Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 PRBO Conservation Science Presentation Goals Introductions . . . • PRBO Conservation Science • Partners in Flight and the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture • The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan • Monitoring tools Research, monitoring, and recommendations . . . Conservation biology of riparian-associated songbirds • Introduce methods along California’s Central Coast • Provide example results • Highlight relevance of results Thomas Gardali 12 May 2005 – Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California’s Riparian Areas PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science PRBO’s Mission Statement The Conservation Equation Conserving birds, other wildlife and ecosystems Effective Conservation = through scientific research and outreach. (Science + Conservation Planning + Policy + Education) x Partnerships • Founded as Point Reyes Bird Observatory in 1965 Where . . . . Science = long-term monitoring, research, ecosystem based, multi-species • 63 Staff scientists • 2 Education and Outreach Staff Conservation Planning = ongoing science based management plans (adaptive) • 60 seasonal field biologists Policy = Outreach and assistance to policy makers • 12 policy and support staff Education = professional training, field & classroom, teacher resources Partnerships = joint ventures, Partners in Flight • From Alaska to South America, California Current and Antarctica PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Partners in Flight California PIF and the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture • State chapter formed in 1992 •An international initiative coordinating non-game • Helping species at risk , but also keeping common birds landbird conservation efforts. common •Voluntary, international collaboration of • Identify critical habitats important to birds and work governmental agencies, conservation groups, cooperatively to protect and enhance remaining habitat fragments. academic institutions, private businesses and individuals dedicated to " keeping common birds • Prioritized riparian habitat and formed the RHJV in 1994 common. " •Works to stop reverse population declines noted in many species of non-game landbirds. Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 1/8 1
Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Why prioritize riparian habitat for birds? The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan • Western North America's riparian zones provide critical One of the first tasks of the refuge for landbirds in all stages of their annual cycle. RHJV was to create a • Over 50% of riparian species breed primarily or science-based Bird exclusively in deciduous riparian communities. Conservation Plan containing • Many more use riparian zones for some part of the year. specific action items to • Water, abundant food, and the complex structure of its benefit riparian habitat and vegetation. the birds and wildlife that Result = Many studies have shown that diversity and density depend on it. of breeding birds is higher in riparian compared to upland zones. PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Riparian Focal Species (not just priority species) Richness of Riparian Focal Species Bank Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Common Yellowthroat Least Bell’s Vireo Song Sparrow Swainson’s Hawk Swainson’s Thrush Warbling Vireo Willow Flycatcher Wilson’s Warbler Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow Warbler PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science The main access point for all data resources: Also linked to www.prbo.org/tools. California Partners in This site offers “one Flight pages stop shopping” for www.prbo.org/calpif field ornithologists: Links to data • data forms supporting • field protocols conservation plans • reference materials Encourages broad • data entry and query participation programs Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 2/8 2
Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Methods Methods — Mist-netting Monitoring • Mist-netting - 1966 to present at Palomarin Field • Mist-netting/Banding Station • Nest Monitoring • Point Count Surveys - Capture, mark, measure and release • Vegetation Assessment - Nets run daily - Nets operated year-round Research • Radio Telemetry • Nest Monitoring, Banding, Vegetation Assessment PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Methods — Nest Monitoring Methods — Point Counts • Nest monitoring • Point Count Surveys - Use bird behavior to locate nests - Permanent survey “points: along a transect (5 min / point) - Check nests every 4 days - Visual, songs, calls - Use caution when checking nests - 2 - 3 surveys visits per season - Determine outcome of nest (i.e., did it fledge or fail?) - Vegetation assessment - Vegetation data PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Methods — Radio Telemetry Results — Examples • Radio Telemetry - Locate nests • Organized around three species and species diversity: - Place tiny (1 gram) transmitters on nestlings - Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush - Locate fledglings daily with - Species diversity is the number of species weighted by their receiver abundance. - Map locations - Take general habitat data • Types of research and monitoring • How do these results inform conservation? Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 3/8 3
Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science The Warbling Vireo Results — Trend monitoring • Neotropical Migrant 3.51 Adult Warbling Vireo captures, 1979 to 2004 • Nests primarily within P < 0.001, r 2 = 0.70 Warbling Vireos captured per 1,000 net hrs riparian woodlands • Places its nest high (~26 feet) in the canopy of deciduous trees 0.054 1979 1985 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Results — Habitat Associations Warbling Vireo — Conservation Planning Riparian Corridor Width • An important aspect of monitoring programs is to be able to detect changes in population size (i.e., population trends). 160 Width of Riparian Corridor n=2 140 • We likely need to pay close attention to Warbling Vireo 120 n=11 populations in coastal California and the West. n=16 100 80 n=18 n=111 60 • Important to have habitat association data; Warbling 40 Vireos are more abundant in (1) wider corridors and (2) in 20 areas with more tree species. 0 0 1 2 3 >3 Warbling Vireo Abundance • Sometimes there are more question than answers . . . . PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science The Wilson’s Warbler Sources and Sinks • Neotropical migrant • Nests in many habitat types (e.g., riparian and mixed •Source populations are those where the production of young oak-bay woodlands) exceeds adult mortality. • Places nest very low to the ground (~1-2 feet) •Sink populations are ones in which young are not produced in sufficient numbers to compensate for adult mortality Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 4/8 4
Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Sources and Sinks Sources and Sinks Components of the Source Sink Equation Conservation Significance of Sources-Sink Dynamics Adult Survival •Sink populations may be draining source populations that, in turn, could lead to widespread population declines. Reproductive Output •Conservation and restoration efforts should be primarily Juvenile Survival focused on identifying and maintaining source populations as well as attempting to create conditions whereby sinks can become sources PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Results — Nest monitoring Results — Nest Success • We located and monitored 90 nests, 1997 – 2000. Number Percent Nest of Nests Success • Most nests were placed in Lagunitas Creek 44 16% blackberry (68%). Muir Beach 12 3% • Eggs were beginning to be Redwood Creek 34 5% laid in mid April. All sites 90 9% • The latest young were fledging in early August. PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Conservation Science Results — Population Health Wilson’s Warbler — Conservation Planning • Breeding productivity was very low at Redwood Creek, So, are Wilson’s Warblers populations sources or sinks? especially the Muir Beach plot where human habitation was adjacent to plot. • Breeding productivity was low to moderate at Lagunitas Both Creek. • Coastal streams may be acting as sinks that drain the Lagunitas Creek likely fluctuates between being a source and as sink larger population. Redwood Creek was always a sink during our study • Management activities should focus on way to way to increase reproductive success. Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 5/8 5
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