West Gulf Coastal Plain/OuachitasOpen Pine Landbird Plan

Eric Baka, Louisiana Dept. Of Wildlife & Fisheries WGCPO Landbird WG, Open Pine Chair

Report to the Interim Steering Committee

Biological Planning Unit

Priority Species

Population Objectives

Limiting Factors

Species/Habitat Models

Landscape/Habitat Assessment

Assessment of Conservation Estate

Decision Support Tools

Habitat Objectives

Integrate Multiple Species Objectives

Conservation Treatments

Program Objectives

Conservation Tracking System

Habitat Inventory and Monitoring Program

Population Monitoring Program

Species/Habitat Model Assumptions

Conservation Treatment Assumptions

Keyfactor/Sensitivity Analyses

Spatial Data Analyses

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USSCP NAWP NBCI

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Mississippi Alluvial Valley Bird Conservation Region West Gulf Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region

LMVJV Operational Compass: Habitat Conservation To Sustain Bird Populations Through Science, Technology and Partnerships

SHC Element Sub-element/Product NAWMP PIF USSCP NAWP NBCI NAWMP PIF

Biological Planning Unit

Priority Species

Population Objectives

Limiting Factors

Species/Habitat Models

Landscape/Habitat Assessment

Assessment of Conservation Estate

Decision Support Tools

Habitat Objectives

Integrate Multiple Species Objectives

Conservation Treatments

Program Objectives

Conservation Tracking System

Habitat Inventory and Monitoring Program

Population Monitoring Program

Species/Habitat Model Assumptions

Conservation Treatment Assumptions

Keyfactor/Sensitivity Analyses

Spatial Data Analyses

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Des

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PIF USSCP NAWP NBCI

Bio

log

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Pla

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West Gulf Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region

LMVJV Operational Compass: Habitat Conservation To Sustain Bird Populations Through Science, Technology and Partnerships

SHC Element Sub-element/Product NAWMP

Biological Planning Unit

Priority Species

Population Objectives

Limiting Factors

Species/Habitat Models

Landscape/Habitat Assessment

Assessment of Conservation Estate

Decision Support Tools

Habitat Objectives

Integrate Multiple Species Objectives

Conservation Treatments

Program Objectives

Conservation Tracking System

Habitat Inventory and Monitoring Program

Population Monitoring Program

Species/Habitat Model Assumptions

Conservation Treatment Assumptions

Keyfactor/Sensitivity Analyses

Spatial Data Analyses

Co

nse

rvat

ion

Des

ign

Del

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y (A

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PIF USSCP NAWP NBCI

Bio

log

ical

Pla

nn

ing

West Gulf Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region

LMVJV Operational Compass: Habitat Conservation To Sustain Bird Populations Through Science, Technology and Partnerships

SHC Element Sub-element/Product NAWMP

Biological Planning Unit

Priority Species

Population Objectives

Limiting Factors

Species/Habitat Models

Landscape/Habitat Assessment

Assessment of Conservation Estate

Decision Support Tools

Habitat Objectives

Integrate Multiple Species Objectives

Conservation Treatments

Program Objectives

Conservation Tracking System

Habitat Inventory and Monitoring Program

Population Monitoring Program

Species/Habitat Model Assumptions

Conservation Treatment Assumptions

Keyfactor/Sensitivity Analyses

Spatial Data Analyses

Del

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y (A

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Tall Grassland

Bio

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PIF

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Des

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Open Pine BHW Riparian Mixed Pine/Hwd

Pne Old Field

LMVJV Operational Compass: Habitat Conservation To Sustain Bird Populations Through Science, Technology and Partnerships

SHC Element Sub-element/Product NAWMP

Biological Planning & Design

WHAT does “good” habitat look like?– Guild specific answers for landbirds

HOW MUCH is needed to achieve objective?

– What IS the objective… HOW MANY?

WHERE do we need to put all this “good” habitat?

– Anywhere?

Why go to all the trouble??

Development of the Plan

WGCP/O JV tasked with stepping down the PIF landbird objectives for the BCR

Further focusing population objectives to habitats within the ecoregion

Where to start?

Development of the Plan

2003 Draft WGCP PIF Plan

National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative

N.A. Landbird Conservation Plan (PIF)

USFWS Birds of Conservation Concern

RCWO Recovery Plan

State Wildlife Action Plans

Synthesis of Existing Information

Primary Literature

WGCPO Landbird Working Group

Development of the Plan

WGCPO Landbird Working Group

Development of the Plan

Minden, LA

Rick EvansConservation Ed. Center, AR

Woodworth, LA

Three Workshops

Numerous conference calls and email exchanges

WGCPO Landbird Working Group

Habitat Objective

Existing Habitat

Population ObjectivePopulation Objective

Current Population

Umbrella Species

Information/DataInformation/Data

Clearly ArticulatedRationale & Assumptions

Open Pine Plan – Basic Elements

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Open Pine Habitat - Defined

“Forest that is greater than 80 percent pine, with canopy cover between 25 and 60%.”

Priority Species

Develop a list of species of conservation concern beginning with the 2003 PIF landbird plan for WGCP/O ecoregion

Present a clear rationale for inclusion or removal as a priority species

Further focus priority species to manageable size to track results of management actions (Umbrella Species)

Began with 2003 Draft PIF Plan List

Remove species NOT in any SWAP GCN List

Remove species for which Open Pine is NOT their primary habitat

Return wild turkey to the list: high public profile, potential to facilitate conservation action for other priorities

Priority Species

Umbrella Species

Umbrella SpeciesTable 2. Key limiting habitat characteristics of 4 umbrella species, northern bobwhite (NOBO), red-cockaded woodpecker (RCWO), brown-headed nuthatch (BHNU), and Bachman’s sparrow (BACS) in open pine habitats in the West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Bird Conservation Region.

Habitat Factor NOBO RCWO BHNU BACS

Large patch size (>230 ha [>585 ac]) X X

Low pine basal area (<20 m2/ha [<90 ft2/ac]) X X

Low hardwood basal area (<5 m2/ha [<20 ft2/ac]) X X X

Low canopy cover (<60%) X X X

Dense herbaceous ground cover X X

Short distance (<3 km [<1.9 mi]) to nearest patch (connectivity)

X X X

High snag density (>40 snags/ha [16.2 snags/acre)) X

Large diameter (>35 cm [>14 inch] dbh) pines X X

Red-Cockaded WP Objectives Simply adopted RCWO Recovery Plan 2nd Revision

objectives

Northern Bobwhite Objectives Attempted to incorporate NBCI objectives

Nature of Biologists Rating Index proved problematic in developing a truly ecoregional set of objectives (High BRI limited to AR & LA)

Development of Pop. Objectives

Short-term: stabilize population trend as indexed by change in BBS abundance over the past 5 years

Medium-term: return populations to baseline levels of the 1980’s

Long-term: return populations to baseline levels of 1968

Three Time Horizons

BACS, BHNU, NOBO

Development of Pop. ObjectivesShort-term

Objective

Reverse the negative 5-year trend

Development of Habitat ObjectivesMedium- and Long-term Objectives

Bringing It All Together

Developed a draft open pine habitat plan Identifies habitat objectives for 4

umbrella species Details management actions that

enhance and maintain open pine habitat for each

Recommended monitoring protocols (BBS routes w/distance sampling, RCWO demographic monitoring)

Solicit final comments from WGCP/O management board

Looking Ahead

Return final comments by September 1, 2011

Moving ahead with Bottomland Hardwood & Riparian landbird planning

Moving ahead with early successional pine planning

Request partner representatives for these planning efforts (not necessarily the same people)