Conservation Planning with a focus on Wildlife: Cores, Corridors, and Buffers Natural Resources Stewards Training Fall 2011

Many reasons for conservation planning Protect resources for human benefit

Many reasons for conservation planning Maintain working landscapes and local economies

Many reasons for conservation planning Conserve natural resources

Many reasons for conservation planning Planning with a vision for the future ecological health of an area Major natural disturbance factors such as wildlife fire and especially large-scale flooding by beaver were important forms of natural disturbance that maintain vegetative and wildlife diversity on our landscape. These disturbances are no longer permitted in developed landscapes where private property (or public roads) can be damaged or lost. Maintaining large blocks of unfragmented land will allow us to maintain some degree of natural disturbance on our landscape. Conservation to maintain natural processes

Conservation Planning for Wildlife: Why be concerned? 1930’s 1990’s Development results in a direct loss of wildlife habitat

Conservation Planning for Wildlife: Why be concerned? As land gets developed the remaining habitat gets fragmented into smaller habitat blocks This habitat fragmentation has many consequences to wildlife

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: Undeveloped 500-2500 acres 100-499 acres 20-99 acres 1-99 acres As the size of a habitat block decreases… The number of wildlife species supported by the habitat block declines

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: As habitat block size decreases we see a shift toward more “generalist” types of wildlife species (many of which are predators) Predators such as fox, skunk, raccoon, opossum are attracted to small habitat blocks and can deal with close human contact. As the number of these predators increase in the local landscape the ability of that landscape to support some prey species declines – especially ground nesting birds…will cover this in two slides to come. These species can utilize a variety of different types of food and cover, and will tolerate living in close proximity with people

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: As habitat block size decreases, wildlife species with large home-ranges are lost from the landscape bobcat fisher goshawk Many of these species won’t tolerate human disturbance that is common in developed landscapes

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: ovenbird Ground-nesting birds are especially vulnerable to increased predation pressure associated with small habitat blocks Predation from house cats is a significant form of mortality for songbirds (and possibly for some reptiles and amphibians too)

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: piping plover Predation by feral housecats is an important limiting factor inhibiting the recovery of the endangered piping plover population in Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire

Consequences of habitat fragmentation to wildlife: Roads, curbing, and lawns can create barriers that limit the ability of some wildlife to move between required habitats (especially reptiles and amphibians) Road-kill is a form of mortality for many wildlife species Blanding’s turtles occur in low population numbers and they don’t breed until they are about 16 years of age Road-kill can result in population declines for some species such as Blanding’s turtle NH State Endangered Blanding’s turtle

Consequences of habitat fragmentation Forcing wildlife to live in close proximity to people can result in a variety of human-wildlife conflicts… Property damage or loss of human life due to vehicle collisions with wildlife Deer browsing damage on expensive ornamental plantings Disease transmission between wildlife and people

While development is inevitable and some will even be required… It is our role as natural resource professionals to assist in identifying ways for minimizing the impact that development can have on wildlife and our natural resources

Regional & Local Land Trusts Who’s conserving land? State & Fed. Govt. Towns Each party has different priorities and “agendas” for conserving land Private Individuals Non-Profits Regional & Local Land Trusts

Common tools for conserving land Land-use zoning Purchase by conservation group Permanent conservation easement

Common tools for conserving land Conservation Easements Landowner sells or donates certain rights to their land allowable & restricted uses written into each easement’s language IN NH – or STATE SCALE …not neces. national scale. Why are these so popular…what are advantages? Most commonly permanently removes: Right to development the land Right to extract minerals or water commercially

Common tools for conserving land Conservation Easements – The “Easement Holder” Fed/state/local govt., non-profit, land trust Responsible for: regular monitoring of easement enforcing terms of easement maintaining required conditions on the land

BIG $ Permanently Conserving Land Requires Large Investment Outright purchase by conservation group Permanent conservation easement BIG $ Limited financial and staff resources must be carefully invested in properties that result in the biggest return

How do you prioritize what land should be conserved for wildlife?

Prioritizing Areas for Wildlife Conservation Large Unfragmented Habitat Blocks Often: contain a diversity of habitats provide habitat for area- sensitive species allow animals to travel freely between required habitat patches within the block support larger populations of species Probability of a local population going extinct increases as patch size decreases

Prioritizing Areas for Wildlife Conservation Large Unfragmented Habitat Blocks Known Habitats of Uncommon Wildlife, Exemplary Natural Communities ideally these occur within larger blocks protected area must be at least as large as species’ area requirements often referred to as “core” habitats If these occur in small patches the risk of edge effects increases…

What are “edge effects”? Factors outside a habitat patch reduce the quality of habitat inside the patch How can we minimize the “edge effect” and the influence of surrounding land uses within conserved lands?

