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Conservation and Management Zones: Developing an Alternative Approach to Conservation and Management of Nongame Species

Michael J. Sredl

Paradigms used to manage animal abundance fall into two broad categories: traditional wildlife management which manages for sustainable yield (applied to most sport fish and game species) and endangered species recovery programs which manage for viable populations (applied to endangered sport fish, game, and nongame species). Conspicuously rare are approaches to conservation and management of nongame wildlife which can be effectively applied to populations which have not reached an extreme degree of endangerment. Development of such an approach will require: 1) a mechanism to allow early detection and identification of entities in need of attention (e.g. populations, metapopulations, or species); 2) identification and implementation of conservation and management activities specifically designed to stabilize an entity's downward trend; 3) linkage of conservation and management activities implemented at a local scale to those operating at a larger scale; and 4) a monitoring program to evaluate the effects of activities implemented.

Arizona's ranid frog complex includes six native and two introduced species. Analysis of historical and recent information reveals that status of individual native species falls along a spectrum of endangerment. None are federally listed as Threatened or Endangered, but two are Candidates, and, if declines continue, federal listings may occur. In response to widespread declines within this complex, Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) and cooperators have begun investigating a variety of activities aimed at conserving these populations, including: 1) gathering comprehensive statewide inventory data for all species, 2) ex situ rearing of tadpoles and release of metamorphs, 3) translocating wild tadpoles and frogs, 4) removing non-natives adversely affecting native frogs, 5) habitat renovations, and 6) building captive breeding facilities.

At the local scale, these activities have shown a great deal of promise. However, a formal approach linking these activities to the populations, metapopulations, and species of highest priority has been lacking. AGFD is developing such an approach through development of Conservation and Management Zones (CMZs) for ranid frogs in need of attention. CMZs are defined as discrete geographical areas within which conservation and management goals and objectives are set. Within these areas, appropriate conservation and management activities are implemented and their effects monitored. CMZs combine principles of traditional wildlife management (approaches to population and habitat management) and conservation biology (reserve design and metapopulation dynamics) and, if effective, may help stabilize the recent, dramatic population declines of Arizona ranid frogs. Using Arizona ranids as models, I will develop the CMZ concept further and discuss other advantages of this approach.

 

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Laurel, MD, USA 20708-4038
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp3/naamp3.html
Contact: Sam Droege, email: Sam_Droege@usgs.gov
Last Modified: June 2002