conservation programs responding to the expectations and challenges of joint venture implementation...

Conservation Programs

Responding to the Expectations and Challenges of Joint Venture Implementation

Science & Technology

Swainson’s WarblerProthonotary Warbler

Hooded WarblerWood Thrush

Acadian Flycatcher

Patch Size Model: A = (N * D) + B

A = Area of forest required to support a source populationN = Desired number of breeding pairsD = Density of breeding birds (pairs / area)B = Area of a 1-km wide forested buffer around the core

(N*D)

ArkansasIllinoisKentucky LouisianaMississippiMissouriTennessee

Totals

902

191461

1111

15611

3007201

51 36 13

Source Population Objectives

State 10K 20K 100K

EfficientEffective

Biologically

LandscapesThat Sustain

Populations Of Priority Species At Prescribed

Levels




Acadian Flycatcher



(N*D)


Totals

902

191461

1111

15611

3007201

51 36 13


State 10K 20K 100K


Improving the Biological Efficiency and Effectiveness of our Conservation Actions




Levels


WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

HOW MUCH

HOW MUCH MORE






Levels

WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

HOW MUCH

HOW MUCH MORE



Science & TechnologyConservation Enterprise

– – Planning–Planning–

– – Implementation Implementation ––

– – Monitoring Monitoring ––

– – Evaluation Evaluation ––

–– Research Research ––

Function As An Iterative Whole

Target: Landscapes That Sustain Populations Of Priority Species At Prescribed Levels


Forest patches should be of sufficient size to support source populations.

- How should birds be buffered from predation/parasitism?- What constitutes a source population?- What density do birds occur within the habitat?

Fragmentation

Land Conversion Nest Predation

Nest Parasitism

Swainson’s WarblerCerulean WarblerSwallow-tailed KiteProthonotary WarblerNorthern ParulaHooded WarblerKentucky WarblerYellow-billed CuckooWood ThrushLouisiana WaterthrushAcadian FlycatcherEastern Wood-peweeYellow-throated VireoYellow-throated WarblerBlue-gray GnatcatcherSummer TanagerRed-eyed VireoAmerican RedstartBroad-winged HawkPileated WoodpeckerCooper’s HawkWhite-breasted Nuthatch

PRIORITY SPECIES




A = Area of forest required to support a source population

N = Desired number of breeding pairsD = Density of breeding birds (pairs / area)B = Area of a 1-km wide non-hostile buffer

around the core (N*D)

Swainson’s WarblerCerulean WarblerSwallow-tailed KiteProthonotary WarblerNorthern ParulaHooded WarblerKentucky WarblerYellow-billed CuckooWood ThrushLouisiana WaterthrushAcadian FlycatcherEastern Wood-peweeYellow-throated VireoYellow-throated WarblerBlue-gray GnatcatcherSummer TanagerRed-eyed VireoAmerican RedstartBroad-winged HawkPileated WoodpeckerCooper’s HawkWhite-breasted Nuthatch

PRIORITY SPECIESForest patches should be of sufficient size to support

source populations.


Forest patches should be of sufficient size to support source populations.



Northern ParulaHooded Warbler

Wood ThrushAcadian Flycatcher

Blue-gray GnatcatcherRed-eyed Vireo

American Redstart

Cerulean WarblerKentucky WarblerSummer Tanager

Yellow-billed CuckooLouisiana WaterthrustEastern Wood-PeweeYellow-throated Vireo

Yellow-throated WarblerGreat Crested Flycatcher

Scarlet TanagerWhite-breasted Nuthatch

Swallow-tailed KiteRed-shouldered HawkBroad-winged HawkPileated Woodpecker

Cooper’s Hawk

Ecological Suites


A = Area of forest required to support a source population

N = Desired number of breeding pairsD = Density of breeding birds (pairs / area)B = Area of a 1-km wide non-hostile buffer

around the core (N*D)


Forest Blocks ≥ 10,000ac



500 Pairs

500 Pairs

~80 Pairs

Source PopulationHabitat Requirements

Ecological SuitesSwainson’s Warbler

Prothonotary WarblerNorthern ParulaHooded Warbler



American Redstart






Cooper’s Hawk

MAV Ecoregional Habitat Characterization Forest Breeding Birds

Forest Core


BLH Forest based on 1992 Thematic Mappersatellite Imagery.

