ICCB 2013 Symposia - Wednesday & Thursday

Scientists from around the world will present the latest in conservation research and practice at nearly 50 symposia at ICCB. 

  • Below is the ICCB symposia schedule for Wednesday and Thursday 24 & 25 July. To view symposia scheduled for Monday and Tuesday click here.  

Note: ICCB starts on Sunday evening 21 July with the opening ceremony, but the main scientific program begins Monday.

In addition to symposia, the ICCB scientific program also features hundreds of contributed talks and poster and speed-poster presentations. 

Click here to download an Excel file sorted by day of the complete schedule of contributed talks, posters and presentations (does not include symposia). 

Wednesday 24 July: 08:00-10:00 

Thursday 25 July: 08:00-10:00

Thursday 25 July: 10:30-12:30

Thursday 25 July: 16:00-18:00

ICCB Symposia - Wednesday 24 July

SCB Approach to Carbon Neutrality: Assessing organizational performance and sponsoring biodiversity conservation projects
24 July
Organizer: Abrams, R., Dru Associates, Inc.

The Society for Conservation Biology has been working to offset its carbon footprint from administration and global and regional meetings since 2007, by self-assessing and sponsoring field projects combining science, government and local communities. The Ecological Footprint Committee (EFC), in cooperation with Local Organizing Committees and the Executive Office, are working to set an example to other organizations by reducing our carbon footprint. The ecological costs of operating an organization must be understood to successfully offset atmospheric degradation. This Symposium demonstrates activities in carbon footprint management that involve stakeholders to address the accumulation of carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere. SCB as a 'carbon customer' is learning how to adapt to our changing biosphere. There is no better way for SCB members to respond to climate change than to actually participate in mitigating our contribution to climate change. The EFC annually assesses SCB's carbon footprint, including office operations, travel, conferences and the production of the journal Conservation Biology. Major decisions have been made by the Society with the benefit of this information, such as the change from annual to biannual ICCB's to reduce our travel footprint. SCB also collects funds from participants in ICCB and Regional SCB meetings, to develop and sponsor conservation projects that are estimated to have a carbon benefit sufficient to offset SCB emissions.

Developing Solutions for Conflicting Land and Natural Resource Use in Africa
24 July
Organizer: Bailey, N., Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group

In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, various actors lay claim to land for multiple, overlapping purposes. The same area may hold oil or minerals that could provide income to the government and jobs for people, rare species of wildlife that require uninterrupted habitat for their survival, or may be valued as sacred forests by local communities. Competing claims to limited land and natural resources present numerous challenges to stakeholders including conservationists, local communities, governments and the private sector, and require innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to find solutions. Collaboration between international conservation NGOs, governments, development partners and others is a beneficial approach as it brings together different strategies, points of view and resources to address emerging and high priority threats to biodiversity and development in Africa. Competing demand for land and natural resources is a common theme of many of our ongoing efforts. Successful approaches require multidisciplinary strategies that tie together systems (ecosystems, agricultural systems), disciplines (conservation planning, extractive industries, land tenure, development) and stakeholders (local people, governments, conservationists). This session will explore the many conservation approaches to land use planning and the impacts on communities and conservation of the scramble for resources in Africa.

Scientists as Stakeholders: Perceptions of Citizen Science Research for Conservation by Peers, Reviewers, and Policy Makers
24 July
Organizer: Shirk, J., Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Citizen science and other forms of public participation in scientific research (PPSR) connect systems, disciplines, and stakeholders for conservation. It is these very connections, however, that can raise challenges for professional scientists considering PPSR as an approach to conservation research. Scientists are critical partners in designing and carrying out PPSR initiatives, intentional collaborations with the public that aim to generate new science-based knowledge for research or policy. Such approaches have increased in acceptance within the scientific sphere for their ability to access otherwise unavailable information and their ability to affect public science learning. Even so, PPSR researchers can still face tough professional questions - through review of journal articles or grant applications, in decisions regarding tenure and promotion, or in negotiating conservation policies - regarding the usability of data collected by non-scientists, the investment of time in non-research activities such as education, and in some cases their (actual or perceived) engagement in advocacy. We confront head-on a long overdue conversation: how is citizen science research perceived by peers? And how can we, as a scientific community, fully understand and fairly critique the merits of citizen science for conservation research and research-based policy?

