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Apex Predator Removal

A Case Study on the removal of sharks and wolves. Apex Predator Removal. Ian Craick Bernice Longouo Jeremy Raynor. Apex Predators?. Apex predators are the top level predators in an ecosystem. This means that they have no natural predators

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Apex Predator Removal

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  1. A Case Study on the removal of sharks and wolves Apex Predator Removal Ian Craick Bernice Longouo Jeremy Raynor

  2. Apex Predators? • Apex predators are the top level predators in an ecosystem. This means that they have no natural predators • Humans become predators – upset the natural balance

  3. Removal? • What is removal? • How are predators removed?

  4. Why do we care? • Ecosystems Services • Ecosystem dynamics and function • Energy and nutrient flow • Human Health

  5. PART I – The Critical Issue The importance of predation - predators have a fundamental influence on structure and function of ecosystem - Predators influence prey population and community • Predation affect prey behavior. Presence of predator allow prey to use behavioral mechanism to reduce predation risk.

  6. Facts and figures of decline • Large shark populations down by about 90% or more regionally • Found out of 547 species studies 20% were threatened (sharks, rays, chimaeras) • Difficult to measure due to mobility and low populations of target species Nicholas Dulvy 2006 Heithaus et al. 2008

  7. PART II - Effects on Nutrient Cycling • How do apex predators influence Nutrients flow? • Mainly through Biologic factors • Two methods: -Top Down Control-Trophic Cascades

  8. Top down Control • Changes in top predators influence the abundance and behavior of organisms in lower trophic levels

  9. Trophic Cascade • Top predators influence trophic levels two or more levels below them Post 1999

  10. Wolves • Wolf removal has seen major spikes in Deer, Elk, Moose and other prey populations • Wolf re-introduction has seen decreases in prey populations and significant increases in foliage

  11. Yellowstone • Last Wolves exterminated in 1926 within the park • Re-introduced in 1994-95 • Pack reached a record high of approximately 40 individuals • Elk populations rise when wolves are exterminated, decreased after peak (resource limited) then decreased to ~pre-extermination levels after re-introduction of wolves

  12. Sharks • Shark presence shapes prey behavior • Shark Bay, Australia • Behavior changes -Spatial-Temporal

  13. PART III – The Causes Fear – Politics – Apathy – Ignorance - Greed

  14. Major Declines – USA & Globally Black Tip Shark population off the East Coast of the United States North American Gray wolf (canuslupus) Ripple et al 2005 Heithaus et al. 2008 article FIU

  15. Shark Finning Shark Finning Fear – Ideas of sharks as competitors and dangerous Money – Shark fin soup market growth in China Accidental Catch (bycatch) Long Lines, Trolling, Siene Netting

  16. Shark Finning

  17. Systematic, Organized Killers (us)

  18. Wolf “Culling” (that means killing) • Defenders of Wildlife Wolf Video Clip Last month, Idaho’s Governor Otter signed a bill creating a $400,000-per-year wolf extermination fund. State-funded culling programs Approximately 1,300 Wolves have been killed in Idaho alone since 2011

  19. PART IV – Conclusions & Solutions • There ARE solutions • There ARE things YOU can do to help • Scientifically proven equations for success

  20. Protection = Preservation + Conservation • MPA (Marine Protected Areas) • National Parks • IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) • CITES (International Trade Regulations) • Magnuson-Stevens Act (Fishery Conservation, Mgmt. USA) • Shark Finning Prohibition Act (USA) • ESA - Endangered Species Act (USA) • Biodiversity Hot Spots

  21. Awareness = Advocacy + Education • Education based on Long Term Scientific Studies • Advocacy based on the facts, environmental lobbyists • Awareness & Action: • Know the issue from multiple perspectives (Volunteer) • Know the history and current situation (Investigate) • Make a difference voice your opinion & support research

  22. References • Abesamis, R A, and G R. Russ. "Density-dependent Spillover from a Marine Reserve: Long-Term Evidence." Ecological Applications. 15.5 (2005): 1798-1812. Print. • Beschta, R L, and W J. Ripple. "River Channel Dynamics Following Extirpation of Wolves in Northwestern Yellowstone National Park, Usa." Earth Surface Processes and Landforms : the Journal of the British Geomorphological Research Group. 31.12 (2006): 1525-1539. Print. • Dulvy, Nicholas K. "Conservation Biology: Strict Marine Protected Areas Prevent Reef Shark Declines." Current Biology. 16.23 (2006). Print. • Graham, Nicholas A. J, Mark D. Spalding, and Charles R. C. Sheppard. "Reef Shark Declines in Remote Atolls Highlight the Need for Multi-Faceted Conservation Action."Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 20.5 (2010): 543-548. Print.

  23. References • Heithaus, MR, A Frid, AJWirsing, and B Worm. "Predicting Ecological Consequences of Marine Top Predator Declines." Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 23.4 (2008): 202-10. Print. • Kareiva, Peter. “Conservation Biology: Beyond Marine Protected Areas” Current Biology. 16.14 (2006). Print. • Knip, D.M, M.RHeupel, and C.ASimpfendorfer. "Evaluating Marine Protected Areas for the Conservation of Tropical Coastal Sharks." Biological Conservation. 148.1 (2012): 200-209. Print. • Ripple, William J., and Robert L. Beschta. "Linking wolves and plants: Aldo Leopold on trophic cascades." BioScience 55.7 (2005): 613-621. • Robbins, William D, MizueHisano, Sean R. Connolly, and J H. Choat. "Ongoing Collapse of Coral-Reef Shark Populations." Current Biology. 16.23 (2006): 2314-2319. Print. • Post, Eric, et al. "Ecosystem consequences of wolf behavioral response to climate." Nature 401.6756 (1999): 905-907.

  24. A Case Study on the removal of sharks and wolves Apex Predator Removal Ian Craick Bernice Longouo Jeremy Raynor “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution in intelligent tinkering” –Aldo Leopold

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