March 26, 2010
Planning for Priority Species and Vegetation: Health Assessment
A Systematic Framework to
Plan for Biological Resources
In the BLM’s Land Use Planning Process
2
How does it work?
Species / VegetationHealth
AssessingEffects
MonitoringPlans
DevelopStrategies
SYSTEMATIC FRAMEWORK
BLM LEARNING NETWORKLAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
On – Site Training
CORE CONCEPTS
• Develop monitoring framework
• Identify priority species and vegetation
• Assess health
• Identify management strategies
• Assess effects
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
List of Priority Species and Vegetation
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
•Accounts for all BLM required species and vegetation•Captures major vegetation types of the planning area•Accounts for species that require special attention•Is not comprehensive, but representative
Matrix forest
3rd order river system
Emergent wetland
Selecting Focal Targets
• Select Priority Species and Vegetation (keep number manageable)
• Start with Ecological Systems (which often include “nested” species)
• Then Screen for Species that have Special Requirements
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Group vegetation and species that are related by ecological processes and that co-occur into systems or species assemblages.
Examples:
– Pine Forest Matrix (4 communities/13 species)
– Barrier Island Complex (5 communities/20 species)
– Rare Mainstem/Tributary Fish Assemblage (11 species)
Selecting Focal Conservation Targets
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Identify Priority Species and Vegetation
• Greater Sage-Grouse• Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands• Sagebrush Shrublands• Salt Desert Scrub• Lower Montane Riparian• Ponderosa Pine Woodlands• Declining Grassland Birds
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Vegetation type
NestedSystems
NestedSpecies
Scientific name Common nameBLM SSS
T & E species
Global rank
SAGEBRUSH SHRUBLANDS
Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland
Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe
Colorado Plateau Mixed Low Sagebrush Shrubland
Amphispiza bellii Sage sparrow G5
Centrocercus minimus Gunnison Sage-grouse X G1
Athene cunicularia Burrowing owl G4
Cryptantha gypsophila Gypsum Valley cat-eye G1
Pediomelum aromaticum Aromatic Scurf Pea X G3
Penstemon breviculus Little penstemon G3
Gambelia wislizenii Longnose Leopard Lizard X G5
Cynomys gunnisonii Gunnison Prairie Dog G5
Puccinellia parishii Parish's Alkali Grass G2
Lanius ludovicianus Loggerhead shrike G4
Spizella breweri Brewer's sparrow G5
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Lumping or Splitting?“Lump” if they meet all of the following tests:
• Co-occur on the landscape• Require similar ecological processes • Have similar health scores, or one can serve as an
indicator for the other• Have similar effects
Examples– Grasslands & grassland nesting birds– Matrix forest & embedded plant community
Therefore may ultimately require similar strategic actions
Selecting Targets
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
On – Site Training
CORE CONCEPTS
• Develop monitoring framework
• Identify priority species and vegetation
• Assess health
• Identify management strategies
• Assess effects
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
What is our best estimate of how priority species and vegetation are doing?
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
HealthHealth of a priority species or vegetation is the measure to which the species or vegetation is…….
Resistant to change in its structure and composition in the face of external effects and
Resilient – able to recover upon experiencing occasional severe disturbance
* Natural Range of Variation*
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
• To clearly define priority species and vegetation
• Science-based foundation for establishing current status of a priority species or vegetation and setting desired future condition (goals)
• Helps to identify effects on the health of each priority species and vegetation and understand with more precision how these disrupt the priority species or vegetation
• Assists in developing good objectives and focused strategies
• Guides the design of monitoring protocol and measures of success
• Helps identify critical knowledge gaps about the system
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Why assess Health?
Aspects of the priority species or vegetation that clearly define or characterize the species or vegetation and determine its distribution and variation over space and time.
Characteristics of the species or vegetation, that if eliminated or significantly altered, would result in the demise of the species or vegetation or would shift it into something quite different.
