Plenary Speakers
Dr Iadine Chadès
Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Brisbane, Australia
Dr Iadine Chadès is a Principal Research Scientist with the CSIRO. She is interested in solving globally important decision problems in conservation, health and biosecurity. Chades has pioneered the use of Artificial Intelligence tools such as Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP) to solve optimal adaptive management problems (AAAI Best paper award). She regularly publishes in AI and Ecology. At CSIRO, iadine leads the activity “Decisions” of the AIML Future Science Platform. She is a chief investigator with the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence SPECTRUM (Supporting Participatory Evidence generation to Control Transmissible diseases in our Region Using Modelling).
Title
Decision analysis and adaptive management for conservation
Large carnivores (bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines) are difficult to monitor in the field: they are elusive and live at low densities over wide areas. With their recent recovery in Europe, large carnivores are having increasing interactions with human activities. In this talk, I will illustrate how our team (https://human-animal-interactions.github.io/) and collaborators contribute with statistical ecology to the management of large carnivores in Europe. I will showcase inference about large carnivores’ abundance, demography and distribution by applying and developing hidden Markov models that make relevant use of available and noisy data. I will also talk about how model outcomes can be used in making scenarios and decisions about large carnivores’ management.
Title
Decision analysis and adaptive management for conservation
Large carnivores (bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines) are difficult to monitor in the field: they are elusive and live at low densities over wide areas. With their recent recovery in Europe, large carnivores are having increasing interactions with human activities. In this talk, I will illustrate how our team (https://human-animal-interactions.github.io/) and collaborators contribute with statistical ecology to the management of large carnivores in Europe. I will showcase inference about large carnivores’ abundance, demography and distribution by applying and developing hidden Markov models that make relevant use of available and noisy data. I will also talk about how model outcomes can be used in making scenarios and decisions about large carnivores’ management.
Beth Gardner
University of Washington, USA
Dr. Beth Gardner is an Associate Professor at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington. She is also the Director of the Center for Quantitative Sciences and runs the Quantitative Ecology Lab, which develops innovative methods to study wildlife, plant, and fisheries populations around the world. She is specifically interested in developing models and methods to estimate demographic rates, distributional patterns, and habitat relationships for wildlife populations — including spatial capture recapture models and hierarchical models for distance sampling and occupancy. Her work and teaching are driven by an underlying interest in helping to improve quantitative approaches in ecology and to provide valuable information for decision making for conservation and management.
Title:
Spatial Capture-Recapture: Highlights from a decade (or so) in review
Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have been in use for almost 15 years now and have undergone a number of developments. Built on the foundation of traditional capture-recapture models, SCR models have advanced rapidly since their inception. Initially, SCR models provided a way for researchers to incorporate spatially referenced capture information from trap arrays, allowing for model-based estimates of density (removing the need to calculate effective sampling areas post-hoc). Closed population SCR models were quickly expanded to Cormack-Jolly-Seber and Jolly-Seber approaches to allow estimation of survival and recruitment in a spatially explicit framework. With explicit incorporation of spatial capture information, SCR models have also been developed to further explore how animals use space and select resources. More aspects of movement have been included such as incorporating models of how animals’ activity centers move over time and consideration for how animal movement is impacted by landscape connectivity. The timing of SCR model developments has paired well with the advancements of non-invasive data collection methods including camera trapping, genetic sampling, and acoustics. In this talk, I will take you along on a journey with SCR models – from what I view as their start to the latest developments and some thoughts on the future of SCR. We’ll stop along the way to explore interesting applications and to discuss trends in SCR models.