What are “edge effects”? Factors outside a habitat patch reduce the quality of habitat inside the patch Higher diversity and density of prey results in higher predation risk along habitat edges Higher risk of nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds cowbirds lay eggs in nest of other bird species How can we minimize the “edge effect” and the influence of surrounding land uses within conserved lands?

Minimize “edge effect” and influence of surrounding land uses Conserving as large an area as possible reduces edge effects and maintains interior habitat ADD slide after this that summarizes edge effects Round or square reserve areas result in less edge than linear shaped habitat blocks

This wetland was “protected” but… Buffers may be critical for maintaining the functions and values of the habitat you are trying to protect! This wetland was “protected” but… Classic example of lack of understanding of the importance of upland habitat for amphibians that use vernal pools The upland habitat required by the amphibians using this wetland was completely eliminated Fertilizers leaching from the adjacent lawns will alter the water chemistry within the wetland

To minimize “edge effect” and the influence of surrounding land uses conserve a buffer of supporting habitat around core habitat areas the surrounding land required to maintain ecosystem processes within the core area you are trying to protect What questions must you ask to determine What size buffer is needed? What are you trying to buffer from? Do you want the buffer to provide functional habitat?

Recommended minimum buffers for various objectives

Highest Ranked Habitat by Condition in NH Some Help for Identifying Core Habitats and Supporting Landscapes New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan Highest Ranked Habitat by Condition in NH

Habitat Ranking within Biological Regions

Highest Ranked Habitat by Condition in Biological Region Eco-regional Subsection or Watershed Group

NH Wildlife Action Plan Pink = Highest Ranked Habitat in the state Green = Highest Ranked Habitat in Ecoregion or watershed Orange = Supporting Habitat Buffer Just one tool to help identify & prioritize conservation areas

Maximizing habitat value of conserved lands Maximize the functional area of individual conserved parcels by grouping them together as close as possible blocks of nearby habitat may function as one larger contiguous block for some mobile species

What determines if a species can disperse between adjacent blocks? Specific wildlife species distance between adjacent habitat blocks types of barriers Major highways, large rivers, extreme elevation are barriers to all but the most mobile wildlife species

Potential role of small conserved blocks Large blocks may contain greater habitat diversity than smaller blocks… A collection of smaller blocks may capture a greater array of habitats and support more rare species than a single larger block Small blocks may serve as “stepping stones” to facilitate movement between larger blocks larger blocks might otherwise be beyond dispersal distance may increase local population persistence above larger blocks alone

Complete corridors may further increase connectivity between adjacent habitat blocks Makes sense in theory, but true effectiveness of corridors is largely untested… perhaps most beneficial to species incapable of crossing simple barriers some insects, salamanders, turtles, small mammals may be unnecessary for birds and large mammals may be all edge and create a habitat sink Conserving upland corridors may require funds that might be better spent elsewhere

7,535 acres permanently protected Example: Bear-Paw Regional Greenways Land Trust Southeastern New Hampshire Mission: “To permanently conserve a network of lands that protects our region’s water, wildlife habitats, forests, and farmland Working to connect large conserved blocks within a 7 town region funded largely by private donations Holds easements on or owns 4,270 acres Helped protect another 3,265 acres 7,535 acres permanently protected

Example: Quabbin to Cardigan Collaborative Monadnock Highlands MA-NH Effort to protect and connect large unfragmented forests in 2 million acre region one of largest ecologically intact forest areas in NE 27 private organizations and public agencies coordinating land conservation 600,000 acres of core habitat 400,000 supporting landscape Such larger regional efforts may be important to allow wildlife and habitats to adapt to a changing climate

“Conservation Development” Clusters buildings to allow residential or commercial development while protecting natural resources, more open space, rural character Often better, but rarely should be promoted as great habitat

“Conservation Development”…some additional considerations What is the long-term habitat value of protected land where all recreation is focused? If objective is habitat: Avoid “common areas” that are owned and managed by an association Open-space area should be attached to one large lot with a single owner Is your conserved habitat area the neighborhood dog park?