SCIENCE SNIPPETS:
SPLAT STATS
Dominic Henry, EWT Conservation Science Unit, Ecological Modelling Specialist, dominich@ewt.org.za
Road networks form a substantial part of current and future infrastructure development and are a major hazard for local wildlife populations. Due to high mortality rates, wildlife-vehicle collisions are a threat not only to individual animals but to broader animal communities, populations, and species. The threat of wildlife-vehicle collisions is set to increase globally as an additional 25 million kilometres of road are expected to be added to the global road network by 2050.
We need to estimate how many wildlife deaths result from vehicle collisions if we want to understand this impact on wildlife populations and develop strategies to prevent or reduce the collisions, so we need to get out there and do surveys.
However, conducting roadkill surveys is a resource-intensive exercise. Labour costs, fuel, mileage, and vehicle maintenance are just some of the costs incurred for this type of research. Depending on the study site and survey durations, these costs can escalate quickly. Research budgets are often limited, and it is important to make each rand go as far as possible. In light of financial resource limitations, the question is, is there an alternative to conducting daily surveys of roadkill while still having a robust study design?
When designing roadkill surveys, there is a trade-off between survey frequency (and all the logistical effort and costs incurred) and roadkill carcass detection. In this regard, carcass persistence (the period a carcass remains detectable before it is removed by decomposition or scavengers) is important; the longer a carcass persists, the greater the likelihood it will be detected with lower survey effort by conducting more infrequent surveys.
Part of our research, published recently in the Journal of Environmental Management, looked at this question. The study was based on Wendy Collinson-Jonker’s roadkill dataset collected in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. An observer drove a standardised 120 km transect daily for a month, recording all carcasses as well as how long they remained on the road. Over 340 carcasses were recorded, comprising 73 species ranging from the smallest frogs to a Brown Hyaena. We used these data to simulate what would happen if surveys were conducted with different intervals from 2–10 days.
We found that the proportion of carcasses detected decreased sharply when survey intervals were longer than three days. However, we showed that survey costs could be reduced by up to 80% by conducting non-daily surveys. By carefully considering the objectives of the survey and characteristics of the focal species, researchers can substantially reduce the costs of their studies. We developed a web app (https://roadsplat.ewt.org.za/) that can be used by researchers to compare survey costs across a variety of survey characteristics. This web app allows researchers to assess the trade-off between carcass detection and cost easily.
Details of the journal article:
Citation: Henry, D.A.W., Collinson-Jonker, W.J., Davies-Mostert, H.T., Nicholson, S.K., Roxburgh, L. and Parker, D.M. 2021. Optimising the cost of roadkill surveys based on an analysis of carcass persistence. Journal of Environmental Management 291:112664
Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112664
Link to app: https://roadsplat.ewt.org.za/
CONSERVATION CHAMPION
Alex, Harry, and Peter, three remarkable 11-year-old boys from Glasnevin Educate Together in Dublin, are running from Dublin to London to raise money for the Endangered Wildlife Trust.
They posted the following appeal online:
“We need your help! The global covid crisis has shown us more than ever how important it is to work together to support the future of our planet – the people, the environment and the animals within it.
We will be running together and on our own over the next few months, and we will add our distances together to make up the 535 km journey from our school to Big Ben in London. We hope you will cheer us on by donating to this very worthy charity – www.ewt.org.za”
On 28 May they posted the following update:
We just want to thank all our friends and family for the most generous donations and kind words we have received so far. We are overwhelmed to have raised €788 already. THANK YOU EVERYONE.
To support these Conservation Champions and track their progress, please follow this link: https://www.givengain.com/ap/jessica-hardy-raising-funds-for-endangered-wildlife-trust/
THE PASSING OF DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR BOB SCHOLES
The EWT is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Professor Bob Scholes, one of the world’s leading scientists on Climate Change.
Professor Bob Scholes passed away on the evening of Wednesday, 28 April 2021, following a hike with friends and colleagues.
The Wits community, in announcing his passing, stated that they are shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of such a giant in the field of climate science, not only in South Africa, but in the world. Professor Scholes was a true leader, a conscientious and dedicated scientist, and a teacher to all. An A-rated scientist and Professor of Systems Ecology at Wits, he served as the Director of the Global Change Institute (GCI). He was among the top 1% of environmental scientists worldwide, based on citation frequency, and published widely in the fields of savannah ecology, global change, and earth observation.
Professor Scholes led several high profile studies and held high profile positions in the fields of climate change and environmental studies globally. He was one of the lead authors in the assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the present and future impacts of climate change and how we can adapt to, or reduce it. He has also served as a member of the steering committees of several global earth observation bodies.
The EWT and our colleagues and friends far and wide are saddened by the loss of Professor Scholes, and extend our sincere condolences to Mary, his family, friends, and colleagues during this very difficult time.
A WORD FROM THE CEO
Yolan Friedmann, EWT CEO
yolanf@ewt.org.za South Africans and nature lovers around the world celebrated the news that the film My Octopus Teacher won not only a BAFTA award but a much-coveted Oscar as well. A remarkable achievement indeed, and a big congratulations must go to the team – a collaboration between Off the Fence, Netflix, and the Sea Change Project, an NGO raising awareness of the beauty and ecological importance of South Africa’s kelp forest. Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, executive produced by Ellen Windemuth, and produced by Craig Foster, My Octopus Teacher is a tribute to the extraordinary relationship between a human being and a species primarily viewed only as food to many.
