Download All Forested Wetlands Continental Plan Estimate

Biological Planning Process for Partners in Flight
How to Translate Population Targets into Habitat
Objectives at Eco-Regional Scales
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Bird Conservation Region
How Do We Utilize the Population Estimates and
Objectives Listed in the Continental Plan?
What does this mean to my BCR?
How do I derive habitat objectives?
Example: Forest Breeding Birds
Associated with Forested Wetlands in
the West Gulf Coastal Plain
Proposed
PIF Biological Planning Process
Biological
Foundation
Identify Species of Concern
Establish Population Targets
Discern Limiting Factors
Refinement
Develop Biological Models
Measure Existing Conditions
Conservation
Strategies
Establish Objectives to Counter Limiting Factors
Apportion Habitat Objectives
Establish Programmatic Objectives
Implement Conservation Programs
Monitor Habitat Change
Monitoring
Programs
Monitor Population Response
Evaluate Biological Assumptions
Species of Concern
High Density Species
• Density
~ 1 pair / 3 ha (7.5 ac)
• Species
ACFL
REVI
PROW
YBCU
SUTA
BGGN
Low Density Species
• Density
~ 1 pair / 8 ha (20 ac)
• Species
HOWA
GCFL
YTVI
NOPA
CERW
EAWP
KEWA
AMRE
YTWA
WOTH
SCTA
SWWA
Limiting Factors
Fragmentation
Nest Parasitism
Nest Parasitism
Land Conversion
Nest Predation
Biological Model
Relating Birds to their Habitat
Assumptions
Parameters

Edge effect 300 m

300 m buffer from hostile habitats

All forest types, water, wetlands,
shrublands are non-hostile

Incorporate all non-hostile when
identifying “forest core”

Minimum viable population (MVP)
of 50 pairs

Minimum suitable forested wetland
core supports 50 pairs

MVP in contiguous or aggregated
patches

Contiguous or aggregated patches
w/in 500 or 1,000 ha landscapes

Minimum patch size equals area
required to support 1 pair

Minimum patch size = 3 ha for high
density birds and 8 ha for low
density birds
Habitat Requirements
Core Habitat
• Core needed to support 50 breeding pairs
– 150 ha (species w/ 3 ha territories)
– 400 ha (species w/ 8 ha territories)
Contiguous Habitat:
• Total forest patch size (core & buffer)
– ~ 500 ha
– ~1,000 ha
(assumes ~10% addition for shape)
Habitat Requirements
• Contiguous
• Non-contiguous
– Acceptable aggregations
• 150 ha of core within 500 ha landscape with
a minimum core patch size of 3 ha
• 400 ha of core within 1,000 ha landscape
with a minimum core patch size of 8 ha
Habitat Requirements
Example: >400 ha within 1,000 ha landscape
Contiguous Core Habitat
Non-Contiguous Core Habitat
Non-Forest
1,000 ha landscape
Bottom Land Hardwood Forest Core
1,000 ha landscape
Non-hostile
Hostile
Proposed
PIF Biological Planning Process
Biological
Foundation
Identify Species of Concern
Establish Population Targets
Discern Limiting Factors
Refinement
Develop Biological Models
Measure Existing Conditions
Conservation
Strategies
Establish Objectives to Counter Limiting Factors
Apportion Habitat Objectives
Establish Programmatic Objectives
Implement Conservation Programs
Monitor Habitat Change
Monitoring
Programs
Monitor Population Response
Evaluate Biological Assumptions
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Bird Conservation Region
Forested Wetland
Habitat Characterization
Example Area
GIS Process:
Extract “non-hostile” Habitats
Using National Land Cover Data (NLCD)
Land Cover
–
–
–
–
–
–
NLCD
Non-hostile
in White
11 water
33 transitional
41, 42, 43 forest
51 shrubland
61 orchards
91, 92 wetlands
NLCD Non-hostile
Cover Classes
GIS Process:
Filter to Remove “Speckles”
• “Non-hostile” habitat
• Change habitat of 0.09
ha pixel if >75% of a
2.25 ha area not the
same.
• Two filter passes.
GIS Process:
Calculate Distance from “Hostile Edges”
• Meters from edge to interior
• Warmer colors are farther from
hostile edges.
GIS Process:
Extract Core Area (non-hostile)
• >300 m from edge
• Remove water
• All “core” forest remains
core
GIS Process:
Extract Bottomland Hardwood Core Area
• Identify forested wetlands within
Core area (NLCD Classes 91,92)
• Filter to remove “speckles” in
BLH core
core
GIS Process:
Characterize BLH Core Suitability
• Forested wetland
core habitat for bird
conservation
– 150 ha / 500 ha
– 400 ha / 1000 ha
• All BLH forest
habitat in WGCP
3,424,664 acres
1,386,504 hectares
ACFL (1 pair / 0.85 ha)
3,262,362 individuals
PROW (1 pair / 2.7 ha)
1,027,040 individuals
SWWA (1 pair / 25 ha)
110,920 individuals
• Suitable BLH forested
core habitat for bird
conservation
– 150 ha / 500 ha
1,690,056 acres
684,233 hectares
ACFL (1 pair / 0.85 ha)
1,609,960 individuals
PROW (1 pair / 2.7 ha)
506,839 individuals
• Suitable BLH forested
core habitat for bird
conservation
– 400 ha / 1000 ha
1,117,586 acres
452,464 hectares
SWWA (1 pair / 25 ha)
36,197 individuals
KEWA (1 pair / 9 ha)
100,548 individuals
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Forested Wetland Bird Assessment
Species
Continental
Plan
Estimate
All
Forested
Wetlands
ACFL
464,102
3,262,362 +2,798,260
PROW
129,689
1,027,040
+897,351
SWWA
37,962
110,920
+72,958
KEWA
240,489
308,112
+67,623
HOWA
1,173,443
308,112
-865,331
YBCU
1,090,128
749,462
-340,666
Units of measure = individuals
“Balance”
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Forested Wetland Bird Assessment
Species
Continental
Plan
Estimate
All
Forested
Wetlands
ACFL
464,102
3,262,362 +2,798,260
PROW
129,689
1,027,040
+897,351
506,839
+377,150
SWWA
37,962
110,920
+72,958
36,197
-1,765
KEWA
240,489
308,112
+67,623
100,548
-139,941
HOWA
1,173,443
308,112
-865,331
100,548
-1,072,895
YBCU
1,090,128
749,462
-340,666
369,856
-720,272
Units of measure = individuals
“Balance”
“Suitable
Habitat”
“Balance”
1,609,960
+1,145,858
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Forested Wetland Bird Assessment
Questions and Challenges
Step-down
- Are the BBS derived population estimates accurate?
- Are the percentage of populations within a BCR correct?
- How do I incorporate the C-Plan objectives (increase by
10%, increase by 50%, or double population estimate)?
Step-up
- Are the population estimates derived from “suitability”
models accurate?
- Are the (local) density estimates valid?
- How do I distribute a species population among habitats
(upland vs. bottomlands)?
- Should I use a population estimate derived from the 1990s as
the basis of my habitat objectives?
Next Steps…..
1. Resolve the outstanding questions and challenges.
2. Pursue the development of spatially-explicit habitat
objectives and a decision support model to guide
restoration and management.
3. Incorporate Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data
into the biological models, such that models speak to both,
quantitative and qualitative aspects of bird biology.
Next Steps…..
1. Resolve the outstanding questions and challenges.
Examples:
-How do I incorporate the C-Plan objectives (increase by 10%,
increase by 50%, or double population estimate)?
-How do I distribute a species population among habitats
(upland vs. bottomlands)?
- Should I use a population estimate derived from the 1990s
as the basis of my habitat objectives?
Next Steps…..
1. Resolve the outstanding questions and challenges.
2. Pursue the development of spatially-explicit habitat
objectives and a decision support model to guide
restoration and management.
Reforestation Decision Support Model
Example:
Mean [(forest)+(2patch)+(3core)+(2percent)+(area)]
Forest
West Gulf Coastal Plain
Patch
Core
Red River Valley
Percent
Area
Reforestation Priority
Next Steps…..
1. Resolve the outstanding questions and challenges.
2. Pursue the development of spatially-explicit habitat
objectives and a decision support model to guide
restoration and management.
3. Incorporate Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data
into the biological models, such that models speak to both,
quantitative and qualitative aspects of bird biology.
Current Models are
Based on Quantitative
Aspects of Bird Biology
(i.e., Patch Size
Requirements to Support
Source Populations).
Future Models Need to
Address Qualitative
Aspects of Bird Biology
(i.e., Structural Complexity,
Stem Density, Basal Area,
Canopy Cover, etc…)
Forest Inventory and Analysis
-- Data Collected at each Plot
•Tree species, diameter, height,
damage, etc…
•Tree regeneration
•Site quality information
•General land use
•Stand characteristics – forest
type, stand age, etc…
•Estimates of growth, mortality,
and removal
-- Data Collected on a Subset of Plots
•Crown conditions
•Soil conditions
•Lichen communities
•Vegetation diversity
•Down woody debris
•Ozone bioindicator data
Phase 2/Phase 3 Plot Design
Subplot
24.0 ft (7.32 m) radius
Microplot
6.8 ft (2.07 m) radius
Annular plot
58.9 ft (17.95 m) radius
Lichens plot
120.0 ft (36.60 m) radius
Vegetation plot
1.0 m2 area
Soil Sampling
(point sample)
Down Woody Debris
24 ft (7.32 m) transects
Products:
Stand Level Information: (Examples)
•
•
•
•
Stand BA (ft2/acre) - 161.846
Gross Stand Volume (ft3/acre) - 6065.49
Net Stand Volume (ft3/acre) - 5570.11
Number of Trees, 1.0 in diameter and greater (number/acre) - 120
Historic and Future Projections
by State, Forest Type, Forest
Growth, etc….
Questions / Comments
Winter 2003-04
Winter 2002-03