Habitat Fragmentation Lecture 2 Outline

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Habitat Fragmentation Lecture 2 Outline

• Modeling future landscapes
• Fragments project case study
• Connectivity
• Impacts of roads
• Evaluating impacts of roads
• (corridors will be covered in reserve design)

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Landscape change on the Palouse
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Landscape Modeling Approaches

• Survey-based
• Assumes landowners plans match their actions and
  can be predicted using landscape variables
• Spatially explicit
• Short time frame
• Emphasizes the impacts of individuals

• Trend-based
• Assumes historical trajectories will continue
  unchanged
• Primarily aspatial
• Long time frame
• Emphasizes broad-scale trends

Also can model based on future climates
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Objectives

• Compare survey and historically-based models of
  landscape change in Latah and Benewah counties
• Investigate results of alternative policy
  scenarios for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
  and forest thinning
• Investigate different county zoning laws

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Study Area
Moscow
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Landowner Surveys (N 442, 54 return rate)
Policies
CRP
Agriculture
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Non-industrial private parcel
Forest Stand Initiation / Shrub (FOR-SI)
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Agriculture (AG)
Low-density Forest (FOR-LO)
High-density Forest (FOR-HI)
Forest (FOR)
Residential Development (DEV)
Other Land Use / Land Covers
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Trend-based model
Markov transition matrix from pairs of historical
maps (IDRISI Andes software)
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change
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Baseline
Probability of parcel subdivision development
Landowner-reported transition probabilities were
modeled across all ownership parcels using
spatial variables.
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Growth boundary
Transition probability adjustment
Distance to nearest city (km)
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Agriculture protection
Parcels with gt75 of productive soils (NRCS)
assigned probability of 0 Original probability
for excluded parcels re-assigned to nearest
developable parcel of similar size
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Conservation Scenario

• Protects 10 of land parcels with highest
  biodiversity value based on
• Palouse prairie habitat
• Sensitive plant habitat
• Wildlife species of concern that are dependent on
  grassland
• Winter range of elk, mule deer

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Ecological Implications Goldberg et al
2011 Conservation Letters
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Questions?
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Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation
Project (BDFFP)
Initiated in 1979, WWF and Brazilian Institute
for Research
500,000 ha Brazilian Rainforest
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Fragment Project
Surveyed trees, birds, mammals Amphibians, some
invertebrates Before fragmentation

• In early 1980s converted rainforest to pasture.
  Made five 1 ha fragments, four 10 ha fragments,
  two 100 ha fragments.
• Isolation distances of 80 - 650 m

Currently there are over 350 publications from
this project.
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Laurance et al 2002Cons Bio 16605-618.

• Summarized results from 22 years of research on
  the Fragments Project

12 major findings
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1. Species Richness correlated with fragment size.
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2. Extinction rates are negatively correlated
with fragment size.

• (bigger fragments lower probability of
  extinction)

• demonstrated for birds, large mammals and
  butterflies
• Why?

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3. Some taxa remain stable or increase.For
example small mammals, butterflies and
amphibiansWhy?
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4. There are many forms of edge
effects.Examples?
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5. The matrix is important.

• If forest regrows 5 - 10 m
• - decrease in tree mortality
• - Fewer changes in microclimate
• - Increase in bird use

Matrix can be very hostile - matrix can become
population sink - hunting pressure can be very
high in matrix
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6. Distance between patches is important.

• Creation of metapopulations
• Most Amazon animals have no prior experience, no
  evolutionary exposure to forest clearings.

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7. Hyperdynamics are observed.

• An accelerated rate of change in ecosystem
  processes.

Disturbances Population dynamics
(lambda) Predator prey dynamics
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8. Hyperabundance Effects

• crowding on the ark
• Increase in edge and matrix adapted species
• Increase in prey because of decrease in
  predators
• Mesocarnivore release

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• Soulé et al. 1988, Conserv. Biol. 2(1) 75-92
• Surveyed 37 isolated fragments of chaparral
  canyon habitat in San Diego county for native
  bird species. Fragments ranged in size from 0.4
  to 104 ha.