Defining recovery and recovery criteria for endangered species: Science and policy issues behind the current debate in the US and Canada
24 July
Organizer: Carroll, C., 

The US Endangered Species Act and Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) are among the world's most important biodiversity-related statutes. The Canadian federal government has suggested that SARA needs to be streamlined, in part by substituting ecosystem conservation for time-consuming recovery plans developed for individual species. In the US, recent reviews have proposed that, given the number of taxa which may require species-specific conservation measures in perpetuity, policymakers need to shift emphasis from long-term federal management of listed species to more rapid delisting that allows management by state and private entities. In contrast, others see such calls for more streamlined planning and management as undermining conservation of vulnerable taxa. In essence, this debate hinges on unresolved questions concerning how the public interprets the meaning of recovery and what cost it is willing to bear to achieve it. For some, recovery may imply self-sustaining populations that can play their historic role in ecosystems, whereas others see recovery of a small intensively-managed population as sufficient. This symposium addresses the theme of ICCB2013 as it brings together a multi-disciplinary group of biologists and policy experts from the US and Canada to address policy questions surrounding the definition of recovery, as well as the related issue of how planners can efficiently and transparently develop recovery criteria that guide recovery efforts.

Advancing science-informed ocean management decisions through ecosystem health report cards
24 July
Organizer: McField, M., Healthy Reefs Initiative

Ocean resource management often means making hard decisions. And, as conservation actions increasingly include ecosystem-level protection goals, these decisions are getting harder. Ecosystem health report cards can be used to present the best-available scientific information in a way that informs decision-making. Ecosystem health report cards bridge social and ecological systems and provide a multidisciplinary platform for stakeholders to build a common vision of ecosystem health and social well-being. They can also serve as a multi-institutional or even multinational platform for promoting management recommendations based directly on scientific monitoring. Existing tools have been developed using various approaches from expert judgment to standardized scoring criteria and highlight varying degrees of success towards effective and durable conservation outcomes. This session will draw together practitioners to explore the processes by which ecosystem health report cards are produced and scientific information is provided to managers to catalyze and inform management. Drawing on lessons learned from previous experiences, participants will identify the process steps, external drivers and communications tools and policy mechanisms that have contributed credibility and legitimacy to report cards, focusing on the factors that lead to success in informing management and favoring effective conservation decisions.

Compassionate Conservation - Animal Welfare in Conservation Practice
24 July 
Organizer: Draper, C., Born Free Foundation

Animal welfare is of increasing concern to scientists, policymakers and the public alike. Anthropogenic environmental change, and interventions in the name of conservation, may have lethal and sublethal effects on individual animals, and consequently compromise animal welfare. While individual behaviour and ecology effects on population-, species- and ecosystem-level changes have been widely studied, animal welfare considerations in conservation practice have been relatively neglected until recently. Consideration of the welfare of individual animals may inform both the ethics and practice of implementing conservation management and delivery, while animal welfare considerations may have significant effects on conservation outcomes. From captive breeding and reintroduction, invasive species control, and endangered species population viability, to the techniques employed in the name of conservation research: there is broad scope for conflict and synergy between animal welfare and conservation. Animal welfare may be perceived by conservationists as a hindrance or "luxury", or alternatively an increasingly rigorous science with practical implications for conservation. The consideration of animal welfare in conservation raises questions as to how far the responsibility for animal welfare extends into "the wild". This symposium will provide an overview of key areas of interaction between animal welfare and conservation, using specific examples of conflicts and possible resolutions.  

A National Network for Wildlife Conservation: challenges and solutions
24 July
Organizer: Griffith, B., U.S.G.S., Alaska Coop. Fish & Wildlife Research Unit

There is a clear need for a national conservation support-program that promotes large scale biodiversity conservation through information sharing and capacity-building services (BioScience 62(11):970-976). This network could build on the substantial expertise of state conservation programs that are guided by State Wildlife Action Plans and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of conservation at the national scale. Implementing such a network will present a multitude of challenges that include identifying one or more host organizational structures and funding support, ensuring sustained participation of network members, and incorporating lessons learned from existing regional collaborations in a timely way. We seek to preserve the momentum generated by the referenced BioScience paper by assembling a group of potential network members and experts in large-scale collaborative efforts to elaborate on the opportunities and challenges of implementing a national network for wildlife conservation. Our symposium will connect ecosystems, technical and human dimensions of wildlife conservation, and stakeholders from states, non-governmental organizations, and federal agencies in a collaborative effort to advance the formation and implementation of a national network for wildlife conservation.

Buffer zones and land use change around protected areas: connecting socio-economic and ecological systems
24 July
Organizer: Kaplin, B., Antioch University New England

Growing concern about species loss and land use/land cover change in and around many protected areas (PAs) has led to questions about their effectiveness. The matrix surrounding PAs can have a profound impact on conservation effectiveness. Buffer zones, implemented properly, may minimize stressors arising inside and outside PAs, presenting an opportunity to integrate social and ecological systems - local communities, government and private institutions, conservation scientists, economics and ecology, agriculture and biodiversity - into PA planning. Buffer zones can encourage integration of PAs with the wider ecological and socio-economic land- or seascape, contributing to system resilience. Nonetheless, little research has been directed at exploring and evaluating integrative approaches to buffer zones and protected areas. The aim of this symposium is to provide a multidisciplinary view of current buffer zone-protected area thinking. We connect disciplines, stakeholders and systems by including multiple stakeholder views, exploring a range of roles buffer zones can play in management, mediation of human-wildlife and people-park relationships, poverty alleviation, to maintenance of ecological function within PAs. We will explore innovative conservation tools and policies such as payment for ecosystem services and ecotourism. The symposium integrates scientific theory and practice fundamental to effective planning and management of buffer zones in varied ecosystems.

