Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Associated Maps

Terrestrial Systems………………………….1

River Basins………………………………...12

Bays and Estuaries………………………….29

Introduction

Monitoring is an important part of the management of habitat, flora, and fauna. Without a monitoring component to each management plan or strategic planning effort, the goals of thatdocument can not be met. Monitoring allows for adaptive management, a principle in which management objectives and goals are maintained or amended based on information delivered through monitoring efforts. Monitoring allows managers to know whether changes are occurring on the landscape or within a population.

TexasParks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) monitors several different species and habitats in an effort to manage wildlife and adapt new strategies for habitat conservation and management. Many of these monitoring process are outlined below, however it is important that TPWD and its partners work together to spread a limited number of resources over more issues of concern. Evaluation and modification of current monitoring efforts in Texasare outside the scope of this strategy. This strategy will deliver a monitoring package targeted to address the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS)conservation priorities. The monitoring package shall be comprehensive enough to meet the needs of the strategy and still be easily evaluated and modified as needed. Prior to engaging in a comprehensive terrestrial monitoring effort, the statewide mapping and inventory efforts (Section)must be conducted to determine the state of species and habitats throughout Texas. The statewide biological survey will allow TPWD and its partners to collect data from consistent locations maintained indefinitely to provide information on species and habitat.

It is important to understand that specific principles must be outlined to ensure that the monitoring package meets the needs of the CWCS and the general goals of consistent, statistically sound management in Texas. The following principles must be applied to future monitoring efforts in order for them to be cohesive with this strategy and the needs created by the inventory process. These principles were developed primarily by the United States Forest Service(USFS), Defenders of Wildlife, and the United State Geological Survey (USGS).

According to the USFSthere are three types of monitoring efforts that should be used in order to truly determine the state of habitats or species (2004).

  • Targeted Monitoring: “Monitoring the condition and response to management of species and habitats that are identified as being of concern or interest.”
  • Context Monitoring: “Monitoring a broad array of ecosystem components at multiple scales without specific reference to influences of ongoing management.”
  • Cause and Effect Monitoring: “Investigates the mechanisms that underlie habitat and species response to management and other forms of disturbance.”

It is both strategically and operationally difficult to maintain a monitoring effort that meets the needs of all species and habitats. It must be noted that a strong program would include the use and interaction of all three of these methods, within the financial and personnel limitations existing in each wildlife agency. It is impossible to monitor every Species of Concern in the state of Texas based on financial constraints and personnel limitation, therefore the species list and hierarchy established in this strategy must be followed barring changes in priority based on imminent threat (Section).

All data collected during these monitoring efforts must be based on sound research design and appropriate statistical methodology regardless of who or what organization is collecting data. This will allow TPWD to use monitoring data to populate the Natural Diversity Database (NDD). TPWD can then share those data without fear of providing an inferior or ineffective product to partners.

The USFS Recommendations on Monitoring Terrestrial Animal Species and Their Habitats(2004) was used to determine what elements should be incorporated into this document. With some slight modifications, these components shouldaddress the needs of TPWD and its partners.

Critical Elements for Successful Monitoring in Texas

  • Make a commitment to improve monitoring of terrestrial animals and their habitats.
  • Ensure that all monitoring contributes to adaptive management by exploring the causes for trends and alternative scenarios that could reverse unfavorable trends.
  • Ensure that all monitoring protocols are sound and data collected are statistically useful in order to guarantee their appropriateness to be included in the Natural Diversity Database.
  • Implement monitoring strategies that integrate habitat and population monitoring. Monitoring habitat alone will rarely be sufficient for adaptive management because habitat relationships are not well understood and may not be predictable.
  • Recognize that monitoring will exist at different scales. Coordinate across ecological and administrative scales, with emphasis on the role of the Regions. Because TPWD would be working with partners, it would be beneficial to all groups if ecological regions were used for both communications and coordination.
  • Establish appropriate roles and coordination for other agencies, organizations and private landowners.
  • Provide adequate staffing, skills and funding structures to accomplish monitoring objectives.
  • Adopt and integrate three types of monitoring (context, targeted, and cause-and-effect).
  • Use sound ecological principles and risk assessment to prioritize and design monitoring activities.
  • Use partnerships and interagency coordination to accomplish monitoring objectives.
  • Ensure that individuals and teams responsible for monitoring development and oversight have appropriate skills.

