Establishing Baseline Conditions Using Wildlife-Habitat Relationships Definitions. Northwest Habitat Institute

Transcription

1 Establishing Baseline Conditions Using Wildlife-Habitat Relationships Definitions Northwest Habitat Institute

2 Northwest Habitat Institute Wildlife-Habitat Relationships

3 I B I S ntergrated Habitat and iodiversity nformation ystem Photo by Brian Zwiebel What is IBIS?

4 Over 150,000 Records IBIS To build a common understanding for management

5 Background Lessons learned from Spotted Owls 17- Peer Review Panels Over 700 people involved in the development; > 2,000 literature citations Addresses Fish and Wildlife Habitat over 1,000 species Used in all subbasin plans Used in habitat evaluations, state conservation strategies, and assessing cumulative effects

6 Several Key Highlights Published by Oregon State University in 2001 Over 50,000 copies of its information have been published Mapping approach to IBIS s WHR have been published in the National Academy of Sciences TRB Over 60 habitat classifications have been cross-walked to IBIS s Wildlife- Habitat Relationships data sets

7 Concepts & Terms

8 Wildlife Species Information Concept Regional Numbering System species and subspecies Common, Scientific, and Other Names gone by Taxonomic Reference Location Information

9 Peer Panels or expert review, confidence levels, and references Linkages Salmon-Wildlife Interactions Relationship ~ strong, recurrent, indirect, rare, no, or unknown Stages ~ incubation, freshwater rearing, saltwater, carcasses, unknown or none Life History Characteristics ~ wildlife and some fish

10 Terms 32 Wildlife-Habitat Types are consistently defined & identified (Johnson & O Neil, 2001) Alpine Grassland Mixed Conifer Open Water Agriculture

11 Agriculture Row Crop Medium Tree Single Story Open Medium Tree Single Story Moderate 47 Structural Conditions and Land Uses are consistently defined & identified

12 Key Environmental Correlates (KECs) Habitat elements (physical or biological) thought to most influence a species distribution, abundance, fitness, and viability. > 200 KECs identified

13 Northern River Otter has 57 Key Environmental Correlates (KECs) Reference # KEC down wood in riparian areas 2.3 beaver/muskrat activity (dams, lodges, ponds) 2.4 burrows (aquatic or terrestrial) oxbows overhanging vegetation banks boulders cobble/gravel submergent vegetation coarse woody debris in streams and rivers pools riffles runs/glides 4.3 ephemeral pools 4.6 lakes/ponds/reservoirs

14 Riparian Habitat Water water depth, dissolved oxygen, velocity, & turbidity Rivers & streams - oxbows, overhanging vegetation, instream substrate, zones, submergent vegetation, & pools Vegetation tree size, shrub size, snags, decay class Wetland context, marshes, wet meadows, islands, seasonal inundation

15 Estuary Habitat Vegetation zones kelp, eelgrass, pickelweed & mixed micro algae Salinity zones - tidal fresh, mixing, & seawater Forms beach, delta, lagoon, tidal flat, salt marsh, & dune

16 Marine Habitat Zones supratidal, intertidal, nearshore subtidal, shelf, & oceanic Energy - protected, semi-protected, partially exposed, & exposed

17 Upland Habitat Forest downwood, fungi, ferns, trees size, tree canopy, forbs, lichen & cavities Shrub & Grasslands herbaceous layer, grasses, cryptogamic crusts, snags, decay class, shrub size, shrub canopy, flowers, cactus, forbs & trees size Non-vegetative - rocks, talus, avalanche chutes, cliffs, caves, rock outcrops, barren ground, playa & snow

18 Key Ecological Functions (KEFs) The principal way organisms influence the environment

19 Northern River Otter has 12 Key Ecological Functions (KEFs) Reference # KEF 1 Trophic relationships 1.1 heterotrophic consumer secondary consumer (primary predator or primary carnivore) invertebrate eater terrestrial invertebrates aquatic macroinvertebrates vertebrate eater (consumer or predator of herbivorous vertebrates) piscivorous (fish eater) 3 organismal relationships 3.12 uses burrows dug by other species (secondary burrow user) 3.13 creates runways (possibly used by other species) 3.2 controls terrestrial vertebrate populations (through predation or displacement)

20 Key Ecological Functions

21 Key Ecological Functions Species Functional Redundancy for Species Potential vs Observed herbivory on grasses or forbs that may alter vegetation structure and composition herbivory on trees or shrubs that may (grazers) alter vegetation structure and composition (browsers) physically fragments standing wood physically fragments down wood physically affects (improves) soil structure, aeration (typically by digging) soil relationships carrier, transmitter, or reservoir of vertebrate diseases primary cavity excavator in snags or live trees nest parasite ground structures user of structures created by other species primary creation of structures creates feeding, roosting, denning, or nesting opportunities for other organisms disperses vascular plants disperses seeds/fruits (through ingestion or caching) disperses insects and other invertebrates transportation of viable seeds, spores, plants or animals pollination vector controls terrestrial vertebrate populations (through predation or displacement) interspecific hybridization pirates food from other species uses runways created by other species) creates runways (possibly used by other species) uses burrows dug by other species creates small burrows (less than rabbit-sized) creates large burrows (rabbit-sized or larger) primary burrow excavator secondary cavity user controls or depresses insect population peaks aids in physical transfer of substances for nutrient cycling fish prey for secondary and tertiary consumers non-fish prey for secondary or tertiary consumer (primary or secondary predator) coprophagous (feeds on fecal material) carrion feeder Tertiary consumer ovivorous (egg eater) piscivorous (fish eater) vertebrate eater zooplankton aquatic macroinvertebrates terrestrial invertebrates invertebrate eater secondary consumer - predators fungivore (fungus feeder) nectivore (nectar feeder) sap feeder frugivore (fruit-eater) grazer (grass, forb eater) browser (leaf, stem eater) spermivore (seed-eater) phytoplankton eater feeds in water on decomposing benthic substrate decomposing benthic substrate aquatic herbivore flower/bud/catkin feeder foliovore (leaf-eater) primary consumer (herbivore) Potential Species Functions Observed Species Functions Number of Species

22 Habitat Classification System ~ Database tool: List each habitat classification, including the name, type (Terrestrial, Aquatic, Wetland, or Marine), an initial list of who is using it, a brief description, citation, and website, if available. List of all categories associated with each system; definitions are included if available. List of other systems that complement, or are similar to, the system you choose.

23 Habitat Classification System IBIS was used as a "common system" to which each classification system was cross-walked and includes names and definitions of all IBIS categories. Cross-walks from each system to the appropriate IBIS Habitat Type, Structural Condition, or Key Environmental Correlate. These cross-walks can also be used to compare between systems.

24 Mapping Using Consistent Definitions

25 Structural Conditions Wildlife-Habitat

26 Invasive Plant Species Key Environmental Correlates (KECs)

27

28

29 Change Detection

30 Mapping Wildlife Habitats Mapping methodologies that combines both the habitat classification scheme and relational databases at various hierarchical scales.

31 Habitat Types Classification Change Detection & Cumulative Effects Yakima River Circa 1850 Circa 1927 Circa 2007

32

33 ODOT Mirror Lake Mitigation Site: Inferences to SOIL EROSION

34 Standard. Wildlife-Habitat Relationship definitions are Recommended for Inclusion into the Northwest Power and Conservation Council s Fish and Wildlife Program Mapping using a Consistent Wildlife-Habitat Definitions Published in National Academy of Sciences Over 50,000 copies containing Wildlife-Habitat Relationships information have been Published in NW

35 Questions!