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-  2019 

Disentangling monitoring programs: design, analysis, and application considerations

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1922

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Abstract:

Monitoring programs are an essential tool for assessing and informing conservation efforts but the methods used to gather monitoring data directly influence results. This presents a challenge to conservation professionals when deciding on existing data to inform a given question. We illustrate the challenges of using monitoring data by comparing population trends from two large‐scale avian monitoring programs in the western United States: the Breeding Bird Survey and Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions programs. We used publicly available data to compare trend trajectory between 2008 and 2015 for 148 species across Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. Trends were inconsistent for 62% of the comparisons, with species having opposite trends in 21 cases. The inconsistencies found within our species comparisons reflect the inherent differences between program sampling design and analytical approach. Periodically revisiting how and why we monitor natural resources is necessary to advance conservation and management as the lessons learned from long‐standing programs guide the development of more recent efforts. Our results emphasize that prior to management actions and policy decisions, managers must be aware of both the sampling design and appropriate ecological inference of any monitoring program. Monitoring programs are often used by managers to inform conservation. In addition to providing population assessments, the challenges incurred in early monitoring efforts led to advancements in design and methodology. For example, contemporary occupancy models were developed to account for the imperfect detection of elusive amphibians during surveys (MacKenzie et al. 2002). These methods have subsequently been applied to many other taxa. Monitoring can now support management hypotheses across spatial scales by tracking species distributions and changes in occupancy or abundance through time (hereafter referred to as trends). However, all monitoring programs are not equal with respect to their contributions to either resolve scientific uncertainty or inform conservation decisions. Before deriving biological inferences, it is important to consider how the unique characteristics of any monitoring program influence results. Two multi‐species monitoring programs provide information on the population status of breeding landbirds across the western United States. The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS, 1966–present) is a United States‐wide federally supported effort that relies on an extensive volunteer network (Sauer et al. 2013). A recently initiated

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