conservation guidelines for nongame wildlife in maryland...74 32 . 8 • habitat loss, degradation...
TRANSCRIPT
Conservation Guidelines for Nongame Wildlife in Maryland
James M. McCann, State Zoologist Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Natural Heritage Program
Maryland’s Amazing Wildlife Diversity
16 21
151 168
103
41 49
97
423
0
100
200
300
400
500
Freshwater Mussels
Tiger Beetles ButterfliesO
donata Freshwater Fishes
Amphibians
ReptilesBirds
Mam
mals
No. species
No. Native Wildlife Species Documented in Maryland
Rarity and extinction risk tend to be closely related and influenced by three main factors: 1. Range 2. Population size 3. Habitat specificity
Rarity as an indicator of extinction risk
• MD NHP tracks status of ~1,100 species of native plants and animals as well as distinct natural communities
• 607 species (439 plants, 168 animals) state listed as In
Need of Conservation, Threatened, Endangered, or Endangered Extirpated
• Listed under the state law “Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act”
Maryland Natural Heritage Program
State Determination Criteria
Factor Category Factor Rarity (0.5) Range extent
Area of occupancy
Population size
No. occurrences/populations
No. occurrences with good viability
Environmental specificity
Trends (0.3) Short-term (contemporary)
Long-term (historical)
Threats (0.2) Threats analysis (scope, severity, immediacy) Intrinsic vulnerability
Status Determinations
State Rank State Legal Status S1 – Highly State Rare Endangered/Extirpated
S2 – State Rare Endangered
S3 – Watchlist Threatened
S4 – Apparently Secure In Need of Conservation
S5 – Demonstrably Secure
SH - Historical
SX - Extirpated
Black Rail
(Natureserve 2013)
Proportion of state and globally rare animal species in Maryland by taxonomic group
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
% s
peci
es
Cave Inverts
Mussels
Tiger Beetles
Butterflies
Odonata
FishAmphibians
Reptiles
BirdsMammals
% Globally Rare% State Rare
Summary of no. state rare, threatened and endangered bird species by physiographic region and breeding habitat.
Physiographic Region1
Breeding Habitat AP RV PD UCP LCP Total Forest 22 10 8 3 4 23 Shrubland 3 2 0 0 1 4 Grassland 6 7 7 4 4 9 Nontidal wetland 13 5 12 11 10 22 Tidal wetland -- -- -- 27 43 43
Total 38 23 27 33 49 1Physiograhic regions: AP=Allegheny Plateau, RV=Ridge & Valley, PD=Piedmont, UCP=Upper Coastal Plain, LCP=Lower Coastal Plain
Priority species help set priorities for…
• Land acquisition • Conservation easements • Habitat restoration/mgt • Ecosystem protection • Monitoring & research
Photo by George Jett
Photo by George Jett
Putting Priority Species to Work Cerulean Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Extinct/Extirpated Species
• 111 plant species • 23 animal species
GONE…
Gray Wolf
Passenger Pigeon
Heath Hen Carolina Parakeet
Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel
Snowshoe Hare
Swainson’s Thrush Photo by Ken Schneider
Photo courtesy USFWS Natl Digital Library
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Hessel’s Hairstreak
Extinct/Extirpated Species Others???
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)
Last record: 1997
Maryland Darter (Etheostoma sellare)
Last record: 1986
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
AmphibiansFish
Invertebrates
Maryland’s State-Listed Animals (168 sp)
19
24
11
74 32
8
• Habitat loss, degradation & fragmentation • Invasive species • Climate change • Pollution/toxins • Disease • Illegal collecting/overexploitation
Primary Threats and Causes of Decline
Southern Rock Vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus carolinensis)
4th Hellbender Symposium, Kentucky June 23, 2009
Eastern Hellbender (Crytobranchus alleganiensis)
Stonecat (Noturus flavus)
Photo courtesy OH Dept. Natural Resources
Allegheny Woodrat (Neotoma magister)
Green Floater (Lasmigona subviridis)
Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle (Cicindela patruela)
Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia)
Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii)
Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)
Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii)
Photo by Carol Foil
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis)
Frosted Elfin (Calloprhys irus)
Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)
Sea-level rise projection for Dorchester Co. by 2100
Black Skimmerr2 = 0.73, P < 0.01
0
100
200
300
400
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
No. breeding pairs
Little Ghost Tiger Beetle (Cicindela lepida)
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
Protect your land in perpetuity.
