Indicators Flashcards
(23 cards)
Describe gross domestic product (GDP) as a indicator of progress
Value added for goods and services.
Ignores distribution, unpleasantness and harm to environment
“Measures everything that makes life worthwhile”
What does a good indicator of progress need to include?
Wellbeing and natural capital e.g. food security, quality of education, access to fresh water, sustainable wark, protection of marine and terrestrial biodiversity
What are some other examples of indicators of progress?
Human development index
Index of sustainable economic welfare
Gross national well-being
OECD better life index
What is the role of indicators?
Track performance for results based management.
What is the long term goal of conservation and what are the issues with each goal?
- Maintaining ecosystem services – Not easy, lots of sampling issues; difference between observed and estimated number of species that you get from these assessments varies
- Maintaining species richness
- Maintaining genetic diversity
- Effectiveness of protected areas – Indomalaya not enough money to prevent pressure from humans on protected areas; completely opposite in Nearctic and Palearctic where maybe smaller population affects it
What are the problems with the IUCN Red List as indicators?
Differences in survey intensity especially among nations.
Under-representation of many taxa.
Changes in taxa reflect changes in knowledge rather than true changes in status
What is the Living Planet Index?
Global index geared towards vertebrates – mainly mammals and birds.
Takes long term data and combines it into one
Can’t use data from experimental observations, survival rates, Recruitment data e.g. number of eggs or young, Catch or hunting data with no measure of effort, Data where method has changed (unless corrected for), Opportunistic sighting data.
Population size always calculated as relative to 1970
IUCN definition of population
total number of mature individuals capable of reproduction
IUCN definition of subpopulations
geographically or otherwise distinct groups in the population between which there is little demographic exchange
IUCN definition of generation length
average age of parents of current cohort - greater than age at first breeding and less than the oldest breeding individual, except in taxa that breed only once
IUCN definition of population reduction
decline in population size over a specified time period - can be based on rate of habitat loss but the habitat-species relationship should be well documented; and assumptions should be based on a good understanding of the taxon, its relationship with the habitat, and good knowledge of threats to the habitat
describe exponential population decline
proportion of individuals removed from population doesn;t change over time
describe linear population decline
number of individuals removed from population doesn’t change over time but the proportion removed increases
describe accelerated population decline
proportion and number of individuals removed from population increases over time
IUCN definition of extreme fluctuations
population size or distribution area varies widely, rapidly and frequently, typically with a variation greater than one order of magnitude
IUCN definition of severely fragmented
increased extinction risks to the taxon result from the fact that most of its individuals are found in relatively isolated subpopulations
IUCN definition of location
geographically or ecologically distinct area in which a single threatening event can rapidly affect all individuals of the taxon
What is criterion A about?
Population reduction and (potentially) future predicted population reduction.
Some subcriterion can be based on direct observation, index of abundance, decline in AOO/EOO/habitat quality, actual or potential levels of exploitation or the effects of introduced taxa/hybridisation/pathogens/pollutants/competitors/parasites
What is criterion B about?
Geographic range.
EOO and/or AOO
and at least 2 of severely fragmented/few locations, continuing decline or extreme fluctations in EOO/AOO/number of locations/number of subpopulations/number of mature individuals
WHat is criterion C about?
Decline in numbers of mature individuals and population size
What is criterion D about?
Number of mature indiviudals
What is criterion E about?
Quantitative analysis showing probability of extinction in wild - has to be actually calculated, not estimated or inferred
If all the criterion have different levels after regional criterion is applied, which level should be given?
Whatever the highest is but report all in detail
