provided incomplete or misleading results. For example, the community that had the most deforestation between 1986 and 2001 was the community where the conservation projects were actually the most successful, based upon local resident opinion. This report asserts that a holistic approach to conservation is needed to reconcile environmental and socio-cultural needs in order to maintain and improve forest habitat and hydrologic connectivity at multiple spatial scales (including community-level, watershed, and regional) by extending conservation efforts beyond protected areas and utilizing a basin-scale perspective to make land use decisions that maintain biodiversity and promote watershed protection.
Biodviersityof Mexican Trout (Teleostei: Salmonidae: Oncorhynchus): Recent findings, conservation concerns, and management recommendations
(Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, 2004-09) Mayden, Richard L.
Until very recently the diversity of trout in Mexican rivers of the Sierra Madre Occidental has been very poorly understood and only the Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and the Mexican Golden Trout, 0. chrysogaster, have been recognized. Recent efforts in the last decade by a binational organization of scientists and laypersons interested in the diversity and conservation of Mexican trout, Truchas Mexicanus, have revea led considerable diversity within the river systems of the Pacific Slope south to the Rio Acaponeta . These trout forms are highly differentiated and distinctive, and are considered native to these high-elevation river systems in pine-dominated forests. The increased occurrence of trout growout facilities and hatcheries within the range of these native Oncorhynchus and the escapes from these facilities threaten the native trout diversity through both introgressive hybridization and through resource competition, end products already known to occur in other trout populations in the other areas of North America exposed to exotic hatchery trout. Other threats to the native and previously unknown trout biodiversity in Mexico include timber harvesting, some pollutions associated with these activities, and siltation of critical habitats. Recommendations are provided to aid in the safe management and protection of this diversity which center around the future use of sterile trout in growout facilities and the use of undisturbed buffer zones along streams. The divergence observed in forms of Mexican trout is equivalent to the levels of divergence found between currently recognized subspecies of trout in the Rainbow and Cutthroat trout groups. Upon review of the diversity and divergence known to exist in these groups and our current understanding of conceptualizations of species, it is argued that the recognition of subspecies within these highly diverse trout lineages is inconsistent with the natural evolutionary history of these groups. The long-term use of the Biological Species Concept for these species is argued as not only inappropriate but an inadequate and illogical characterization of diversity. The logical consequences of hanging on to this concept as the operational and theoretical framework of trout diversity would necessitate the synonymization of all Rainbow and Cutthroat trout taxa as subspecies because of the known propensity of these groups to demonstrate introgressive hybridzation in some areas. These subspecies are considered va lid evolutionary lineages that are demonstrate divergence at morphological, genetic, and ecological characters that are well known to many trout taxonomists and biologists. All of these therefore qualify as Evolutionary Species that are easily diagnosable under the Phylogenetic Species Concept and should be recognized as valid species.
Biogeography of upland bird communities in the Peruvian Amazon
(2009-12) Pomara, Lazarus Yates; Young, Kenneth R.; Barth, Robert H.; Dull, Robert A.; Miller, Jennifer A.; Ruokolainen, Kalle
The western Amazon is known to be one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, yet information about the spatial distribution of that biodiversity and the processes governing its distribution remains scarce. An improved understanding of those biogeographic patterns and processes can inform conservation and development planning in areas where anthropogenic landscape change is ongoing. Spatial components of biodiversity are known to be influenced by historical and present-day physical and human geographic processes. There is evidence that major Amazonian rivers form the boundaries of biological regions, at least for birds. Other factors that may influence bird species composition include the dispersal limitations of individual species, forest plant species composition and structure, topography, forest fragmentation, and hunting. Sites where bird species composition was measured in this study represented mature, upland forest on both sides of the Amazon River, and a range of non-flooded forest types, as indicated by soil and plant surveys. Bird species compositional variation was closely correlated with variation in plant species composition, human disturbance associated with forest fragmentation, and position north or south of the Amazon River. The strongest differences were between opposite sides of the river, even though local environments, including plant composition, were not different on the two sides. This strongly suggests that historical biogeographic factors, rather than present-day environmental gradients, are responsible for bioregional boundaries at Amazonian rivers. The difference between plant and bird distributions at this scale underscores the pressing need to re-evaluate general notions of bioregional complexity and pattern in the Amazon basin. Locally, the influence of habitat fragmentation on animal communities, including reduced species richness, was confirmed. The influence of local floristic variation is of particular importance due to its ubiquity across western Amazonia. Thus, understanding the distributions of soils and vegetation is critical for explaining Amazonian animal diversity. The use of these factors to model bird community heterogeneity contradicts assumptions that the processes shaping Amazonian animal community diversity are too complex to measure efficiently, and their use contributes a new understanding of the dimensions of that diversity.
