Hi, I'm Talia from the IUCN Center for
Mediterranean Cooperation. Welcome to
this new video series, training webinars
on ecological wet restoration produced
by the IUCN Center for Mediterranean
Cooperation. The webinars in this series
build materials by Wetland based
Solutions, a project funded by MAVA. The
updated collection addresses members of
the Mediterranean Alliance for wetlands
as a learning resource to strengthen
their technical capacities on wetland
restoration.
The webinars deliver an in-depth overview
of key aspects of ecological restoration
in Mediterranean wetlands. Learning
contents include principles and
objectives of wetland restoration,
general criteria on wetland restoration
and how to plan and intervene,
monitoring success in wetland
restoration and practical case studies
from across the Mediterranean. Please
enjoy our video series training webinars
on ecological wetland restoration.
So, hello, I'm Corrado Battisti.
I will briefly talk about monitoring
of birds in wetlands, in
particular monitoring of the
birds in areas where we have made
some projects, okay? some projects of
environmental restoration, for example, or
any other project that requires
monitoring.
But let's see for a moment what it is
monitoring. So, monitoring is
the verification of a change,
of a system, of an ecosystem in the
direction
which we considered to be the one
better, so towards a goal. Ok?
So the question we ask ourselves is
that monitoring is being done and we have
have we achieved our goals?
So, know that monitoring is
the final part the final part of a
project, so there is a cycle of
project, we have a problem,
let's analyze the situation, let's analyze
so the context, let's define and
we plan actions after having
identified, defined objectives.
At this point, once assigned
resources, therefore budget, means,
materials, personnel, men, etc.,
at this point the project is implemented,
that is, actions are done and carried out.
Once the actions have been carried out we have
need to monitor outputs. The
outputs are the first-order results,
first-order, that is, we monitor whether
we have actually achieved
those actions. The question is: have we
carried out those actions? Well, then
we will monitor our
actions. Outputs are defined as
first level results, that is us
we monitor
the results of our actions.
It actually happened because we realize
these actions? Why do we want
achieve goals on the
biodiversity. If we have achieved
a pond, we would definitely like
increase, for example, the number of
waterfowl, both species and
individuals. So the outcomes are the
second level results, second level
order, that is, we have
actually increased the number of
birds after having made our
actions?
It is important to distinguish results from
first level from second level results
level. Why is this? Because we
we might have even made some
actions,
but not having gotten what there is
we were set, that is, we do not have
achieved the objectives on
biodiversity, on an increase of
biodiversity. Okay? So the
monitoring is the final stage of a
series of project steps.
Very good, I achieved my goals,
or rather my goals. So, how
I was saying before, the first results
level, the outputs, are linked to the
actions, to the effectiveness of my actions.
I actually placed some
fences to prevent nests from
pler birds, therefore of bird species
linked to certain environments were
trampled. If we have realized
these fences, these these actions,
we can say that we have achieved the
first-rate results. But the
The question is: have we achieved this?
an effectiveness
of our project on these birds,
or after having created the fences,
the birds have increased the
reproductive success, breeding success,
because we might have realized the
fences, but we may not have
obtained the outcomes, that is, the
second level results. Okay? I
second level results are linked
to biodiversity objectives.
So here's the first important thing
is to define the objectives. The objectives
there is a statement, there is a
sentence, one sentence, one eh
articulated
in which various are identified
things. First thing, what do I want to do?
Increase. Perfect. What? My
target, so my indicators
organic. Very well, then I have to
define which? density and richness of
species of water birds, for example
in this case wintering ducks. So
my goal is to increase density
and the richness of bird species
wintering aquatics. Then I have to define
a percentage that is clearly
achievable, must be the goal
smart, it's called smart, that is specific,
measurable,
attainable or achievable, reachable,
ok? time-bound and realistic, so
we have to define a percentage
that it is actually achievable. And
then you see that the third point is
how much of the 50% can I define.
Of course I also have to say by when
and where. Here is a typical one
goal statement, the statement of
a goal. Increase by 50% of the
species, density richness of waterfalls
wintering in restored wetlands, in
particular the torre flavia wetland
by June 204.
Ok, this is important to define
once obviously to test
the effectiveness of the project and for
verify that the objectives have been
achieved, I have to do, realize,
carry out data sampling in the field
sampling before the project and project.
You see, in the first phase I mh
I quantify, I collect data before the
project, then I will collect data afterwards
after the
You see, this is an example. This
dashed, the dotted line, indicates the
project. Here I realized the project.
This is before, the before phase, and
This is the after phase. Before density
of low birds. I realize the project and
you see I have waterfalls again
wintering waterfalls, then the birds
overwintering aquatic animals that increase. I have
I was successful because I made a
monitoring before, after, before the
project and after the project of
density of wintering waterfowl.
I can also calculate other variables,
for example the number of species, that is
the species richness. And I can
calculate before and after the number of
species of waterfalls, so the
wintering waterfowl,
waterfall, before e. And you see that I the
my eh goal was to increase the
50% and I, as you can see, almost 100% in
increase, so I was successful.
Success is the word that indicates the
achieving my outcomes, of
my second level results. It goes
Well?
However, if possible, I am not alone
I calculate, I quantify, I collect data
before and after the project. You see,
this is the field, it is being dug,
flooded and then inundated. And I collected the
before and after data on birds.
I do both in the project site and it is
good practice to take a site of
control where it is not carried out
project. Do you see? before, after, the
same. The same situation because I don't have
the project was carried out to verify
that my increase in number of
individuals and species both actually
tied to the project. