Sample Design

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Regional Inventory and Monitoring Workshops
2005-06

• Sample Design
• Design Challenges in IMR May 2005, Denver, CO
• Integrating Monitoring Management
• Vision and Strategy Dec. 2005, Rio Rico, AZ
• Integrating Monitoring Management
• Implementation Summer 2006, TBD
• Information Management
• Vision and Strategy Summer/Fall 2006, TBD

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Integrating Monitoring Results Into Park
ManagementHighlights from the Rio Rico workshop
Inventory and Monitoring Networks of the
Intermountain Region
Bruce Bingham, Andy Hubbard Rob Bennetts
February 8, 2006 San Diego, CA
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Integrating Monitoring and Park Management
Workshop
December 6-8, 2005, Rio Rico, AZ Hosted by
Sonoran Desert Network Facilitated by Sonoran
Institute

• General Goals To gain a better understanding of
  how we can most effectively integrate vital signs
  monitoring into park natural resource management.
• Discuss how park managers currently use
  scientific and monitoring information in managing
  natural resources
• Explore the kinds information managers need to
  make resource-related decisions in an adaptive
  management context
• Propose ways to maximize the clarity and
  application of monitoring results and related
  scientific information for use in park management
  processes
• Target Participants Park Superintendents, NR
  Program Managers, IM Networks, WASO and Regional
  staff, and invited scientists and managers.

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Challenges
Concepts and Topics
Adaptive Learning
Roles and Responsibilities
Plan
Communication
Adjust
Learn
Evaluate
Monitor
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Presentations Open Discussions Break Out Groups
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The Integration of Science and Management in a
Monitoring Program Integration of Science into
Park Management Yellowstone Case Ecosystem
Thresholds and Policy Implications for 20 Years
of Air Pollution-Effects Science in Rocky
Mountain NP
An Eye Opening Approach to Integrated
Environmental Assessments Analysis and Reporting
on Vital Signs Reaching Key Audiences with
Monitoring Results Vital Signs Thresholds What
are they, why are they necessary, how do we use
them?
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What We Need to Know in Order to Better Define
Desired Future Conditions Challenges and Barriers
to Integrating Monitoring Information into Park
Natural Resources Management Effectively
Communicate Monitoring Results to Park Managers
Challenges and Strategies in IMR Networks and
Parks Applying Thresholds to Park Natural
Resource Management Roles and Responsibilities in
Integrating Monitoring Information and Park
Management
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Workshop Products and Next Steps

• Workshop presentations, hand-outs and notes
  available on website
• Expanded collaboration among networks and park
  managers
• Formation of the Rio Rico Task Team
• Follow-up workshop scheduled for summer 2006

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The Integration of Science and Management in a
Monitoring Program Robert Bennetts, GRYN
Ecologist
Survey results The use of Monitoring and
Scientific Information in IMR Parks Andy
Hubbard, SODN Coordinator
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The Integration of Science and Management in a
Monitoring Program
Robert E. Bennetts Greater Yellowstone Inventory
and Monitoring Network
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Science
Management
Logistical Barriers (resources) Communication
Barriers (language) Attitudinal Barriers
(egosystem management) Institutional
Barriers (existing structures)
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The Integration of Science and Management in a
Monitoring Program
The Ecological Monitoring Context
Integration of management into the SCIENCE process
The Management and Planning Context
Integration of science into the MANAGEMENT and
planning process
Communication
Improving the flow of information between science
and management.
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The Ecological Monitoring Context
Integration of management into the SCIENCE process
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The Right Information (Applicability)
Is the problem well suited for a science solution?
Mgt Goals and Objectives
Agree
Disagree
Agree
No Conflict
If the conflict is better suited to a policy
solution, then science often serves as a
displacement behavior.
Expected Response to Mgt (consequences)
Disagree
Conflict
Adapted from Lee (1993) and Thomson and Tuden
(1959)
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Incorporating the Information Needs of Management
into the Science
Quite often, information needs are determined
based on
Tradition What is in the literature What is
easiest to get
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Whitebark Pine
Climate Change
Insects Disease
Seed Dispersal
Fire
Food Source
We need to ask ourselves what would we do with
the information if we had it?
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Incorporating Management Objectives into the
Science
Management vs Monitoring Objectives
Management objectives should reflect the targeted
(desired) condition, state, or dynamics of the
system we are managing.
Monitoring objectives should reflect the desired
measurement of the condition, state, or dynamics
of the system.
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Incorporating Management Objectives into the
Science
Action vs State (end vs means)
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Incorporating Management Objectives into the
Science
Action vs State (end vs means)
Use fire to maintain and encourage plant
communities, especially the dry prairie and
longleaf and slash pine flatwoods.
Using prescription fire, reduce the saw palmetto
cover on 900 hectares of dry prairie habitat from
its current state of 56 cover to a desired state
of 25 cover.
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The Science Process
Incorporating management needs into the Design
Entails comparison of sampling (i.e.,
experimental) units that have been randomly
assigned to treatments
Controlled Experiments
Realm of Research
Degree of Control
Entails comparison of sampling units that have
not been randomly assigned to treatments (i.e.,
natural experiments)
Quasi- Experiments
Entails surveys that examine the association
(e.g., comparisons/correlation) among variables
or groups.
Relational Surveys
Descriptive Surveys
Realm of Monitoring
Entails surveys that describe status or trend
with no assessment of relationships among
variables or groups
Strength of Causal Inference
Adapted from Schwartz (1998) and based partly on
terminology described in Shadish et al 2002.
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Adaptive Management
Fire Management Objectives for sagebrush-steppe (G
RTE)