Amidst a sea of films about the state of our natural world, the loss of biodiversity and the devastating impact that humans are having on the planet, this film stands out for its emphasis on the intimate relationship between two individuals across the species divide, as well as its focus on the power of human connection to nature and other animals. Most conservationists baulk at the idea of naming the subjects of their wildlife research or getting too personally involved with individuals, preferring to focus on systems and processes instead. Most would criticise interspecies friendships as being anti-science. And yet we know that the intimate connection to nature in small bites that we can touch, feel and, yes, name is what attracts and retains most people’s interest in and empathy for those with whom we share our natural world. I can even admit that EWT staff have, on occasion, named some standout individuals, including Wild Dogs, Cheetah, and Leopards, for their resilience, courage, persistence, and of course, the teachings they imparted as their stories were told. So, is it a bad thing for conservationists to name, individualise, and share personal relationships with specific animals when taught to focus on systems and species instead?
Humans need to connect for anything to matter. The COVID pandemic has certainly brought home the suffering that goes with the loss of human connection, and nature keeps paying the price for our increasing disconnect with the natural world characterised by children who think that milk comes from a carton and that waste no longer impacts the planet if it is put into a bin. We also know that human connections with other species have helped prolong lives in care homes and rehabilitate offenders in the prison system. Humans connect to nature in dozens of ways, through experiences like hiking, diving, trail running, camping, and so much more. Mountain ranges are named, and dreams are borne out of a desire to experience and – as humans do – conquer extreme climbs, trails, and ski slopes. It is our own personal relationship with nature and what this does for us on an intimate level that changes us the most – and may well be the saving grace for much of our imperilled natural world in the end. Stories about the natural world that centre around the human-nature connection are more adept at driving home messages about the fragility of our world and our own role in it, as well as the complexity and interdependence of all relationships, human or otherwise.
Craig Foster talks about how his relationship with his Octopus Teacher improved his relationship with his son and many other people, teaching him much more than just lessons about marine biology. This is probably true for many biologists, too, as life lessons about survival, communication, and above all, love are often better learned from our relationship with other species. Should there even be a debate about whether or not anthropomorphism has a place, not just in film-making and storytelling, but also in science-based conservation and the race to save the planet? Or perhaps both are just different sides to the same story after all.
EWT AND BUSINESS FOR NATURE CALL ON COMPANIES TO HELP REDUCE NATURE LOSS IN THIS DECADE.
Dr Gabi Teren, EWT’s Business and Biodiversity Network, Programme Manager gabit@ewt.org.za Healthy societies, resilient economies, and thriving businesses rely on nature. The natural resources that power businesses are under huge strain and the private sector is a major contributor to nature’s depletion. The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN) has joined Business for Nature, a global coalition that brings together business and conservation organisations and forward-thinking companies. Together we amplify a powerful leading business voice calling for governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss this decade.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) recognised the need for a body to assist businesses to integrate biodiversity into their strategies and activities and established the NBBN in 2013, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs (now the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries), and leading SA companies such as De Beers, Pam Golding Properties, Nedbank Limited, Hatch, Pick n Pay, and Transnet. In 2016, the list of NBBN partners grew to include Woolworths and Eskom. The NBBN aims to reduce the impacts businesses in South Africa have on nature by developing and disseminating relevant tools and guidelines to enable a more positive relationship with nature.
Businesses depend on a healthy planet to provide a stable operating environment, customers, and workforces, and the natural resources necessary for production – food, fibre, water, minerals, building materials, and more.
Nature also provides ecosystem services worth at least US$125 trillion/year globally, from which businesses benefit at no cost through, for example, waste decomposition, flood control, pollination of crops, water purification, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation. Losing nature means losing these services and creating extra costs and vulnerability for businesses. In fact, more than half of the world’s GDP – an estimated US$44 trillion of economic value generation – is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services.
Leading businesses are making ambitious commitments and taking decisive action for nature. Businesses have a critical role to play in reversing nature loss, protecting biodiversity, and preserving species, and business action is about more than a responsibility – there are real and material risks associated with nature’s decline.
Businesses that act now to achieve net-zero and become nature-positive across their value chains will gain a competitive advantage.
In October this year, a new global agreement on nature called the ‘Global Biodiversity Framework’ is due to be agreed at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) in Kunming, China. An ambitious, clear, implementable, and enforceable international agreement at COP15 will help realise nature’s true value to livelihoods, society and our economy.
But businesses cannot address this global crisis on their own. To accelerate action, governments must set ambitious nature and climate policies that provide direction and momentum. This gives the private sector clarity to unlock new business opportunities and creates a level playing field and stable operating environment. Hundreds of companies representing trillions in combined revenue are urging governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss through the Nature Is Everyone‘s Business Call to Action.
Whether you are a global corporate giant, an SMME or a sole practitioner, you can sign up your company today to the Call to Action, and join over 700 businesses from around the world who are calling for ambitious and collective action for nature. Companies of any size, location or industry can add their voice.
Sign up here: bit.ly/BfNCTA
For more information on the EWT’s National Biodiversity and Business Network, contact Gabi Teren GabiT@ewt.org.za
