DOCSLIB.ORG

Habitat Evaluation: Guidance for the Review of Environmental Impact Assessment Documents

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

HABITAT EVALUATION: GUIDANCE FOR THE REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTS EPA Contract No. 68-C0-0070 work Assignments B-21, 1-12 January 1993 Submitted to: Jim Serfis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Federal Activities 401 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20460 Submitted by: Mark Southerland Dynamac Corporation The Dynamac Building 2275 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ... ...... .... ... ................................................. 1 Habitat Conservation .......................................... 2 Habitat Evaluation Methodology ................................... 2 Habitats of Concern ........................................... 3 Definition of Habitat ..................................... 4 General Habitat Types .................................... 5 Values and Services of Habitats ................................... 5 Species Values ......................................... 5 Biological diversity ...................................... 6 Ecosystem Services.. .................................... 7 Activities Impacting Habitats ..................................... 8 Land Conversion ....................................... 9 Land Conversion to Industrial and Residential Uses ............. 9 Land Conversion to Agricultural Uses ...................... 10 Land Conversion to Transportation Uses .................... 10 Timber Harvesting ...................................... 11 Grazing ............................................. 12 Mining .............................................. 12 Water Management ...................................... 13 Recreational, Military, and Other Activities ....................... 13 Types of Impact to Habitats.. .................................... 14 Destruction ........................................... 15 Fragmentation ......................................... 16 Simplification ......................................... 17 Degradation ........................................... 17 Vulnerability to Impacts ................................... 17 General Mitigation Procedures ..................................... 18 Habitat Integrity ........................................ 18 Mitigation Guidance ..................................... 19 Mitigation Principles ..................................... 2 1 Habitat Buffers ................................. .. 21 Habitat Corridors .................................. 22 Mitigation Measures ..................................... 22 Timber Harvesting Mitigation Methods ..................... 23 Grazing Mitigation Methods ............................ 23 Monitoring for Mitigation Compliance .......................... 24 Habitat Evaluation iii Introduction NORTH HABITAT REGION-NORTHERN LAKES AND FORESTS .............. 25 Geographical Description of the Region ................................... 25 Habitats of Concern ................................................ 26 Habitat Values and Trends ........................................... 26 Northeastern Forests .......................................... 27 Northern Lakes Forests ......................................... 27 Forest Values ............................................... 28 Old-Growth and Mature Forest .................................... 28 Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems ................................... 29 Wetlands and Aquatic Systems.. .................................. 29 Activities and Impacts Affecting Habitats .................................. 29 Land Conversion ............................................ 30 Timber Harvesting ........................................... 31 Recreational Activities ......................................... 31 Mitigations of Impacts .............................................. 31 Land Conversion ............................................ 31 Timber Harvesting ........................................... 32 Guidelines for Reviewers ............................................ 34 Contacts and Information Sources ....................................... 35 MIDWEST HABITAT REGION-MIDWEST CROPLAND ..................... 37 Geographical Description of the Region ..................... .. ............ 37 Habitats of Concern ................................................ 38 Habitat Values and Trends .......................... ................ 38 Savanna .................................................. 39 Grasslands ................................................ 39 Forests.. ................................................. 39 wetlands ................................................. 40 Activities and Impacts Affecting Habitats .................................. 40 Land Conversion ............................................ 41 Agricultural Impacts .......................................... 42 Impacts on Aquatic Systems ..................................... 42 Mitigations of Impacts .............................................. 42 Land Conversion ............................................ 43 Agricultural Impacts .......................................... 43 Wetlands ................................................. 43 Guidelines for Reviewers ............................................ 44 Contacts and Information Sources ....................................... 45 SOUTHEAST HABITAT REGION - SOUTHEASTERN FORESTS AND CROPLAND .... 47 Geographical Description of the Region ................................... 47 Habitats of Concern ................................................ 48 Habitat Values and Trends ........................................... 49 Forests ................................................... 49 Habitat Evaluation iv Introduction Grasslands, Barrens, and Scrub Habitats .............................. 51 Wetlands ................................................. 52 Aquatic Systems ............................................. 53 Activities and Impacts Affecting Habitats .................................. 53 Land Conversion ............................................ 54 Agricultural and Grazing Impacts .................................. 55 Timber Harvesting .................................. ........ 55 Mining ................................................... 56 Water Management ........................................... 56 Military Activities ............................................ 57 Mitigations of Impacts .............................................. 57 Timber Harvesting ........................................... 57 Land Conversion ............................................ 59 Mining ................................................... 59 Military Activities ............................................ 60 Guidelines for Reviewers ............................................ 61 Contacts and Information Sources ....................................... 62 GREAT PLAINS HABITAT REGION - GREAT PLAINS AND PRAIRIES ........... 63 Geographical Description of the Region ................................... 63 Habitats of Concem ................................................. 64 Habitat Values and Trends ........................................... 64 Grasslands ................................................ 64 Texas Habitats .............................................. 65 Riparian Areas .............................................. 66 Wetlands ................................................. 67 Activities and Impacts Affecting Habitats .................................. 67 Land Conversion ............................................ 68 Agricultural Impacts .......................................... 68 Grazing .................................................. 69 Riparian Areas .............................................. 69 Water Management ........................................... 70 Mitigations of Impacts .............................................. 70 Land Conversion ............................................ 71 Grazing ................................................... 71 Wetlands ................................................. 73 Guidelines for Reviewers ............................................ 73 Contacts and Information Sources ........................................ 74 WESTERN RANGELANDS HABITAT REGION - WESTERN .................. 75 GRASSLANDS AND DESERTS Geographical Description of the Region ................................... 75 Habitats of Concern ................................................ 76 Habitat Values and Trends ........................................... 76 Woodland and Shrubland ....................................... 78 Habitat Evaluation V Introduction Grasslands ................................................ 78 Deserts .................................................. 79 Riparian Areas ........... .... ... ... ...................................... 79 Wetlands ................................................. 80 Aquatic Systems ............................................. 81 Activities and Impacts Affecting Habitats .................................. 81 Land Conversion ............................................ 82 Agricultural Impacts .......................................... 83 Grazing .................................................. 83 Riparian Areas .............................................. I34 Mining ................................................... 85 Water Management ........................................... 85 Recreational Activities ......................................... 85 Military Activities ............................................ 86 Mitigations of Impacts .............................................
Recommended publications
  • Ecological Economics and Sustainable Forest Management: Developing a Transdisciplinary Approach for the Carpathian Mountains