Parrish et al. Bioscience 2003
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Key Ecological Attributes
Size• Species abundance…or• Minimum dynamic area
Size• Species abundance…or• Minimum dynamic area
Condition • Composition (e.g. native vs. nonnative)• Structure (e.g. age class distribution)• Biotic Interactions (e.g. reproduction)
Condition • Composition (e.g. native vs. nonnative)• Structure (e.g. age class distribution)• Biotic Interactions (e.g. reproduction)
Landscape Context • Environmental regimes/processes (e.g. fire)• Connectivity (e.g., access to
habitats/resources; ability to disperse, migrate, re-colonize)
Landscape Context • Environmental regimes/processes (e.g. fire)• Connectivity (e.g., access to
habitats/resources; ability to disperse, migrate, re-colonize)
Key Ecological Attributes
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Selecting Key Ecological Attributes Pick factors that are critical for long-term
persistenceo What factors, if degraded, would seriously
jeopardize ability to persist for 100+ years? Look for attributes that may be seriously
degraded by future human-caused activities Look for a small number of really key ecological
attributes (e.g. 3 to 5)o …versus many desirable or descriptive
characteristics Key attributes may be refined over time Attributes are what’s important; indicators are
what you will measure
Pick factors that are critical for long-term persistenceo What factors, if degraded, would seriously
jeopardize ability to persist for 100+ years? Look for attributes that may be seriously
degraded by future human-caused activities Look for a small number of really key ecological
attributes (e.g. 3 to 5)o …versus many desirable or descriptive
characteristics Key attributes may be refined over time Attributes are what’s important; indicators are
what you will measure
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Sage Grouse
• Population size • Habitat quality• Habitat connectivity
PJ Woodlands
• Patch size • Species composition• Fire Regime
Assess Health
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Establish criteria for condition ratings (key ecological attributes)
Size
Condition
Landscape context
Indicators
Measurable entities used to assess the status and trends of a priority species or vegetation’s Key Ecological Attribute(s).
Indicators should be: biologically relevant (reflect species or vegetation health) socially relevant (recognized by stakeholders) sensitive to anthropogenic stress (reflect threats) anticipatory (early warning) measurable cost-effective (max. information/unit effort)
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Current and Desired Condition
Habitat Availability
Population Size
Connectivity of Populations
Cover near leks
Mean # males on leks
Distribution of leks
Indicator
Linkage Between Key Attributes & Indicators
Key Attribute
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Very Good: Ecologically
desirable status;
Requires little
intervention for
maintenance
Poor: Restoratio
n increasingly difficult; May result
in extirpatio
n
Fair:outside
acceptable range of
variation; Requires human
intervention
Good:Indicator w/in
acceptable range of
variation; Some intervention required for maintenance
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Natural Range of Variation
• When these variations are predominantly influenced by non-human factors (e.g., climate, biotic interactions) the variations can be said to be “natural,”or at least “acceptable.”
• The aim is to manage a priority species or vegetation’s attributes within their acceptable range of variation.
• Native species & vegetation evolved over long periods with natural variation within their environments. Virtually all key attributes vary over time.
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Accept uncertainty!
General Guidance:• View main purpose as capturing the current state
of knowledge • Don’t worry about information gaps• Don’t focus on filling out all boxes!• Can return during later planning stages to add
more detail (if necessary)
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Assess Health - GROUSE
Type Key Attribute
Indicator Poor Fair Good Very good
Size Population size
Number of displaying males on leks
< 200 birds, (3-yr running average)
200 - 499 birds
500 - 700 birds
> 700 birds
Condition Habitat quality for X sage grouse
Condition of lek habitat
Leks surrounded by <100 acres of high quality habitat and/or water > 5 km
Leks surrounded by >100 acres of high quality habitat and water between 5 - 3.1 km
Leks surrounded by > 100 acres of high quality habitat and water < 3 km
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Assess Health – PJ Woodlands
Type Key Attribute
Indicator Poor Fair Good Very good
Landscape context
Fire regime Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)
>50% of the acres in FRCC 3 (signif. altered)