• Blacken 40-60 of the target area (resource
  Management burns)
• In the burned portion, reduce live sagebrush
  cover and density by at least 60
• Increase post-fire grass cover by 25

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Adaptive Management
Habitat
Fire
Means Objectives
Blacken 40-60 Reduce live sagebrush
cover Increase post-fire grass cover
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The Management and Planning Context
Integration of science into the management and
planning process
Understanding the Decision Space
(communication) Thresholds of Potential Concern
Adaptive Management Links to the Decision
Process
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Decision Space
Decisions
How
When
Who
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Thresholds of Potential Concern
Thresholds of Potential Concern
after Biggs and Rogers 2003
Management Thresholds
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Thresholds of Potential Concern
Low
High
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Thresholds
The Management Response need not be direct
management action Heightened awareness /
reporting (e.g., alert manager of potential
concern) Change in monitoring (e.g., change in
frequency/intensity)
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Thresholds
Problems with Thresholds for Managers
(Ecological or Management)
1. Controversy over assignment of a specific
value (EAs, defensibility, etc)
2. The absence of a broader context
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Thresholds
Targeted Condition
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Thresholds
So why do we need thresholds?
Prevent irreversible changes
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Gradualism
What is an impaired system?
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Adaptive Management
1. Iterative Process
2. Two Primary Functional Components
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And now For Your Entertainment and Education I
am Proud to Present
The Mother of ALL Adaptive Mgt Cycles
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Adaptive Management
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Adaptive Management
Active Management in National Parks People Fire
Invasive Plants
Desired Condition
UnDesired Condition
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The Right Information (Applicability)
Adaptive Management
Threshold
Restoration Action A
Threshold
Yes
Adaptive Mgt Opportunity
Adaptive Mgt Opportunity
Restoration Action B
Assessment Re Active Mgt
No
Whitebark Pine
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Links to the Decision Process
Optimization of objective functions
Example U.S.F.W.S. , Migratory Bird Management
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Links to the Decision Process
Meeting to discuss implications to decisions
Regardless of the approach, it needs to be
explicit and planned!
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Links to the Decision Process
What is the I M Role?
Report Results
Identify Potential Consequences
Interpret Results
Identify Management Options
Recommend Potential Options
Decision Maker Comfort Level
Recommend Specific Action
Make Decision
Information
Decision
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Communication
Improving the flow of information between science
and management.
Language Barriers Hierarchical and Targeted
Information Delivery
Note Communication is not a mutually exclusive
process it permeates through all other phases.
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Hierarchical and Targeted Information Delivery
Our goal should be to provide the right
information to the right people in the right form
at the right time.
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The Right People
Back to our Decision Space.
How
Decisions
When
Who makes the decisions?
Who
Who informs the people that make the decisions?
Who gathers the information for the people that
inform the people that make the decisions?
Information
Decision Makers
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The Right People
Monitoring Program
Full Report
Shelf
Park Superintendent
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The Right Form
Scientific Journals
Any Questions?
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The Right Form
So, does this imply that publishing papers in
Ecology is not a good means of communication?
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The Right Form
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Executive Briefs
Greater Yellowstone Monitoring
Grizzly Bears
Yellowstone Cutthroat
Geothermal
Fire
Wolves
Bison
Elk
Lake Trout
Yellowstone Volcano
Climate
Land Use
Whitebark Pine
Amphibians
Invasive Plants
Land Birds
Trumpeter Swans
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Items of Potential Concern
Executive Briefs
Outside Desired Condition? YES The desired
condition is lt 15 of mature WbP trees are
infection with white pine blister rust. The
current infection rate is 27. Pending
Ecological Threshold? NO The Whitebark Pine
Ecosystem Foundation considers infection rates of
60 to be the threshold at which genetic
restoration is no longer feasible. The current
status is well below that level. Predicted Time
to Ecological Threshold? 24 Years At the
current rate of change, we prediction an
infection rate of 60 to occur in 24
years. Recommended Response? Continued
monitoring Other Concerns? No
Greater Yellowstone Monitoring
http//climchange.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/pi
nualbi.pdf
print version
Whitebark Pine
Grizzly Bears
Yellowstone Cutthroat
Importance Whitebark pine is considered a
keystone species in the subalpine ecosystem.
Its best known role in these ecosystems is as a
high-energy food source for a variety of wildlife
species, including grizzly bears. Dramatic
declines of whitebark have been reported
throughout its range due to two major factors
1) an introduced fungus, white pine blister rust
and 2) heavy mortality from endemic mountain pine
beetle.
Last Update 12/04/2005
Geothermal
Click for more detail. or for graphic.
D
D
Fire
Wolves
G
G
Bison
Elk
Lake Trout

