Carl Jones (biologist)

Professor Carl G. Jones, MBE (born 20 July 1954) is a Welsh conservation biologist, who has been employed by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust since 1985, and a founding member and current scientific director of Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF).^[1] Additionally he is an International Conservation fellow at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,^[2] and an honorary professor in ecology and conservation biology at the University of East Anglia.^[3] Often outspoken on the importance of intuition and practical knowledge over dogmatic education, Jones is best known for his work in recovering the Mauritius kestrel from just four individuals in 1974, to an estimated 1,000 in 2005.^[4] Working in the Mascarene Islands since 1979, Jones has led five successful bird restoration projects where the starting population has numbered less than 12 individuals, pioneered the use of analogue species to fill the ecological roles of extinct animals ^[5] and successfully restored levels of endemic vegetation to previously denuded islets. Jones' work has been highlighted in Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine's 1990 radio documentary Last Chance to See, along with its accompanying book,^[6] as well as David Quammen's 1996 book The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions. Jones cites David Lack as a major inspiration and unsung hero in his field.

Early life

Jones was born in Carmarthen, Wales in 1954. During his youth he was fascinated with animals, and bred kestrels in his back yard.^[7] He credits both his initial excitement and subsequent success in restoring the Mauritius kestrel to the experience gathered during this time. Speaking of his decision to pursue conservation as a career, Jones has stated: "I have always known what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I wanted to work with wildlife, to visit remote areas and to contribute to the conservation of the most endangered species. But dreaming is not enough and I realised that I needed some higher qualifications."^[8]

University of Wales

Jones began his master's degree at University of Wales, Swansea, in 1978. Initially studying developmental strategies in owls, the opportunity to run the conservation project in Mauritius saw him change the title of his research to "Studies on the Biology of the Critically Endangered Birds of Mauritius".^[8] From these studies he began to formulate a strategy to conserve the most endangered avifauna in his project region. After completing his MSc, he completed a PhD, also at Swansea, studying the pink pigeon.

Mauritius and Mascarene Islands

Jones first visited the Black River Gorges National Park in 1979, whilst working for Birdlife International. Upon arrival, Jones focus was the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus), which was considered the world's rarest bird at that time, with a population of just four individuals of which only one pair were capable of breeding.^[9] Despite the prevailing opinions that F. punctatus was doomed to extinction, he took over the recovery project that had been initiated in 1973 ^[10] and began to implement captive breeding techniques such as "double-clutching" to increase fecundity of breeding pairs, along with dietary supplementation for parents, cross-fostering and hacking to ensure maximum recruitment of juvenile birds. Within a year of arrival, 333 Mauritius kestrels had been reared, with most returned to the wild. The Mauritius kestrel has subsequently been down-listed from critically endangered in the late 1970s, to endangered in 1994 and vulnerable on the IUCN Red List by 2000 ^[4]

During the 1970s, the Mauritius parakeet (Psittacula echo), the only parrot species endemic to Mauritius and the Mascarenes, had suffered huge losses due to competing invasive species of parrot, predation from introduced mammals and loss of native trees in which to nest. By the early 1980s there were thought to be around 10 Mauritius parakeets left, with precious little recruitment throughout the decade. Whilst speaking at a 1990 captive breeding conference, Jones told assorted delegates that the "echo parakeet" had a perilously low population and would likely become extinct, not for lack of expertise, but because attempts at gaining funding for the necessary actions had been fruitless. Mike Reynolds of the Parrot Trust approached Jones after the presentation, and the resultant collaboration brought much needed funds and veterinary expertise to the assistance of the species restoration project.^[11] Under Jones' guidance, nest boxes were placed in the local areas, treatments to dissuade botfly from the nest and supplementary feeding for breeding pairs were introduced, and by 2005 139 birds had been released. By 2012, there was a known population of 580 birds, and the species had officially been downgraded from critically endangered to endangered in 2007.^[12]

Further species restoration work was undertaken with the pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri), of which the population had declined to just 10 individuals by 1990.^[13] Population estimates of 446 birds in six subpopulations (five in the national park and one on Ile aux Aigrettes) in 2010 are largely considered to have resulted from Jones' leadership in the intervention, following similar methods to the Mauritius kestrel project.^[14]

