Avian Conservation Science T ools for Strategic Forest Planning: A New Multi-species Approach to Evaluating Forest Condition John D Alexander, PhD Forest Service Research and Development Seminar Series: Innovations in science and technology for monitoring, assessment, and inventory efforts April 29, 2014
Klamath Bird Observatory Advancing bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. (Alexander et al. 2004; KS Ecology Proceedings)
Outline • Challenges: Science – Management Divide Closing Adaptive Management Cycle Learning communities for ecosystem management: • Participatory Social Science Strategy for Applied Science and Delivery • Avian Conservation Science T ools: Adaptive Management Applied – beyond NEPA Examples: Northwest Forest Management Innovations: • Fine-scaled Modeling Landscape Change • Conclusions: Meeting IM&A Objectives
Acknowledgements J Stephens A Marcus CJ Ralph T Will B Bresson V Sturtevant N Seavy M Scott B Altman K Rosenberg M Betts D Jongsomjit S Veloz N Elliot S Shirley L Salas K Halstead G Ballard G Geupel Z Yang M Pitkin R Hutchinson S Cuenca K McGarigal D Clayton J Rousseau S Stresser J Livaudais
Context Science-based T ools • Species assessment database • Standard monitoring techniques • Conservation plans • Data-rich models • Conservation design process (Alexander 2011; NABCI 2011)
Challenges • Science and Management Separate Traditions Compartmentalized Ineffective Science Delivery & Application • Community Learning Collective Knowledge Challenge Norms Compartmentalized Relevant Applied Science & Tools (Bliss1999; Smith 2000; Roux et al. 2006; Bormann et al. 2007; Scott et al. 2007; Graffy 2008; Hall & Fleishman 2010)
ORWACA Meeting – April 2005 Participatory Action Research • Degree of community control • Reciprocal production of knowledge • Utility and action of outcomes Challenges: Science Not Used Culture - When to engage? Consultants, Science-based NGOs, Environmental Advocates Engage agency community for better understanding and change (McIntyre 2008; Wulfhorst et al. 2008,; Alexander 2011 )
Bridging the Science-Management Divide Monitoring & Research Conservation Objectives Management Objectives • Relationships • Early Collaboration • Applied Science • Delivery Science-based (communications) NGOs (Alexander 2011)
Avian Conservation Science T ools Applied Adaptive Management • Cost effective • Engage leadership • Consensus Decision Support T ools • Who is the audience? • What is the question? • What are the information gaps? • Where are the transfer points? (Alexander et al. 2009; Williams et. al. 2009; Stephens et al. 2011)
Catalyst for Adaptive Management
Avian Knowledge Network (Iliff 2009)
Stewardship Responsibility/Opportunity (NEPA) (Rich et al. 2004; USFWS 2008; NABCI 2011; Panjabi et al., 2012)
Quantitative Habitat and Population Objectives Beyond NEPA • Align with broad objectives of RMPs/LMPs • Multiple species at multiple scales
Focal Species – Habitat Attributes Conservation Objectives (Altman and Alexander 2012; Chase and Geupel 2005)
Forest Management Habitat Models Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (Betts et al. 2010; Seavy and Alexander 2011; Altman and Alexander 2012)
Ashland Forest Resiliency EIS Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (USDA 2008)
Ashland Forest Resiliency EIS Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (USDA 2008)
Climate-wise Sceince Rufous Hummingbird (Veloz et al. 2013)
(Veloz et al. 2013)
Bird Conservation Hotspots (Zonation) Riparian Oak woodland Grassland Conifer species species species species (Veloz et al. 2013)
Forest Restoration Priorities
Forest Restoration Priorities
Focal Species Habitat Objectives (Altman and Alexander 2012)
Focal Species Habitat Objectives (Altman and Alexander 2012)
New Modeling Approach • High-resolution Predictions • Habitat Change Detection • Informed by Habitat Relationships
Boosted Regression Tree Models Band 1 + 2 + 3 etc. = Presence/Absence Average AUC - 40 species 0.87 (SD = 0.067) 0.71 to 0.99 (Shirley et al. 2013)
Stacked Distribution Models Predicted species richness or habitat suitability Etc… N = 48 species (Halstead 2013)
Forest Management Habitat Models Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (Betts et al. 2010; Seavy and Alexander 2011; Altman and Alexander 2012)
Forest Management Habitat Models Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (Betts et al. 2010; Seavy and Alexander 2011; Altman and Alexander 2012)
Forest Management Habitat Models Broadleaf-conifer mix High volume conifer Bushtit Golden-crowned Kinglet Lazuli Bunting Townsend's Solitaire Spotted Towhee *Brown Creeper Black-headed Grosbeak *Hermit Warbler *Black-thr. Gray Warbler *Pacific-slope Flycatcher Nashville Warbler *Winter Wren Conifer generalists Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-rumped Warbler Low volume conifer Mountain Chickadee Chapparal and Oak woodland Green-tailed Towhee Bewick's Wren Bullock's Oriole California Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Western Scrub-Jay Western Wood-pewee * Oregon-Washington PIF Focal Species (Western Coniferous Forests) White-breasted Nuthatch (Betts et al. 2010; Seavy and Alexander 2011; Altman and Alexander 2012)
IM&A System Objectives Goal 1: Support effective decision-making by providing relevant and credible information. Objective 1: Priority management questions Objective 2: Integration and scalability Objective 3: Ensure relevant science. Objective 4: Quality and consistency Objective 5: Timely and accessible Goal 2: Ensure that all activities are inclusive and comprehensive. Objective 1: Understand partner and stakeholder interests and address shared information needs Objective 2: Address issues across boundaries Goal 3: Ensure system is responsive and adaptive to change Objective 1: Supports management and is responsive to change Objective 2: Responsive and adaptive to changing agency capacity
T estimonial: Barb Bresson Service First: US Forest Service Region 6 Oregon Washington BLM Avian Conservation Program Coordinator
Questions / Discussion John Alexander jda@KlamathBird.org
Recommend
More recommend