Biological growth on the Alamo
(2009-05) Gallagher, Casey Amber; Gale, Frances R.
The limestone façade of the Alamo shows several areas of biological growth with black and gray streaks and blotches discoloring the stone. This thesis investigates the identity of the microorganisms on the stone, using two: DNA identification, and lab cultures grown from samples of the biofilm. By using both approaches, a better understanding was gained of the range of organisms present. Through these tests, it was found that the dominant organism on the limestone is cyanobacteria, of the genus Chrooccocus. Lab cultures revealed other organisms, including possibly fungi photobionts and algae. Through analysis and comparison of historic and contemporary photographs, patterns of recolonization are investigated. To further understand the effects of the biocide treatments, cultured samples were treated, and their reactions monitored. To better understand the possible relationship between the Alamo stone and its colonizing organisms, physical properties of the stone were investigated. SEM images, Edax minerology and water absorption were used to characterize the stone. This study is the first of its kind to investigate Native Texas quarried architectural limestone. Although studies have been conducted on historic monuments around the world to identify biological growth, none have focused on Texas limestone. By using both DNA and lab culture identification, this study adds to a wealth of investigations of other conservation professionals, applying it to a subject that has not been studied in this way before. By understanding the colonizing organisms, a sustainable conservation regimen can be determined.
“Clean water and better bass fishing" : bass anglers and bass culture, 1968-1980
(2013-08) Sheu, Sherri Angel; Engelhardt, Elizabeth S. D. (Elizabeth Sanders Delwiche), 1969-
This report argues that bass anglers constituted an important facet of the American environmental movement during the 1970s, especially though the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), founded by Alabama native Ray Scott in 1968. During this time period, bass anglers formulated a distinct strain of environmentalism rooted in the technologically-mediated landscape where bass anglers caught bass. This form of environmentalism carved out a social space wherein bass anglers could maintain preexisting social orders and hierarchies while addressing issues of the broader environmental movement, including industrial water pollution, poaching, and air quality. As such, bass anglers demonstrate the continual involvement of sportsmen within the environmental movement and the political diversity of the environmental movement.
Coffee and Conservation: The Ecology and Marketing of Bird Friendly Coffee
(2017-05) Rathmell, Laura
Coffee is one of most valuable traded commodities in the world and a major source of foreign exchange earnings in many developed countries. Over the past 30 years, shade-grown coffee cultivation has become widely recognized as an important reservoir for biodiversity. Land use changes and rapid population growth are causing a global extinction crisis. Due to loss of habitat, one in eight bird species worldwide faces the threat of extinction, with the vast majority of threatened species inhabiting tropical forests. New consumption patterns have emerged with the growing importance of organic, Fair Trade, and shade-grown coffee. Shaded coffee plantations, specifically Bird Friendly certified ones, provide a refuge for biodiversity, particularly for migratory birds. They also offer numerous ecological and economic benefits. With an increasing awareness of the gravity of environmental and social problems, consumers are demanding more transparency and eco-friendly products, such as certified coffee. However, in a highly competitive coffee market where specialty coffee consists of only 8% of the total global coffee market, Bird Friendly coffee struggles to gain a substantial foothold in the coffee market. This paper seeks to answer the questions: What are the ecological and socioeconomic benefits to cultivating Bird Friendly coffee? Do Bird Friendly coffee farms actually help migratory birds and farmers? How is Bird Friendly coffee marketed? How should Bird Friendly coffee be marketed in order to increase awareness and demand? First, I will examine and assess the ecological benefits and challenges of shade-grown coffee, with a focus on Bird Friendly coffee. Second, I will analyze whether Bird Friendly farms hurt or help farmers and recommend solutions for sustainable livelihoods. Lastly, I will provide suggestions on how to effectively market Bird Friendly coffee.