Title:
Spatial Capture-Recapture: Highlights from a decade (or so) in review
Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have been in use for almost 15 years now and have undergone a number of developments. Built on the foundation of traditional capture-recapture models, SCR models have advanced rapidly since their inception. Initially, SCR models provided a way for researchers to incorporate spatially referenced capture information from trap arrays, allowing for model-based estimates of density (removing the need to calculate effective sampling areas post-hoc). Closed population SCR models were quickly expanded to Cormack-Jolly-Seber and Jolly-Seber approaches to allow estimation of survival and recruitment in a spatially explicit framework. With explicit incorporation of spatial capture information, SCR models have also been developed to further explore how animals use space and select resources. More aspects of movement have been included such as incorporating models of how animals’ activity centers move over time and consideration for how animal movement is impacted by landscape connectivity. The timing of SCR model developments has paired well with the advancements of non-invasive data collection methods including camera trapping, genetic sampling, and acoustics. In this talk, I will take you along on a journey with SCR models – from what I view as their start to the latest developments and some thoughts on the future of SCR. We’ll stop along the way to explore interesting applications and to discuss trends in SCR models.
Olivier Gimenez
CNRS Montpellier, France
Olivier Gimenez (https://oliviergimenez.github.io/) is a senior (euphemism for not so young anymore) scientist at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in the beautiful city of Montpellier, France. He struggled studying maths, obtained his PhD in applied statistics a long time ago in a galaxy of wine and cheese far away from South Africa, his habilitation in ecology and evolution so that he could stop pretending to understand what his colleagues were talking about, and more recently embarked in sociology studies because hey, why not. Lost somewhere at the interface of animal ecology, statistical modeling and social sciences, his (so-called) expertise lies in population dynamics and species distribution modeling to address questions in ecology and conservation biology about the impact of human activities and the management of large carnivores. He would be nothing without the students and colleagues who are kind enough to bear with him.
Title.
Statistical ecology, hidden Markov models and the management of large carnivores in Europe.
Large carnivores (bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines) are difficult to monitor in the field: they are elusive and live at low densities over wide areas. With their recent recovery in Europe, large carnivores are having increasing interactions with human activities. In this talk, I will illustrate how our team (https://human-animal-interactions.github.io/) and collaborators contribute with statistical ecology to the management of large carnivores in Europe. I will showcase inference about large carnivores’ abundance, demography and distribution by applying and developing hidden Markov models that make relevant use of available and noisy data. I will also talk about how model outcomes
Title.
Statistical ecology, hidden Markov models and the management of large carnivores in Europe.
Large carnivores (bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines) are difficult to monitor in the field: they are elusive and live at low densities over wide areas. With their recent recovery in Europe, large carnivores are having increasing interactions with human activities. In this talk, I will illustrate how our team (https://human-animal-interactions.github.io/) and collaborators contribute with statistical ecology to the management of large carnivores in Europe. I will showcase inference about large carnivores’ abundance, demography and distribution by applying and developing hidden Markov models that make relevant use of available and noisy data. I will also talk about how model outcomes
Prof E.J. Milner-Gulland
Title:
Making effective use of “messy data” for conservation
Unconventionally collected are increasingly being used in conservation – collected by citizen scientists, rangers or local residents, or gathered from the internet or other records. However their potential is still unrealised, and some uses are even counterproductive. I illustrate this with examples grouped into three common fallacies: i) “That’s what the data say so it must be true!” – believing raw data without properly considering biases and uncertainties; ii) “We don’t know anything about this, and it would be too expensive to find out!” – dismissing the opportunity to use messy data to support conservation actions; iii) “I gave them instructions, what more do they need?” – ignoring the motivations of the data generators. I then talk about potential ways forward for each of these fallacies: using field trials, models and rules of thumb to account for observation and process error; thinking creatively about the kinds of data that could be collected and by whom, in a cost-effective way; and empowering data collectors to support more effective and sustainable monitoring for conservation. I bring these themes together into a framework to support the effective use of messy data in conservation – with statistical ecologists at its heart.
