ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1471-1674
Current Organisations
Deakin University
,
NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 18-05-2021
DOI: 10.1071/RD21058
Abstract: Captive breeding is an important tool for hibian conservation despite high economic costs and deleterious genetic effects of sustained captivity and unavoidably small colony sizes. Integration of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could provide solutions to these challenges, but is rarely used due to lack of recognition of the potential benefits and clear policy direction. Here we present compelling genetic and economic arguments to integrate biobanking and ARTs into captive breeding programs using modelled captive populations of two Australian threatened frogs, namely the orange-bellied frog Geocrinia vitellina and the white bellied frog Geocrinia alba. Back-crossing with frozen founder spermatozoa using ARTs every generation minimises rates of inbreeding and provides considerable reductions in colony size and program costs compared with conventional captive management. Biobanking could allow captive institutions to meet or exceed longstanding genetic retention targets (90% of source population heterozygosity over 100 years). We provide a broad policy direction that could make biobanking technology a practical reality across Australia’s ex situ management of hibians in current and future holdings. Incorporating biobanking technology widely across this network could deliver outcomes by maintaining high levels of source population genetic ersity and freeing economic resources to develop ex situ programs for a greater number of threatened hibian species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-07-2019
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13366
Abstract: Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm in iduals matter inclusivity of in idual animals and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe ex les presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals inherently not compassionate and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more in iduals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of bio ersity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-03-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.14010
Abstract: Managed breeding programs are an important tool in marsupial conservation efforts but may be costly and have adverse genetic effects in unavoidably small captive colonies. Biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could help overcome these challenges, but further demonstration of their potential is required to improve uptake. We used genetic and economic models to examine whether supplementing hypothetical captive populations of dibblers ( Parantechinus apicalis ) and numbats ( Myrmecobius fasciatus ) with biobanked founder sperm through ARTs could reduce inbreeding, lower required colony sizes, and reduce program costs. We also asked practitioners of the black‐footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes ) captive recovery program to complete a questionnaire to examine the resources and model species research pathways required to develop an optimized biobanking protocol in the black‐footed ferret. We used data from this questionnaire to devise similar costed research pathways for Australian marsupials. With biobanking and assisted reproduction, inbreeding was reduced on average by between 80% and 98%, colony sizes were on average 99% smaller, and program costs were 69‐ to 83‐fold lower. Integrating biobanking made long‐standing captive genetic retention targets possible in marsupials (90% source population heterozygosity for a minimum of 100 years) within realistic cost frameworks. Lessons from the use of biobanking technology that contributed to the recovery of the black‐footed ferret include the importance of adequate research funding (US$4.2 million), extensive partnerships that provide access to facilities and equipment, colony animals, appropriate research model species, and professional and technical staff required to address knowledge gaps to deliver an optimized biobanking protocol. Applied research investment of A$133 million across marsupial research pathways could deliver biobanking protocols for 15 of Australia's most at‐risk marsupial species and 7 model species. The technical expertise and ex situ facilities exist to emulate the success of the black‐footed ferret recovery program in threatened marsupials using these research pathways. All that is needed now for significant and cost‐effective conservation gains is greater investment by policy makers in marsupial ARTs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12776
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 20-12-2021
DOI: 10.1071/WR21034
Abstract: Abstract Context Drones, or remotely piloted aircraft systems, equipped with thermal imaging technology (RPAS thermal imaging) have recently emerged as a powerful monitoring tool for koala populations. Before wide uptake of novel technologies by government, conservation practitioners and researchers, evidence of greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness than with other available methods is required. Aims We aimed to provide the first comprehensive analysis of the cost-effectiveness of RPAS thermal imaging for koala detection against two field-based methods, systematic spotlighting (Spotlight) and the refined diurnal radial search component of the spot-assessment technique (SAT). Methods We conducted various economic comparisons, particularly comparative cost-effectiveness of RPAS thermal imaging, Spotlight and SAT for repeat surveys of a low-density koala population. We compared methods on cost-effectiveness as well as long-term costs by using accumulating cost models. We also compared detection costs across population density using a predictive cost model. Key results Despite substantial hardware, training and licensing costs at the outset ( A$49 900), RPAS thermal imaging surveys were cost-effective, detecting the highest number of koalas per dollar spent. Modelling also suggested that RPAS thermal imaging requires the lowest survey effort to detect koalas within the range of publicly available koala population densities (~0.006–18 koalas ha−1) and would provide long-term cost reductions across longitudinal monitoring programs. RPAS thermal imaging would also require the lowest average survey effort costs at a landscape scale (A$3.84 ha−1), providing a cost-effective tool across large spatial areas. Conclusions Our analyses demonstrated drone thermal imaging technology as a cost-effective tool for conservation practitioners monitoring koala populations. Our analyses may also form the basis of decision-making tools to estimate survey effort or total program costs across any koala population density. Implications Our novel approach offers a means to perform various economic comparisons of available survey techniques and guide investment decisions towards developing standardised koala monitoring approaches. Our results may assist stakeholders and policymakers to confidently invest in RPAS thermal imaging technology and achieve optimal conservation outcomes for koala populations, with standardised data collection delivered through evidence-based and cost-effective monitoring programs.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-04-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14084622
