Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design
Abstract Despite the recent increase in landscape conservation and the design processes agencies are undertaking, there remains an implementation gap due to an inability to evaluate general strategies and account for uncertainties faced by managers. We demonstrated how a decision support process (DS...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1542 |
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| _version_ | 1846165596380594176 |
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| author | Thomas W. Bonnot D. Todd Jones‐Farrand Nate D. Muenks Frank R. Thompson III |
| author_facet | Thomas W. Bonnot D. Todd Jones‐Farrand Nate D. Muenks Frank R. Thompson III |
| author_sort | Thomas W. Bonnot |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite the recent increase in landscape conservation and the design processes agencies are undertaking, there remains an implementation gap due to an inability to evaluate general strategies and account for uncertainties faced by managers. We demonstrated how a decision support process (DSP), recently developed to inform landscape conservation design, can address uncertainties and complexities inherent in landscape conservation to facilitate long‐term, large‐scale conservation planning. We applied the DSP to landscape conservation efforts within conservation opportunity areas (COA) of states in the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks region. We engaged state planners within the region to identify important landscape conservation uncertainties they face in planning. We developed, simulated, and modeled the impacts of conservation addressing 3 uncertainties identified by state wildlife managers and evaluated the impacts by examining the responses of state and local populations of 2 bird species of conservation concern, prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) and wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). The responses of prairie warbler populations to conservation strategies indicated that both approaches of protecting quality habitat from land‐use change and restoring and enhancing lower quality and nonhabitat improved their viability at regional, statewide, and COA scales. However, we noted that the relative effectiveness of strategies varied among states in ways that suggest a state's process for delineating COAs and what threats they face could influence which conservation approach to consider. Our findings highlight the need for regional coordination and the use of decision‐support processes to guide effective conservation at landscape scales. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-05b6ec1e6522469298f07d21df76b892 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-05b6ec1e6522469298f07d21df76b8922024-11-17T12:05:36ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402024-09-01483n/an/a10.1002/wsb.1542Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation designThomas W. Bonnot0D. Todd Jones‐Farrand1Nate D. Muenks2Frank R. Thompson III3School of Natural Resources University of Missouri 302 Natural Resources Building Columbia 65211 MO USAUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service, Science Applications University of Missouri‐Columbia 302 Natural Resources Building Columbia 65211 MO USAMissouri Department of Conservation 2901 West Truman Blvd Jefferson City 65102 MO USAUnited States Forest Service, Northern Research Station University of Missouri‐Columbia 202 Natural Resources Building Columbia 65211 MO USAAbstract Despite the recent increase in landscape conservation and the design processes agencies are undertaking, there remains an implementation gap due to an inability to evaluate general strategies and account for uncertainties faced by managers. We demonstrated how a decision support process (DSP), recently developed to inform landscape conservation design, can address uncertainties and complexities inherent in landscape conservation to facilitate long‐term, large‐scale conservation planning. We applied the DSP to landscape conservation efforts within conservation opportunity areas (COA) of states in the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks region. We engaged state planners within the region to identify important landscape conservation uncertainties they face in planning. We developed, simulated, and modeled the impacts of conservation addressing 3 uncertainties identified by state wildlife managers and evaluated the impacts by examining the responses of state and local populations of 2 bird species of conservation concern, prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) and wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). The responses of prairie warbler populations to conservation strategies indicated that both approaches of protecting quality habitat from land‐use change and restoring and enhancing lower quality and nonhabitat improved their viability at regional, statewide, and COA scales. However, we noted that the relative effectiveness of strategies varied among states in ways that suggest a state's process for delineating COAs and what threats they face could influence which conservation approach to consider. Our findings highlight the need for regional coordination and the use of decision‐support processes to guide effective conservation at landscape scales.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1542Conservation Opportunity Areahabitat modelpopulation modelprairie warblerrestorationState Wildlife Action Plan |
| spellingShingle | Thomas W. Bonnot D. Todd Jones‐Farrand Nate D. Muenks Frank R. Thompson III Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design Wildlife Society Bulletin Conservation Opportunity Area habitat model population model prairie warbler restoration State Wildlife Action Plan |
| title | Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| title_full | Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| title_fullStr | Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| title_short | Demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| title_sort | demonstrating a decision support process for landscape conservation design |
| topic | Conservation Opportunity Area habitat model population model prairie warbler restoration State Wildlife Action Plan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1542 |
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