Be a good steward. Don’t contribute to sprawl.
Protect Streams and Riparian Forests • Maintain/restore forested riparian buffers • Recommend minimum 300’ no-cut buffer • Keep livestock and ATV’s out
Mtn Dusky Salamander
Photo courtesy Mark Tegges Photo courtesy W. H. Majoros
Louisiana Waterthrush
● Rock outcrops ● Cliffs ● Talus slopes
Maintain forested buffers around these unique habitats
Protect unique or sensitive habitats
Fen/Wet Sedge Meadow Shale Barren
Seepage Wetlands
• Forest-nesting birds that require large (50-1,000+ ac), contiguous forest tracts within heavily forested landscapes to breed and maintain viable populations
• Statewide, 32 species
• Many are declining, locally rare, or vulnerable to decline
• Threatened by forest loss, degradation and fragmentation
• “Umbrella species” for protecting forest biodiversity
Forest Interior Dwelling Bird (FIDS) Habitat
Scarlet Tanager Photo by Jerry Oldenettel
Ovenbird Photo by NJ Birds
Cerulean Warbler Photo by NJ Birds
- Causes of decline are complex and species specific
- Primarily due to forest loss and fragmentation on the breeding and/or wintering grounds
- 41% of Maryland’s pre-settlement forest is gone
- MD loses >9500 forest acres per year to suburban sprawl
Timber Harvest Guidelines for FIDS
• Maximize the amount of contiguous mature to old growth forest • Favor uneven-aged management (use single-tree & small group
selection), longer rotations • DO NOT create permanent forest openings • If you must have forest roads, do not daylight them • Minimize length, number & width of roads • Maintain canopy closure over roads • Maintain 300 foot no-cut riparian buffers • If possible, avoid harvest during April-Aug (at least May-July)
Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart
Photo by NJ Birds Photo by NJ Birds
Grassland Birds • Suite of 15 bird species • Minimum of 10 acres, some species require 100’s of acres • Grassland shape important – minimize edge, circles or squares vs.
narrow rectangles • Avoid mowing/prescribed burns during at least May-July (April-August
if possible) • Rotate areas for mowing/prescribed burns to provide different
grassland conditions • Maintain soft edges around field borders
Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Henslow’s Sparrow
Photo courtesy Ken Schneider Photo courtesy USFWS Natl Digital Library
Delmarva Bays & Vernal Pools
Tiger Salamander Barking Treefrog Carpenter Frog Spotted
Salamander Marbled Salamander
Photo courtesy John White
January June
- Seasonally flooded nontidal wetlands
- No fish = amphibian breeding pond
Delmarva Bays & Vernal Pools
Pond
Life Zones
Timber Harvest Guidelines for Delmarva Bays & Vernal Pools
- Conservation Zone 1: wetland plus 100 ft buffer - No timber harvesting - Conservation Zone 2: wetland plus 500 ft buffer - > 75% of buffer should always contain pole-sized (> 10” dbh) or larger
trees - favor long rotations - maintain ≥70 ft2/acre basal area - ≥ 50% hardwoods - Maintain uncut or lightly cut forest corridors between wetlands
A few more recommendations…
• Control deer populations at or below K (~20/sq. mile) • Prevent establishment of invasive species, eradicate
them before they spread • Don’t let your ATV become a toy of destruction • Create soft forest-field edges • Know when not to “manage” • Think beyond your property (surrounding landscape
conditions) when considering mgt objectives • Consider “backyard” mgt practices (and have fun!)
BACKYARD CONSERVATION PRACTICES
• Minimize grass/turf cover, maximize natural habitat • Landscape with locally native plants • Provide variety of wildlife food sources and cover • Provide snags, downed logs, brush piles • Install variety of wildlife nest boxes, bird feeders • Keep cats indoors • Check out MD DNR’s “WILD ACRES PROGRAM” for
lots of ideas! http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wildacres.asp
Protect your land in perpetuity.
Be a good steward. Don’t contribute to sprawl.
The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of eons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”
Aldo Leopold 1887-1948
QUESTIONS??
James M. McCann, State Zoologist MD Dept. Natural Resources
Natural Heritage Program 301-689-7105