Designing Landscapes
for Sustainable Bird
Populations
Structured Decision Making Workshop
Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
Presentation Outline
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Strategic habitat conservation?
Project Goals
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Vision for the final products
Process – structured decision making
Decision support tool roadmap
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Defining and dividing the problem
Priority birds
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Landscape characteristics
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Objectives – bird habitat conservation
Alternatives – selecting focal (surrogate) species
Consequences of the selection
Objectives
Mapping priorities
Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC)
Biological
Planning
Applied
Research
Conservation
Design
Monitoring
Program
Implementation
Strategic Habitat Conservation?
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Biological planning
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Ecological context (Threats and limiting factors)
Selecting surrogate bird species (SDM)
Population objectives – SAMBI Plan
Species-habitat relationships – Jaime, Steve, Matt
Conservation Design
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Habitat required to meet the population objectives - ???
Desired landscape configuration (SDM)
Decision support tool
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Where will we get the best response from conservation?
LMV JV decision support tool
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One focal habitat –
bottomland hardwood
forests
Landscape dominated by
agriculture
Goal: target populations of
surrogate forest bird species
Primary means
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Reforestation
Similar projects
EGCP JV open pine decision tool
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One focal habitat
Complex landscape
Goal: target populations of
surrogate open pine bird
species
Primary means:
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Longleaf restoration
Improved management of
existing habitat
Habitat acquisition
Vision for the final product(s)
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Multiple habitats
Complex, dynamic landscape
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Goal: target populations of many surrogate bird
species
Product(s)
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Urban growth
Climate change
Map of highest priority areas for each habitat type
How do we get there?
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Structured Decision Making
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References
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Process for making smart choices
Gregory, R.S., and R.L. Keeney. 2002. Making smarter environmental
decisions. Journal American Water Resources Association. 38(6):16011612
Hammond, J.S., R. L. Keeney, and H. Raiffa. Smart choices: A practical
guide to making better decisions, by Harvard Business School Press,
Boston, Massachusetts, 1999.
Introduction to SDM
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Important decisions are made in any action or policy
Smart decisions are fundamental to success
Tools available to professionals:
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Ignore basic principles of sound decision making
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Economics
Psychology
Statistics
Biology and ecology
Project management
Not just an “art”
Five core elements - PrOACT
Problem – Solve the right problem
 Objectives – Describe the desired outcomes
 Alternatives – Consider any reasonable actions that
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achieve the outcomes
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Consequences – Describe how well alternatives
meet objectives
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Tradeoffs – Evaluate consequences of each
alternative
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Core of structured decision making (Hammond et al., 1999).
Three additional elements - URL
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Uncertainty
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Risk Tolerance
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Understand the limits of the data and models
Low tolerance ~ grave consequences
High tolerance ~ less serious consequences
Linked Decisions
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Do choices made today influence choices to make
tomorrow?
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More advanced concepts
Reasons for SDM process
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Group psychology encourages conformity
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Results in erroneous choices
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Fail to address individuals’ priorities
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Don’t explore minority views
Real decisions left to someone else
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Managers provide “competent options”
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Dealing with complexity -> administrators
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Neglects importance of individual decision making
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Overlooks diversity of approaches/perspectives