steve schill, the nature conservancy george raber, university of southern mississippi mngnt...

Steve Schill, The Nature ConservancyGeorge Raber, University of Southern Mississippi

MNGNT

VIABILITYTHREAT

Tool Objectives

• Integrate IABIN’s Ecosystem and Protected Area Thematic Networks

• Provide a simplistic “manager’s dashboard” approach for querying and visualization of effective conservation

• Permit conservation decision-makers to cross-query ecosystems with protected area information

• Spatial and tabular reporting of ecosystems and protected areas

What questions does EAR help you to answer?

What is the current protection status of each ecosystem?

How close are we to meeting conservation goals, what percentage has been achieved?

If I need additional hectares to reach my goal, where are the most suitable areas to implement a protection strategy?

What is secure and expected to persist?

Where are the gaps in protection and threat abatement?

Where are there opportunities to expand and enhance biodiversity protection?

What progress are we making?

What questions does EAR help you to answer?

A Few Facts about EAR

• Available as an Desktop (ArcToolbox for ArcGIS v.9-10) or Internet version

• Desktop version written in Python –reports output as html (JavaScript and CSS)

• Internet version wraps the desktop tool using ArcGIS Server. Web app written with OpenLayers.

• Free

ViabilityStatus

ThreatsStatus

MngmtStatus

Mitigate ThreatsImplement Mngmt Plan

Improve ViabilityMitigate Threats

Improve ViabilityImplement Mngmt Plan

Improve Viability

Mitigate ThreatsImplement Mngmt Plan

= Effective Conservation

Evaluating Effective Conservation

(Higgins et al, 2007)

Evaluating Effective Conservation

(Higgins et al, 2007)

MEASURE INDICATOR

ViabilityStatus

Size Condition Landscape Context

ConservationManagement

Status

Intent Duration Effective Management Potential

ThreatsStatus

Severity ScopeE

FFEC

TIV

E C

ON

SER

VA

TIO

N

EAR Data Model:Eight possible Conservation Action

Classes

Requirements for Running EAR Tool

1) Ecosystems GIS Data:Attribute Fields: VIABILITY and THREAT

SCORES: Very Good (VG)

Good (G)Fair (F)Poor (P)

2) Protected/Managed Areas GIS Data: Attribute Fields: MANAGEMENT

SCORES: Very Good (VG)

Good (G)Fair (F)Poor (P)

Requirements for Running EAR Tool

EAR Tool: Desktop Version for ArcGIS

EAR Tool: Internet Server Version

Viability and Threat Models

VIABILITY:Current conditions

THREAT:Future conditions

Developing Future Threat Models

SLR RESILIENCE

Conservation Management Status (CMS)

1. Intent: Are management objectives intended to secure biodiversity?

2. Duration: How long will the commitment to protection last?

3. Effective Management Potential (EMP): Are there available resources, adequate governance, and a planning framework for the management objectives to be achieved?

(Higgins et al, 2007)

Intent Reserve is established to provide high-quality spawning, rearing and adult habitat for fishes. No fishing or diving allowed.

BiodiversityFocus

Duration The fishing and diving ban is stated for 5 years.

Short Term

EffectiveManagementPotential (EMP)

PlanningFramework:

There is a management prescription in place to address instances of fishing and diving.

Most to FullPotential

Governance: The local island community holds regular meetings to evaluate reserve mgnt and resolve issues that arise.

Resources: There is sufficient funding and staffing for a patrol boat.

Evaluating ConservationManagement Status (CMS)

VG

F

VG

Calculating CMS: INTENT

Based on IUCN categories:

I, II, IV = Very Good (VG)V, VI = Good (G)III = Fair (F)Non-designated = Good (G)*

* based on assumption that these areas are most likely set up for a sustainable conservation focus.

Incidental Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity Conservation Focus

Sustainable Conservation Focus

Calculating CMS: DURATION

Permanent declared protected areas = Very Good (VG)

Short term declaration = Fair (F)

Non-declared protected areas = Poor (P) for no commitment.

http://www.wdpa.org/ME/Using MEsurvey datafor calculatingEMP

40+ methodsapplied to 100+countries

Calculating CMS: Effective Management Potential

GOVERNANCE

PLANNING

RESOURCES

c

“Majority rules”

If at least two of the three indicators share the same rating, then the occurrence receives that rating

Exceptions:

• If any one indicator is rated as poor the CMS is rated poor.• If one indicator is rated very good, one good, and one fair, thenCMS is rated good.• If two indicators are rated very good, and one fair, then CMS is rated good.

Calculating CMS: Effective Management Potential

Evaluating Conservation Management Status

Habitat Assessment: Mangroves

VIABILITY

THREAT

MNGNT

Effective Conservation of Mangroves

Output Tables

Output Graphs

Output Reports: By Ecosystem/Species and Protected

Area

• Provides a GIS-based reporting framework for strategic conservation decision-making

• Permits the calculation, visualization, and reporting of eight conservation action classes

• Requires two input layers: Ecosystems/species and Protected/Managed areas

• Operates using pre-defined viability, threat, and management scores

• Flexible in that it does not require pre-determined methods for defining and ranking these scores

EAR Summary

Support for EAR

English

Español

www.eartool.org• Download tool• Sample datasets• User manual

Questions? sschill@tnc.org

http://www.ebmtools.org/ecosystem-assessment-and-reporting-tool.html