Patch size values from Twedt and Loesch 1999.

Bottomland ForestPatch Size Number5-2,500 ac 38,0472,500-10,000 ac 15910,000-20,000 ac 5520,000-100,000 ac 37>100,000 ac 6

Assessment of Landscape Conditions


Predation & Brood Parasitism

99% of Forest Fragments Unable to Sustain Source Populations of Species of

Concern


BLH Forest based on 1992 Thematic Mappersatellite Imagery.

Patch size values from Twedt and Loesch 1999.

Bottomland ForestPatch Size Number5-2,500 ac 38,0472,500-10,000 ac 15910,000-20,000 ac 5520,000-100,000 ac 37>100,000 ac 6

Assessment of Landscape Conditions

Source Population

Objectives




Totals

902

1914

61

1111

15611

3007201

51 36 13

State 10K 20K 100K






Northern ParulaHooded Warbler



American Redstart


Cooper’s Hawk




Levels


WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

HOW MUCH

HOW MUCH MORE





WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

HOW MUCH

HOW MUCH MORE


RESTORATION

PROTECTION

MANAGEMENT

Federal State Private


Habitat

Natural Flood Storage Water-Quality

Use Science and Technology to Development

Restoration Decision Support Models

Improving the Biological Efficiency and Effectiveness of Conservation Actions: RESTORATION

MAV Forest Breeding Bird Reforestation Decision Support Model


Yellow-billed CuckooEastern Wood-Pewee

Forest Blocks 8,000ha



Acadian Flycatcher

Forest Blocks 4,000ha


Cooper’s Hawk

Forest Blocks

40,000ha

Higher

RestorationDSM

Reforestation Decision Support Model for Forest Breeding Birds

State Wildlife Management Areas National Wildlife Refuges

Top 10%

Top 20%

Top 40%

Top 30%

Top 50%

Reforestation Decision Support Model for Forest Breeding Birds

50

10

30

% G

ain

in

Co

re H

abit

at

0

20

40

Reforestation Priority10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LowestPriority

HighestPriority

Using Decision Support Models to Optimize Biological Efficiency

50

10

30

% G

ain

in

Co

re H

abit

at

0

20

40

Reforestation Priority10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LowestPriority

HighestPriority

■

■■

■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Core established in top 10% priorities

Core established in top 50% priorities

Core established randomly

Relationship between core habitat and reforestation priority percentiles when 1.5 million acres are randomly

restored.

Using Decision Support Models to Optimize Biological Efficiency

TexasUS

Forest Service

TennesseeKentucky

Wildlife Mgt Institute

The Nature Conservancy

US Geological Survey

Ducks Unlimited MississippiArkansas

US Fish & Wildlife

Louisiana Oklahoma

The Conservation

Fund

Missouri

REFORESTATION PRIORITY BANDS

% CORE GAIN (w/ equal reforested area)

WRP POINT VALUES

Top 10 47.38% 400

20 14.01% 120

30 11.09% 95

40 7.83% 70

50 5.36% 50

60 4.52% 40

70 3.80% 35

80 3.08% 30

90 2.53% 25

100 percentile 2.45% 20

FWS Refuges

State WMAs

Wetland Reserve Program

DU MARSH Program

FWS Partners for Wildlife

NAWCA

Carbon Sequestration

Coordinated, Partner-driven Delivery

National Wildlife Refuge

State Wildlife

Mgt Area


Ducks Unlimited Easement

Assessing Conservation Status - Protection

CORE

EXTANTFOREST

Conservation Status of the

Forest Breeding Bird Landscape

PROTECTED

UNPROTECTED

FEDERAL

STATE

PVT EASEMENT

Per

cen

t

100

0

100

0

AR IL LA MS MO TN MAVKY

320 2 1,227 326 10 30 1,916>.1

2,358 18 3,475 1,645 240 185 7,96948 Total AcresX 1000

Per

cen

t

Improving the Biological Efficiency and Effectiveness of Conservation Actions: PROTECTION

National Wildlife Refuge

State Wildlife

Mgt Area


Ducks Unlimited Easement

“Forest Protection”Decision Support Model

• Protect Remaining Core?• Protect Forest Buffer?• Protect Extant Forest in

Close Proximity to Core?

