Strategies for effective monitoring in Latin America and...

Conserving Birds & Their Habitats

Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, International Program

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

Strategies for effective monitoring in Latin America and the Caribbean

Monitoring in Latin America

• Full annual-cycle conservation • Hinges on information for wintering migrants

– Abundance

Baird’s sparrow



– Abundance – Distribution

Blackpoll Warbler



– Abundance – Distribution – Overwintering persistence and annual survival



– Abundance – Distribution – Overwintering persistence and annual survival – Critical stopover habitats

Major Neotropical Stopover Regions

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia / NW Colombia – Catharus, vireos, Tennessee W, Blackburnian W

Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala – Catharus, Vireos, Cerulean W.

Northern Amazon Spring – Catharus, Vireos

Llanos, Venezuela & Colombia – Bobolink

W. Mexico Spring – western species/ populations

Yucatan Autumn – Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin SE Mexico Spring – Wood

Thrush, Kentucky W.

• Information critical to FAC conservation • Not summarized or coordinated • Information collected by LA scientists and

monitoring networks is not accessible – National Park Systems – Landscape-level monitoring projects

o Manaus, September 2014: conference on citizen science monitoring networks in Latin America

• Highlights the need for an integrated population monitoring program • Neotropical Residents and Migrants


• What information exists to inform FAC conservation?

• Where are critical gaps of information, and how do we fill them?

• What are the regional/political/conservation contexts of this information?

• Who are our stakeholders and decision makers?

Integrated Pop. Monitoring Program

Integrated Population Monitoring Program

Integrated population models

Results

NGO’s Government agencies

Public information

Other stakeholders

Habitat and land-use data

Environmental data

Demography Count-based

Survival (Adult, juvenile)

Productivity and breeding

success Population

trends Distribution Abundance

Outreach and education

Modified from the British Trust of Ornithology

Connectivity

Annual-cycle of Neotropical migrants Jan

F

April

M

J July

A

S

Oct

N

D

breeding overwintering migration

Adapted from P. Marra

M

Population trends (X)

Distribution (all)

Abundance (?)

Breeding and annual adult survival (>100)

Productivity

Overwintering survival (26+)

Distribution (?) Abundance (?)

Connectivity (?)

Connectivity (?)

IPM-LA

IPM-NA

Annual adult survival (19+)

Population trends (?)

Latin America and Caribbean IPMP


Results


Public information

Other stakeholders


Environmental data


Wintering and Annual Survival (MoSI: 02-15)

Population trends

Distribution eBird Abundance



Connectivity

Improve statistical design of demographic

programs

MoSI: power analyses, color bands for priority

species

Improve measures of connectivity

Priority species: #sp with survival estimates?

Challenges of current information

Coordinate among existing bird banding efforts

in Latin America

Provide increased coverage and information on

overwintering and annual survival

• Coordinate protocols and ‘added value’ efforts – Color banding of priority species – Basis for geolocators – Feather collection – Blood samples: mercury

Challenges of current information

Latin America and Caribbean IPMP


Results


Public information

Other stakeholders


Environmental data


Wintering and Annual Survival (MoSI: 02-15)

Population trends

Distribution eBird Abundance



Connectivity

Structured protocols in eBird

Central America (excluding MX) All Time: 2,699,635 Obs. 2014: +21%

Caribbean All Time: 895,322 Obs. 2014: + 20%

South America All Time: 3,300,329 Obs. 2014: +22%

MoSI: gaps in existing coverage

Filling in information gaps

• How do we sustain, expand and improve MoSI? • Funding scheme supported by US partners • Increased relevance of MoSI framework for resident

birds – Do we need a complimentary protocol?

• How to de improve capacity for data storage and management in Latin America? • Impediment to many national-level monitoring efforts

in LA – Conservation Areas system in Costa Rica

Filling in information gaps

• How do we improve quantitative capacity in Latin America? • Data analysis and study design:

– BBS, eBird structured protocols

• Produce relevant results for both migrant and resident birds – Limiting factor in securing funding – Justification for funding and support from government

agencies

• To date: – > 200 students, 8 Universities, 12 Countries – NGO, Government and Academic sectors

Regional context for bird monitoring

• Uneven surface for migratory bird monitoring and conservation in LA

• Example: forest conservation in CA • Changes in IUCN and CITES lists

• Main drivers of deforestation: 1. Drug trafficking 2. Poverty 3. Inequality 4. Corruption

