1. develop an ecological model
2. identify general management goals
3. select indicator
4. identify sensative attribute
5. specify direction and quantity of change
6. specify time frame
7. develop management objective
8. specify management response
9. review management objective
Monitoring Methodology (qualitative)
1. design general methodology
2. design methods to reduce variablity among observers
3. identify number of measurement units
4. determine arrangement of measurement units
5. design data sheet
6. determine montioring frequency
7. describe likely data analysis techniques
8. identify necessary resources
9. develop a draft monitoring plan
10. review
Monitoring as a Pilot Study (as below, but evaluate completely after study)
Implement Monitoring
1. collect data
2. analyze data after each measurement cycle
3. evaluate monitoring
Report and Use Results
1. complete periodic reports
2. complete final analysis and report
3. circulate and/or publish report
chapter 3: Selecting among priorities
*look at other programs already in place. do they identify key species or areas?
*world wide conservation categories
extinct-last individual in the taxon has died
extinct in the wild - taxon survives only in captivity
crtically endangered - extremely high risk of extinction in the near future
endangered - very high risk of extinction in the near future
vulnterable - faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future
Lower Risk
conservation dependent - taxa that are the focus of a continuing conservation effort, without which the taxa
would qualify for one of the above within five years
near threatened - aren't conservation dependent, but are close to vulnerable
least concern - yeah, they pretty much are fine
Criteria for Species comparison
1. rank of endangered-ness
2. rarity(number of populations)
3. taxonomic distinctness
4. SENSATIVITY TO THREATS
5. known declines
6. extent of threats
7. immediacy of threats
8. importance of local populations
9. conflict (management vs. conservation actions and existing or alternative uses)
10. monitoring difficulty - nocturnal, predictable appearance?, accessible monitoring sites?
11. availability of management actions
12. recovery potential
13. public interest
For Population Comparison:
1. populatin size
2. population viability
3. populatin location
4. habitat quality
5. unique habitat
6. previous information/monitoring/research
7. special management areas
8. other (see above list)
Location info about species and populations
*when finding, it will also gives you names of people and orginizations to include in your project
*look in symposium proceedings, techinical reports
Animals:
1. food habits
2. predators
3. competitors
4. breeding age
5. age at maturiyt
6. number of offspring produced annually
7. frequency of breeding
8. home range
9. population size (range, average)
10. annual variation
11. number and distribution of populations
12. productivity of populations
13. migratory patters
14. HABITAT
15. THREATS
16. TRENDS
17. MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
*Decide sampling universe - are you worried about all the populations, or just a few? does the sampling show that?
*LOW INTENSITY SAMPLING MAY BE DESIGNED AS A WARNING SYSTEM THAT TRIGGERS MORE INTENSIVE MONITORING
Selecting Intensity
1. presence or abscence
2. estimates of population size (factors of 10)
3. site-condition assessment
4. estimation of demographic distribution
5. assessment of population condition
6. photopoints
7. photoplots
8. boundary mapping
Qualitative Assessment of Populations and Habitats
*Estimation of population size - try to keep monitoring techniques constant (do you count all individuals, or just
those of reproducing age?. Also try using "classes" such as 1-4, 4-10, 11-30, with ranges getting larger as
populations get larger.
Estimation of Population Conditions
1. number of individuals - stratification of individuals (age, gender, etc.)
2. evidence of activity (scat, nests, tracks, etc.)
3. Evidence of limiting agents (scarcity of food, water, predators, etc.)
4. habits associated with juvs, immatures, and adults
Habitat Monitoring
1. vegitation changes
2. exotic species
3. fire
4. flooding
5. slope movement
6. animal disturbances
7. mining
8. logging
9. domestic livestock grazing
10. off-highway vehicles
11. recreation
12. road construction or maitenance
13. weed control
14. condition of fences
15. signing
16. condition of road barriers
Photoplots
*can be used to measure species density over a small area of land, but not very accurate
*small area taken from a specific "bird's eye view"
*more effective when field time is small
Photopoints
*take the same picture over time, monitor changes
Video Photography
*good overview of the site, small field time, extentsive analyzing time
Remote Sensing Techniques
*collection of data from a platform that doesn't touch the object of interest
*satellite imagery - good, but possibly not clear enough
*areial photography - EXPENSIVE
*weatherproof cameras
*infared beam counters triggered by animals passing by
*audio recording systems that activate regularly for short periods of time and record ambient sounds
*monitor frog populations (tape recording) via call-based indices of frog abundance.
