Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department TPWD monitors several different species and habitats in an effort to manage wildlife and adapt new strategies for habitat conservation and management.

Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Associated Maps

Terrestrial Systems……….1

River Basins……… 12

Bays and Estuaries……….29

Introduction

Monitoring is an important part of the management of habitat, flora, and fauna Without

a monitoring component to each management plan or strategic planning effort, the goals

of that document can not be met Monitoring allows for adaptive management, a

principle in which management objectives and goals are maintained or amended based on information delivered through monitoring efforts Monitoring allows managers to know whether changes are occurring on the landscape or within a population

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) monitors several different species and habitats in an effort to manage wildlife and adapt new strategies for habitat conservation and management Many of these monitoring process are outlined below, however it is important that TPWD and its partners work together to spread a limited number of resources over more issues of concern Evaluation and modification of current

monitoring efforts in Texas are outside the scope of this strategy This strategy will deliver a monitoring package targeted to address the Comprehensive Wildlife

Conservation Strategy (CWCS) conservation priorities The monitoring package shall be comprehensive enough to meet the needs of the strategy and still be easily evaluated and modified as needed Prior to engaging in a comprehensive terrestrial monitoring effort, the statewide mapping and inventory efforts (Section) must be conducted to determine the state of species and habitats throughout Texas The statewide biological survey will allow TPWD and its partners to collect data from consistent locations maintained

indefinitely to provide information on species and habitat

It is important to understand that specific principles must be outlined to ensure that the monitoring package meets the needs of the CWCS and the general goals of consistent, statistically sound management in Texas The following principles must be applied to future monitoring efforts in order for them to be cohesive with this strategy and the needs created by the inventory process These principles were developed primarily by the United States Forest Service (USFS), Defenders of Wildlife, and the United State

Geological Survey (USGS)

According to the USFS there are three types of monitoring efforts that should be used in order to truly determine the state of habitats or species (2004)

 Targeted Monitoring: “Monitoring the condition and response to management of species and habitats that are identified as being of concern or interest.”

 Context Monitoring: “Monitoring a broad array of ecosystem components at multiple scales without specific reference to influences of ongoing management.”

 Cause and Effect Monitoring: “Investigates the mechanisms that underlie habitat and species response to management and other forms of disturbance.”

It is both strategically and operationally difficult to maintain a monitoring effort that meets the needs of all species and habitats It must be noted that a strong program would include the use and interaction of all three of these methods, within the financial and personnel limitations existing in each wildlife agency It is impossible to monitor every Species of Concern in the state of Texas based on financial constraints and personnel limitation, therefore the species list and hierarchy established in this strategy must be followed barring changes in priority based on imminent threat (Section)

All data collected during these monitoring efforts must be based on sound research design and appropriate statistical methodology regardless of who or what organization is

collecting data This will allow TPWD to use monitoring data to populate the Natural

Diversity Database (NDD) TPWD can then share those data without fear of providing

an inferior or ineffective product to partners

The USFS Recommendations on Monitoring Terrestrial Animal Species and Their

Habitats (2004) was used to determine what elements should be incorporated into this

document With some slight modifications, these components should address the needs

of TPWD and its partners

Critical Elements for Successful Monitoring in Texas

 Make a commitment to improve monitoring of terrestrial animals and their

habitats

 Ensure that all monitoring contributes to adaptive management by exploring the causes for trends and alternative scenarios that could reverse unfavorable trends

 Ensure that all monitoring protocols are sound and data collected are statistically useful in order to guarantee their appropriateness to be included in the Natural Diversity Database

 Implement monitoring strategies that integrate habitat and population monitoring Monitoring habitat alone will rarely be sufficient for adaptive management because habitat relationships are not well understood and may not be predictable

 Recognize that monitoring will exist at different scales Coordinate across

ecological and administrative scales, with emphasis on the role of the Regions Because TPWD would be working with partners, it would be beneficial to all groups if ecological regions were used for both communications and coordination

 Establish appropriate roles and coordination for other agencies, organizations and private landowners

 Provide adequate staffing, skills and funding structures to accomplish monitoring objectives

 Adopt and integrate three types of monitoring (context, targeted, and cause-and-effect)

 Use sound ecological principles and risk assessment to prioritize and design monitoring activities

 Use partnerships and interagency coordination to accomplish monitoring

objectives

 Ensure that individuals and teams responsible for monitoring development and oversight have appropriate skills

TPWD should work with partners to implement monitoring strategies based on the above components While TPWD already has monitoring efforts underway, those efforts should

be evaluated to determine whether they meet the above elements They should also be evaluated to determine whether data collected from these monitoring efforts can be incorporated into the NDD

Purpose of Monitoring in Texas

Texas is a large state with many species and habitats in need of monitoring; however, several issues need to be taken into account prior to continuing this process TPWD has historically monitored several species using several different techniques that have been outlined by biologists working for the Department In addition to terrestrial species and habitat, Texas is tasked with monitoring bays, estuaries and all of the inland reservoirs, rivers and many spring-fed catchments The sheer size and need is difficult to measure, but a significant portion of the TPWD budget is dedicated to monitoring species and habitats

In Texas, there are over 1,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates, 29,000 species of

terrestrial invertebrates and greater than 4,000 species of vascular plants that potentially need monitoring Monitoring efforts in Texas should include the continuation of some current monitoring efforts and combining other efforts into more habitat or species/guild monitoring efforts

In addition to animal species, several plant species are also being monitored yearly to ensure the viability of their populations in different areas of the state Knowledge of the vegetation of the state will enhance our overall ecological knowledge and allow us to refine the monitoring efforts of our faunal species

Current Monitoring Efforts

The main monitoring document used by TPWD was developed to coordinate efforts on

TPWD lands in 1996 The Baseline Inventory and Monitoring Procedures on Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands outlines the methods TPWD employees use to monitor or

evaluate vegetation, herptiles, birds, and mammals At the time of its development, this document met several of the needs of TPWD and its land managers Procedures should now be updated based on new technology as well as refined field techniques and data collection forms An effort should be made to review this document and update it as needed to best accomplish the goals of this dynamic strategy A special emphasis should

be put on new technology such as GPS units and GIS software These items were not widely used by TPWD in 1996 but are in frequent use by all field staff today

Information and education on the use of this newer technology should also be outlined in

an updated version of this document

Species and Habitat Monitoring

Birds Fort Hood - United

States Army

Black-capped vireo monitoring The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Various

universities

Annual Golden-cheeked warbler

monitoring

The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Various universities

Annual

Turkey hen-poult count and

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department

Bald Eagle surveys Volunteers, United State Geological Survey Annual

Spring call counts (quail) - Matador & Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas

Black-capped vireo surveys at Kerr Wildlife Management Area

May.

Breeding Bird Survey 100+ Volunteers from around the state; coordinated

nationally by the U.S Geological Survey

Annual

Chachalaca surveys (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Christmas Bird Count Coordinated by the National Audubon Society Annual Colonial Waterbird Inventory U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas General Land

Office, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Center for Coastal Studies

TAMU-CC, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program

Annual

Dove reward banding study United State Fish and Wildlife Service Annual Fall Covey Counts (quail) -

Matador & Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas

Lesser prairie chicken distribution survey

Lesser prairie chicken harvest survey

2005

Mourning Dove (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Mourning Dove call count survey United State Fish and Wildlife Service Annual Red-cockaded woodpecker

surveys

Roadside observation surveys (quail, pheasant)

Turkey hen-poult count and

monthly Waterfowl surveys (goose,

midwinter waterfowl)

United State Fish and Wildlife Service December and

January of each year Whitewing Dove production

survey

None

Mammals Fort Hood - United

States Army

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department

Black Bear - when trapped or collared (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Chronic Wasting Disease survey United State Fish and Wildlife Service Annual Desert bighorn sheep population

surveys

Foundation of North American Wild Sheep, Texas Bighorn Society

Annual

Javelina (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Mountain Lion (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Mule deer (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

Pronghorn (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1)

White-tailed and mule deer - age/weight/antler development surveys

White-tailed and mule deer population surveys

White-tailed deer age, weight, antler harvest surveys

White-tailed deer browse utilization surveys

Herptiles Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department

Alligator surveys (spotlight and nest - aerial)

None

Texas horned lizard - Matador Wildlife Management Area

Terrestrial

Invertebrates

Balconian Naturalists' Group

Austin 10 county area butterfly fauna

weekly to monthly

Central Texas Melittological Institute

Bees of the Brackenridge Field Lab (Austin Texas)