Conservation and Community Wealth Creation in India: Challenges and Way Ahead, PRP 210
(LBJ School of Public Affairs, 2020) Eaton, David
This report outlines challenges for resettlement and wealth creation strategies for the Van Gujjars, a nomadic tribe active across several states of northern India. This report can serve as a framework for the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and other stakeholders to determine a feasible and inclusive way ahead for the Van Gujjar tribe in the Uttarakhand State of India. There are both opportunities and barriers for tribal wealth creation in response to recent Indian federal and state conservation policies that have limited the Van Gujjars’ nomadic practices. This report’s recommendations align with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG), which includes 17 areas of sustainable human and economic development. There are immediate short-term needs for the Van Gujjar, including primary education, access to healthcare and services, clarification of their legal status, and partnerships to increase value of traditional livelihoods. There are potential long-term wealth creation opportunities for the Van Gujjar in both forest management and ecotourism. These long-term opportunities align with conservation future goals—SDGs—and integrate with the Van Gujjars’ skills, attitudes, and cultural preferences. Van Gujjar resettlement could be more successful than previous resettlement iterations in Pathri and Gaindi Khata, India. If combined with sustainable wealth generation options. Resettling Van Gujjar families around the Rajaji National Tiger Reserve (RNTR) may create a pastoral buffer to insulate protected areas from increasing urbanization and development impacts on wildlife conservation. This concept aligns with current policy efforts in India toward ecosensitive areas but also integrates principles of community-centric conservation. Van Gujjar communities possess unique skills and strong traditional knowledge of the forest that can contribute to conservation goals through proper education, vocational training, mentorship, access to capital, and institutional support. This report’s findings and policy recommendations are listed in Table 6.1 and Table 6.2. This report incorporates data collected as the result from field work in Uttarakhand in March 2019, including informal interviews with Van Gujjar families and heads of households living inside protected areas (PA) and in the settled village of Gaindi Khata. Fieldwork in India also included interviews with stakeholders regarding historical and current resettlement efforts, wildlife conservation policies, and possible sustainable wealth-creation opportunities. Two case studies on successful strategies of pastoral resettlement from India and China enhanced the fieldwork. Improvement in the lives of the Van Gujjar tribes may benefit from creative efforts with resettlement policies. Previous resettlement efforts sought with limited success to achieve both conservation and human development goals. Linking wildlife conservation and forest-dwelling community needs may be possible but is likely to require sustained political attention, institutional reforms, and adequate resource allocation, including financial and technical support. Coordinated collaboration among many public agencies and appropriate nongovernmental organizations could enable RNTR to become an example for effective community conservation in other protected areas in India and across the globe.
Conservation engineering and agricultural terracing in Tlaxcala, Mexico
(2014-05) LaFevor, Matthew Cole; Doolittle, William Emery
This research examines the practice of hillslope terracing in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico. It explores how one popular terrace form, zanja-bordo (ditch-and-border) terraces, is employed in two distinct, though sometimes related contexts: (1) producing crops (agriculture) and (2) protecting natural resources (conservation). It first traces the use of zanja-bordo terraces in traditional agriculture in the region, highlighting some of the major elements of their form and function, issues surrounding their antiquity, and their possible role in the landscape degradation so prevalent in the region today. Moving from this agricultural context, the dissertation next examines the role of zanja-bordo terraces in landscape restoration efforts in Tlaxcala. It demonstrates the key role that active and prolonged maintenance plays in long-term efforts to restore previously degraded farmland back to productive capacity. The dissertation then examines more broadly how government programs to promote zanja-bordo terracing in the region impact farmers, whose ancestors have been building zanja-bordo terraces for centuries. Findings from the collection, synthesis, analysis, and groundtruthing of written data on governmental terracing projects in the state reveal that while perhaps well intentioned, these programs did little to promote sustainable agricultural development or environmental conservation in the region. Finally, the dissertation moves above the 3,000-meter mark to examine the relatively recent phenomenon of high-elevation terracing in Mexico's national parks. Conceived as a means of erosion mitigation, water conservation, reforestation, and even fire suppression, government agencies now construct zanja-bordo terraces throughout the understory of many of Mexico's subalpine forests. A case study of the la Malinche (Malintzi or Matlalcueyatl) National Protected Area illustrates some of the difficulties in examining each of the claimed benefits of terracing in these environments. Whether for agriculture or restoration, as a techno-developmental strategy, or as a tool for soil and water conservation, zanja-bordo terraces are shown to be an adaptable and effective hillslope management technology. This dissertation demonstrates, however, that successful adaptation and implementation of zanja-bordo technologies into different contexts largely depends on the effective planning, monitoring, and maintenance of terrace structures and processes. Ultimately, the sustainability of zanja-bordo terracing relates more to issues of contextualization and human motivation than to questions of technological innovation.
