Selecting umbrella species for conservation: A test of habitat models and niche overlap for beach-nesting birds

Maslo, Brooke; Leu, Karen; Faillace, Cara A.; Weston, Michael A.; Pover, Todd; Schlacher, Thomas A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.09.012

Cited by 60 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Piping plovers are solitary nesters that typically select flat, open dry sand or pebble beaches with sparse vegetation (Cohen, Wunker, & Fraser, 2008;Maslo et al, 2011;Maslo, Leu, et al, 2016;Zeigler et al, 2017). The Atlantic coast population considered here breeds along~2,000 km of shoreline from northern Canada south to North Carolina, USA.…”

Section: Focal Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adults and chicks forage mostly along the ocean-or bay-side intertidal zone and ephemeral pools, where they consume various insects and marine arthropods (Elias, Fraser, & Buckley, 2000;Loegering & Fraser, 1995;Patterson, Fraser, & Roggenbuck, 1991). Piping plovers exhibit rapid population-level responses to habitat change (Cohen, Houghton, & Fraser, 2009) and are considered an umbrella species for multiple beach-dependent avifauna (Maslo, Leu, et al, 2016). Fish and Wildlife Service, 1996).…”

Section: Focal Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This area, along with Pullen Island (6 km), is part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Maslo, Leu, et al (2016) predicted the distribution of piping plovers across New Jersey using a presence-only, spatially explicit maximum entropy modeling approach in the program Maxent (version 3.3.3 k; Phillips, Dudík, & Schapire, 2017). Pullen Island is completely undeveloped and tide-dominated with extensive marsh development and a narrow sandy shoreline (Oertel & F I G U R E 1 Geographic extent of the two focal areas across New Jersey and New York, USA across which two species distribution models predicted suitable U.S. Atlantic Coast piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nesting habitat Kraft, 1994).…”

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Maxent model considered here is described in more detail, including variable definitions and training data, elsewhere (Maslo, Leu, et al, 2016). In brief, the model was trained on 606 piping plover nests initiated in New Jersey during the years 2007-2011 as well as 10,000 "pseudoabsence" points sampled from spatial datasets of the environmental predictors.…”

Section: Maximum Entropy Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In brief, the model was trained on 606 piping plover nests initiated in New Jersey during the years 2007-2011 as well as 10,000 "pseudoabsence" points sampled from spatial datasets of the environmental predictors. For New Jersey, these landcover characteristics were determined through the geospatial analysis of LiDAR elevation data, aerial imagery, land use data, shoreline data observed in 2012 (see Maslo, Leu, et al, 2016 for data sources and methodologies) as part of a separate study of habitat change due to Hurricane Sandy (Maslo et al, 2019). The predictive accuracy of the Maxent model was tested on an independent dataset of nest occurrences.…”

Section: Maximum Entropy Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

A pragmatic approach for comparing species distribution models to increasing confidence in managing piping plover habitat

Maslo

Zeigler

Drake

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Conservation management often requires decision-making without perfect knowledge of the at-risk species or ecosystem. Species distribution models (SDMs) are useful but largely under-utilized due to model uncertainty. We used an ensemble modeling approach of two independently derived SDMs to explicitly address common modeling impediments and directly inform conservation decision-making for piping plovers in a heavily populated mid-Atlantic (USA) coastal zone. We summarized previously published Bayesian network and maximum entropy models to highlight similarities and differences in structure, and we compared the relative importance of predictors used. Despite differences in analytical approach, relative importance of factors driving nest-site selection was consistent. Models demonstrated considerable agreement when comparing a binary (suitable/ unsuitable) measure of suitability. Instances of model consensus (i.e., overlapping areas of predicted piping plover nesting habitat between models) provide a stronger "signal" in model results, reducing uncertainty related to biases or errors associated with either model. We tested model accuracy using a common dataset of plover nests initiated within the focal areas between 2013 and 2015, and we examined congruency in model outputs. Nearly, 90% of all nests occurred in areas predicted suitable by at least one model, and at least 33% of the total nests were predicted in areas suitable by both. Because models predominantly agreed on what drives piping plover nest-site selection, areas predicted suitable by a single model should not be discounted. This case study demonstrates how models can effectively inform conservation planning by explicitly identifying the management objective, presenting robust evidence to allow managers to evaluate outcomes of alternative management decisions, and clearly communicating results that address real-world conservation problems. Our results can

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Section: Focal Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Focal Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Maximum Entropy Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Maximum Entropy Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A pragmatic approach for comparing species distribution models to increasing confidence in managing piping plover habitat

Maslo

Zeigler

Drake

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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The use of umbrella fish species to provide a more comprehensive approach for freshwater conservation management

Obester

Lusardi

Santos

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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1. Where freshwater species populations are in decline, conservation management requires rapid, cost-effective approaches to develop recommendations, particularly at broad geographical scales or where species-specific information is lacking. The umbrella species approach, typically applied to terrestrial taxa, is one potentially useful option to inform large-scale freshwater management efforts.2. A quantitative, integrated approach is proposed for selecting suites of umbrella fish species over diverse spatial scales using a combination of species ranges, lifehistory traits, and species vulnerability scores. The approach also uses expert opinion to validate methods and results.3. This approach was applied to native fishes in California, and results for two river basins are explored in the context of instream flow management. These examples illustrate how the results could help address two common instream flow management challenges in California: (i) the lack of information related to speciesspecific flow requirements in basins with many species; and (ii) the need to move beyond a single species approach to flow management. In addition, the results indicate that the protection of native fishes in California would provide cobenefits for other aquatic and riparian taxa. 4.A key benefit of this approach is that the data used to select suites of umbrella species (e.g. species ranges, life-history traits, climate vulnerabilities) are widely available at varying degrees of specificity for most freshwater fishes. Therefore, this flexible approach could be applied in other regions to aid managers in making freshwater conservation decisions, such as for instream flow strategies, in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

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Managing birds of conservation concern on sandy shores: How much room for future conservation actions is there?

Maslo

Leu

Pover

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Resource limitations often prevent the active management required to maintain habitat quality in protected areas. Because restrictions in access or allowable public activities are the sole conservation measure in these locations, an important question to consider is whether species of conservation concern truly benefit from parcels that are shielded from human disturbance. Here, we assess the conservation benefit of protecting birds from human recreation on over 204 km of sandy beaches by (a) estimating the total area of beach‐nesting bird habitat that has been created by conservation protections; (b) quantifying the change in nesting habitat extent should further conservation protections be implemented; and (c) providing data to inform future protected area expansion. We use a maximum entropy species distribution modeling approach to estimate the extent and quality of suitable habitat for four beach‐nesting bird species of conservation concern under the existing management regime and compare it to scenarios in which the entire study area is either unprotected of fully protected from human disturbance. Managing humans has dramatic conservation returns for least terns and piping plovers, creating extensive nesting habitat that otherwise would not exist. There is considerable scope for conservation gains, potentially tripling the extent of nesting areas. Expanding conservation footprints for American oystercatchers and black skimmers is predicted to enhance the quality of existing nesting areas. The work demonstrates the utility of modeling changes in habitat suitability to inform protected area expansion on ocean beaches and coastal dunes.

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Selecting umbrella species for conservation: A test of habitat models and niche overlap for beach-nesting birds

Cited by 60 publications

References 67 publications

A pragmatic approach for comparing species distribution models to increasing confidence in managing piping plover habitat

A pragmatic approach for comparing species distribution models to increasing confidence in managing piping plover habitat

The use of umbrella fish species to provide a more comprehensive approach for freshwater conservation management

Managing birds of conservation concern on sandy shores: How much room for future conservation actions is there?

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