Making effective use of “messy data” for conservation
Unconventionally collected are increasingly being used in conservation – collected by citizen scientists, rangers or local residents, or gathered from the internet or other records. However their potential is still unrealised, and some uses are even counterproductive. I illustrate this with examples grouped into three common fallacies: i) “That’s what the data say so it must be true!” – believing raw data without properly considering biases and uncertainties; ii) “We don’t know anything about this, and it would be too expensive to find out!” – dismissing the opportunity to use messy data to support conservation actions; iii) “I gave them instructions, what more do they need?” – ignoring the motivations of the data generators. I then talk about potential ways forward for each of these fallacies: using field trials, models and rules of thumb to account for observation and process error; thinking creatively about the kinds of data that could be collected and by whom, in a cost-effective way; and empowering data collectors to support more effective and sustainable monitoring for conservation. I bring these themes together into a framework to support the effective use of messy data in conservation – with statistical ecologists at its heart.
Public Lecture
Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert
Head of Conservation, Endangered Wildlife Trust
Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert is Head of Conservation at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South African-based conservation NGO. She is responsible for providing strategic oversight to a diversity of conservation projects across southern Africa. A trained carnivore conservation biologist, Harriet received a Doctorate for her research on African Wild Dogs from Oxford University. A former President of the Southern African Wildlife Management Association, Harriet sits on various national and international committees, is a Board Member of the Conservation Measures Partnership, and a Fellow of the Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, at the Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. She has published widely on topics ranging from large carnivore conservation and management, the data-science-policy interface, and the contribution of the wildlife economy to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. She also dabbles in road ecology and is passionate about the role of conservation evidence in driving effective action.
Title:
Conservation projects in Africa: How effective are we?
The African continent is home to a vast array of biodiversity; it boasts several centres of endemism, some of the world’s largest terrestrial migrations, bountiful freshwater and marine resources, verdant tropical forests, and productive grasslands. In 2022, these natural resources support the livelihoods of nearly 1.4 billion people, with this expected to increase to ~2.5 billion people by 2050. Meeting the needs of this rapidly growing population will require escalating investment in infrastructure development and agricultural expansion, all against a backdrop of climate change and current biodiversity loss that threaten human health and safety, food and water security, and socio-economic development. In short, we need to make good policy decisions, invest resources wisely, and implement effective projects to ensure the long-term sustainability of Africa’s natural resources, guarantee their continued value to future generations, and achieve global conservation targets. Faced with these challenges, how do governments and civil society actors ensure that they use the scarce resources allotted to biodiversity conservation wisely and efficiently? Are we doing the right projects? How much impact do they have? Do they represent the best use of our time and resources? And what about factors beyond our control? In this talk, I will use case studies from southern Africa to illustrate some of the challenges in doing effective conservation and some of the things we can do about them.
Title:
Conservation projects in Africa: How effective are we?
The African continent is home to a vast array of biodiversity; it boasts several centres of endemism, some of the world’s largest terrestrial migrations, bountiful freshwater and marine resources, verdant tropical forests, and productive grasslands. In 2022, these natural resources support the livelihoods of nearly 1.4 billion people, with this expected to increase to ~2.5 billion people by 2050. Meeting the needs of this rapidly growing population will require escalating investment in infrastructure development and agricultural expansion, all against a backdrop of climate change and current biodiversity loss that threaten human health and safety, food and water security, and socio-economic development. In short, we need to make good policy decisions, invest resources wisely, and implement effective projects to ensure the long-term sustainability of Africa’s natural resources, guarantee their continued value to future generations, and achieve global conservation targets. Faced with these challenges, how do governments and civil society actors ensure that they use the scarce resources allotted to biodiversity conservation wisely and efficiently? Are we doing the right projects? How much impact do they have? Do they represent the best use of our time and resources? And what about factors beyond our control? In this talk, I will use case studies from southern Africa to illustrate some of the challenges in doing effective conservation and some of the things we can do about them.
Dr. Luthando Dziba
Managing Executive, Conservation Services, South African National Parks
Title: We need to do more to halt biodiversity loss!
