Designing Landscapes for Sustainable Bird
Populations
Structured Decision Making Workshop
Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
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Problem
Develop a methodology for assessing and designing landscapes for sustainable populations of birds [and other wildlife] in the SAMBI area that can be applied in other areas of the eastern United States.
– Prioritizes landscape based on current and potential future conditions
– Conservation implementation on the priority areas is expected to result in target populations of birds associated with these ecosystems.
– Selection of areas based on fundamental concepts of landscape ecology and conservation biology.
– Can be updated periodically as new data become available.
Biological planning - Ecological context
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Workshop objectives
Determine which species should be used to design landscapes based on their habitat requirements.
– Which species represent unique map-able habitat requirements?
Determine important landscape characteristics for each habitat
– Which habitat landscape characteristics are important in prioritizing areas?
– Which characteristics are compensatory and which are limiting?
Biological planning – Species Selection/Habitat RelationshipsConservation Design – Desired Landscape Configuration
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Species selection
Determine which species should be used to design landscapes
Classify surrogacy of each species – Flagship – charismatic species that attract public support– Umbrella – species that require large areas of habitat, thus
conferring protection to other species– Biodiversity– presence may indicate high species richness– Keystone – species that are critical...
Determine habitat characteristics for each species Determine the intangible tradeoffs
– Bio-political constraints
Biological planning – Species Selection/Habitat Relationships
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Habitat and landscape criteria
Determine habitat characteristics that are critical to the landscape design
Classify surrogacy of each habitat– Flagship – charismatic habitat that attracts public support
– Biodiversity – possess high species richness
– Unique – required for some species to be present
Determine landscape criteria for each habitat Identify limiting factors Determine the intangible tradeoffs
– Bio-political constraints
Conservation Design – Desired Landscape Configuration
Designing Landscapes for Sustainable Bird
Populations
Structured Decision Making Workshop
Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
Five core elements - PrOACT
Problem – Solve the right problem
Objectives – Describe the desired outcomes
Alternatives – Consider any reasonable actions that achieve the outcomes
Consequences – Describe how well alternatives meet objectives
Tradeoffs – Evaluate consequences of each alternative
– Core of structured decision making (Hammond et al., 1999).
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Problem
Develop a methodology for assessing and designing landscapes for sustainable populations of birds [and other wildlife] in the SAMBI area that can be applied in other areas of the eastern United States.
– Prioritizes landscape based on current and potential future conditions
– Conservation implementation on the priority areas is expected to result in target populations of birds associated with these ecosystems.
– Selection of areas based on fundamental concepts of landscape ecology and conservation biology.
– Can be updated periodically as new data become available.
9
Dividing the problem
Problem1: Identify a group of birds (focal species) associated
with open pine systems that represent co-occurring species, are a reliable tool for biodiversity assessment, and are sensitive to resources, area, connectivity, and natural processes.
Problem2: Identify characteristics of priority areas for conserving and restoring open pines systems that satisfy criteria for quantity, configuration, and location to achieve target populations of the umbrella species.
Biological planning – Species Selection/Habitat Relationships
10
Species selection
Determine which species should be used to design landscapes
Determine key habitat characteristics for each species
Classify surrogacy of each species – Flagship – charismatic species that attract public support– Umbrella – species that require large areas of habitat, thus
conferring protection to other species– Biodiversity– presence may indicate high species richness– Keystone – species that are critical to ecosystem function.
Determine the intangible tradeoffs– Bio-political constraints
Biological planning – Species Selection/Habitat Relationships
11
Assessing consequences
– Basis Preference to high priority species Unidentified attributes?
Habitat Characteristics
Species
Low % Canopy Cover
Diverse, Herb-
aceous Under-story
Low Basal Area/ Tree
DensityOld
trees Snags
Large Patch Size
High Fire Frequency
Growing Season
FireBare
Ground
Wet Savannah
/ Bogs
BASP X X X X X
BRNU X X X
HESP X X X X X X
NOBO X X X X X X
RCWO X X X X X
AMKE X X X X
Biological planning – Species Selection/Habitat Relationships
Designing Landscapes for Sustainable Bird
Populations
Structured Decision Making Workshop
Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
13
Dividing the problem
Problem1: Identify a group of birds (focal species) associated
with open pine systems that represent co-occurring species, are a reliable tool for biodiversity assessment, and are sensitive to resources, area, connectivity, and natural processes.
Problem2: Identify characteristics of priority areas for conserving and restoring open pines systems that satisfy criteria for quantity, configuration, and location to achieve target populations of the umbrella species.
Conservation Design – Desired Landscape Configuration
Habitat and landscape criteria
Determine habitat characteristics that are critical to the landscape design
Identify limiting versus compensatory characteristics Classify “surrogacy” of each habitat
– Flagship – charismatic habitat that attracts public support
– Biodiversity – possess high species richness
– Unique – required for some species to be present
Determine the intangible tradeoffs– Bio-political constraints
14
Conservation Design – Desired Landscape Configuration
Homework
Review the problem statement– Did we get it right?
Look over the species x habitat attributes tables– SAMBI species and habitat characteristics are next
Look over the landscape prioritization objectives– What other characteristics are important?
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