Conservation of Mexican native trout and the discovery, status, protection and recovery of the Conchos trout, the first native Oncorhynchus of the Atlantic drainage in Mexico
(Dirección de Publicaciones, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, 2007) Hendrickson, Dean A.; Neely, David A.; Mayden, Richard L.; Anderson, K.; Brooks, James E.; Camerana-Rosales, Faustino; Cutter, Ralph F.; Cutter, Lisa; De Los Santos Camarillo, Ana Belia; Ernsting, Guy W.; Espinosa-Pérez, Héctor; Findley, Lloyd T.; Garcia de León, Francisco J.; George, A. L.; Hatch, John; Kuhajda, Bernard R.; Mayden, Kyle E.; McNyset, Kristina M.; Nielsen, Jennifer L.; Pfeiffer, Frank W.; Propst, David L.; Ruiz-Campos, Gorgonio; St. Clair, E.; Tomelleri, Joseph R.; Varela-Romero, Alejandro
The Northwestern Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico is a rugged mountain range covering portions of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango and Sinaloa, and is drained by multiple Pacific Slope Rivers to the west and the Casas Grandes, Conchos, and Nazas to the east. The overall area is topographically, climatically and biotically diverse, ranging from endorheic basins (Casas Grandes) to mountainous areas elevations up to 3348 m, average mean temperatures from 10-20°C and precipitation from 250-1100 mm/yr. The region is also geological complex that, combined with these other variables, provides a great diversity of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats conducive to both biotic endemicity and diversity. The overall diversity of the region has contribiited to the recent listing of this region by Conservation International as one of six new high-priority biodiversity hotspots. Our understanding of the aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of this region, however, is poor and in urgent need of rapid investigation by collaborative communities. The combination of an incredibly rugged landscape, drug and bandit activities and indigenous peoples that have not always been welcoming to visitors has resulted in a general paucity of roads in the region, and the lack of access has limited inventory studies. Recently, however, access to the region has changed dramatically and many of the areas are now accessible enough for logging, mining, and agriculture practices, all exerting extreme pressures in some areas on the biodiversity. In addition to human-induced changes to these diverse ecosystems, impacts of invasive aquatic species are becoming more and more apparent, and the potential for severely reducing population sizes of species or their extirpation or extinction is real. While several invasive or exotic species are identified as potentially destructive to these communities, the exotic Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that is derived from hatcheries or culture facilities within the region represents one of the most critical threats to the aquatic and semi-aquatic biodiversity. The native trout of mainland Mexico represent the southern- most salmonids, and are at imminent risk of introgression and/or replacement by feral Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Our recent survey efforts have expanded the known diversity and ranges of each of several distinct forms, which we feel represent valid species. We discuss our discovery of multiple new species from the Sierra Madre Occidental and focus on a new species of trout restricted to the upper Conchos drainage, the first native species of Oncorhynchus known to occupy the Atlantic Slope in Mexico. Many of these taxa are restricted to small areas of intact habitat in headwater areas of high-elevation streams, and are at risk from a suite of human-associated perturbations, emerging diseases, and introduced species. These fishes occupy unique habitats, and represent a diverse portion of the Mexican montane ichthyofauna. The habitats on which they depend support a wide range of other aquatic organisms, most of which are grossly understudied. The discovery of the Conchos Trout derived primarily by GARP niche modeling of a subset of localities of previously sampled undescribed native Mexican trout, provides only a snapshot of the biodiversity awaiting to be discovered in this region. The rugged landscape of the Sierra Madre Occidental simply precludes routine sampling at easily accesible locations of streams and most sampling locations require time-intensive access. In an effort to rapidly assess the biodiversity of rivers of this region we employed this method to aid in predicting the most suitable and highly probable Mexican trout niches in the region. This method offered highly efficient and powerful results that not only predicted the occurrence of a previously unknown trout in the upper Rio Conchos but also provided excellent predictions of available habitats in drainages where previously unknown trout have been discovered by the Truchas Mexicanas team in the last nine years. Multiple threats exist to the biodiversity of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental, including uncontrolled introductions of exotic and invasive species, emerging diseases such as whirling disease, Myxobolus cerebralis, infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN), iridioviruses and pathogenic water mold, Saprolegnia ferax, land-use practices leading to habitat degradation via overgrazing, logging, deforestation and road construction, increasing human population growth, over-fishing or overharvesting of aquatic resources and global climate cliange reducing surface and ground water in the area and creating environments more conducive to the spread of invasive species, congregated and dense human populations, and emerging diseases. Immediate actions need to be developed to aid in public education as to the threats to these ecosystems, protection of areas, assessment of diversity, and sustainable development throughout the region that incorporates a likely highly successful ecotourism system for the region.