Fort Hood - United States Army

Status assessment 19 endemic obligate cave invertebrates

The Nature Conservancy of Texas Ongoing Illinois Natural

History Survey

Phylogeography of cave crickets

in Central Texas (molecular study)

Zara Environmental, Buda Texas Into 2007

Plethodon sp in cave and spring

at Fort Hood, Texas

Zara Environmental, Fort Hood Natural Resources Branch

Into 2006 Stable isotopes of cave crickets in

central Texas (feeding urban vs rural)

Zara Environmental, Buda Texas Into 2007

Zara Environmental LLC

Camp Bullis biomonitoring James Reddell, Texas Memorial Museum and

George Veni and Associates

3 times per year Lakeline Mall Habitat

Conservation Plan

year

Terrestrial

Habitats

National Parks Service

determined

determined

determined Non-native vegetation/early

detection

determined Terrestrial vegetation

communities

determined

Orion Research and Management Services

Feral hog management - Protect Endangered Species habitat and sensitive riparian systems in the Bandera Canyonlands

Environmental Defense, The Nature Conservancy

of Texas, Private landowners

Ongoing

Inland

Aquatic

Species and

Habitats

National Parks Service

Water quality United State Geological Survey, Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality

To be determined

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department

Aquatic vegetation control studies United States Army Corps of Engineers Project

specific

Devils River minnow United State Fish and Wildlife Service Annual Fish kill/pollution complaint

investigations

Golden Alga Survey Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,

River Authorities

One time sampling

Heart of the Hills freshwater mussel survey information

Hydrological and biological assessment of selected Edwards Plateau springs: River basins:

Nueces, Guadalupe, Colorado

Biological: 2/year Hydrological:3-4/year 31 springs

sampled from October 2003

to May 2004 and 40 springs sampled from March 2005 to May 2005 In-stream flow evaluations Texas Water Development Board, Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality Project specific Lake Whitney golden alga bloom

monitoring

BRA, TIAER, Texas State University Weekly during

bloom

Mexican stoneroller None Periodic Natural resource trustee natural

resource damage assessments

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas General Land Office, United State Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

Event specific

Recreational fisheries contaminant study

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, DSHS

3 year study Reservoir recreational creel

surveys

Reservoir recreational fisheries monitoring

reservoirs on a

4 year rotation

State Wildlife Grant freshwater mussel survey Stephan F Austin State University, LCC FY2005/ FY2006

Coastal

Aquatic

Species and

Habitats

National Parks Service

Coastal dynamics United State Geological Survey, TXBEG Periodic

determined Sea turtle nesting and stranding Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, United

States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service

Annual

Water Quality United State Geological Survey, Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality

To be determined Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department

Bag Seines (Juvenile finfish/Juvenile Crustaceans)

Bay Trawls (Crustaceans/juvenile finfish)

Gill Nets (Juvenile/Sub adult finfish/crabs)

(Spring/Fall) Gulf Trawls

(Crustaceans/juvenile finfish)

Oyster DredgeMarket/submarket size oysters

May 15 - Nov 15

Nov 16 - May 14

Plants Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department

Beech-White Oak-Maple ravines (Southern ladies slipper orchid)

TPWD State Parks Divisions, United States Forest Service, Temple Inland Timber Corp., and The Nature Conservancy of Texas

Annual

Bigtooth maple canyons (Carrs rattelsnake root)

The Nature Conservancy of Texas and private landowners

Annual Effects of white-tailed Deer

management on recruitment of Quercus buckleyi

Texas State University, Plateau Integrated Land and Wildlife Management

Ongoing

Longleaf pine xeric sandhills (Texas trailing phlox and white firewheel)

The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Big Thicket National Park, and Temple Inland Timber Corporation

Annual

Neches River rose mallow United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Stephen F.

Austin State University, USFS, Texas Department

of Transportation

Annual

Pitcher plant bogs (Chapmans yellow eyed grass, bog coneflower, and tiny bog buttons)

TPWD Wildlife Management Areas, United States Forest Service, Temple Inland Timber Corporation, and private landowners

Annual Saline barrens (earthfruit) Temple Inland Timber Corp and Arkansas Natural