TPWD should work with partners to implement monitoring strategies based on the above components. While TPWDalready has monitoring efforts underway, those efforts should be evaluated to determine whether they meet the above elements. They should also be evaluated to determine whether data collected from these monitoring efforts can be incorporated into the NDD.

Purpose of Monitoring in Texas

Texas is a large state with many species and habitats in need of monitoring; however, several issues need to be taken into account prior to continuing this process. TPWD has historically monitored several species using several different techniques that have been outlined by biologists working for the Department. In addition to terrestrial species and habitat, Texas is tasked with monitoring bays, estuaries and all of the inland reservoirs, rivers and many spring-fed catchments. The sheer size and need is difficult to measure, but a significant portion of the TPWD budget is dedicated to monitoring species and habitats.

In Texas, there are over 1,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates, 29,000 species of terrestrial invertebrates and greater than 4,000 species of vascular plants that potentially need monitoring. Monitoring efforts in Texasshouldinclude the continuation of some current monitoring efforts and combining other efforts into more habitat or species/guild monitoring efforts.

In addition to animal species, several plant species are also being monitored yearly to ensure the viability of their populations in different areas of the state. Knowledge of the vegetation of the state will enhance our overall ecological knowledge and allow us to refine the monitoring efforts of our faunal species.

Current Monitoring Efforts

The main monitoring document used by TPWD was developed to coordinate efforts on TPWD landsin 1996. The Baseline Inventory and Monitoring Procedures on Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands outlines the methods TPWD employees use to monitor or evaluate vegetation, herptiles, birds, and mammals. At the time of its development, this document met several of the needs of TPWD and its land managers. Procedures should now be updated based on new technology as well as refined field techniques and data collection forms. An effort should be made to review this document and update it as needed to best accomplish the goals of this dynamic strategy. A special emphasis should be put on new technology such as GPS units and GIS software. These items were not widely used by TPWD in 1996 but are in frequent use by all field staff today. Information and education on the use of this newer technology should also be outlined in an updated version of this document.

