Wildlife Conservation Prioritization & R (WCPR)Recovery (WCPR) · Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system

Wildlife Conservation Prioritization & R (WCPR)Recovery (WCPR)

An Approach to Identify Monitoring Needs

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation CommissionDivision of Habitat & Species Conservation

-Terrestrial Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section Terrestrial Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section

WCPR Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and

Recovery

A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands species on WMA system lands

Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal speciesspecies

Comprehensive Resource Management Approach

Objective Based Vegetation Management Objective Based Vegetation Management (OBVM) Restoration Coordination Restoration Coordination Wildlife Conservation Prioritization &

Recovery (WCPR)Recovery (WCPR)

=

OBVM OBVM Objective Based Vegetation Management

Natural Community approach Map NCs Map NCs Set Desired Future Conditions

A l g t Apply mgmt Measure progress

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

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

=Does ?

Wildlife Response to Management Assumption: good habitat = good wildlife Test assumption by monitoring (but we Test assumption by monitoring (but we

can’t count everything).Id if b i (i di ) i Identify best species (indicators) to monitor to test assumption; opportunistically

i h if i d monitor others to verify continued presence.

WCPRWildlife Conservation Prioritization and

RecoveryProgram Goal provide assessment and recovery planning support

for the WMA system to enhance management for for the WMA system to enhance management for focal and listed species

WCPR

Division of Habitat and Species Conservation

Why?

Strategic Plan demonstrate optimal wildlife habitat conservation on

FWC d l dFWC managed lands develop science based performance measures to

evaluate management (requires monitoring)evaluate management (requires monitoring) recover imperiled species prevent future imperilment of declining species

Florida Forever – focus on imperiled species and need for measurable objectivesneed for measurable objectives

WCPRWCPR

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 monitoringEnsure the actions we take are part of statewide – Ensure the actions we take are part of statewide conservation programs/priorities

WCPRWildlife Conservation Prioritization and

RecoveryRecove y

Multi-Level Approach Statewide Regional Area-specific

All l l f ithi Allows area level focus, within coordinated statewide conservation effortsconservation efforts

WCPRWildlife Conservation Prioritization and

S id A

Wildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

Statewide Assessment60 Focal Species, 1 group (wading birds) Potential Habitat Maps Population Viability Analysis

Statewide Level :

N il i d

Potential Habitat Maps Not necessarily occupied

No measure of quality

Statewide Level :Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

0.8

1

ne

0.6

y of

Dec

li

0 2

0.4

Prob

abili

ty

All Potential HabitatManaged Habitat Only5% Reduction in Stage 3 Survival5% Reduction in Stage 3 Fecundity

0

0.2

0 20 40 60 80 100

P 5% Reduction in Stage 3 Fecundity10% Reduction in K

Percent Decline in Abundance

Statewide Level :P l i Vi bili A l i (PVA)Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

Regional Level :F i h A ’ R l I C iFraming the Area’s Role In Conservation

R i l Regional Level :Level :

Framing the A ’ R l I Area’s Role In Conservation

WCPRArea-Specific 15 of 60 focal

species Include all listed Include all listed

species Discuss species

ith t ff & with area staff & species experts

Host workshopp Area’s role in

wildlife conservation

Area-Specific :P t ti l H bit t M Potential Habitat Maps

Current Condition

Post Restoration Potential

WCPRWildlif C i P i i i i d RWildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

Conduct workshopConduct workshop Many levels of decision makers Species experts & other sectionsSpecies experts & other sections Open discussion of species

needs/opportunities/ pp

WorkshopsWorkshops Review area’s potential Management needs/opport nities Management needs/opportunities Beyond the boundaries issues Area’s role in conservationArea s role in conservation Which species could have

measurable objectives Monitoring – which species need

monitoring; which are best indicators of management or ghabitat condition; which do we know how to count; obligation to count?count?

Workshop Output :Workshop Output : A listed and focal species A listed and focal species

management strategy for the area− Identify what could/should

be done− Identify measurable

objectives, and monitoring necessary (must include y (the purpose)

WCPRWildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

Finalize Strategy

Expert reviewSt t

Finalize Strategy

Strategy– Reasonable/accomplishable– Measurable objectivesMeasurable objectives– Necessary actions– Monitoring

WCPRWildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

The StrategyThe Strategy Provides the species assessment Describes necessary actions Describes necessary monitoring Influence work plans Influence budget requests Influence what work gets done

Strategy Success StoriesStrategy Success StoriesMonitoring Examples:g p Opportunistic observation of listed

speciesspecies OPS bio to assist with monitoring

G h t t i it i Gopher tortoise monitoring Gopher frog call surveys Scrub jay monitoring Wading birdsWading birds

To Support MonitoringTo Support Monitoring Creating a central

database Documenting extent g

of existing data– Develop plan to get Develop plan to get

data into db

Standardizing Standardizing monitoring protocol

Some things that are important Some things that are important can’t be counted,

and some things that are counted may not be important.may not be important.

Prior to Surveying or Monitoring:• Explicit objective: how will monitoring data

influence management decision?

• Response variable: what is the most relevant data to collect?

P i i /A h t t l bl • Precision/Accuracy: what are your tolerable confidence levels?

• Statistical Analysis: what analysis will be used to • 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?

Monitoring Protocol

Data storage

Monitoring Protocol

Data storageand maintenance

field technique

statistical analysis

WCPR - SummaryWildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

A program to prioritize what we do for focal A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands

Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal species Area specific wildlife Strategies that consider the p g

‘big picture’ Measurable objectives Prescribed management Prescribed monitoring

specific to the area-specific to the area

WCPR - SummaryWildlife Conservation Prioritization and Recovery

A program to prioritize what we do for focal A program to prioritize what we do for focal species on WMA system lands

Facilitate recovery of imperiled and focal y pspecies

Supported by:Supported by: Standardize monitoring protocol Central database Central database Species information

Thank you. Questions?Questions?

Tiers of Monitoring:Tiers of Monitoring:

Presence Presence Trend Density Demographic informationg p

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 S i th t f i l f i di id l A Survey is the act of using a sample of individuals from a population to make statistical inferences about the population using the sampleabout the population using the sample.

Monitoring generally means to observe a situation for any changes which may occur over time using a for any changes which may occur over time, using a measuring device of some sort.