Abstract: Planet Earth is undergoing unprecedented levels of environmental degradation and destruction at a global scale. Incentivizing people to adopt behaviors that are compatible with a sustainable future will help address the current ecological crisis. However, it is first necessary to understand the psychological drivers of pro-environmental behavior. Here, we examined whether greater levels of environmental knowledge and empathy predicted higher levels of pro-environmental behavior in an Australian population s le. We aimed to advance our understanding of the psychological variables that motivate people to act in pro-environmental ways, while also advancing the ongoing debate amongst conservation scientists regarding the relative importance of fostering empathy. Correlational analyses revealed that objective, verifiable knowledge was a strong predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Empathy also correlated positively with pro-environmental attitudes and behavior, but with a dissociation with respect to its cognitive and affective components. Multivariate analyses revealed that knowledge was a stronger predictor of both pro-environmental attitudes and behavior after controlling for in idual variation in cognitive and affective empathy. This finding casts doubt on the claim by compassionate conservationists that fostering empathy is the key to solving the current environmental conservation crisis. Future research should aim to extend the present findings by testing whether a more exhaustive test of participants’ environmental knowledge and other measures of empathy, including empathic competencies and the recently developed Emotional and Cognitive Scale of the Human–Nature Relationship (ECS-HNR), yield the same dominance of knowledge over empathy.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-04-2022
DOI: 10.3390/ANI12080990
Abstract: Zoo and wildlife hospital networks are set to become a vital component of Australia’s contemporary efforts to conserve the iconic and imperiled koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Managed breeding programs held across zoo-based networks typically face high economic costs and can be at risk of adverse genetic effects typical of unavoidably small captive colonies. Emerging evidence suggests that biobanking and associated assisted reproductive technologies could address these economic and genetic challenges. We present a modelled scenario, supported by detailed costings, where these technologies are optimized and could be integrated into conservation breeding programs of koalas across the established zoo and wildlife hospital network. Genetic and economic modelling comparing closed captive koala populations suggest that supplementing them with cryopreserved founder sperm using artificial insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection could substantially reduce inbreeding, lower the required colony sizes of conservation breeding programs, and greatly reduce program costs. Ambitious genetic retention targets (maintaining 90%, 95% and 99% of source population heterozygosity for 100 years) could be possible within realistic cost frameworks, with output koalas suited for wild release. Integrating biobanking into the zoo and wildlife hospital network presents a cost-effective and financially feasible model for the uptake of these tools due to the technical and research expertise, captive koala colonies, and ex situ facilities that already exist across these networks.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-04-2020
DOI: 10.1002/CNCR.32910
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 07-07-2021
DOI: 10.1071/AM20043
Abstract: Remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), or drone, technology has emerged as a promising survey method for the cryptic koala. We demonstrate an in-field protocol for wild koala RPAS surveys which provides real-time validation of thermal signatures. During 15 trial flights using a quadcopter drone (DJI Matrice 200 v2) we successfully detected and validated koala thermal signatures (n = 12) using two in-field approaches: validation by on-ground observer (n = 10) and validation using 4K footage captured and reviewed directly after the survey (n = 2). We also provide detectability considerations relative to survey time, temperature, wildlife–RPAS interactions and detection of non-target species, which can be used to further inform RPAS survey protocols.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/PC17037
Abstract: Funding for research towards more effective conservation of Australian fauna is widely believed to be low. Publically available data were examined to determine the spread of wildlife projects supported for the period 2005–15 by Federal Government agencies responsible for research and/or environmental management funding and funding aimed at delivering innovation across relevant sectors. A word search method was used and projects categorised according to their relevance to conservation goals. Of the AU$7.2 billion invested by the Australian Research Council, 0.9% (AU$67.8 million) was in areas relevant to conservation. However, of this relatively modest funding, 40% of conservation projects addressed questions classified as highly relevant, and 11.4% dealt with Australia’s threatened terrestrial vertebrate fauna. Of the AU$2.5 billion grant investment by the Department of the Environment, 7.9% (AU$196.3 million) was relevant to fauna conservation but mainly for on-ground management (62.5%). However, 32.9% of projects were research highly relevant to conservation practice, and 18.8% dealt with Australia’s threatened terrestrial vertebrate fauna. The Cooperative Research Centres Program is a well funded system that has supported applied research relevant to wildlife conservation. However, the Program’s recent focus has been on commercial outcomes rather than the public good. The study provides support for the argument that greater investment by the Federal Government is needed if innovation in wildlife management is to have a solid evidence base.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-07-2023
Abstract: Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, or ‘drones’ hereafter) have potential for surveying waterbird species and habitats, but there is a risk that the disturbance from drones could compromise count accuracy and bird welfare. We examined the response of 16 waterbird species to repeated up-and-back overhead drone flights (n = 50 flights) at multiple flight heights (80, 60, 40 and 20 m) using three common drone platforms (DJI Matrice 300, DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced and DJI Phantom 4). A ground observer scored the species’ responses to overhead drone flights, which ranged from no response (no change to initial behavior), vigilance (head turning and tracking), movement within the site (swimming, ing, flight into or on the water) and substantial flight resulting in departure from the pond (fleeing). A total of 280 waterbird encounters with overhead drones were observed. The most common response across all flights was no response (70.7%), followed by vigilance (27.5%), whereas more intense responses were comparatively rare (1.8%). The responses were of higher intensity during earlier overhead drone flights, before moderating substantially during later flights. Thus, our case study provides the first unambiguous evidence of the attenuation of responses of bird species to drones.
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Lachlan G. Howell.