Deconstructing Your Action

A Strategy for Analyzing Impacts on Bird Populations

A thorough analysis of an action’s impacts on the species and its resources is an essential component of the coordination process to

reduce impacts to migratory birds

Effects Analysis

?

Analyzing Effects

Deconstruct the Action• Break the proposed action into its separate components

Exposure• Identify which birds and resources will be affected by

produced stressors

Response• Understand the consequences to birds from stressor

exposure

Goal and Objective

Goal:

Determine whether a species and/or its resources will be exposed to stressors

produced by project activities

Objective:

Link cause and effect relationships between an activity and bird demography

• Raise awareness to how actions affect birds• Provide transparent and logical step-wise process • Identify appropriate conservation measures• Optimizes the allocation of staff and funding

BENEFITS

Deconstructing the Action• Identify PROJECT TYPE• Identify ALL ACTIVITIES associated with the

Project• Identify STRESSORS produced by ALL activities

Project Type

Activity 1

Stressor 1

Stressor 2

Stressor 3Activity 2

Activity 3

Activity 4

Transmission Line

Development

Cement Pad Construction

Vegetation Removal

Human Disturbance Noise

Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4

Understanding ExposureBird Conservation Needs• All species have three main conservation needs– Breeding– Sheltering– Feeding

• Specific resources are required to meet these conservation needs

Resources• Appropriate Vegetation Structure– Nest sites– Food– Shelter from weather

• Access to food for adults and young• “Healthy Space” (natural balance)– Predators– Parasites– Competitors– Disease– Other Disturbances

Resource 1Breeding

Sheltering Species 1

Resource 2 Feeding

Shrubs

Breeding

Sheltering Allen’s Hummingbird

Flowers Feeding

Understanding Response

How do birds and/or their resources respond when exposed to a stressor?

• Consider all life stages

• Are there reported responses

– scientific and commercial information

• If no information, use the precautionary principle to determine the most likely response

Increasing Severity

Behavioral LethalSub-Lethal

DeathNo Response

AlarmStartle

Abandonment

Avoidance

Displacement

Reduced Feeding Success

Reduced Growth Rates

Reduced Fecundity

Delayed Age at Sexual Maturity

Reproductive Failure

Altered behavioral displays

Increased respiration

Depressed autoimmune responses

<10% probability of death

10-20% probability of death

20-40% probability of death

40-60% probability of death

Response Continuum

Project Type

Activity 1

Stressor 1

Resource 1Breeding

Feeding Species 1

Resource 2 ShelteringStressor 2

Stressor 3Activity 2

Activity 3

Activity 4

IMPACTS

EFFECTS

THREAT

FOCUS ON THE IMPACTS

Shrubs

Breeding

Allen’s Hummingbird

Transmission Line

Development

Cement Pad Construction

Vegetation Removal

Human Disturbance Noise

Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4

Dis

plac

emen

t

IMPACTS

EFFECTS

Reduced ProductivityLocal Population Declines

Reduced Pairing Success