Smaller fragments had Significantly lower bird
species richness and abundance. Why?
Coyote Presence Coyotes limit fox, raccoon,
skunk, opossum and most importantly, domestic
cat populations.
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9. Changes in Species Composition

• generalist frogs
• light-loving butterflies
• open-forest bats
• palms
• Africanized honeybees
• other insects

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10. Change in trophic structure - change
relative abundance of taxa - large-bodied
predators decline - generalist herbivores and
omnivores increase
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11. Pollination Effects- decrease in native
bees, increase in exotics, ecosystem level
effects12. Changes in Carbon Storage1/4
greenhouse gases are byproducts of cutting
rainforestcarbon storage and cycling
changeschange in in soil, trees, atmosphere
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ECOBUSINESSES TERRACYCLE MAKING MONEY FROM TRASH
http//www.terracycle.net/index.htm
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Connectivity

• How is connectivity different than connectedness?
• What is structural vs functional connectivity?

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Measuring Landscape Connectedness

• Fragstats Computer Program (1995)
• McGarigal, K., S. A. Cushman, M. C. Neel, and E.
  Ene. 2002. FRAGSTATS Spatial Patterns Analysis
  Program for Categorical Maps.
• www.umass.edu/landeco/research/fragstats/fragstats
  .html

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Patch, Class and Landscape Metrics

• Area/density/edge metrics
• Shape metrics
• Core area metrics
• Isolation/proximity metrics
• Contrast metrics
• Contagion/interspersion metrics
• Connectivity metrics
• Diversity metrics

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Roads as Barriers

• US department of Transportation - Critter
  Crossings web page www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wi
  ldlifecrossings/
• Wildlands CPR NGO in US with goal of minimizing
  impacts

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Tombulak and Frissell 2000 (Cons. Biol 1418 -
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• Seven General Effects of Roads?
• Increased mortality from road construction
• Increased mortality from collision with vehicles
• Modification of animal behavior
• Alteration of physical environment
• Alteration of chemical environment
• Spread of exotic species
• Increased alteration use by humans

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Underpasses

• Overpasses

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Measuring Functional Connectivity

• Main methods?

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THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN INFLUENCES ON BLACK BEAR
HABITAT SELECTION AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS WITHIN A
HIGHWAY CORRIDOR
Jesse Lewis and Janet Rachlow
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STUDY AREA

• Purcell Mountains
• 60 km of Highway 95
• Pacific maritime climate
• Elevation
• 540 1950 m
• Forested with
• Timber management

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METHODS
Black bear capture

• 2005 and 2006
• Aldrich foot snares
• Lotek GPS collars (20 minute fix interval)
• Visit dens each winter to retrieve GPS collars

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RESULTS black bear locations
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RESULTS
Black bear use of forest

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RESULTS
USE OF CLEAR-CUTS


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RESULTS
Black bear home ranges using the Brownian bridge

• Males averaged 80.9 km2 ( range 36.3 129.5
  km2 )
• Females averaged 35.0 km2 ( range 12.2 47.6
  km2 )

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Grizzly Bear Gene Flow and Roads Proctor
et al. 2005
400 bears 15 microsat loci
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Landscape Genetics of Wolverines
Niko Balkenhol, Neil Anderson, Mike Schwartz,
Jeff Copeland, Bob Inman, Lisette Waits
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Data Set
210 individuals 16 microsatellite
loci Calculated genetic distance between each
pair
MT
WY
ID
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Wolverine Genetics
9 genetic studies in North America Alaska
Canada
- High levels of gene flow
- Limited levels of gene flow
- Small effective population size -
-Lower levels of genetic diversity
Cegelski et al 2003, 2006 Kyle Strobeck 2001,
2002 Schwartz et al in press
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Previous Work at UI
Cegelski et al (2003) Molecular Ecology 12
2907-2918
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Potentially Important Variables
Climatic Vegetative Anthropogenic Topographi
c
Snow depth Conifer forest cover Forest
edge Road density Housing density Populatio
n density Elevation Ruggedness
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Important Landscape Variables That Influence
Connectivity/Gene Flow
Influence of space at
variable contribution
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Landscape Model of Connectivity
Landscape resistance