Conservation of Texas freshwater fish diversity: selection of Species of Greatest Conservation Need
(Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept, 2020) Birdsong, Timothy; Garrett, Gary; Bean, Megan; Bean, Preston; Curtis, Stephen; Fleming, Paul; Grubh, Archis; Lutz-Carrillo, Dijar; Mayes, Kevin; Robertson, Clint; Robertson, Sarah; Schlechte, Warren; Smith, Nathan
Conserving Texas Biodiversity: Status, Trends, and Conservation Planning for Fishes of Greatest Conservation Need
(2018-03-23) Cohen, Adam E.; Garrett, Gary P.; Casarez, Melissa J.; Hendrickson, Dean A.; Labay, Benjamin J.; Urban, Tomislav; Gentle, John; Wylie, Dennis; Walling, David
The primary aim of this grant was to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), Texas Advanced Computing Center (University of Texas at Austin), and other relevant collaborators to (1) utilize Fishes of Texas Project (FoTX) data to aid in conservation of Texas fishes, (2) conduct field surveys in areas of limited data and of conservation interest, and (3) further develop the FoTX database and website as a research and management tool. While much of our work was focused on Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), almost everything we did has been applied to all species, or affects the data for all species in some way. Our efforts here demonstrate the value of reliable and verifiable specimen data to conservation and serve as a baseline upon which to build a conservation program. The FoTX data have taken many years to fully develop, largely funded by State Wildlife Grant funds, and that work will continue to evolve, but this report documents how the data have now been used to develop species distribution models and conservation priority areas that are now the foundation of aquatic resource conservation prioritization and management in Texas. Our data were also used by TPWD staff to update the Texas Natural Diversity Database, which was previously depauperate for fish data, and to develop state and global conservation rankings for fishes using NatureServe’s standard methodology. Using the FoTX data we also developed recommendations for updating TPWD’s SGCN list, which if implemented will inform conservation in Texas for many years. We expanded the scope of FoTX to include a larger geography, into Texas’ neighboring states, thus reducing biases caused by our previous political boundary that lacked a biogeographical basis, and to include many new records from new types of complementary data sources, especially agency databases, that together with the museum specimen data provide a more thorough and unbiased dataset for understanding temporal and spatial trends in fish biogeography in Texas. We also developed and integrated tools into the website such as improved checklists and tools for accessing occurrence data held in digitized documents. One of the features most requested by our data users were native ranges for all Texas fish species, which we recently produced and can be viewed in our mapping tab. These native ranges, when viewed alongside occurrence data, allow users to understand trends in shifting distributions over time. We focused another effort explicitly at understanding range changes through time and have produced dynamic graphs, which when fully implemented will update automatically when the underlying data are changed, depicting latitudinal and longitudinal changes over time and general range size changes through time. In addition to this, we were active in the field collecting fishes, focusing on locations where data are lacking or there were other conservation related reasons for collecting. This effort has largely been in coordination with TPWD staff, who have been heavily involved with many of the activities in this project. The collecting effort has resulted in a large number of new specimens and tissue samples deposited and permanently housed in the University of Texas Biodiversity Collections (Texas Natural History Collections) and represents a model for how long term collections and data archiving and management can be achieved. These data are the newest in FoTX and represent the modern data point upon which conservation actions can be effectively implemented. The funding provided for this project has allowed us to continue to grow and diversify, moving away from focusing solely on improving the data themselves, but also on applying those data in diverse ways that maximize their value for conservation. The project has inspired a Herps of Texas Project (HoTX, currently funded by TPWD) and we agreed to allow use of our database schema and website structure as a template to build their project. Getting that project to a similar state as FoTX should be much faster and require far less funding than has been devoted to FoTX. Any improvements to HoTX could also likely be applied to improve FoTX. Our hope is that other projects, focusing on various taxa (e.g. mussels), continue to follow in our footsteps allowing mutual benefit and eventually query interfaces that allow users to access entire ecological communities.
