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Introduction to Course

Ecological Monitoring and Analysis REM 357

Park Valley, UT

Outline

1. Approaches to land management

2. Definitions

3. Successes and failures in monitoring programs

4. Examples of monitoring programs

Approaches toLand Managementg m

Classic Land Management

Management Plan

Implement Plan

Monitor

Adaptive Land Management

Management Plan

Implement Plan

Monitor

Failed Adaptive Management

Elzinga et al. 1998

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Successful Adaptive Management

Elzinga et al. 1998

Strategic Management

Inventory

Strategic Thi ki

EvaluationThinking

Implementation

Evaluation

Meffe et al. 2002

InventoryWhat do we have? Where are we?

• Know the current conditions. Assess:

– Ecological conditions

• Plant and animal surveys, soil types, habitat quality, land use

– Socioeconomic conditionsSocioeconomic conditions

• Human use of resources, economic values

– Institutional conditions

• Agency budgets and allocations

• Laws and regulations

Meffe et al. 2002

Strategic ThinkingWhere do we want to go?

• Set goals and objectives

• State priorities

• Important to focus

– Composition, structure or function of land and water resources

– Hot‐spots of biodiversity or overall landscape

Meffe et al. 2002

ImplementationHow will we get there?

• Make and conduct your plan

– Design project

– Allocate time, funds and resources to make it happen

Make sure your actions fit the goals and objectives– Make sure your actions fit the goals and objectives

– Be open to new ideas, but stick with overall plan

– Action, action, action

Meffe et al. 2002

EvaluationDid we make it?

• If so, are we satisfied?

• If not, why not?

• Produces feedback loops to management process

Meffe et al. 2002

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Strategic Management

Inventory

Strategic Thi ki

EvaluationThinking

Implementation

Evaluation

Meffe et al. 2002

Definitions

Terminology

• Monitoring

• Inventory

• Research

What is monitoring?

1. …the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to evaluate changes in condition and progress toward meeting a management objective (BLM Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations, Elzinga et al. 1998)

1. …the acquisition of information to assess the status and trend of the structure and functioning of biological populations and communities, and their habitat, and larger‐scale ecosystem (i.e., landscapes) over time, for the purpose of assessing and directing management activities (Nature Conservancy 1997)

Key Elements to Monitoring

1. Driven by objectives

2. Measurements are made over time

3. Monitoring is done for specific purpose

4. Results will generate an actiong

5. No cause and effect identified

What is an inventory?

– Similar to monitoring but data collected at one point in time

– May provide baseline for monitoring

– No cause and effect

– Ex inventory rare plants– Ex. inventory rare plants

• Locate populations of species

• Determine total # of individuals of a species

• Locate all rare species in a habitat type

• Assess and describe habitat of rare species

• Assess threats to population

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What is research?

– Identifies cause of change, monitoring does not

– Requires replication to infer cause and effect

– Caution: statistical difference does not always imply causation

causation

Elzinga et al. 1998

Types of Monitoring Data

• Qualitative

– Subjective

– Observed or photographed

– Describes, ranks or rates attributes

• Quantitative

– Objective

– Physically measure attributes

Why monitor?

• Provides basic ecological knowledge for management purposes

• Provides baseline from which to base management actions on

• Determine if management is having desired effects

• To follow effects of anthropogenic disturbances in the long‐term

• Identify implications of habitat and species losses

• Early detection of impending problems

• Provides information to build models

Pellant et al. 2005Pellant et al. 2005

http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/techref.htm

Elzinga et al. 1998Elzinga et al. 1998

http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/techref.htm

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Herrick et al. 2009

http://usda-ars.nmsu.edu/monit_assess/monitoring.php

Traditional Key Attributes

• Vegetation based

– Frequency – occurrence and distribution of species

– Cover ‐ % ground covered by vegetation (or rock, soil crust litter)soil, crust, litter)

– Density ‐ # individuals per unit area

– Production ‐ biomass

– Structure – arrangement in 3‐dimensional space

– Composition – proportion of various plant species

Sampling Vegetation Attributes 1999**Reading posted on website

Vegetation Attributes

Sampling Vegetation Attributes 1999, p. 23

Contemporary Key Attributes

• Ecosystem‐based

– Soil and site stability

– Hydrologic function

– Biotic integrity

Herrick et al. 2009

Key Attributes in Monitoring

Goals

Herrick et al. 2009

Ecosystem Attributes

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Successes and Failures in Monitoring Programsg g m

Reasons Why Monitoring Fails

1. Not based on management objectives; no clear question for monitoring

2. Poor quality data

• Inexperienced personnel

• Poorly designed monitoring program

3. Lack of good records

4. Data are inaccessible

5. Lack of funding

• Abstract Conservation monitoring in Australia has assumed increasing importance in recent years, as societal pressure to actively manage environmental problems has risen. More resources than ever before are being channeled to the task of documenting environmental change. Yet the 

Field et al. 2007

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Monitoring Programs

1. Design the program around clear and compellingscientific questions.

2. Include review, feedback, and adaptation in the design.

3. Choose measurements carefully and with the future in mind.

4. Maintain quality and consistency of the data.

5. Plan for long-term data accessibility and sample archiving.

6. Continually examine, interpret, and present the monitoring data.

7. Include monitoring within an integrated research program. Lovett et al. 2007

Trends in Ecologyand Evolution2009 v. 24 no. 9p. 482-486

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Examples ofMonitoring Programsg g m

270 parks32 ecoregions

http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/

Long‐term Ecological Research (LTER)

http://www.lternet.edu/

ILTER

http://www.ilternet.edu/

http://www.neoninc.org/