george hess - regional planning for wildlife

Regional Planning for Wildlife in the Triangle
George Hess
Contact Information

Last update: 2002 Oct 7

The Triangle region of North Carolina is undergoing rapid development and major shifts in land use that may alter our wildlife communities in undesirable ways. Some wildlife species may be lost in the Triangle unless conservation plans are developed and implemented. My students and I are developing a wildlife conservation plan for the Triangle that focuses on four groups of animals -- birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The ultimate goal of this effort is to create a regional network of habitat suitable for a broad range of wildlife.

1. Project Status

2. Documents

3. Focal Species

4. Maps

5. People

Project Status -- 2002 Sept 4
Habitat models are being reconstructed after a catastrophic data loss (it's a loonnngggg story -- great example of Murphy's Law and cascade failure). All but one species has been reconstructed, and I expect to be back in business in late September, 2002.
Habitat models for all focal species except the beaver have been completed (2002 May).
Field verification of the barred owl model is complete. Barred owls were present in approximately 65% of the patches identified as barred owl habitat; they were also present in about 10% of the patches identified as non-habitat.
Field verification for the ovenbird model is complete. Ovenbirds were present in about 80% of the patches identified as ovenbird habitat; they were also present in about 40% of the non-habitat patches.
Field verification for the bobcat was not completed. We tried to use home-built motion-sensing cameras to "capture" bobcat lured by bobcat urine. Found that it takes about 90 nights of effort to catch a cat -- and then only if you have positioned "traps" where you see sign. Once we see sign, we've verified, so the camera becomes reduntant. We need to design a systematic way to look for sign. Stepping back, though, perhaps secretive critters are a poor choice of focal species.

Papers, Documents, and Presentations
Hess, G.R., et al. 2002. Regional planning for wildlife using a focal species approach. Poster presented at the US International Association for Landscape Ecology Annual Meeting, Lincoln, NE.
Rubino, M.J. and G.R. Hess. Planning open spaces for wildlife 2: Mapping and verifying focal species habitat. Landscape and Urban Planning, inpress (2002 Oct 2).
Hess, G.R. and T.J. King. 2002. Plannng for wildlife in a suburbanizing landscape I: Selecting focal species using a Delphi survey approach. Landscape and Urban Planning 58(1): 25-40.
Rubino, M.J. 2001. Identifying Barred owl habitat in the North Carolina Piedmont: Using GIS in focal species conservation planning. M.S. Thesis, North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry, Raleigh, NC.
King, T.J. 2001a. Identifying ovenbird (Seiurus aurocanillus) habitat in a suburbanizing landscape: The use of GIS and regional landscape approaches in conservation. NC State University, MS Project, 2001 April. (PDF 1.2Mb)
King, T.J. 2001b. Identifying ovenbird (Seiurus aurocanillus) habitat in a suburbanizing landscape: The use of GIS and regional landscape approaches in conservation. Part 2. Sampling and Model Verification. NC State University, 2001 June. (PDF 52Kb)
King, T.J. 2001c. Sampling data to support Ovenbird model verification (Appendix 3 from King 2001b). (Excel 104Kb)
Rubino, M.J., T.J. King, and G.R. Hess. 2001. Applying GIS to focal species planning in the North Carolina Piedmont. International Association for Landscape Ecology, Tempe, AZ, 2000 April 28 (poster -- JPG format).
Hess, G.R., T.J. King, and M.J. Rubino. 2000. A focal species approach to wildlife planning in the Triangle. NC State University Forestry Department, Raleigh, NC, 2000 October 23 (talk -- PowerPoint presentation).

Landscapes and Focal Species Selected

I completed a Delphi Survey to develop a list of landscape types and wildlife species for a conservation planning project in the Triangle Region. The focal species approach used is a hybrid of landscape- (ecosystem) and species-based approaches. It is based in part on the umbrella and keystone species concepts, which are explained in "Survey Part 1".

Approximately 20 panelists participated to identify landscapes and focal species appropriate for planning in the Triangle.

Landscape Type

Focal Species
(Threat Category¹)

Rationale

Extensive undisturbed habitat

Bobcat (ADK)

Requires large area of habitat with relatively low levels of human activity, highest overall ranking in earlier surveys (including all limit and keystone categories). Movement threatened by roads.

Eastern Box Turtle (ADR)

Connectivity between breeding habitat and other resources threatened by roads, but at a smaller scale than for the bobcat.

Riparian and bottomland forest

Barred Owl (AR)

Nests in mature, large trees; rarely forages far from bottomland, occurs at lower densities than the Red-Shouldered Hawk and other species suggested.

Beaver (K)

Keystone species that creates wetland systems.

Upland forest

Ovenbird (AP)

Prefers mature uplands with well-developed understory. Occurs at lower density than Wood Thrush and other species suggested.

Broad-winged Hawk (A)

Requires extensive forested uplands.

Mature forest

Pileated Woodpecker (ARP)

Requires large area of mature forest and large snags for breeding.

Pastures and grassy fields

Loggerhead Shrike (ARP)

Needs agrarian habitat, open fields, scattered trees and hedgerows, woodland margins, thickets. Ranked higher in earlier surveys than Eastern Meadow Lark and Grasshopper Sparrow and occurs at lower densities than those species.

Open forest and early successional forest

Northern Bobwhite (DRP)

Needs abandoned fields, thickets, and woodland margins. Sensitive to development.

1. Threat Categories: A=Area limited; D=Dispersal limited; R=Resource limited; P=Process limited; K=Keystone.

Who's Doing What? (2002 Feb 22)

George Hess	George is an Assistant Professor at NCSU and is coordinating this project.

Ray Bode	Masters degree student working on bobcat habitat model. Ray graduated in December 2001 and is working as a freelance environmental consultant.

Terri King	Masters degree student who developed ovenbird habitat model. Terri graduated in May, 2001; worked with the North Carolina GAP program; and is now with the LandMark Design Group, Raleigh.

Joe Martin	Undergraduate work-study student who is building and deploying cameras for bobcat site sampling.

Matt Rubino	Masters degree student who developed the barred owl habitat model. Matt completed his graduate work in August, 2001; spent time with the North Carolina GAP program; and is now with EcoScience, Inc. in Raleigh.