25-50% of the acres in FRCC 3
10-25% of the acres in FRCC 3 and/or >50% in FRCC 2
>50% of the acres in FRCC 1 and <10% in FRCC 3
Condition Species composition/ dominance
Presence of knapweed
Invasives with major potential to alter PJ are >10% cover with patches >1 acre
5-10% cover; patches some patches >1 acre
1-5% cover; few patches >1acre
<1% cover; no patches >1 acre
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
General guidance• Good/fair threshold is most critical – good
usually defines ecological desired condition• Don’t get stuck on getting the “right”
indicators or values. Fill out, document, and send out for review
• Prioritize filling gaps for key attributes based on:– Level of concern (poor status), or – Link to actions (what BLM will or could do)
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Health Assessment - SummaryAn iterative process with “successive
approximations”Begin with a “credible first iteration” Identify 3 - 5 really key ecological attributes for each priority species
or vegetation type Determine what you’ll measure for each attribute -- indicators Complete indicator ratings Focus on the difference between Good & Fair thresholds
Unless you have a Poor rating for an indicator (then focus on Fair/Poor)
Rate the “Current Status” for each attribute Present your initial findings to colleagues/experts for review
Continue to improve over time… Identify attributes, indicators & ratings where your uncertainties
are most vulnerable
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Assess Health - GROUSEType Key
AttributeIndicator Poor Fair Good Very good
Size Population size
Number of displaying males on leks
< 200 birds, (3-yr running average)
200 - 499 birds
500 - 700 birds
> 700 birds
Condition Habitat quality for X sage grouse
Condition of lek habitat
Leks surrounded by <100 acres of high quality habitat and/or water > 5 km
Leks surrounded by >100 acres of high quality habitat and water between 5 - 3.1 km
Leks surrounded by > 100 acres of high quality habitat and water < 3 km
CURRENT CONDITION
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Type Key Attribute
Indicator Poor Fair Good Very good
Landscape context
Fire regime Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)
>50% of the acres in FRCC 3 (signif. altered)
25-50% of the acres in FRCC 3
10-25% of the acres in FRCC 3
<10% in FRCC 3
Condition Species composition / dominance
Presence of knapweed
Invasives with major potential to alter PJ are >10% cover with patches >1 acre
5-10% cover; patches some patches >1 acre
1-5% cover; few patches >1acre
<1% cover; no patches >1 acre
CURRENT CONDITION
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Assess Health – PJ Woodlands
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Priority Species/VegetationLandscape Context Condition Size Health
RankGrade Grade Grade
Greater Sage-Grouse Fair Fair Fair Fair
Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands Good Fair Good Good
Sagebrush Shrublands Fair Poor Good Fair
Ponderosa/ Warm Dry Mixed Conifer Fair Fair Good Fair
Riparian/Aquatic Poor Fair Fair Fair
Semi-desert Shrublands Fair Poor Good Fair
Semi-desert grassland Good Fair Good Good
Mixed Grass Prairie Fair Good Good Good
Project Area Health Rank Fair
Health SummaryCurrent Condition
Overall RatingBy Priority
Species/ Vegetation
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Priority Species/VegetationLandscape Context Condition Size Health
RankGrade Grade Grade
Greater Sage-Grouse Fair Good Good Good
Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands Good Fair Good Good
Sagebrush Shrublands Fair Good Good Good
Ponderosa/ Warm Dry Mixed Conifer Fair Good Good Good
Riparian/Aquatic Fair Good Fair Fair
Semi-desert Shrublands Fair Good Good Good
Semi-desert grassland Good Fair Good Good
Mixed Grass Prairie Fair Good Good Good
Project Area Health Rank Good
Health SummaryDesired Ecological Condition
Overall RatingBy Priority
Species/ Vegetation
‘NO ACTION’ DATASET
HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Use this information to help formulate alternatives
- Evaluate health under current management
- Predict health under No Action Alternative during the life of the plan
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION
Priority Species/VegetationLandscape Context Condition Size Health
RankGrade Grade Grade
Greater Sage-Grouse Fair Fair Fair Fair
Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands Good Fair Good Good
Sagebrush Shrublands Fair Poor Good Fair
Ponderosa/ Warm Dry Mixed Conifer Fair Fair Good Fair
Riparian/Aquatic Poor Fair Fair Fair
Semi-desert Shrublands Fair Poor Good Fair
Semi-desert grassland Good Fair Good Good
Mixed Grass Prairie Fair Good Good Good
Project Area Health Rank Fair
Health SummaryPrediction under No Action Alternative
Overall Rating By Priority Species/Vegetation
LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION