160 likes | 278 Views
If we knew then what we know now….Adapting to meet challenges. Gulf Coast. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. A surrogate species approach, why is it something we need to do? Only a fraction of the landscape is devoted to species conservation (prioritize conservations lands)
E N D
If we knew then what we know now….Adapting to meet challenges Gulf Coast
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A surrogate species approach, why is it something we need to do? Only a fraction of the landscape is devoted to species conservation (prioritize conservations lands) Finite resources are allocated to conservation as it competes with other socioeconomic objectives ($$ = best conservation value) The vast majority of species habitat requirements remain unknown (utilize data rich areas) Noon et al. 2009
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Dimension II Dimension I
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATION
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service USFWS strategic growth initiative for prioritizing sustainable habitat in the Gulf Coastal Prairies Conservation Region
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Key threats to multiple species Human footprint Sea-level rise Intense drought
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A starting point: Mottled Duck (irregularly flooded marsh) Redhead Duck (estuaries) Whooping cranes (saltwater marsh)
Land use land cover change (LULCC) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Present & Future LC/LU Past LC/LU Wetlands Future (?) Contemporary trends
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service NOAA C-CAP Landcover Baseline? Housing boom? Energy development? Mexico?
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Conservation Planning • Aransas NWR - Potential acquisition boundary • Where to expand and how much? • Need to understand the impact of sea level rise
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service What do cranes like now?
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service What does sea-level rise mean for cranes? Initial conditions 2100 at 2m sea level rise scenario
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Potential habitat for whoopers with sea level rise Initial conditions 2100 at 2m sea level rise scenario
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Coastal LiDAR to greatly enhance sea level predictions Points in space = 3D vegetation and terrain Work by Luke Beasley SCA intern
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Complementary data and tools needed for a surrogate species approach for: • Baseline information to determine habitats vulnerable to change, and areas less vulnerable • Prioritize areas for sustainableconservation • ID candidate sites for refuge expansion, mitigation banking, and other conservation approaches Wetlands Urbanization