• Remaining high forested areas are abandoned by governments (e.g. Darien, Petén, PILA) taken by drug traffickers

Regional context for bird monitoring

IUCN Forestry Governance and Economy Dept. • No more protected areas

PERFOR: Regional Forest Management Plan (‘14-’17) • REDD+: UN-Forest Carbon Partnership • SICA: Central American Integration System (Env) • CCAD: Central American Commission on Environment

and Development • CBM: Convention on Biological Diversity • ERB: Regional Strategy for the Conservation and

Sustainable Use of Biodiversity • PERTAP: Regional Strategic Program for Protected Areas • PROMEBIO: Regional Biodiversity Monitoring Program

Regional context for bird monitoring • REDD+: UN-Forest Carbon Partnership • SICA: Central American Integration System (Env) • CCAD: Central American Commission on Environment and

Development • CBM: Convention on Biological Diversity • ERB: Regional Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of

Biodiversity • PERTAP: Regional Strategic Program for Protected Areas • PROMEBIO: Regional Biodiversity Monitoring Program

• Where does an integrated bird monitoring program

fit in? • How are current initiatives and alliances tied to

existing initiatives?

Stakeholders in LA

• Latin America is an uneven surface • Capacity for monitoring

• Universities looked upon for management • Government is looked for regulation and regional

conservation measures – Define species of conservation priority

• NGO’s: interface of both

Stakeholders in LA

1 Government

3 NGO

2 Academia

• Partners representative of U.S. counterparts • WOTH meeting

– US Universities, scientists, graduate students – US Government agencies and NGO’s – Latin America: only NGO participants

• Need LA counterparts of these institutions • Influx of recent PhD’s into academic institutions • Qualified ornithologists with Lic. and MSc. • Government officials interested in bird conservation

Stakeholders in LA

Central America and Caribbean Joint Ventures?

Central American Species Assessment

• Mexico is our current pilot! 1. Demographic Monitoring:

• CONABIO: sponsor all Mexico MoSI stations – Bird monitoring is already part of their strategy – IBP: migratory bird data – CONABIO: captures of residents

• Test: – Do most stations need just monetary support? $ – What types of incentives do stations need? – What capacity needs help start/sustain stations?

o Data analysis? Results? Leadership?

• Guidance for MoSI strategic plan!

Will any of this work??

2. Count-based monitoring: • CONABIO:

– BBS routes in Northern States – First country to pay for eBird portal

o Many community-based monitoring groups o Lots of data coming in o Can this be used for structured monitoring? o Do these data match MoSI predictions?






Address these key questions

Central America Lab of Ornithology?


Results


Public information

Other stakeholders


Environmental data


Survival (Adult, juvenile)

Productivity and breeding

success Population

trends Distribution Abundance


Connectivity

2. Creating an IPMP from an existing project • RMBO:

– Grassland Bird Conservation Monitoring Program – U.S. and Mexico

• Uniqueness: – Most information from the non-breeding grounds – Vital rates feed directly into management decisions – Inform both large-scale and local-level conservation – Model system for engaging partners and stake holders


Grasslands in North America

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

RMBO Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Bird Conservation Program, 2006-2014

Grassland Birds IMPM



Environmental data


U.S.(2015): Survival A+J MX (06-15):

Survival A + J

U.S. (2015) Productivity,

breeding success

U.S. trends: BBS,

IMBCR

U.S. and MX: eBird

U.S. (2015) Density

MX (06-15): Density

Connectivity (2015)

Results

PROFAUNA, PRONATURA,

ABC, TNC

USFW, CONABIO, NFWF, BLM,

Southern Wings

CSU, UNAM, Universities

Grassland Bird Conservation

Plan

Ranchers, Schools

Grassland Bird Conservation Plan version 1.0

• 5 USFWS BCC species • Density and distribution

maps • Habitat relationships • Carrying capacity • Mgt. recommendations • Decision support tools • Available at

www.rmbo.org

http://www.rmbo.org/

Balanced partners

CONABIO, CONAMP

IMC, TNC, Profauna, BIDA, Pronatura Este, Pronatura Oeste

U.A. de Nuevo Leon, U. Juarez

de Durango, U, de Guadaljara, U. E.

de Sonora, UNAM, MSc and

PhD theses

Strategies for effective monitoring in Latin America and...

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