Dr Luthando Dziba is the Managing Executive responsible for Conservation Services Division at South African National Parks (SANParks). The division oversees Scientific Services, Veterinary Services, Conservation Planning and Cultural Heritage. Luthando serves as the Co-chair of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the co-chair of its Africa Ecosystem Assessment. Before joining SANParks, Luthando managed the Ecosystem Services Competency Area (including Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Coastal Systems and Earth Observation) at the CSIR. Luthando’s research interests include plant-herbivore ecology, land use change, impacts of woody plant encroachment and invasive alien plants on biodiversity and ecosystem services. He has been a science advisor to South African government delegations to IPBES and the Convention on Biological Diversity since 2012. He serves on the Wits University’s Global Change Institute Advisory Board, the National Parks Trust and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Title
We need to do more to halt biodiversity loss!
The value of data and robust statistical methods for science and conservation management in protected areas
The unprecedented decline in biodiversity has been extensively documented in the last few years culminating in a comprehensive Global Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019. The decline in biodiversity has significant negative impacts on nature’s contributions to people, which are irreplaceable. This IPBES report showed that more than 2 billion people rely on wood fuel to meet their primary energy needs and some 70 per cent of drugs used for cancer are natural or synthetic products inspired by nature, to name a few. Yet, humans are largely responsible for the unprecedented loss of nature including through a) changes in land and sea use; b) direct exploitation of organisms; c) climate change; d) pollution and e) invasive alien species. The unprecedented decline in nature, at rates unseen before in human history taking place throughout the world and has dire consequences for the wellbeing of humanity. Although it is not too late to act, timely decision-making and appropriate integrated interventions are critical to success. I will reflect on biodiversity loss using some examples of the decline of iconic species in Southern Africa and initiatives to help address the decline. These examples show that once a species starts to decline, it takes a lot of effort and resources to halt the decline. I will also briefly reflect on data collection and statistical analysis of conservation data and the value of such data and information to managers and policy makers.
Dr Luthando Dziba is the Managing Executive responsible for Conservation Services Division at South African National Parks (SANParks). The division oversees Scientific Services, Veterinary Services, Conservation Planning and Cultural Heritage. Luthando serves as the Co-chair of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the co-chair of its Africa Ecosystem Assessment. Before joining SANParks, Luthando managed the Ecosystem Services Competency Area (including Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Coastal Systems and Earth Observation) at the CSIR. Luthando’s research interests include plant-herbivore ecology, land use change, impacts of woody plant encroachment and invasive alien plants on biodiversity and ecosystem services. He has been a science advisor to South African government delegations to IPBES and the Convention on Biological Diversity since 2012. He serves on the Wits University’s Global Change Institute Advisory Board, the National Parks Trust and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Title
We need to do more to halt biodiversity loss!
The value of data and robust statistical methods for science and conservation management in protected areas
The unprecedented decline in biodiversity has been extensively documented in the last few years culminating in a comprehensive Global Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019. The decline in biodiversity has significant negative impacts on nature’s contributions to people, which are irreplaceable. This IPBES report showed that more than 2 billion people rely on wood fuel to meet their primary energy needs and some 70 per cent of drugs used for cancer are natural or synthetic products inspired by nature, to name a few. Yet, humans are largely responsible for the unprecedented loss of nature including through a) changes in land and sea use; b) direct exploitation of organisms; c) climate change; d) pollution and e) invasive alien species. The unprecedented decline in nature, at rates unseen before in human history taking place throughout the world and has dire consequences for the wellbeing of humanity. Although it is not too late to act, timely decision-making and appropriate integrated interventions are critical to success. I will reflect on biodiversity loss using some examples of the decline of iconic species in Southern Africa and initiatives to help address the decline. These examples show that once a species starts to decline, it takes a lot of effort and resources to halt the decline. I will also briefly reflect on data collection and statistical analysis of conservation data and the value of such data and information to managers and policy makers.
