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Lindenmayer D, Woinarski J, Legge S, Southwell D, Lavery T, Robinson N, Scheele B, Wintle B. A checklist of attributes for effective monitoring of threatened species and threatened ecosystems. J Environ Manage 2020; 262:110312. [PMID: 32250795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of threatened species and threatened ecosystems is critical for determining population trends, identifying urgency of management responses, and assessing the efficacy of management interventions. Yet many threatened species and threatened ecosystems are not monitored and for those that are, the quality of the monitoring is often poor. Here we provide a checklist of factors that need to be considered for inclusion in robust monitoring programs for threatened species and threatened ecosystems. These factors can be grouped under four broad themes - the design of monitoring programs, the structure and governance of monitoring programs, data management and reporting, and appropriate funding and legislative support. We briefly discuss key attributes of our checklist under these themes. Key topics in our first theme of the design of monitoring programs include appropriate objective setting, identification of the most appropriate entities to be measured, consistency in methodology and protocols through time, ensuring monitoring is long-term, and embedding monitoring into management. Under our second theme which focuses on the structure and governance of monitoring programs for threatened species and ecosystems, we touch on the importance of adopting monitoring programs that: test the effectiveness of management interventions, produce results that are relevant to management, and engage with (and are accepted by) the community. Under Theme 3, we discuss why data management is critical and highlight that the costs of data curation, analysis and reporting need to be factored into budgets for monitoring programs. This requires that appropriate levels of funding are made available for monitoring programs, beyond just the cost of data collection - a key topic examined in Theme 4. We provide examples, often from Australia, to highlight the importance of each of the four themes. We recognize that these themes and topics in our checklist are often closely inter-related and therefore provide a conceptual model highlighting these linkages. We suggest that our checklist can help identify the parts of existing monitoring programs for threatened species and threatened ecosystems that are adequate for the purpose or may be deficient and need to be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lindenmayer
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - John Woinarski
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Sarah Legge
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia; National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Darren Southwell
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Tyrone Lavery
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Natasha Robinson
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Ben Scheele
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Brendan Wintle
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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Monks L, Barrett S, Beecham B, Byrne M, Chant A, Coates D, Cochrane JA, Crawford A, Dillon R, Yates C. Recovery of threatened plant species and their habitats in the biodiversity hotspot of the Southwest Australian Floristic Region. Plant Divers 2019; 41:59-74. [PMID: 31193161 PMCID: PMC6520493 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) is a global biodiversity hotspot with high plant diversity and endemism and a broad range of threatening processes. An outcome of this is a high proportion of rare and threatened plant species. Ongoing discovery and taxonomic description of new species, many of which are rare, increases the challenges for recovery of threatened species and prioritisation of conservation actions. Current conservation of this diverse flora is based on integrated and scientific evidence-based management. Here we present an overview of current approaches to the conservation of threatened flora in the SWAFR with a focus on active management through recovery and restoration that is integrated with targeted research. Key threats include disease, fragmentation, invasive weeds, altered fire regimes, grazing, altered hydro-ecology and climate change. We highlight the integrated approach to management of threats and recovery of species with four case studies of threatened flora recovery projects that illustrate the breadth of interventions ranging from In situ management to conservation reintroductions and restoration of threatened species habitats. Our review and case studies emphasise that despite the scale of the challenge, a scientific understanding of threats and their impacts enables effective conservation actions to arrest decline and enhance recovery of threatened species and habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Monks
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Sarah Barrett
- Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. 120 Albany Highway, Albany, Western Australia, 6330, Australia
| | - Brett Beecham
- Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. P.O. Box 100, Narrogin, Western Australia, 6312, Australia
| | - Margaret Byrne
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - Alanna Chant
- Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. P.O. Box 72, Geraldton, Western Australia, 6531, Australia
| | - David Coates
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - J. Anne Cochrane
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - Andrew Crawford
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - Rebecca Dillon
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
| | - Colin Yates
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, Western Australia, 6983, Australia
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