ICCB Symposia - Thursday, 25 July 

Thursday Symposia Text.txt

Climate change and conservation of marine species: bridging the gap between ecology, climate science and policy
25 July
Organizer: Nye, J., Stonybrook University, School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences

The purpose of this symposium is to bring climate scientists, ecologists, and policy makers together to discuss the challenges associated with understanding the effects of climate change on marine organisms and incorporating climate impacts into management decisions. A key scientific challenge to incorporating climate into regional ecosystem impacts assessments is translating global climate model projections to regional and local scale climate changes. As advances are being made to downscale global climate models and incorporate this information into ecological models, strengths and weaknesses in model projections must be carefully conveyed to managers, policy-makers, and the public. We have assembled a list of speakers who have confronted these challenges successfully. Talks will range from specific case studies addressing scientific and policy challenges to meta-analyses of global climate trends in marine systems. We will conclude with talks presenting the latest efforts to incorporate climate change into mitigation, adaptation, and protected species applications.
 
25 July
Organizer: Real de Azua, C., Energy and Environment Consultant
 
Research on the state of biodiversity, ecosystems, and the environment and their role in underpinning a healthy economy is rapidly growing. How can we most effectively translate this wealth of information into indicators, cost-benefit analysis and other costing tools that decision-makers can and will readily use, particularly at programmatic and macroeconomic scales? Experts from different disciplines, such as biology and economics, will discuss recent developments in this field. Most importantly, the symposium will identify how to support and improve decision-making and stakeholder outreach through the use of such indicators and tools. The symposium will discuss specific situations in order to identify and illustrate leverage points for recommendations. Decision-making situations may include cost-benefit analysis by regulatory agencies of critical habitat designation in the U.S; or forest protection and payment for ecosystem services in Costa Rica. Particular emphasis will be given to Maryland, the host state for ICCB 2013, and to Maryland's efforts to assess environmental performance and convey to decision-makers and stakeholders the importance of that performance. Maryland is a pioneer in the use of a Genuine Progress Indicator that includes environmental factors and costs such as loss of wetlands and forests, air pollution, and climate change.
 
25 July
Organizer: Lepczyk, C., University of Hawaii at Manoa
 
Urban areas are typically considered novel ecosystems, filled with non-native species and having few positive attributes. However, urban ecosystems are not homogenous entities in that they contain a variety of habitat types, many of which have value to conservation. One habitat type of particular relevance for conservation is green space. Urban green spaces vary markedly in terms of meaning, ranging from remnant habitat to managed parks to gardens. However, the unifying aspect of such green spaces is that they can offer critical habitat to many species of plants and animals, provide locations for people to experience nature, and provide a number of important ecosystem services. Hence, the theme of this symposium is to bring together a group of prominent scientists and practicioners to address the role urban green spaces play in maintaining biodiversity, providing ecosystem services, and enhance human well-being. Because green spaces are used and experienced by so many different people and species, understanding them requires both social and ecological components as well as the stakeholders involved in them.
 
25 July
Organizer: Leslie, H., Brown University
 
While ecosystem-based principles have been adopted as key elements of coastal and ocean management from local to the international scales, by governments and non-governmental institutions alike, critical questions remain: What knowledge, especially beyond the natural sciences, are needed to implement ecosystem-based management? What can we learn from management in practice, particularly about translating knowledge to action? Are these innovative, integrated approaches to managing human-environment interactions making a difference? This symposium will bring together a diverse set of researchers and practitioners to engage in a spirited dialogue about the processes and outcomes of ecosystem-based management in practice, particularly in North America. Researchers will share results from these dynamic and varied social-ecological system experiments, and practitioners will offer their perspectives on how such scholarship has or could contribute to policy and management in varied settings. The goals of this symposium are 1) to communicate the diverse, interdisciplinary approaches being used to investigate ecosystem-based management in practice; 2) to translate the resulting research in ways that are salient across disciplines, diverse stakeholder groups, and socio-political contexts; and 3) to catalyze the next iteration of a synthetic research agenda for ecosystem-based science and management. These aims are directly in line with the ICCB theme.
 
25 July
Organizer:  Raymond, C., Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University
 
Conservation opportunity is a relatively new concept in the conservation planning literature which supports the need to consider both conservation priorities and the feasibility of conservation action. Most studies to date have employed social assessments to understand conservation opportunities; however, few integrated tools exist for assessing the ecological, economic and social barriers and facilitators of conservation action, and even fewer consider the policy and engagement processes which underpin assessments. Following the theme of ICCB 2013, conservation opportunities can only be realised through the development of tools and processes which integrate systems, disciplines and stakeholders. In April 2013, a group of 10 researchers, practitioners and end users from different disciplinary backgrounds worked together on the development of new tools and processes to support conservation opportunity assessments. The aim of this symposium is to showcase to the international conservation science community a selection of cutting-edge tools and processes which were developed as part of this workshop, and to provide opportunities for other leaders in conservation opportunity assessment to present their work.
 
25 July
Organizer: Shepheard-Walwyn, E., University of Kent
 
This symposium highlights conservation of sacred sites and species in a rapidly changing world. It will provide an insight into the importance of these sites and species to global biodiversity conservation on a human-dominated planet. It brings together findings of research focused on biological and social aspects, as well as interdisciplinary research examining sacred sites and species. The sanctity of some sites and species has helped to protect them over time, across the world, and this value has therefore played a vital role in the conservation of the associated biodiversity. However, these sites and species are facing challenges with the rapidly changing social contexts in many countries. Understanding these social-ecological systems can help inform why traditional conservation of such sites has been successful in the past, and the role that they may play in the conservation of natural sites and species in the future. Talks in the symposium will cover a range of scales, look at the different stakeholders involved within sacred site and species conservation and investigate a range of perspectives in this field. The symposium will feature work on challenges associated with conserving such sites and species and how consideration of local culture, attitudes and values can be used to enhance the efficiency of biodiversity conservation around the world. It will attract not only ecologists and conservation biologists, but also practitioners who work closely with communities.
 
25 July
Organizer: Sponarski, C., Memorial University of Newfoundland
 
Nature and society are elements of closely related systems that support dynamic interactions. The interaction of disciplines within these processes is critical and involves the participation of diverse interest groups. To achieve successful outcomes in conservation, we must use an integrative approach involving human elements of the system through participatory practices. This symposium will illustrate how differences in culture, places, and problems are also opportunities to develop alternative and creative techniques of public participation. A wide range of guest speakers from different parts of the world with various academic backgrounds will present their own research highlighting the challenges and solutions experienced while engaging people. The objectives of the symposium are: (1) to give a broad overview of participatory techniques in environmental issues; (2) to illustrate the application of the participatory techniques through case studies from around the world; and (3) to share experiences based on participatory techniques with specific interests (e.g., carnivores, herbivores, marine environments). The symposium will consist of a series of presentations followed by questions and discussion at the end.
 
25 July
Organizer: Nye, J., Stonybrook University, School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
 
The purpose of this symposium is to bring climate scientists, ecologists, and policy makers together to discuss the challenges associated with understanding the effects of climate change on marine organisms and incorporating climate impacts into management decisions. A key scientific challenge to incorporating climate into regional ecosystem impacts assessments is translating global climate model projections to regional and local scale climate changes. As advances are being made to downscale global climate models and incorporate this information into ecological models, strengths and weaknesses in model projections must be carefully conveyed to managers, policy-makers, and the public. We have assembled a list of speakers who have confronted these challenges successfully. Talks will range from specific case studies addressing scientific and policy challenges to meta-analyses of global climate trends in marine systems. We will conclude with talks presenting the latest efforts to incorporate climate change into mitigation, adaptation, and protected species applications.
 
Organizer: Mazurek, R., Pew Environment Group
 
In 1872, the headwaters of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding forests, canyons and geyser basins were designated the world's first national park. Since then, most nations have protected important biological places. Today, depending on how you measure it, 6 to 12 percent of the world's land has been protected as national parks and other conservation areas. Our relationship to the sea has followed a different course. Although over two-thirds of the planet's surface is water, little of the marine environment is protected. Today, less than 1 percent of the ocean is safe from exploitation. Large highly protected marine reserves, similar to land-based national parks, have only recently been recognized and utilized as tools for ocean conservation. First in 2005, when the U.S. created the 363,000 km2 Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. In 2010 the U.K. followed with the designation of the Chagos Marine Reserve; at 640,000 km2 it's currently the world's largest no-take marine reserve. And in 2012 Australia created the 502,000 km2 Coral Sea Marine National Park. These new reserves are just the beginning. Countries all over the globe are considering the creation of very large fully protected marine reserves. This symposium will focus on the significant conservation potential of large no-take marine reserves. We will also discuss how these reserves are helping to meet international agreements to set aside ten percent of the world's oceans as reserves by 2020.