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Island differences in population size structure and catch per unit effort and their conservation implications for Komodo dragons
journal contribution
posted on 2007-03-01, 00:00 authored by Tim Jessop, Thomas MadsenThomas Madsen, C Ciofi, M Jeri Imansyah, D Purwandana, H Rudiharto, A Arifiandy, J A PhillipsSpecies inhabiting archipelagos are often characterised by high levels of interpopulation divergence (e.g. size related traits). This divergence may, in turn, influence their life-history. To facilitate better management and conservation of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), an island endemic, we identified demographic differences between two island populations in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Comparison of data collected from dragon populations inhabiting Rinca Island and the much smaller Gili Motang Island indicated that between 1994 and 2004, the Komodo dragon population on Gili Motang significantly decreased its: (1) mean body mass, (2) body condition and (3) relative abundance. These results suggest that the numerically small Gili Motang population was oscillating downwards; in contrast, the Rinca Island populati on had been relatively stable. More importantly these results emphasize the necessity for managers of this priority conservation species to understand further the inherent functional differences among dragon populations to develop island specific management units. Current management practices (e.g. monitoring) instigated by Komodo National Park management ignore small island dragon populations and thus run the risk of being unable to detect adverse effects for populations that are potentially most prone to decline.
History
Journal
Biological conservationVolume
135Issue
2Pagination
247 - 255Publisher
ElsevierLocation
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsPublisher DOI
ISSN
0006-3207Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2006, Elsevier Ltd.Usage metrics
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Varanus komodoensisKomodo dragonPopulation divergenceScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiodiversity ConservationEcologyEnvironmental SciencesBiodiversity & ConservationEnvironmental Sciences & Ecologyislands population divergenceconservation implicationsEXTINCTION RISKBODY-SIZEINBREEDING DEPRESSIONTROPICAL AUSTRALIADYNAMICSRATESBIOLOGYFECUNDITYSELECTIONRAINFALL
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