Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Recommendations to manage wetlands for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds in southeastern United States were adopted by USFWS and State wildlife conservation agencies. Results and recommendations conducted in Puerto Rico guided regional conservation planning efforts, were used to assess habitat suitability for endangered species, protect agroecosystems (i.e., shaded coffee plantations), and guide habitat restoration in the karst region of Puerto Rico, specifically, the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve. PARTICIPANTS: Martha Groom, University of Washington Jeffrey Walters, Virginia Tech. University Theodore Simons, NCSU Kenneth Pollock, NCSU Franklin Percival, University of Florida Allen Lewis, University of Puerto Rico TARGET AUDIENCES: US Fish and Wildlife Service (Ecological SErvices, National Wildlife Refuges) Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Tom Yawkey Wildlife Conservation Center US National Park Service PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Project findings were used to meet NEPA and ESA compliance needs before the reintroduction of the second population of the endangered Puerto RIcan Parrot in the karst region of the island. In the southeast, project findings led to standardized hydrologic management of impounded wetlands for migratory shorebirds. Vital parameters for resident and migratory species in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico are now available. They serve as a fundamental building block for structure decision making/management and foundation for conservation strategies. As an incentive to protect agroecosystems like shaded coffee plantations, results underscored the role of elements of biodiversity (e.g., fauna) as biocontrols of pest species.
Publications
- Pledger, S., M. Efford, K. Pollock, J. Collazo and J. Lyons. 2009. Stopover duration analysis with departure probability dependent on unknown time since arrival. Pages 349-364 In Modeling Demographic Processes in Marked Populations, D. L. Thompson, E. G. Cooch, and M. J. Conroy (eds). Environmental and Ecological Statistics Series: Volume 3. Springer, NY.
- Lyons, J. E., J. A. Collazo and C. G. Guglielmo. 2008. Plasma Metabolites and Migration Physiology of Semipalmated Sandpipers:Refueling performance at five latitudes. Oecologia 155:417-427.
- Aukema, J. E, T. A. Carlo, and J. A. Collazo. 2007. Landscape assessment of tree communities in the northern karst region of Puerto Rico. Plant Ecology 189:101-115.
- Rice, S. M., J. A. Collazo, M. W. Alldredge, B. A. Harrington, and A. R. Lewis. 2007. Local annual survival and seasonal residency rates of Semipalmated Sandpipers in Puerto Rico. Auk 124:1397-1406.
- Stolen, E. D., J. A. Collazo and H. F. Percival. 2007. Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection of Nesting Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. Waterbirds 30:384-393.
- White, T. H., G. G. Brown, and J. A. Collazo. 2006. Artificial cavities and nest-site selection by Puerto Rican Parrots: a multiscale assessment. Avian Conservation and Ecology 1 (3): 5 (online).
- Gleffe, J. D., J. A. Collazo, M. J. Groom, and L. Miranda-Castro. 2006. Avian reproduction and the value of shaded coffee plantations. Ornitologia Neotropical 17:271-282.
- Borkhataria, R. R, J. A. Collazo and M. J. Groom. 2006. Additive effects of vertebrate predators on insects in a Puerto Rican coffee plantation. Ecological Applications 16:696-703.
- Herring, G. and J. A. Collazo. 2005. Habitat Use, Movements and Home Range of Wintering Lesser Scaup in Florida. Waterbirds 28:71-78.
- White, T. H., Jr., J. A. Collazo, and F. J. Vilella. 2005. Survival of captive-reared Puerto Rican Parrots released in the Caribbean National Forest. Condor 107:424-432.
- Herring, G. and J. A. Collazo. 2005. Winter survival of Lesser Scaup in east-central Florida. J. Wildlife Management 68:1082-1087.
- Podolsky, A. L., T. R. Simons, and J. A. Collazo. 2007. Modeling population growth of the ovenbird in the southern appalachians. Auk 124:1359-1372.
- Herring, G. and J. A. Collazo. 2007. Lesser Scaup winter foraging and nutrient reserve acquisition in east-central Florida. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:1682-1689.
- Alldredge, M. W., K. H. Pollock, T. R. Simons, J. A. Collazo and S. A. Shriner. 2007. Time of detection method for estimating abundance from point count surveys. Auk 124:653-664.
- Saracco, J.F., J.A. Collazo, M.J. Groom, and T.A. Carlo. 2005. Crop Size and Fruit Neighborhood Effects on Bird Visitation to Fruiting Schefflera morototoni Trees in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 37:81-87.
- Carlo, T.A., J.A. Collazo and M.J. Groom. 2004. Avian Foraging in Shaded Coffee Plantations: Influence of Fruit Abundance, Plant Species Composition, and Conservation Implications. Biotropica 36:602-614.
- Saracco, J.F., J.A. Collazo, and M.J. Groom. 2004. How do frugivores track resources Insights from spatial analyses of birds foraging in a Puerto Rican forest. Oecologia 139:231-245.
- Carlo, T. A., J. A. Collazo and M. J. Groom. 2003. Avian fruit preference and seed dispersal effectiveness: A view of landscape variation of bird-plant interactions. Oecologia 134:119-131.
|
Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The northern karst of Puerto Rico is a unique formation that contains one of the island's largest remaining forested tracts. The region is under ever-increasing human pressure, but large portions of it are being considered for conservation. Forest classification of the region is at coarse scale, such that it is considered one vegetation type. We asked whether there were distinct tree assemblages which would necessitate targeted conservation strategies to insure their protection. We examined tree species and communities across the region at three different major topographic positions along mogotes, or haystack-shaped hills.