Restoration of island ecosystems

As well many successes with bird species, Jones has been instrumental in restoring the vegetation of Mascarene islands and islets that had been left denuded and barren by decades of exposure to invasive non-native mammals, such as goats, mongooses, shrews, cats and rats. Recognising that the native, endemic reptiles – some of which having already become extinct – were important ecological components, as well as evolutionarily distinct animals unlike any found elsewhere, Jones and the late Gerald Durrell initiated a large scale effort to replace entire eco-systems, beginning with removing alien invasive species from Round Island.^[15]

By the 2000s, restoration of the orange-tailed skink (Gongylomorphus sp.) on various islets allowed the reintroduction of the larger Round Island skink (known as Telfair's skink), which was known to disperse the seeds of an important, endangered aloe plant (Lomataphyllum tormentori), as well as preying on the smaller Gongylomorphus skinks. In order to prevent the larger Telfair's skink population exceeding carrying capacity the Round Island keel-scaled boa – itself the subject of an intensive captive breeding effort at Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust – was eventually reintroduced to the ecosystems as an apex predator.^[16] By 2012, 20,000 new L. tormentorii plants were reported to be growing on the once barren slopes of Round Island.^[17]

Noting the absence of large grazers and browsers since the extinction of domed Mauritias giant tortoise (Cylindraspis triserrata) and saddleback Maritius giant tortoise (and similar species previously native to Réunion) had negatively impacted local forests, causing a loss of native trees, Jones and several colleagues from Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) began to introduce the Aldabra giant tortoise from the nearby Seychelles archipelago as ecological replacements.^[18] Compared to mammalian herbivores, giant tortoises show an aversion to the heterophyllous nature of juvenile endemic plants – a possible convergence in evolution allowing for the co-existence of tortoises and abundant flora in the islands.^[19] Several endemic tree species (most notably a variety of ebony) including Latania loddigesii, Pandanus vandermeerschii and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis have made strong recoveries under Jones' tenure.

Advocation of ecological replacements

Jones is a vocal advocate of rewilding and the use of analogue species as replacements for extinct ecosystem components. In his lectures, Jones often cites the peregrine falcon conservation programme, whereby the extirpated eastern subspecies Falco peregrinus anatum was replaced by a hybrid of related subspecies, but became almost morphologically identical to the original birds, as a result of selection pressures imparted by the habitat.^[20] He has identified that every Indian Ocean island once had its own endemic flightless rail, and believes that the Guam rail is a viable substitute that could be used to initiate rewilding of these missing birds.^[21]

Jones has controversially requested several Galapagos giant tortoise, to be introduced in the Mascarenes as further replacement of the extinct giant tortoise species. At present his request remains unanswered.^[22]

Association with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

In collaboration with Gerald Durrell, in 1979 Jones established a wildlife sanctuary on Ile aux Aigrettes – a Mascarene island with an area of 26 ha situated some 850 m off the south east coast in the Mahebourg Bay, which has undergone long periods without human habitation. Several pairs of Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon and echo parakeet were brought into ex-situ captive breeding programmes at Durrell Wildlife Park (then Jersey Zoo) under Jones' supervision. He officially came into the employ of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) in 1985, and continues to oversee the Trust's efforts in the Mascarenes as a conservation fellow and adviser. He regularly lectures and teaches practical skills to students at Durrell Conservation Academy (formerly the International Training Centre), where his classes are prized for their humorous delivery and demonstrable field knowledge.^[23]

Jones has also taught students in St Lucia, Jersey, Galapagos, Guam, Fiji and the United States.

Indianapolis Prize nominations

Jones has twice been nominated for the Indianapolis Prize, narrowly missing first prize in 2012's ceremonies (ultimately won by Dr. Steven Amstrup for his lifelong work with bears). Jones has once again nominated (by Lee Durrell) for the Lilly Medal and the increased, unrestricted $250,000 cash reward, to be presented in September 2014. His co-nominees include high profile conservationists such as primatologist Jane Goodall and Joel Berger of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

References

External links

• http://www.mauritian-wildlife.org/application/index.php?tpid=2&tcid=16
• http://www.durrell.org/latest/news/new-year-honours-for-carl-jones/
• http://www.durrell.org/latest/news/durrells-carl-jones-nominated-for-the-2012-indianapolis-prize/