Species and Habitat Monitoring

Group / Organization / Current Monitoring Efforts / Partners / Time Frame
Birds / FortHood - United States Army / Black-capped vireo monitoring / The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Various universities / Annual
Golden-cheeked warbler monitoring / The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Various universities / Annual
Turkey hen-poult count and survey / None / Annual
TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Bald Eagle surveys / Volunteers, United State Geological Survey / Annual
Spring call counts (quail) - Matador & Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas / None / Annual
Black-capped vireo surveys at Kerr Wildlife Management Area / None / Annually in May.
Breeding Bird Survey / 100+ Volunteers from around the state; coordinated nationally by the U.S. Geological Survey / Annual
Chachalaca surveys (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Christmas Bird Count / Coordinated by the National Audubon Society / Annual
Colonial Waterbird Inventory / U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas General Land Office, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Center for Coastal Studies TAMU-CC, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program / Annual
Dove reward banding study / United State Fish and Wildlife Service / Annual
Fall Covey Counts (quail) - Matador & Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas / None / Annual
Lesser prairie chicken distribution survey / None / Annual
Lesser prairie chicken harvest survey / None / Annual, Until 2005
Lesser prairie chicken lek survey / None / Annual
Mourning Dove (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Mourning Dove call count survey / United State Fish and Wildlife Service / Annual
Red-cockaded woodpecker surveys / None / Annual
Roadside observation surveys (quail, pheasant) / Audubon Texas / Annual
Texas Hummingbird Roundup / Volunteers / Year round
Turkey hen-poult count and survey / None / Annual, Until 2005
Urban bird point counts / TexasStateUniversity / 2005-2007, monthly
Waterfowl surveys (goose, midwinter waterfowl) / United State Fish and Wildlife Service / December and January of each year
Whitewing Dove production survey / None
Mammals / FortHood - United States Army / Predator surveys / None / Ongoing
White-tailed deer surveys / None / Annual
TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Black Bear - when trapped or collared (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Periodic
Chronic Wasting Disease survey / United State Fish and Wildlife Service / Annual
Desert bighorn sheep population surveys / Foundation of North American Wild Sheep, Texas Bighorn Society / Annual
Furbearers surveys / None / Annual
Javelina (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Mountain Lion (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Mule deer (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Pronghorn (TPWD Wildlife Division - Region 1) / None / Annual
Pronghorn population surveys / None / Annual
River otter survey / None / Every 3 years
White-tailed and mule deer - age/weight/antler development surveys / None / Annual
White-tailed and mule deer population surveys / None / Annual
White-tailed deer age, weight, antler harvest surveys / None / Annual
White-tailed deer browse utilization surveys / None / Annual
White-tailed deer surveys / None / Annual
Herptiles / TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Alligator surveys (spotlight and nest - aerial) / None
Box turtles / None / Ongoing
Houston Toad / Volunteers, TexasStateUniversity / Annual
Texas Amphibian Watch / Volunteers / Ongoing
Texas horned lizard - Matador Wildlife Management Area / None / Annual
Texas Horned Lizard Watch / Volunteers, / Ongoing
Terrestrial Invertebrates / Balconian Naturalists' Group / Austin 10 county area butterfly fauna / C. J. Durden, P.I. / Since 1968: weekly to monthly
Central Texas Melittological Institute / Bees of Texas survey / None / Annual
Bees of the Brackenridge Field Lab (Austin Texas) / None / Annual
FortHood - United States Army / Cave crickets / University of Illinois / Ongoing
Status assessment 19 endemic obligate cave invertebrates / The Nature Conservancy of Texas / Ongoing
Illinois Natural History Survey / Phylogeography of cave crickets in Central Texas (molecular study) / Zara Environmental, Buda Texas / Into 2007
Plethodon sp. in cave and spring at Fort Hood, Texas / Zara Environmental, FortHood Natural Resources Branch / Into 2006
Stable isotopes of cave crickets in central Texas (feeding urban vs rural) / Zara Environmental, Buda Texas / Into 2007
Zara Environmental LLC / CampBullis biomonitoring / James Reddell, TexasMemorialMuseum and George Veni and Associates / 3 times per year
Lakeline Mall Habitat Conservation Plan / None / 4 times per year
Terrestrial Habitats / National Parks Service / Fire and fuel dynamics / None / To be determined
Forest health / None / To be determined
Landscape dynamics / None / To be determined
Non-native vegetation/early detection / None / To be determined
Terrestrial vegetation communities / None / To be determined
Orion Research and Management Services / Feral hog management - Protect Endangered Species habitat and sensitive riparian systems in the Bandera Canyonlands / Environmental Defense, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Private landowners / Ongoing
Inland Aquatic Species and Habitats / National Parks Service / Water quality / United State Geological Survey, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality / To be determined
TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Aquatic vegetation control studies / United States Army Corps of Engineers / Project specific
Comanche Springs pupfish / None / Periodic
DevilsRiver minnow / United State Fish and Wildlife Service / Annual
Fish kill/pollution complaint investigations / None / Event specific
Golden Alga Survey / Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, River Authorities / One time sampling
Guadalupe bass / None / Annual
Headwater catfish / None / Periodic
Heart of the Hills freshwater mussel survey information / Volunteers / Annual
Hydrological and biological assessment of selected EdwardsPlateau springs: River basins: Nueces, Guadalupe, Colorado / Biological: 2/year Hydrological:3-4/year / 31 springs sampled from October 2003 to May 2004 and 40 springs sampled from March 2005 to May 2005
In-stream flow evaluations / Texas Water Development Board, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality / Project specific
LakeWhitney golden alga bloom monitoring / BRA, TIAER, TexasStateUniversity / Weekly during bloom
Mexican stoneroller / None / Periodic
Natural resource trustee natural resource damage assessments / Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas General Land Office, United State Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Event specific
Pecos pupfish / None / Periodic
Recreational fisheries contaminant study / Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, DSHS / 3 year study
Reservoir recreational creel surveys / None / Periodic
Reservoir recreational fisheries monitoring / None / Annual with reservoirs on a 4 year rotation
reservoir sportfishes / None / Annual
Rio Grande fish community / None / Periodic
San Felipe gambusia / None / Annual
State Wildlife Grant freshwater mussel survey / StephanF.AustinStateUniversity, LCC / FY2005/ FY2006
Texas Mussel Watch / Volunteers / Ongoing
Coastal Aquatic Species and Habitats / National Parks Service / Coastal dynamics / United State Geological Survey, TXBEG / Periodic
Marine and estuarine SAV / To be determined
Sea turtle nesting and stranding / TexasParks and Wildlife Department, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service / Annual
Water Quality / United State Geological Survey, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality / To be determined
TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Bag Seines
(Juvenile finfish/Juvenile Crustaceans) / None / Monthly
Bay Trawls
(Crustaceans/juvenile finfish) / None / Monthly
Gill Nets
(Juvenile/Sub adult finfish/crabs) / None / Seasonally
(Spring/Fall)
Gulf Trawls
(Crustaceans/juvenile finfish) / None / Monthly
Oyster DredgeMarket/submarket size oysters / None / Monthly
Sportfish Harvest Surveys / None / High Use
May 15 - Nov 15
Sportfish Harvest Surveys / None / Low Use
Nov 16 - May 14
Plants / TexasParks and Wildlife Department / Beech-White Oak-Maple ravines (Southern ladies slipper orchid) / TPWD State Parks Divisions, United States Forest Service, Temple Inland Timber Corp., and The Nature Conservancy of Texas / Annual
Bigtooth maple canyons (Carrs rattelsnake root) / The Nature Conservancy of Texas and private landowners / Annual
Effects of white-tailed Deer management on recruitment of Quercus buckleyi / TexasStateUniversity, Plateau Integrated Land and Wildlife Management / Ongoing
Longleaf pine xeric sandhills (Texas trailing phlox and white firewheel) / The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Big ThicketNational Park, and Temple Inland Timber Corporation / Annual
NechesRiver rose mallow / United States Fish and Wildlife Service, StephenF.AustinStateUniversity, USFS, Texas Department of Transportation / Annual
Pitcher plant bogs (Chapmans yellow eyed grass, bog coneflower, and tiny bog buttons) / TPWD Wildlife Management Areas, United States Forest Service, Temple Inland Timber Corporation, and private landowners / Annual
Saline barrens (earthfruit) / Temple Inland Timber Corp. and Arkansas Natural Heritage Program / Annual
Star cactus / None / Annual
Texas poppy-mallow / Texas Department of Transportation / Annual
Texas snowbells / The Nature Conservancy of Texas, volunteers / Annual
Texas wild-rice / Volunteers, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Department of Transportation / Annual
Tobusch fishhook cactus / Texas Department of Transportation, TPWD State Parks Division / Annual
Weches glades (white bladderpod and Texas golden gladecress) / United States Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Temple Inland Timber Corporporation and private landowners / Annual
Woody and herbaceous vegetation transects - Matador and Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas / None / Annual

Additional Monitoring Efforts in Texas

Coastal bays and estuaries are monitored monthly (depending on need) and trend data is used to determine whether there are any critical needs within these areas. The methods that are currently employed have been successful and do not need to be amended at this time.

State reservoirs are also being monitored, with much of the effort focused on sportfish. However, additional data are collected that provide information on aquatic plant life, nongame species, and exotic species that may affect native flora or fauna. Additional monitoring data are also collected on selected streams and rivers. It is important that aquatic nongame species receive and utilizeadditional monitoring effortsand that TPWD put an emphasis on particular waterways and species that are of immediate interest.