PARTICIPANTS: Juliann E. Aukema, North Carolina State University Tomas A. Carlo, Penn State University Dan Robison, North Carolina State University
TARGET AUDIENCES: Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
Impacts
We found distinct tree communities on hilltops and valleys, with significantly more non-native species in valleys and significantly more endemic species on hilltops and hillsides. At a landscape level, we identified at least four different communities within each topographic position. Two mogote top communities were separated geographically (west and south) within the region, while two others co-occurred in the east central part of the region. Mogote side and valley communities were less distinct geographically. Temperature, elevation, and precipitation were important variables in separating some communities, suggesting that abiotic stress may play an important role in the distribution of some species. In contrast, the lack of geographic separations of other communities suggested that variables such as soil conditions, land use and biotic interactions such as dispersal limitation may also be important. Conservation planning in north-central Puerto Rico should be
focused in the south, west, and east-central areas that harbor distinct mogote top plant communities to adequately protect the range of tree species diversity in the karst region.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
The northern karst of Puerto Rico is a unique formation that contains one of the island's largest remaining forested tracts. We asked whether there were distinct tree assemblages which would necessitate targeted conservation strategies to insure their protection. We found distinct tree communities on hilltops and valleys, with significantly more non-native species in valleys and significantly more endemic species on hilltops and hillsides. At a landscape level, we identified at least four different communities within each topographic position. Two hilltop communities were separated geographically (west and south) within the region, while two others co-occurred in the east central part of the region. Temperature, elevation, and precipitation were important variables in separating some communities. In contrast, the lack of geographic separations of other communities suggested that variables such as soil conditions, land use and biotic interactions such as dispersal
limitation may also be important. Conservation planning should insure that the south, west, and east-central areas are targeted because they harbor distinct mogote top plant communities and would adequately protect the range of tree species diversity in the karst region.
Impacts
Assessments of vegetation communities suggest that conservation planning should insure that the south, west, and east-central areas are targeted because they harbor distinct mogote top plant communities and would adequately protect the range of tree species diversity in the karst region. Assessments of food, avian predators, and other factors impinging upon the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot suggest that the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve, site for reintroduction of the second population of the species, is the most suitable in the region. Plant growth experiments elucidated ways to accelerate the restoration of sectors within several forest reserves in the region. Landscape analyses of the avian community are nearly completed, work conducted under a extension of this project.
Publications
- Aukema, J. E, T. A. Carlo, and J. A. Collazo. 2006. Landscape assessment of tree communities in the northern karst region of Puerto Rico. Plant Ecology (In Press).
|
Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
Evaluation of candidate sites for reintroduction of the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot was completed and selection and recommendation to federal and state agencies made. Final report on habitat management techniques to foster restoration of native plants in the Rio Abajo Forest completed. Field work evaluating avian nest predators in different habitat types, including reintroduction sites for parrots, was completed.
Impacts
Results of study affirmed selection of Rio Abajo Forest as preferred site for reintrodution of Puerto Rican Parrots. Study evaluating habitat quality of prospective release sites was used as supporting documentation to meet NEPA requirements. Habitat enhancement techniques produced by this study were incorporated in the 2006 Rio Abajo Forest Forest Management Plan.
Publications
- Faith M. I.,T. R. Wentworth, C. Brownie, M. Groom, R. Lea. 2006. Using artificial canopy gaps to restore avian habitat in tropical timber plantations. Accepted, Restoration Ecology.
|
Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
There has been substantial progress in the evaluation of candidate locations for the reintroduction of the Puerto Rican Parrot in the karst region. Of particular interest was the Rio Abajo Forest because it is a protected area under governmental control, which facilitates the implementation of recovery actions. Criteria to evaluate the suitability (quality) of candidate release sites included abundance of Red-tailed Hawks, density of Pearly-eyed Thrashers, and availability of food tree species and cavity bearing trees. Results indicate that forests in this region harbor a lower density of Red-tailed Hawks than the Caribbean National Forest. Within the region, road counts of Red-tails did not differ among forest tracks. The Rio Abajo forest (and neighboring forested lands) had the highest density of thrashers as compared to other prospective release sites. The region is poor in terms of cavity bearing trees, mostly because of past deforestation and land use practices
(e.g., subsistence agriculture). Sixteen plant species used by frugivores in the region are also parrots. Phenological studies suggest that food is readily available year round, peaking between March and June. In the case of Rio Abajo, although historic land uses have diminished the availability of food resources in some valleys, food resources abound in the upper reaches of the limestone hills and areas within the reserve not used for silvicultural practices. Moreover the potential for regeneration of many food plant species exists and can be fostered.
Impacts
The Rio Abajo Forest ranked among the top prospective sites for release using a standardized protocol, lending biological support to the decision of using the reserve as the location to initiate reintroduction efforts.
Publications
- Saracco, J.F., J.A. Collazo, and M.J. Groom. 2004. How do frugivores track resources? Insights from spatial analyses of birds foraging in a Puerto Rican forest. Oecologia 139:231-245.
|
|