    Ecological Economics and Sustainable Forest Management: Developing a Transdisciplinary Approach for the Carpathian Mountains

    ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: DEVELOPING A TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS Edited by I.P. Soloviy and W.S. Keeton Ukrainian National Forestry University Press, Lviv © Ihor P. Soloviy and William S. Keeton © Ukrainian National Forestry University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Published by Ukrainian National Forestry University Press Gen. Chuprynky 103 Lviv 79057 Ukraine E-mail: [email protected] Ecological economics and sustainable forest management: developing a transdisciplinary approach for the Carpathian Mountains. Edited by I.P. Soloviy, W.S. Keeton. – Lviv : Ukrainian National Forestry University Press, Liga-Pres, 2009. − 432 p. – Statistics: fig. 28, tables 67 , bibliography 686 . The modern scientific conceptions and approaches of ecological economics and sustainable forestry are presented in the book. The attention is given especially to the possibility of the integration of these concepts towards solving the real ecological and economic problems of mountain territories and its sustainable development. The ways of sustainability of forest sector approaching have been proposed using the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains as a case study. The book will be a useful source for scientists and experts in the field of forest and environmental policies, forest economics and management, as well as for the broad nature conservation publicity. Printed and bound in Ukraine by Omelchenko V. G. LTD Kozelnytska 4, Lviv, Ukraine, phone + 38 0322 98 0380 ISBN 978-966-397-109-0 ЕКОЛОГІЧНА ЕКОНОМІКА ТА МЕНЕДЖМЕНТ СТАЛОГО ЛІСОВОГО ГОСПОДАРСТВА: РОЗВИТОК ТРАНСДИСЦИПЛІНАРНОГО ПІДХОДУ ДО КАРПАТСЬКИХ ГІР За науковою редакцією І.
  • Land-Use, Land-Cover Changes and Biodiversity Loss - Helena Freitas

    Land-Use, Land-Cover Changes and Biodiversity Loss - Helena Freitas

    LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL SCIENCES – Vol. I - Land-Use, Land-Cover Changes and Biodiversity Loss - Helena Freitas LAND-USE, LAND-COVER CHANGES AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS Helena Freitas University of Coimbra, Portugal Keywords: land use; habitat fragmentation; biodiversity loss Contents 1. Introduction 2. Primary Causes of Biodiversity Loss 2.1. Habitat Degradation and Destruction 2.2. Habitat Fragmentation 2.3. Global Climate Change 3. Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation 3.1. General 3.2. The European Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 4. Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary During Earth's history, species extinction has probably been caused by modifications of the physical environment after impacts such as meteorites or volcanic activity. On the contrary, the actual extinction of species is mainly a result of human activities, namely any form of land use that causes the conversion of vast areas to settlement, agriculture, and forestry, resulting in habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, which are among the most important causes of species decline and extinction. The loss of biodiversity is unique among the major anthropogenic changes because it is irreversible. The importance of preserving biodiversity has increased in recent times. The global recognition of the alarming loss of biodiversity and the acceptance of its value resultedUNESCO in the Convention on Biologi – calEOLSS Diversity. In addition, in Europe, the challenge is also the implementation of the European strategy for biodiversity conservation and agricultural policies, though it is increasingly recognized that the strategy is limitedSAMPLE by a lack of basic ecological CHAPTERS information and indicators available to decision makers and end users. We have reached a point where we can save biodiversity only by saving the biosphere.
  • Biogeography, Community Structure and Biological Habitat Types of Subtidal Reefs on the South Island West Coast, New Zealand

    Biogeography, Community Structure and Biological Habitat Types of Subtidal Reefs on the South Island West Coast, New Zealand

    Biogeography, community structure and biological habitat types of subtidal reefs on the South Island West Coast, New Zealand SCIENCE FOR CONSERVATION 281 Biogeography, community structure and biological habitat types of subtidal reefs on the South Island West Coast, New Zealand Nick T. Shears SCIENCE FOR CONSERVATION 281 Published by Science & Technical Publishing Department of Conservation PO Box 10420, The Terrace Wellington 6143, New Zealand Cover: Shallow mixed turfing algal assemblage near Moeraki River, South Westland (2 m depth). Dominant species include Plocamium spp. (yellow-red), Echinothamnium sp. (dark brown), Lophurella hookeriana (green), and Glossophora kunthii (top right). Photo: N.T. Shears Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). Manuscripts are internally and externally peer-reviewed; resulting publications are considered part of the formal international scientific literature. Individual copies are printed, and are also available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Science & technical. © Copyright December 2007, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 1173–2946 (hardcopy) ISSN 1177–9241 (web PDF) ISBN 978–0–478–14354–6 (hardcopy) ISBN 978–0–478–14355–3 (web PDF) This report was prepared for publication by Science & Technical Publishing; editing and layout by Lynette Clelland. Publication was approved by the Chief Scientist (Research, Development & Improvement Division), Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing. When printing, recycled paper is used wherever possible. CONTENTS Abstract 5 1. Introduction 6 2.
  • Energy Development's Impacts on the Wildlife, Landscapes, And

    Energy Development's Impacts on the Wildlife, Landscapes, And

    Losing Ground: Energy Development’s Impacts on the Wildlife, Landscapes, and Hunting Traditions of the American West A Report by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council Barbara Wheeler he iconic game species of the American wildlife are an ecological marker for the health of non- West are in perilous decline, as migratory game species, which are also becoming increasingly T animals lose ground to energy development vulnerable to the effects of energy development. and habitat destruction in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming. Sage-grouse, mule deer, and Bountiful wildlife populations are a major part of the pronghorn are facing decreasing herd sizes and cultures and economies of Montana and Wyoming. downward long-term population trends, which Deteriorations in habitat quality associated with threaten the continued viability of these species in energy development can negatively affect wildlife the coming decades. Of the species considered, only populations and, in turn, impact hunters, wildlife- elk populations are forecast to rebound and stabilize watchers, and the tourism industry as a whole, which brings millions of people and billions of dollars to that additional habitat loss or degradation from the region every year. These impacts justify the need from historic lows, though there is significant concern energy development could stall population growth and for land management reforms and for wide-scale further displace the species. Simultaneously, big game investments in game and non-game wildlife protection Losing Ground Jack Dempsey at state and federal levels to offset the increasing impact on wildlife from energy development. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife A study commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense A study commissioned by the Council analyzes trends in population and hunting National Wildlife Federation and opportunities for mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and the Natural Resources Defense greater sage-grouse.
  • Sustainable Agriculture Whitepaper