Assessing Conservation Status - Management

?Forest Inventory Analysis

(FIA)

Forest Management Tracking System


Realizing the Expectations and Challenges of Joint Venture Implementation




Acadian Flycatcher



(N*D)


Totals

902

191461

1111

15611

3007201

51 36 13


State 10K 20K 100K

EfficientEffective


Realizing the Expectations and Challenges of Joint Venture Implementation

EfficientEffective

WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

HOW MUCH

HOW MUCH MORE

Habitat Monitoring Databases

Waterfowl Shorebirds Songbirds

Water Mgmt Units-Spatial locations-Tabular attributes

Forest Mgmt Units-Mgmt w/in units-Cruz data-Demonic disturbance

-Fire-Ice-Storm

Mgmt w/in Units-Tracking Mgmt-Monitoring Plant Response (% cover) Productivity (lbs/ac)

Reforestation-Spatial locations-Tabular attributes

Water Mgmt Units-Spatial locations-Tabular attributes

Satellite Imagery-Performance-Compliance

Reforestation: the re-establishment of a forested land use on areas that were previously converted from a forested to non-forested land use

e-RTS Internet-accessible data entry and query application Data is “housed” in a relational database Designed to serve as a central repository for

reforestation data Managed and served by the LMV Joint Venture Office

as a service to Joint Venture partners

The LMVJV Reforestation Tracking System

Reforestation is a common LMVJV partner conservation action that is inherently spatial and temporal

Document the collective contributions of multiple programs / organizations to meet landscape goals and objectives

To assess partnership progress and inform adaptive approach to conservation, need to know

Where was it done? How much was done? How was it done? Where are the high priority places?

e-RTS: Example of a value-added service required to achieve NABCI goal: “regionally based, biologically driven, landscape-oriented” conservation

Spring 2004 MBM Notebook: Revised LMVJV Business Model, pg 4

Why an LMVJV Reforestation Tracking System?


Partner Landholdings

Assess and inform the collective contributions to LMVJV landscape goals both spatially and temporally

Forest Core

Forest


Assess and inform the protection and management of “core” habitat for area-sensitive wildlife


Higher

Lower

Ref

ores

tati

on

Pri

orit

ies

Forest Property Boundaries

Assess and inform the restoration of the most environmentally sensitive portions of the landscape

e-RTS takes advantage of two information technologies to help track a common conservation practice comprehensively and efficiently

The relational database design The Internet

A relational database is good for Efficient storage of data Efficient access to “answers” that can be gleaned from

specific questions (e. g., queries) Efficient data maintenance

Internet applications for data entry and access are good for

Efficient entry of data Maintenance of data quality during data entry Maintenance of data standards User-friendly data access

Why this kind of Reforestation Tracking System?

Beneficial Results Comprehensive data set: Foresters chose the set of

tracked parameters Common set of parameters: Foresters chose data

standards Improve landscape planning, assessment, and

evaluative research Centralized: Reduce individual organization’s costs for

hardware, software and personnel to design, build, and maintain system

Efficient / Convenient: Reduce data entry time and speed access to data summaries Reduce program costs Increase use of data for land management decisions

Why this kind of Reforestation Tracking System?

Data entry system Guides user through data entry process Prevents common data entry errors Increases data entry speed Insures standardization of data Improves data quality Facilitates data updates Improves data accessibility

Data entry via e-RTS web interface

What has it taken to get us where we are now?

Skilled Personnel

Provided By

Task

Forestry experts Partners

Identified tracking parameters and data standardsBuilt short-term Access solutionDemonstrated this solution at Spring 2000 MBMRecognized opportunity to better use technology

IT experts Partners Initialized relational database design

Database designer & developer Office

Built the data tables, based on input from foresters, and “wired” the relationships between the tables

Web application programmer Office Programmed functionality and data

management into e-RTS web interface

Forestry experts Partners Beta-tested web application and approved e-RTS

Management Board Representatives Partners Designate individuals responsible for data

entry and data quality by each partner

conservation programs responding to the expectations and challenges of joint venture implementation...

Documents