 
Northwest
Forest Plan Marbled Murrelet Effectiveness Monitoring
2000 Annual Report
PDF Format - [1.66MB]
|
Northwest
Forest Plan Marbled Murrelet Effectiveness Monitoring
2000 Annual Report
Naomi
Bentivoglio(1) (Team Leader), Jim Baldwin(2), Patrick G.R. Jodice(1),
Diane Evans
Mack(3), Tim Max(4), Sherri Miller(5), S. Kim Nelson(6), Ken Ostrom(1),
C. John Ralph(5), Martin
Raphael(3), Craig Strong(7), Chris Thompson(8), Randall Wilk(3)
1 US Fish
and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR
2 USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA
3 USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia, WA
4 USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR
5 USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Arcata, CA
6 Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
OR
7 Crescent Coastal Research, Astoria, OR
8 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mill Creek, WA
Summary: Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus)
range from Alaska to California and are federally listed as threatened
in Washington, Oregon, and California. Throughout the listed range of
the species, the Northwest Forest Plan (Forest Plan) Federal land-base
and standards and guides are expected to make substantial contributions
towards conservation and recovery.
Specific monitoring requirements have been outlined to ensure the Forest Plan is effective in
maintaining and recovering this species over the long term. This report represents the results and
the status of the Marbled Murrelet Effectiveness Monitoring Program to date. The Program has
two distinct components, one designed to monitor population trends and the other to define and
monitor nesting habitat. Each component was developed by separate interagency teams.
Population Monitoring
The population team developed a new sampling design and standardized survey methods to be
implemented throughout the Forest Plan area. The sampling design was implemented during the
2000 field season, and its results represent the first year of murrelet population data for the entire
Plan area. The population of marbled murrelets in the range of the NFP is estimated to
be18,097, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 12,991 to 23,202 birds. This report
describes the sampling design and the survey and analysis methods; it also identifies future steps
for the monitoring program. We emphasize that this is the first year of sampling that used a
consistent protocol applied throughout the majority of the murrelet’s listed range. Because these
methods have not been used before, comparing the results with past population estimates is not
valid.
Nesting Habitat Monitoring
The nesting-habitat team developed two approaches to assess the nesting habitat baseline for
murrelets: a map created from satellite images, and a quantitative estimate of nesting habitat
based on vegetation data collected from ground plots. The team also updated and reconfigured
murrelet data sets so that they can be analyzed for this effort. This report describes the team’s
approach, outlines progress to date, and identifies future steps.
Related links:
|
