title: Indicators of success for smart law enforcement in protected areas: A case study for Russian Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) reserves.
abstract: Although considerable conservation resources have been committed to develop and use law enforcement monitoring and management tools such as SMART, measures of success are ill-defined and, to date, few reports detail results post-implementation. Here, we present 4 case studies from protected areas with Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia, in which indicators of success were defined and evaluated at each. The ultimate goal was an increase in tiger numbers to 1 individual/100 km(2) at each site. We predicted that improvements in law enforcement effectiveness would be followed by increases in prey numbers and, subsequently, tiger numbers. We used short-term and long-term indicators of success, including: (i) patrol team effort and effectiveness; (ii) catch per unit effort indicators (to measure reductions in threats); and (iii) changes in target species numbers. In addition to implementing a monitoring system, we focused on improving law enforcement management using an adaptive management process. Over 4 years, we noted clear increases in patrol effort and a partial reduction in threats. Although we did not detect clear trends in ungulate numbers, tiger populations remained stable or increased, suggesting that poaching of tigers may be more limiting than prey depletion. Increased effectiveness is needed before a clear reduction in threats can be noted, and more time is needed before detecting responses in target populations. Nonetheless, delineation of concrete goals and indicators of success provide a means of evaluating progress and weaknesses. Such monitoring should be a central component of law enforcement strategies for protected areas.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Michiel H H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hötte
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Igor A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Kolodin
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Fund, Vladivostok, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Sergei L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bereznuk
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Slaght
authors.affiliation: Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, England.
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Kerley
authors.affiliation: Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik, Primorskii Krai, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Soutyrina
authors.affiliation: Lazovskii State Nature Zapovednik, Primorskii Krai, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Galina P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Salkina
authors.affiliation: Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik, Primorskii Krai, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Olga Y
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Zaumyslova
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Emma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Ecology, Far Eastern Federal University, Ayaks, Russki Island.
authors.forename: Dale G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Miquelle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001188:Artiodactyla; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D056727:Endangered Species; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012426:Russia; D046010:Tigers
keywords: Amur tiger; SMART; adaptive patrol management; anti-poaching; law enforcement monitoring