Wildlife Conservation Prioritization &

Transcription

1 Wildlife Conservation Prioritization & Recovery (WCPR) An Approach to Identify Monitoring Needs Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Habitat & Species Conservation -Terrestrial Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section

2 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal species

3 Comprehensive Resource Management Approach Objective Based Vegetation Management (OBVM) Restoration Coordination Wildlife Conservation Prioritization & Recovery (WCPR) =

4 OBVM Objective Based Vegetation Management Natural Community approach Map NCs Set Desired Future Conditions Apply mgmt Measure progress

5 Restoration Coordination Exotic control Hydrology restoration Ground cover restoration Apply mgmt Measure success

6 Wildlife Response to Management If we build it, will they come? Are some areas more critical? Necessary protective measures? Does =?

7 Wildlife Response to Management Assumption: good habitat = good wildlife Test assumption by monitoring (but we can t count everything). Identify best species (indicators) to monitor to test assumption; opportunistically monitor others to verify continued presence.

8 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery Program Goal provide assessment and recovery planning support for the WMA system to enhance management for focal and listed species

9 Why? WCPR Division of Habitat and Species Conservation Strategic Plan demonstrate optimal wildlife habitat conservation on FWC managed lands develop science based performance measures to evaluate management (requires monitoring) recover imperiled species prevent future imperilment of declining species Florida Forever focus on imperiled species and need for measurable objectives

10 WCPR Program Strategies Provide information on focal & listed species Help prioritize what we do for non-game species Provide monitoring infrastructure Area-specific workshops that result in mgmt strategies with monitoring Ensure the actions we take are part of statewide conservation programs/priorities

11 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery Multi-Level Approach Statewide Regional Area-specific Allows area level l focus, within coordinated statewide conservation efforts

12 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery Statewide Assessment 60 Focal Species, 1 group (wading birds) Potential Habitat Maps Population Viability Analysis

13 Statewide Level : Potential Habitat Maps Not necessarily occupied No measure of quality

14 Statewide Level : Population Viability Analysis (PVA) 1 ne Probability of Decli All Potential Habitat Managed Habitat Only 5% Reduction in Stage 3 Survival 5% Reduction in Stage 3 Fecundity 10% Reduction in K Percent Decline in Abundance

15 Statewide Level : Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

16 Regional Level : Framing the Area s Role In Conservation

17 Regional Level : Framing the Area s Role In Conservation

18 WCPR Area-Specific 15 of 60 focal species Include all listed species Discuss species with area staff & species experts Host workshop Area s role in wildlife conservation

19 Area-Specific : Potential ti Habitat t Maps Current Condition Post Restoration Potential

20 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization i i i and Recovery Conduct workshop Many levels of decision makers Species experts & other sections Open discussion of species needs/opportunities

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22 Workshops Review area s potential Management needs/opportunitiesnities Beyond the boundaries issues Area s role in conservation Which species could have measurable objectives Monitoring which species need monitoring; which are best indicators of management or habitat condition; which do we know how to count; obligation to count?

23 Workshop Output : A listed and focal species management strategy for the area Identify what could/should be done Identify measurable objectives, and monitoring necessary y( (must include the purpose)

24 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery Finalize Strategy Expert review Strategyt Reasonable/accomplishable Measurable objectives Necessary actions Monitoring

25 WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery The Strategy Provides the species assessment Describes necessary actions Describes necessary monitoring Influence work plans Influence budget requests Influence what work gets done

26 Strategy Success Stories Monitoring Examples: Opportunistic observation of listed species OPS bio to assist with monitoring Gopher tortoise t monitoring i Gopher frog call surveys Scrub jay monitoring Wading birds

27 To Support Monitoring Creating a central database Documenting extent of existing data Develop plan to get data into db Standardizing monitoring protocol

28 Some things that are important can t be counted, and some things that are counted may not be important.

29 Prior to Surveying or Monitoring: Explicit objective: how will monitoring data influence management decision? Response variable: what is the most relevant data to collect? Precision/Accuracy: i what are your tolerable confidence levels? Statistical Analysis: what analysis will be used to test the hypothesis, with the appropriate accuracy/precision? Data Storage & management: how will data be collected, entered, stored, analyzed, maintained?

30 Monitoring Protocol field technique Data storage and maintenance statistical analysis

31 WCPR - Summary Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal species Area specific wildlife Strategies that consider the big picture Measurable objectives Prescribed management Prescribed monitoring -specific to the area

32 WCPR - Summary Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal species Supported by: Standardize monitoring protocol Central database Species information

33 Thank you. Questions?

34 Tiers of Monitoring: Presence Trend Density Demographic information

35 Census is a complete count of all individuals in a given area (rarely possible with wildlife populations). Inventory is a complete list, or study designed to generate a species (or taxon) list for an area. A Survey is the act of using a sample of individuals id from a population to make statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Monitoring generally means to observe a situation for any changes which may occur over time, using a measuring device of some sort.