Using Community Group Monitoring Data to Measure the Effectiveness of Restoration Actions for Australia's Woodland Birds
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25 Using Community Group Monitoring Data To Measure The Effectiveness Of Restoration Actions For Australia's Woodland Birds Michelle Gibson1, Jessica Walsh1,2, Nicki Taws5, Martine Maron1 1Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Queensland, Australia, 2School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, 3800, Victoria, Australia, 3Greening Australia, Aranda, Canberra, 2614 Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 4BirdLife Australia, Carlton, Melbourne, 3053, Victoria, Australia, 5Greening Australia, PO Box 538 Jamison Centre, Macquarie, Australian Capital Territory 2614, Australia Before conservation actions are implemented, they should be evaluated for their effectiveness to ensure the best possible outcomes. However, many conservation actions are not implemented under an experimental framework, making it difficult to measure their effectiveness. Ecological monitoring datasets provide useful opportunities for measuring the effect of conservation actions and a baseline upon which adaptive management can be built. We measure the effect of conservation actions on Australian woodland ecosystems using two community group-led bird monitoring datasets. Australia’s temperate woodlands have been largely cleared for agricultural production and their bird communities are in decline. To reverse these declines, a suite of conservation actions has been implemented by government and non- government agencies, and private landholders. We analysed the response of total woodland bird abundance, species richness, and community condition, to two widely-used actions — grazing exclusion and replanting. We recorded 139 species from 134 sites and 1,389 surveys over a 20-year period. Grazing exclusion and replanting combined had strong positive effects on all three bird community metrics over time relative to control sites, where no actions had occurred. Effectiveness of grazing exclusion (when not combined with replanting) improved over time in terms of bird abundance but not species richness or community condition. Control sites with continued grazing and no replanting showed declines in species richness and bird abundance over time. Future monitoring programs should record details of site management history and effort (e.g. frequency, area) and include control sites without management actions so that the effectiveness of conservation actions can be evaluated. 33 The Status of Resources in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Athline Clark1, Jonathan Martinez1 1Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Honolulu, United States The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a biologically, culturally and historically significant place in the Hawaiian Archipelago and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Monument encompasses the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and is the largest protected area in the United States. Place-based conservation has been ongoing for over 20 years. Native Hawaiian practitioners consider Papahānaumokuākea to be one of the last remaining ʿāina momona. The Monument supports predator dominated coral reefs, is vital habitat for 23 threatened and endangered species, home to 14 million nesting seabirds and supports an exceptionally high percentage of species found nowhere else on earth. Ten years of information have been recently evaluated to assess the condition and trends of the physical environment, habitats, living resources and historic and cultural resources of the Monument. Transdisciplinary approaches are utilized to conduct these assessments using descriptive and applied scientific, archaeologic and traditional research. Resource abundance and habitat quality will be discussed. This management assessment provides recent information on Monument resources in addition to shedding light on the impacts of recent natural disasters and discoveries. There will be discussions on the status and trends of: physical habitats, Hawaiian Monk Seals, green sea turtles, marine biodiversity, terrestrial and marine non-indigenous species, and Native Hawaiian resources. SPEAKERS: 1. Introduction: Jonathan Martinez and Athline Clark 2. Habitats: Keo Lopes 3. Sea Turtles: Marylou Staman 4. Monk Seals: Thea Johanos 5. Terrestrial Non-Indigenous Species: Cynthia Vanderlip 6. Marine Biodiversity: Randy Kosaki 7. Marine Non-Indigenous Species: Brian Hauk 8. Native Hawaiian Resources: Kalani Quiocho 38 Improving Bird Surveys in the Kaʻū Forest Kevin Brinck3, Ayesha Genz1, Rick Camp4, Jackie Gaudioso-Levita5, Seth Judge6, Lanie Berry5, Alex Wang5 1University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit, Hilo, United States, 2University of Hawaii, Hilo, United States, 3University