Extirpation/reintroduction

Niklas Wahlberg niklas.wahlberg at helsinki.fi
Wed May 24 03:39:02 EDT 2000


To add to the list of Bastiaan: 
  Proclossiana eunomia apparently very successfully introduced to
central France (Neve et al 1996, J. Appl. Ecol. 33:14-22). 
  The sad case of Pseudophilotes baton in Finland (Marttila et al 1997,
Ann. Zool. Fenn. 34:177-185), which failed last year because there was
in effect only one habitat patch.
  An experimental introduction of Melitaea cinxia to an empty network of
17 habitat patches has been successful (has persisted for 8 years)
(Hanski 1999, Metapopulation Ecology).
  Reintroductions are being planned in Finland for several insect
species, though I have to say that I am a bit sceptical of their
success. If an insect species has gone extinct from a certain region, it
usually means that there is not enough habitat available. Recreating
enough habitat would mean lots of bucks, which those doing the
introductions don't usually have. If resources are limited the priority
should be in conserving existing populations rather than mainly wasting
money on unsuccessful reintroductions.

Cheers,
Niklas

> Bastiaan Notebaert wrote:
> 
> Maes & Van Dyck * (p. 427 - 431) have also a chapter on
> reintroduction. First of all, there is a difference between local
> introduction and introduction: in the first case the species is not
> extinct in the entire country but only in a part of the country (where
> it is reintroduced).
> Before considering reintroduction there are six neitems which need
> verification (according to Maes & Van Dyck):
> 1. the reintroduction has to contribute to regional or international
> preservation of the species
> 2. the species had a population in the habitat and was extirpated by
> humans
> 3. the demands on specific habitats for the species are known and a
> conservation plan can ensure that these demands will be there in
> future; there have to be also several other suitable habitats in the
> area to allow the species to expand (metapopulation)
> 4. you know why the species disappeared and these causes aren't any
> more present
> 5. it should be possible to make the habitat suitable
> 6. before reintroduction there has to be scientific research on the
> ecology of the species; after reintroduction you should follow the
> species during several years; before you start the reintroduction you
> should have enough money to ensure the scientific background for the
> reintroduction
> 
> In Europe England has the longest introduction past: more than 1000
> known cases! Mostly they weren't successful because they where not
> enough prepared and executed by private persons.Known cases of
> successful introduction in Great Britain are:
> - Moore & Pullin 1997: Carterocephalus palaemon
> - Thomas JA 1974: Satyrium pruni
> - Thomas JA 1987: Maculinea arion
> - Thomas CD 1985: Plebeius argus
> - Warren 1992: Melitaea athalia
> and not successfully were the well prepared cases off  Lycaena dispar
> and Iphiclides podalirius.
> In Holland Maculinea teleius and Maculinea nausithous was reintroduced
> in 1990 in Noord-Brabant with success and also private introductions
> had success: Errynis tages and Carcharodus alceae. More recent the
> reintroduction of Boloria selene and Melitaea athalia was good
> prepared, and the first results are good.
> In Flanders (North-Belgium) there were no official reintroductions so
> far, but the introduction of 5 species is being considered, among them
> Maculinea teleius which was introduced in a nearby area in Holland.For
> local reintroduction five other species qualify. In the past there
> were at least three species introduced by private persons. In Walloon
> (South-Belgium) Euphydryas aurinia was reintroduced in 1994, and the
> first results are hopeful.
> 
> Bastiaan Notebaert
> http://www.geocities.com/notebas
> 
> *: Maes D. & Van Dyck H., 1999, Dagvlinders in Vlaanderen - Ecologie,
> verspreiding en behoud; Stichting leefmilieu/Antwerpen i.s.m.
> Instituut voor natuurbehoud en Vlaamse Vlinderwerkgroep/Brussel.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX <Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca>
> To: 'lepsl' <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 5:36 PM
> Subject: Extirpation/reintroduction
> 
> > With larger animals there are examples where time and money has
> been/is
> > being spent to reintroduce species to parts of their range where
> they have
> > been extirpated in the past.  A present day example is the Swift Fox
> on the
> > Canadian prairie (well, whats left of it anyway).  I seem to even
> vaguely
> > recall some efforts along these lines with the Karner Blue.  I would
> welcome
> > information on this topic for butterflies; and especially any good
> news
> > examples where this has been successful.
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Norbert Kondla  P.Biol., RPBio.
> > Forest Ecosystem Specialist, Ministry of Environment
> > 845 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, British Columbia V1N 1H3
> > Phone 250-365-8610
> > Mailto:Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca
> > http://www.env.gov.bc.ca
> >
> >

-- 
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   Niklas Wahlberg                          
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