• Status
• Thirty six of the 51 (71) transects had some
  indication of blister rust.
• Although blister rust was widespread, the
  infection severity was relatively low.
• The estimate proportion of trees infected with
  blister rust within the GYE to be 0.189 0.05
  SE, and most infected trees had 2 cankers.

Yellowstone Volcano
Climate
G
Land Use
Whitebark Pine
D
G
Amphibians
Additional Resources Contact(s) Reports Learning
Center Links
Discussion Our preliminary results indicate that
the occurrence of white pine blister rust is
widespread throughout the GYE, although in most
cases, severity is at relatively low levels.
Invasive Plants
Land Birds
Close Window
Trumpeter Swans
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The Right Time
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The Right Time
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But why did we build the bridge in the first
place?
Reason?
Management
Science
Science Process
Communication Process
Management Process
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IMR IM Survey Purpose

• What are the park needs and expectations for
  vitals signs results?

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IMR IM Survey Design

• 18 Questions addressing
• Issue Identification/expectations (1,2)
• Decision-making process information needs
  (3,4,5,7,8,13)
• Science Technical Assistance (5,12,18)
• Expectations of IM Program (6,7,9,10,11)
• Respondent Information (15-18)

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Survey Response (3 weeks)

• 62 responses from 49 parks
• (68 of IMR)
• 30 large parks and 32 small parks
• 19 Superintendents and 43 RM Staff

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Question 2 I find this group has the highest
expectation for some immediate action to be
taken or decision made once an issue has been
identified. (Check one)
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Question 6 Case Study (Monitoring invasives)
What additional information would you expect to
receive from the network staff in the report?
(Check all that apply) (N62)
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Question 10 What kinds of information would you
like to get from your Inventory and Monitoring
Network? (N62)
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Question 11. How would you like to receive
information from your Inventory and Monitoring
Network? (N62)
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Question 7. What information would be the most
relevant for deciding if and what kind of
management action is warranted for species X?
(rank in order of priority)
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Conclusions

• Internal audiences
• Communications
• THEY WANT/NEED IT ALL!
• 3. Need for ecological context.

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http//www1.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/imr2005/i
ndex.htm
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Better Resource Stewardship through integration
of Science and Management
Core Vision
Techniques
Examples
Ideas
Our intention is to keep moving forward with our
core vision, which will be fueled along the way
with techniques, examples, and ideas.
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Rio Rico Task Team

• Brad Traver, Superintendent, Tonto NM
• Tom Olliff, Branch Chief, Natural Resources,
  Yellowstone NP
• Kevin McMurry, Superintendent, Fort arned NHS
• Kristin Legg, Chief of Resource Management, Bryce
  Canyon NP
• Andy Hubbard, Network Coordinator, SODN
• Bruce Bingham, Regional IM Coordinator
• Robert Bennetts, Network Ecologist, GRYN

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Task Team Assignment

• To draft a vision and strategy document for
  improving the integration of science and resource
  management. The intent is to provide guidance and
  tools, not required direction.
• The strategy will include a framework that
  provides an adaptive approach to integrating
  science, monitoring and park natural resources
  management.
• The, Framework and tools include
• Conceptual ideas supported by knowledge
• New and existing approaches and techniques
• Real and hypothetical examples of applications
  with observed or expected outcomes
• Examples of applications from other agencies or
  partners
• New knowledge gained from research, monitoring
  and management experience.

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Integrating Science, Monitoring and Resource
Management
Area of application
From P. Checkland, 1972. Soft Systems
Methodology. A learning system for management
problem solving.
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Draft Outline for Vision and Strategy

• I. Ecological Monitoring Context
• Integration Goal To understand the information
  needs of management and incorporate them into the
  design and implementation of ecological
  monitoring.
• Conceptual Ideas
• Approaches/Techniques
• II. Park Planning and Management Context
• Integration Goal To better incorporate the
  knowledge gained through science and monitoring
  into the planning, management and decision
  processes.
• Conceptual Ideas
• Approaches/Techniques

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Draft Outline for Vision and Strategy

• III. Communication
• Integration Goal To identify and eliminate
  communication barriers related to the cultures
  of science and management, and to promote
  organizational and operational mechanisms that
  produce more opportunities for communication
  among scientists and managers.
• Conceptual Ideas
• Approaches/Techniques

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