E.D. McCoy | Search USGS

USGS2010

Long generation time delays the genetic response to habitat fragmentation in the threatened florida sand skink

A recent study showed that populations of the threatened Florida Sand Skink had limited loss of genetic diversity over the past 60 yr as a consequence of anthropogenic fragmentation. This study assumed that 60 yr represents 3037 generations for the Florida Sand Skink, but a new evaluation of markrecapture data shows that 60 yr represents only about 15 generations. This result suggests that too little time may have passed to observe the full genetic consequences of contemporary anthropogenic fragmentation in the Florida Sand Skink and reinforces similar results from other species. We suggest that snapshots of existing genetic variability in fragmented populations are limited in their ability to predict the evolutionary fate of a species unless life-history attributes of the organism are taken into account. Copyright 2010 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2008

Using an ecological ethics framework to make decisions about the relocation of wildlife

Relocation is an increasingly prominent conservation tool for a variety of wildlife, but the technique also is controversial, even among conservation practitioners. An organized framework for addressing the moral dilemmas often accompanying conservation actions such as relocation has been lacking. Ecological ethics may provide such a framework and appears to be an important step forward in aiding ecological researchers and biodiversity managers to make difficult moral choices. A specific application of this framework can make the reasoning process more transparent and give more emphasis to the strong sentiments about non-human organisms held by many potential users. Providing an example of the application of the framework may also increase the appeal of the reasoning process to ecological researchers and biodiversity managers. Relocation as a conservation action can be accompanied by a variety of moral dilemmas that reflect the interconnection of values, ethical positions, and conservation decisions. A model that is designed to address moral dilemmas arising from relocation of humans provides/demonstrates/illustrates a possible way to apply the ecological ethics framework and to involve practicing conservationists in the overall decision-making process. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Science and Engineering Ethics↗