Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region

Joint Venture

Establishing Regional Grassland Bird Habitat Objectives

CBM / Regional Grassland Bird Workshop

La Crosse WI, September 2010

Greg Soulliere, Joint Venture Science Coordinator

Presentation Topics

• The JV / JV Region

• 2007 JV Implementation Plan

• Translating population objectives into habitat objectives

• Targeting conservation delivery

Vehicle to accomplish goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP 1986)

Transitioning to All-birds

JVs becoming the “hub” for regional bird conservation planning and delivery

Developing a JV (all-bird) Implementation Plan

Establishing Grassland Bird Habitat Objectives

Bird-group Subcommittees “JV Science Team”

Waterfowl John Coluccy, DU (co-chair)

Greg Soulliere (co-chair)

Todd Bishop, IA DNR

Pat Brown, MI NFI

Mike Eichholz, SIU

Ron Gatti, WI DNR

Dave Luukkonen, MI DNR

Charlotte Roy-Nielson, SIU

Josh Stafford, IL NHS

Key Contacts

Robert Gates, OSU

Shorebirds Robert Gates, OSU (chair)

David Ewert, TNC

Diane Granfors, FWS

Brad Potter, FWS

Bob Russell, FWS

Mark Shieldcastle, OH DNR

Greg Soulliere, FWS

Key Contacts

Ferenc de Szalay, KSU

Waterbirds Dan Holm, IL DNR (chair)

Robert Gates, OSU

Diane Granfors, FWS

Steve Lewis, FWS

Mike Monfils, MNFI/MSU

Greg Soulliere, FWS

Wayne Thogmartin, USGS

Key Contacts

Bob Russell, FWS

Linda Wires, UMN

Landbirds David Ewert, TNC (chair)

John Castrale, IN DNR

Melinda Knutson, FWS

Brad Potter, FWS

Michael Roell, MO DOC

Greg Soulliere, FWS

Wayne Thogmartin, GS

Tom Will, FWS

Key Contacts

Andy Bishop, FWS

Ryan Reker, RWB JV

Jane Fitzgerald, CH JV

Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Region Joint Venture

Population and habitat objectives for bird-groups

Habitat objectives for all-birds 2007 JV plan used modeling and expert opinion

• Identifies knowledge gaps

• States assumptions when information is lacking (testable hypotheses)

Improving Science Foundation Linking Population and Habitat Objectives

• Assess populations and develop regional objectives

• Calculate deficits (goal – current = deficit)

• Identify focal species and determine limiting factors

• Assess landscape

composition and health

• Use biological models to determine habitat quantity needed to eliminate deficits as well as maintain current populations

Selecting JV Focal Species

• Occur in manageable numbers in the JV region • Population status (continental priority or

concern) • Represent a community type (guild of species) • Potential to monitor • Understanding of life history information

(limiting factors)

JV Focal Species • JV focal species represented the needs of other less-specialized birds occupying primary cover types.

• The use of JV focal species reduced the number of models developed and applied, while still representing the full suite of species and their habitats.

Note: The assumption that other species will respond similarly to habitat protection,

restoration, and management remains untested and must be evaluated to improve future iterations of the JV Plan.

JV Grassland Focal Species Greater Prairie-Chicken Henslow’s Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Upland Sandpiper

Red-headed Woodpecker (Savannah)

Simple biological models

H = (d/2) * h 60,000 = (12,000/2) * 10 H = minimum new habitat area required to eliminate deficit (ha) d = regional population deficit (Upland sandpipers) h = habitat area used / pair (ha) Note: 10 ha = 25 acres

JV population deficit based on BBS, expert opinion, and continental conservation plan

Breeding population goal 45,000

Population estimate 33,000

Deficit 12,000

Grassland Maintenance Objectives (accommodate current grassland bird populations)

BCR Acres 12 295,000 22 4,345,000 23 785,000 24 352,000 Total 5,777,000

Grassland Restoration Objectives – similar to maintenance / protection objectives since PIF calls for doubling grassland bird populations

Grassland maintenance/protection and restoration/enhancement (JV goal = 6 million acres each)

Ohio

Michigan

Wisconsin

Nebraska

Missouri

Kansas

Indiana

Illinois

Iowa

Minnesota

Grassland bird habitat objectives provided for 23 State x BCR polygons

BBS point count interpolations

Eastern Meadowlark

Upland Sandpiper

Red-headed woodpecker

“Richness” = number species found, “diversity = richness and relative abundance.

Openland Bird - Priority Breeding Habitat (regional scale)

Strategic Conservation A framework for setting and achieving conservation objectives at multiple scales based on the best available information, data, and ecological models.

Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Region Joint Venture

Population and habitat objectives for bird-groups

Habitat objectives for all-birds 2007 JV plan used modeling and expert opinion

• Identifies knowledge gaps

• States assumptions when information is lacking (testable hypotheses)

Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture

Bird Conservation Planning and monitoring