Effects of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation on silvery brown tamarin (Saguinus leucopus) dispersal and movement patterns : landscape genetics, habitat connectivity and conservation implications
(2018-05) Valencia Rodríguez, Lina María; Di Fiore, Anthony, Ph. D.; Bolnick, Deborah; Reed, Denne; Jha, Shalene; Blair, Mary E
Habitat fragmentation can restrict the dispersal of individuals from one population to another, which often results in the loss of genetic diversity due to reduced gene flow, inbreeding, and genetic drift. The stability and long-term survival of animal populations in fragmented landscapes largely depends on their ability to disperse among patches. The main goal of this dissertation is to evaluate how human-modified heterogeneous landscapes impact population structure, dispersal, and gene flow of the silvery brown tamarin (Saguinus leucopus), an endangered and endemic primate of Colombia. In this study I use a multidisciplinary approach and combine genomic data with spatial analysis and ecological modeling to determine how anthropogenic and natural landscape features shape tamarin genetic variation. I describe a cost-effective reduced representation method called ddRAD-seq developed to identify and genotype large numbers of genome-wide SNP loci for taxa from across the New World monkeys. I test the utility of this approach to resolve platyrrhine evolutionary relationships at different time scales and discuss the protocol's promise in molecular primatology. Using this method, I investigate population structure across the S. leucopus distribution. Using traditional and novel population genetic approaches, I detect population structure between geographic regions at different hierarchical levels and find population structure to be associated with geographic distance. In addition, using individual-based landscape genetic analyses in combination with spatial and ecological modeling, I also found that anthropogenic and natural landscape features - beyond simple Euclidean distance - have an effect on the genetic relationships and population structure of the silvery brown tamarin. Remnants of secondary forest in an agricultural matrix and water bodies represent moderate barriers to tamarin gene flow and have a significant effect on genetic relationships and population structure of the silvery brown tamarin. Lastly, I assess structural and functional connectivity throughout the silvery brown tamarin's distribution using least-cost paths and circuit theory. I identify potential patches of tamarin habitat and prioritize patches and corridors important in maintaining landscape connectivity. I discuss the conservation implications of these results and offer recommendations and management guidelines for conservation authorities regarding the conservation and management of S. leucopus populations in a human-dominated landscape.
Estimating site occupancy for four threatened mammals in southeastern Laos
(2014-08) Tilker, Andrew; Keitt, Timothy H.
The tropical forests of Indochina harbor a suite of globally threatened tropical mammal species. These species are difficult to detect, and subsequently understudied. Noninvasive camera trapping was used to survey terrestrial mammals from a protected area in southeastern Lao PDR (Xe Sap National Protected Area). The presence-absence of four mammals (mainland serow Capricornis milneedwardsii, muntjac Muntiacus spp., macaque Macaca spp., and wild pig Sus scrofa) was modeled in an occupancy framework thereby accounting for detection probabilities. Our goals were to establish baseline occupancy data to assist with biological monitoring and to better understand the factors influencing the distribution of the target species. Naïve occupancy, or the proportion of sites at which the target species was detected, was 0.58 for muntjac, 0.55 for macaque, 0.38 for wild pig, and 0.30 for serow. True occupancy estimates (Ψ ± SE) from top-ranked models was 0.79 ± 0.21 for macaque, 0.74 ± 0.13 for muntjac, 0.51 ± 0.13 for wild pig, and 0.48 ± 0.18 for serow. The results underscore the importance of accounting for imperfect detection rates when studying rare or elusive species. I included two site covariates (forest type and distance to nearest village) in the occupancy models. Estimating occupancy as a function of site covariates improved model performance and provided insight into landscape-level factors that affect species occurrence. In the top-ranked models, serow occupancy was higher in hill evergreen forest (HEGF) than semi-evergreen forest (SEGF). Muntjac occupancy was higher in areas further from villages. Macaque occupancy was higher in areas closer to villages. Wild pig occupancy was higher in areas further from villages and in HEGF. I recommend using an occupancy framework to analyze occurrence data for difficult-to-study tropical mammal species. The results highlight the importance of Xe Sap NPA for large mammal conservation in the region.