    Sustainable Agriculture Whitepaper

    Sustainable Agriculture Whitepaper Jason Bradford and Craig Wichner Local ● Organic ● Sustainable ● Profitable Sustainable Farmland LP April 8, 2009 Jason Bradford, Ph.D. and Craig Wichner May 2009 FarmlandLP.com Sustainable Agriculture Whitepaper Contents 1. Framing the Discussion 2. The Impetus for Change 3. Defining Sustainable Agriculture 4. Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture 5. What A Sustainable Agriculture System Will Look Like Framing the Discussion: Sustainable Agriculture = Sustainable Society Developing a sustainable agriculture is a necessary part of creating a sustainable society. The root of the word sustainable is the verb, to sustain, which means to nourish and prolong. In social and environmental contexts we say something is sustainable when we believe it can persist indefinitely without exhausting resources or causing lasting damage. The actions we take as individuals are at the core of both the problems and the solutions. Just by purchasing conventional goods at your local supermarket, you cause 4 lbs of pesticides to be put into the environment each year. The food supply chain averages of 4200 miles to reach your plate, when it could come from local farms and use a fraction of the transportation fuels. And the 2.6 acres of U.S. farmland (your pro-rata share) have lost 50% of the carbon in the soil since 1907, the equivalent CO2 of burning 90 barrels of oil – on top of your normal carbon emissions. Cumulatively, agriculture impacts our society at a scope and scale that few appreciate, far beyond the initial realms of our food safety, quality, and the local environment. Due to the scale of natural resources required to provide food, fiber and fuel to 6.7 billion people, agriculture requires continued global-scale supplies of fertile land, clean water, fossil fuels, fertilizers, pesticides, and transportation infrastructure.
  • El Dorado County Oak Woodland Management Plan

    El Dorado County Oak Woodland Management Plan

    El Dorado County Oak Woodland Management Plan April 2008 Planning Commission Recommended Version El Dorado County Development Services Department – Planning Services 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667 OAK WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN Table of Contents 1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................1 A. Purpose ....................................................................................................................1 B. Goals and Objectives of Plan...................................................................................2 C. Oak Woodland Habitat in El Dorado County..........................................................3 D. Economic Activity, Land, and Ecosystem Values of Oak Woodlands ...................4 E. California Oak Woodlands Conservation Act .........................................................4 2. Policy 7.4.4.4.................................................................................................................5 A. Applicability and Exemptions.................................................................................5 B. Replacement Objectives ..........................................................................................7 C. Mitigation Option A ................................................................................................7 D. On-Site Mitigation...................................................................................................8 E. Mitigation Option B.................................................................................................9
  • Community Ecology

    Community Ecology

    Schueller 509: Lecture 12 Community ecology 1. The birds of Guam – e.g. of community interactions 2. What is a community? 3. What can we measure about whole communities? An ecology mystery story If birds on Guam are declining due to… • hunting, then bird populations will be larger on military land where hunting is strictly prohibited. • habitat loss, then the amount of land cleared should be negatively correlated with bird numbers. • competition with introduced black drongo birds, then….prediction? • ……. come up with a different hypothesis and matching prediction! $3 million/yr Why not profitable hunting instead? (Worked for the passenger pigeon: “It was the demographic nightmare of overkill and impaired reproduction. If you’re killing a species far faster than they can reproduce, the end is a mathematical certainty.” http://www.audubon.org/magazine/may-june- 2014/why-passenger-pigeon-went-extinct) Community-wide effects of loss of birds Schueller 509: Lecture 12 Community ecology 1. The birds of Guam – e.g. of community interactions 2. What is a community? 3. What can we measure about whole communities? What is an ecological community? Community Ecology • Collection of populations of different species that occupy a given area. What is a community? e.g. Microbial community of one human “YOUR SKIN HARBORS whole swarming civilizations. Your lips are a zoo teeming with well- fed creatures. In your mouth lives a microbiome so dense —that if you decided to name one organism every second (You’re Barbara, You’re Bob, You’re Brenda), you’d likely need fifty lifetimes to name them all.
  • Guidelines for Determining Significance and Report Format and Content Requirements

    Guidelines for Determining Significance and Report Format and Content Requirements

    COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING SIGNIFICANCE AND REPORT FORMAT AND CONTENT REQUIREMENTS BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENT GROUP Department of Planning and Land Use Department of Public Works Fourth Revision September 15, 2010 APPROVAL I hereby certify that these Guidelines for Determining Significance for Biological Resources, Report Format and Content Requirements for Biological Resources, and Report Format and Content Requirements for Resource Management Plans are a part of the County of San Diego, Land Use and Environment Group's Guidelines for Determining Significance and Technical Report Format and Content Requirements and were considered by the Director of Planning and Land Use, in coordination with the Director of Public Works on September 15, 2O1O. ERIC GIBSON Director of Planning and Land Use SNYDER I hereby certify that these Guidelines for Determining Significance for Biological Resources, Report Format and Content Requirements for Biological Resources, and Report Format and Content Requirements for Resource Management Plans are a part of the County of San Diego, Land Use and Environment Group's Guidelines for Determining Significance and Technical Report Format and Content Requirements and have hereby been approved by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) of the Land Use and Environment Group on the fifteenth day of September, 2010. The Director of Planning and Land Use is authorized to approve revisions to these Guidelines for Determining Significance for Biological Resources and Report Format and Content Requirements for Biological Resources and Resource Management Plans except any revisions to the Guidelines for Determining Significance presented in Section 4.0 must be approved by the Deputy CAO.
  • Islands in the Stream 2002: Exploring Underwater Oases

    Islands in the Stream 2002: Exploring Underwater Oases

    Islands in the Stream 2002: Exploring Underwater Oases NOAA: Office of Ocean Exploration Mission Three: SUMMARY Discovery of New Resources with Pharmaceutical Potential (Pharmaceutical Discovery) Exploration of Vision and Bioluminescence in Deep-sea Benthos (Vision and Bioluminescence) Microscopic view of a Pachastrellidae sponge (front) and an example of benthic bioluminescence (back). August 16 - August 31, 2002 Shirley Pomponi, Co-Chief Scientist Tammy Frank, Co-Chief Scientist John Reed, Co-Chief Scientist Edie Widder, Co-Chief Scientist Pharmaceutical Discovery Vision and Bioluminescence Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution ABSTRACT Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI) scientists continued their cutting-edge exploration searching for untapped sources of new drugs, examining the visual physiology of deep-sea benthos and characterizing the habitat in the South Atlantic Bight aboard the R/V Seaward Johnson from August 16-31, 2002. Over a half-dozen new species of sponges were recorded, which may provide scientists with information leading to the development of compounds used to study, treat, or diagnose human diseases. In addition, wondrous examples of bioluminescence and emission spectra were recorded, providing scientists with more data to help them understand how benthic organisms visualize their environment. New and creative Table of Contents ways to outreach and educate the public also Key Findings and Outcomes................................2 Rationale and Objectives ....................................4
  • Implementing Sustainable Forest Management Using Six Concepts In

    Implementing Sustainable Forest Management Using Six Concepts In

    Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 29:79–108, 2010 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1054-9811 print/1540-756X online DOI: 10.1080/10549810903463494 WJSF1054-98111540-756XJournalImplementing of Sustainable Forestry,Forestry Vol. 29, No. 1, January-March 2009: pp. 0–0 Sustainable Forest Management Using Six Concepts in an Adaptive Management Framework ForestB. C. Foster in an etAdaptive al. Management Framework BRYAN C. FOSTER1, DEANE WANG1, WILLIAM S. KEETON1, and MARK S. ASHTON2 1Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA 2School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA Certification and principles, criteria and indicators (PCI) describe desired ends for sustainable forest management (SFM) but do not address potential means to achieve those ends. As a result, forest owners and managers participating in certification and employing PCI as tools to achieving SFM may be doing so inefficiently: achiev- ing results by trial-and-error rather than by targeted management practices; dispersing resources away from priority objectives; and passively monitoring outcomes rather than actively establishing quantitative goals. In this literature review, we propose six con- cepts to guide SFM implementation. These concepts include: Best Management Practices (BMPs)/Reduced Impact Logging (RIL), biodiversity conservation, forest protection, multi-scale planning, participatory forestry, and sustained forest production. We place Downloaded By: [Keeton, W. S.] At: 16:17 8 March 2010 these concepts within an iterative decision-making framework of planning, implementation, and assessment, and provide brief definitions of and practices delimited by each concept. A case study describing SFM in the neo-tropics illustrates a potential application of our six concepts.
  • Quercus ×Coutinhoi Samp. Discovered in Australia Charlie Buttigieg

    Quercus ×Coutinhoi Samp. Discovered in Australia Charlie Buttigieg

    XXX International Oaks The Journal of the International Oak Society …the hybrid oak that time forgot, oak-rod baskets, pros and cons of grafting… Issue No. 25/ 2014 / ISSN 1941-2061 1 International Oaks The Journal of the International Oak Society … the hybrid oak that time forgot, oak-rod baskets, pros and cons of grafting… Issue No. 25/ 2014 / ISSN 1941-2061 International Oak Society Officers and Board of Directors 2012-2015 Officers President Béatrice Chassé (France) Vice-President Charles Snyers d’Attenhoven (Belgium) Secretary Gert Fortgens (The Netherlands) Treasurer James E. Hitz (USA) Board of Directors Editorial Committee Membership Director Chairman Emily Griswold (USA) Béatrice Chassé Tour Director Members Shaun Haddock (France) Roderick Cameron International Oaks Allen Coombes Editor Béatrice Chassé Shaun Haddock Co-Editor Allen Coombes (Mexico) Eike Jablonski (Luxemburg) Oak News & Notes Ryan Russell Editor Ryan Russell (USA) Charles Snyers d’Attenhoven International Editor Roderick Cameron (Uruguay) Website Administrator Charles Snyers d’Attenhoven For contributions to International Oaks contact Béatrice Chassé [email protected] or [email protected] 0033553621353 Les Pouyouleix 24800 St.-Jory-de-Chalais France Author’s guidelines for submissions can be found at http://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/author-guidelines-journal-ios © 2014 International Oak Society Text, figures, and photographs © of individual authors and photographers. Graphic design: Marie-Paule Thuaud / www.lecentrecreatifducoin.com Photos. Cover: Charles Snyers d’Attenhoven (Quercus macrocalyx Hickel & A. Camus); p. 6: Charles Snyers d’Attenhoven (Q. oxyodon Miq.); p. 7: Béatrice Chassé (Q. acerifolia (E.J. Palmer) Stoynoff & W. J. Hess); p. 9: Eike Jablonski (Q. ithaburensis subsp.
  • Nomadic-Colonial Life Strategies Enable Paradoxical Survival and Growth Despite Habitat Destruction Zhi Xuan Tan1, Kang Hao Cheong2*

    Nomadic-Colonial Life Strategies Enable Paradoxical Survival and Growth Despite Habitat Destruction Zhi Xuan Tan1, Kang Hao Cheong2*

    RESEARCH ARTICLE Nomadic-colonial life strategies enable paradoxical survival and growth despite habitat destruction Zhi Xuan Tan1, Kang Hao Cheong2* 1Yale University, New Haven, United States; 2Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore, Singapore Abstract Organisms often exhibit behavioral or phenotypic diversity to improve population fitness in the face of environmental variability. When each behavior or phenotype is individually maladaptive, alternating between these losing strategies can counter-intuitively result in population persistence–an outcome similar to the Parrondo’s paradox. Instead of the capital or history dependence that characterize traditional Parrondo games, most ecological models which exhibit such paradoxical behavior depend on the presence of exogenous environmental variation. Here we present a population model that exhibits Parrondo’s paradox through capital and history- dependent dynamics. Two sub-populations comprise our model: nomads, who live independently without competition or cooperation, and colonists, who engage in competition, cooperation, and long-term habitat destruction. Nomads and colonists may alternate behaviors in response to changes in the colonial habitat. Even when nomadism and colonialism individually lead to extinction, switching between these strategies at the appropriate moments can paradoxically enable both population persistence and long-term growth. Introduction *For correspondence: kanghao.cheong@singaporetech. Behavioral adaptation and phenotypic diversity are evolutionary meta-strategies that can improve edu.sg a population’s fitness in the presence of environmental variability. When behaviors or phenotypes are sufficiently distinct, a population can be understood as consisting of multiple sub-populations, Competing interests: The each following its own strategy. Counter-intuitively, even when each sub-population follows a los- authors declare that no ing strategy that will cause it to go extinct in the long-run, alternating or reallocating organisms competing interests exist.