Transcript Monitoring Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes in Seascapes

Marine Outcomes Monitoring
Monitoring Biodiversity Conservation
Outcomes in Seascapes
Seascape
Workshop
August 2006
Challenge
To strengthen the relationship between
local data collection and large-scale
data representation through
standardized regional biodiversity
monitoring
Seascape
Workshop
August 2006
‘from disparate data to
coordinated reporting’
Outcomes Definition:
• A data driven and species based approach to
direct the implementation of conservation
interventions.
• Key Biodiversity Areas provide a systematic
protocol for identifying and documenting sites
critical for global biodiversity conservation (Eken
et al, 2004).
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Workshop
August 2006
• Delineation of marine Key Biodiversity Areas
triggered by irreplaceability and vulnerability
species criteria (Edgar et al: in progress)
Monitoring Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes:
• Aims to generate long term
information for reporting trends at
the seascape scale.
• 3 objectives
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Workshop
August 2006
– Deliver ‘headline’ messages for awareness
raising
– Inform policy and investment decision making
– Provides detailed adaptive spatial and
temporal information to direct where, what
and how limited conservation resources
should be dedicated.
Monitoring Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes:
Collaborative and systematic reporting
improves our effectiveness to:
• Explicitly track & assess trends in biodiversity
• Use aggregated information to justify and direct future
conservation, policy and investment decision making
• Support global assessments by contributing to
international biodiversity reporting (CBD, MEA)
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Workshop
August 2006
• Use actual data to underpin & guide institutional
strategic planning
Scales of monitoring and reporting
Increase in
resolution of data
reported
Increase in
spatial extent of
data reported
Regional trends identify gaps
in conservation priorities at
finer scales as well informs
management decision
making
Seascape
Country 1
Country 2
Country 3
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KBA 1
KBA 2
KBA 1
KBA 2
KBA 1
KBA 2
Standard & compatible
local data required to
report regional and
global trends.
Relationship between different scales of monitoring
Field data
Species, sites and
scapes data
centralized in data
management system
Filter
Seascape
Workshop
August 2006
Data is aggregated using Red
List Index & site prioritization
mechanisms (IBA, IPA, KBA).
Report baseline
data at hotspot
level
Aggregated species
& site baseline data.
Analyzed with other
variables (protection
& management
status, change in
habitat & ecosystem
composition)
Relationship between different scales of monitoring
Disseminate
biodiversity data back
to stakeholders
Field data
Species, sites and
scapes data centralized
in data management
system
Disseminate
data to policy
decision
makers
Filter
Seascape
Workshop
August 2006
Data is aggregated using Red
List Index & site prioritization
mechanisms (IBA, IPA, KBA).
Strengthen
fundraising to ensure
sustainability
Report baseline
data at hotspot
level
Aggregated species
& site baseline data.
Analyzed with other
variables (protection
& management
status, habitat
change)
Challenges in applying a biome neutral approach to
outcomes monitoring:
• Lack of species population information and
conservation status knowledge limits our ability to
define and measure conservation outcomes.
• Investment in the Global Marine Species
Assessment
• Delineating Marine Biodiversity Conservation
Corridors
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Workshop
August 2006
• Constraints in using Remote Sensing for change
detection of key habitats
Marine Outcomes Framework & Indicators
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Workshop
August 2006
•
Proposed indicators are considered practical,
achievable and globally applicable.
•
Strongly correlated to the achievement of the
three conservation outcomes
•
Their transparent nature enables indicators to be
adapted and applied to a regional context
Priority indicators for implementation:
‘Extinction Avoided’
1) Number of threatened species is reduced:
% change in number of threatened species in each IUCN
Red List category.
• Red List Index provides a scientifically sound
mechanism for tracking the threatened status of
species across all taxonomic groups (Butchart et al,
2005)
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Priority indicators for implementation:
‘Areas Protected’
2) Key Biodiversity areas are formally safeguarded:
% of all Key Biodiversity Areas that are managed with a
binding contractual agreement & biodiversity conservation
as a management objective.
• Protecting areas is the most important and successful tactic
for maintaining biodiversity and avoiding species extinctions
(Bruner et al. 2001)
• Measuring both the extent and effectiveness of protected
areas is regarded as a useful indicator for meeting largescale biodiversity targets (Chape et al, 2005)
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Workshop
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Priority indicators for implementation:
‘Areas Protected’
3) Key habitats & critical ecological functions are maintained at
Key Biodiversity Areas
Change in habitat distribution & ecosystem composition and
structure within Key Biodiversity Areas
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•
Quantity and quality of habitat is among the indicators most highly
correlated with the ability of species to persist an a site.