Evaluating sustainability : energy and water conservation at UT
(2015-08) Garcia, Oscar III; Eaton, David J.; Kreitler, Charles; Ontiveros, Juan M
The University of Texas at Austin (UT) has invested in improving sustainability on campus through its administration and operations, but it has yet to measure its performance through a comprehensive methodology. This study compares the sustainability practices at two peer universities with UT, and displays the patterns of energy and water consumption in buildings. This report illustrates energy and water conservation through indexed GIS maps.
Exploring the distribution of groundwater salamanders and catfish with environmental DNA
(2020-05-05) Lyons, Kathleen Marie; Hillis, David M.
Environmental-DNA (eDNA) probes were designed and tested to identify the presence of species of groundwater salamanders (genus Eurycea) and the Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila) from environmental samples. Custom molecular probes were designed to identify species-specific regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. A new cytochrome b gene tree was created to ensure full coverage of all the recently revised central Texas Eurycea species. Successful probes that were species- or clade-specific were optimized and tested on tissue samples. Twenty-six sites across central Texas and Coahuila, Mexico, were subjected to water sampling for the purposes of eDNA analysis. These sites included both positive controls and experimental locations for both salamanders and blindcats. The presence of P. phreatophila was detected at a known site for the species in Val Verde County, Texas, validating both the detection method and the molecular probe. Eurycea sp. 1 was detected at a new spring for the species close to a known sample site. An additional positive control site was Eliza Spring of the Barton Springs complex, where E. sosorum was detected. However, several false negative results were obtained. The development of probes for these species will aid in the discovery of new localities, and can be used to test water samples from wells and springs. Repeated sampling of localities will be needed to overcome the problem of false negative results
Fishes of Texas and the Colorado River, with Special Attention to American Eel
(2018-03-05) Hendrickson, Dean A.
The Fishes of Texas Project is briefly described, selected species known from the Colorado River basin (Texas) are discussed, and the life cycle of the American Eel is outlined with special attention to the distribution and status of the species in Texas. Files here include the original PowerPoint, a PDF version of the slides only, and a PDF version of the slides and all notes covering most of what was presented orally at the Barstow Speaker Series of the Colorado River Alliance on March 5, 2018 in Austin, Texas (see https://coloradoriver.org/our-programs/barstow-speaker-series/)
Fishes of Texas Project: Data Visualization and Analysis Tools
(2020-01-22) Avila, Colton; Hendrickson, Dean A.; Cohen, Adam; Casarez, Melissa
The Fishes of Texas Project (FoTX) (http://fishesoftexas.org) database currently has 124,452 specimen-vouchered occurrence records spanning > 150 years with over 400,000 new records (including non-vouchered sources such as literature, anecdotal, and photo-based) in the process of being imported. Continual data growth prompted creation of new tools to dynamically assess (as the data evolve) the state of data coverage across various dimensions to increase user understanding and accessibility to the data and improve overall utility of the project. We produced species sampling curves, temporal species accumulation graphs, and heat maps of collecting event density over time and space for each river sub-basin within Texas. A QGIS plugin was also created to better assess the suspect status of incoming records. Each type of visualization has basic documentation, easily accessible statistical summaries, flexible queries, and exploration tools to help reveal variations in sampling density over both temporal and spatial dimensions. We highlight here the San Bernard River as an example of a notably under-sampled sub-basin (as indicated by diverse forms of evidence). With addition of future records, these dynamic tools will continue to illustrate taxonomic and spatial sampling deficiencies that in turn will help guide conservation planning.
The Fishes of Texas Project: Government-University Collaboration to Improve Science and Conservation Management
(YouTube, 2021-06-24) Hendrickson, Dean; Cohen, Adam; Casarez, Melissa; Garrett, Gary; Birdsong, Timothy; Robertson, Sarah; Curtis, Stephen; Mayes, Kevin; Bean, Megan
Since 2006, the Fishes of Texas Project at University of Texas Austin has sought to improve freshwater fish occurrence data for the state of Texas and make it openly accessible to facilitate research and improve aquatic resource management. Seven federal and state sponsors have contributed funding, but 73% of the total $2.7 million has come from US Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grant Program via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Initially the Project focused on data digitization and compilation of strictly specimen-vouchered data, followed by georeferencing and development of an interactive website/database (http://www.fishesoftexas.org). More recently, non-vouchered citizen science, angler-based, and agency datasets have been added, thereby increasing both geographic and temporal density of records, and a selected subset of data fields for all records is now published to GBIF and iDigBio.