of Hawaii at Hilo Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit, Hilo, United States, 4U.S. Geological Survey, Volcano, United States, 5Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hilo, United States, 6National Park Service, Volcano, United States Most abundance estimates for Hawaiʻi forest birds are produced using point transect distance sampling. This method uses standardized counts recording the distance to each detected bird. The average density of each species is then estimated and multiplied by the habitat area to calculate abundance. The Kaʻū forest, on the slope of Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaiʻi Island, is the largest native forest in the state and home to eight native forest bird species, including three endangered and one threatened species. The forest is under management by the U.S. National Park Service and the State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and in 2019, both agencies coordinated to conduct a simultaneous survey of their management units to produce a comprehensive estimate of Kaʻū forestʻs bird populations. We improved trends assessment using bootstrap regression methods which indicated that in the Kaʻū forest two endangered species (ʻakiapolaʻau (Hemignathus wilsoni) and Hawaiʻi ʻakepa (Loxops coccineus)) are in decline while the ʻalawī (Loxops mana) population is increasing. Surveyors recorded the local vegetation characteristics, allowing us to include site-level habitat information (such forest moisture category, canopy height and dominant undergrowth species) not previously used to estimate Hawaiʻi bird abundance. Both historical and contemporary descriptors of vegetation and the forest structure were used to improve density estimates. The effect on estimated abundance was moderate (< 10% difference) but we identified important covariates and methods to continue to improve future bird surveys in Kaʻū and elsewhere in Hawaiʻi. 41 Actions for Future Abundance: Investigating Perceptions of Coral Reef Health and Pro- environmental Behavior among Coastal Users in West Maui, Hawai‘i Francisca (Kika) Santana1, Alana Yurkanin2, Edwin (Ekolu) Lindsey III3, Tiara Stark2, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi1 1Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, 2The Nature Conservancy, Makawao, HI, United States, 3Polanui Hiu CMMA, Lahaina, HI, United States Coral reef ecosystems in Hawai‘i are under threat from global and local stressors, including rising ocean temperatures, overharvesting, pollution, and ocean-based recreational activity. Hawaiian reefs adjacent to large population centers, like West Maui’s once abundant, life- sustaining Nā Papalimu O Pi‘ilani reef, now show significant signs of human impact. Despite important links between coastal user activity and coral reef health, the social and psychological factors that influence human behavior in nearshore environments are not well-understood. What motivates individuals to take pro-environmental action to protect coral reefs? And how can communities effectively promote respectful reef etiquette among coastal users? We investigate these motivating questions by drawing from theories and methods in conservation psychology. Through a partnership between the community group Polanui Hiu, The Nature Conservancy, and Stanford University, we conducted an in-person survey of 300 coastal users in West Maui, an area popular for ocean-based recreation. We collected information on individual coastal users’ 1) reef-based activities, 2) perceptions of reef health, 3) social-psychological indicators (such as place attachment and self-efficacy), and 4) pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Initial results indicate that residents have more knowledge of coral reef health and more place attachment than visitors. Subsequent analyses will identify variables that predict pro- environmental behavior. The findings will provide community partners with insight into coastal user groups to target outreach and education and to assess support for future fisheries management efforts. We anticipate that the study will promote safer, sustainable human-reef interactions, which may facilitate the return of marine life in West Maui. 46 Teens Creating Conservation Innovations: Students Share Their Hawaiʻi Youth Sustainability Challenge Projects Elia Herman1, Natalie McKinney2 1Kupu, Honolulu, United States, 2Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, Haleiwa, United States The Hawaiʻi Youth Sustainability Challenge (HYSC) helps students develop innovative solutions to the conservation challenges they identify in their schools and communities. In the 2019-2020 school year, Kupu and Kokua Hawaiʻi Foundation (KHF) are providing project grants, mentorship, and training to students in grades 10-12 from across Oʻahu. This smaller, more localized cohort allows the program to invest more deeply