J. Michael Scott
Hawai‘i: A Window to the Future of Conservation Biology?
Hawai‘i’s endangered species provide opportunities to study the processes of extinction and recovery across the full range of a species ecological and genetic expression. My experiences to date suggest that Hawaiian species provides a window to the future of conservation practice. Species occur in areas small enough to allow ecological studies and implementation of recovery actions at scales that are ecologically relevant and consistent with recovery plan objectives. I will relate my experiences and lessons learned in developing management relevant questions and attempting to share the results of my research with managers and policy makers: the decision makers. I will use the process that led to establishment of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge as an example of a scientist management partnership. I will use Hawaiian birds as examples of how Recovery Management Agreements and Strategic Habitat Conservation to implement conservation actions at ecologically relevant scales that can lead to recovery and de-listing of species even though they are conservation reliant and may require continuous management intervention delisting. The majority of Hawaiian species are conservation reliant.
Dr. J. Michael Scott is a senior scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, a professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho, and a leader with the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Over his career, he has acted as Director for the National Gap Analysis Program, Director for the Condor Research Center in California, as a Research Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and as a Research Biologist for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. His current research involves the examination of the distribution, abundance, and limiting factors on endangered species including multiple species of Hawaiian birds; reserve identification, selection, and design in North America; the use of translocation as a tool for establishing or augmenting animal populations; predicting wildlife species distribution; issues of scale and accuracy; and estimating bird abundance.
Full Bio (PDF, 2 pages)