An Example Using Rocky Mountain Population Sandhill Cranes in the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Regional Conservation Planning for Migratory Birds: An Example Using Rocky Mountain Population Sandhill Cranes in the Intermountain West

Photo: Patrick Donnelly, 2008

Colorado Chapter of The Wildlife Society Fort Collins February 6, 2014 Patrick Donnelly, IWJV Jim Gammonley, CPW

Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) Established in 1994 Largest U.S. Joint Venture

Donnelly and Vest. (2012) Identifying Science Priorities 2013–2018

• Principles and framework
• Habitat prioritization
• Wetland focal strategies

Ownership: All Ownership: Palustrine wetland

Leu et al. (2008), Donnelly and Vest (2012)

• Disproportionate impact on wetland

dominated landscapes Hansen et al. (2002)

• Dramatic human growth/development

in West over past 20 yrs.

• Increased development reduces avian

viability even within adjacent reserves McWethy & Austin (2009)

• Increased development pressures

negatively influencing breeding habitat quantity and quality Mitchusson 2003

• Development pressure limiting foraging

and roosting habitat

Beaverhead Valley, MT Humboldt River Valley, NV Yampa Valley, CO

Measuring landscape change:

• Quantify 30 years of spatio-temporal

trends in wetland habitats

• Correlate changes in wetland habitat

availability to land use practice and water policy

• Measure trends in subdivision and

project future subdivision risk

• Measure changes in cropping patterns

• High spatial proximity - fall staging

and breeding sites (Drewien and Bizeau 1974)

• 72 fall staging sites
• San Luis Valley major staging site
• Middle Rio Grande major wintering

site

Phase 1: Define potential RMP habitat extent Phase 2: Characterize habitats by measuring near-term ecological condition and anthropogenic trends Phase 3: Identify distribution and magnitude of landscape stressors

Taking a top down approach to information needs: Detailed model identifying the extent and distribution of sandhill crane (RMP) habitats Spatially explicit evaluation of near- term (1984 – present) annual wetland condition and cumulative human impact within the RMP habitat extent. Identification and spatially explicit measure of magnitude and trend of landscape stressors affecting the RMP. A detailed GIS layer identifying existing and potential future habitat availability will be provided.

Example: sage-grouse late brooding rearing habitat delineation (Donnelly et al. in review)

Landsat TM NDVI Habitat sampling units

Example: crop inventory model completed for Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico (Donnelly 2005).

USGS DOQ – acquired 1982 NAIP – acquired 2011

Landsat TM NDVI Habitat sampling units

Example: exurbanization occurring in the Teton Basin, near Victor ID between 1982 and 2011. 1982 2011

Exploring landscape stressors:

• 30 satellite transmitters deployed

2014

• Habitat configuration modeling
• Resource selection parameters

Closing the research information gap:

• Local scale resource prioritization

tools

• NRCS practitioners
• Land trust
• FWS Partners Program
• TNC
• Ducks Unlimited…

Closing the research information gap:

• Local scale resource prioritization

tools

• NRCS practitioners
• Land trust
• FWS Partners Program
• TNC
• Ducks Unlimited…
• Conservation planning
• State Wildlife Agencies (SWAP)
• USFS, BLM
• CPW Wetlands Conservation

Program

Contributing partners (to date):

Funding overview: $100,000 IWJV Science $115,000 Webless funding/USFWS $20,000 Avian Science Center $10,000 APLIC

• $30,000 Outstanding

$325,000 Total 190 million acres 2-3 year timeframe Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) - Rocky Mountain Region

Project Contacts: Patrick Donnelly PI - Breeding/Staging Areas IWJV / USFWS Division of Migratory Birds Missoula, MT 406.493.2539 – patrick_donnelly@fws.gov Dan Collins PI – Wintering Areas USFWS Division of Migratory Birds Albuquerque, NM 505.248.6881 – dan_collins@fws.gov

Questions?