•
Ecosystem features such as architectural, keystone and indicator
species represent biotic components that characterize the ecological
integrity of a system.
Promoting a standard ecological monitoring approach
Satellite Imagery is an effective tool
for delineating geological/physical
features (reef flat, reef crest, barrier
reef, deep reef)
Field sampling possesses
higher reliability values when
measuring change detection in
habitat distribution and
community composition
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Workshop
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Promoting a standard ecological monitoring approach
• Provides early warning information to
counteract impending biodiversity loss with
adaptive management action.
• Promotes systematic and quantitative broadscale sampling of critical biotic components.
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• Further species of interest can be integrated
into the sampling strategy
Reporting changes in Ecological composition in seascapes:
•
Potential to incorporate long-term population data into an
easily interpretable and measurable index of ecological
integrity
•
An ecosystem-based indicator aggregating ecological
dynamics that reports changing levels of ecological condition
•
Requires identifying an ecosystem’s ‘vital signs’ parameters
•
Research needs:
•
•
•
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Understanding of regional biological and ecological characteristics
Establish baseline reference point to evaluate divergence of ecological
integrity
Identify population thresholds and multiple states for index values
Priority indicators for implementation:
‘Corridors Consolidated’
4) Connectivity allows natural biotic interactions to be
maintained:
Change in relative/absolute abundance & distribution patterns of
migratory/corridor-utilizing species.
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•
Marine corridors should not be gauged a success unless
population numbers of migratory utilizing species are stable or
increasing (Edgar & Garske, 2005)
•
Species level indicator that directly measures population trends of
regionally specific wide-ranging species at life history bottlenecks
Additional Indicators for measurement:
‘Extinctions Avoided’
5) Target species of biodiversity importance are maintained
at Key biodiversity Areas:
Change in relative/absolute abundance of
conservation relevant target species (threatened, endemic,
congregational species, range restricted, biome restricted
assemblages)
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Additional Indicators for measurement cont…
‘Extinctions Avoided’
6) Globally threatened species are being studied:
% of threatened species with ongoing studies or
Conservation actions that focus on ecology, population or
distribution
‘Extinctions Avoided’
7) Species are nationally protected:
% of threatened species that have protected status in each
nation
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Additional Indicators for measurement cont…
‘Areas Protected’
8) Management plans and governance structures exist & are
adopted:
Change in number of protected Key Biodiversity Areas with
management plans in place
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Formal management plan approved by management institution
Action plans for globally threatened species articulated
Education awareness strategy articulated
Monitoring plan articulated
Financing strategy articulated
Staffing needs articulated
Strategy for tenure rights disputes articulated
Additional Indicators for measurement cont…
‘Areas Protected’
9) Management plans and governance structures exist & are
adopted:
Change in number of protected Key Biodiversity Areas with
governance structures in place
‘Areas Protected’
• Enforcement strategy
• Number of guards/wardens active in marine protected area
• System for information exchange among local communities
in decision making associated with land use
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Additional Indicators for measurement cont…
‘Corridors Consolidated’
10) National fishing legislative & regulation plans exist:
Change in number of national legislative plans in place to reduce
Fishing pressure
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Implementing & Sustaining Outcomes Monitoring
Establishing Regional Monitoring networks to ensure
sustainability and consistency in data collection and
reporting.
• Key stakeholders with defined technical roles & responsibilities
• Complementary indicators with standardized measurement
protocols
• Centralized & compatible data housing and analysis
infrastructures
• Collaborative dissemination efforts (workshops, publications)
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• Fundraising strategy driven by multiple partners
Implementing & Sustaining Outcomes Monitoring
Questions to address through participatory
consultation:
• What level of sampling resolution is realistic and what will it tell us?
• What existing regional networks can be leveraged?
• How will consistent and regular reporting be ensured?
• What form will the information analysis and reporting structure take and
how will information be disseminated?
• Which parties will take responsibility for each link in the chain?
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• What specific strategies are realistic for long-term funding?
Deliverables for FY07
•
Applying regional perspective to the global
outcomes monitoring model
• Identify partner capacity & support strengthening of monitoring
networks in Seascapes (Regional workshops)
•
Communicate outcomes definition and
monitoring framework
• Better institutionalize marine outcomes monitoring indicators
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• Disseminate framework and indicators to seascape teams for
feedback.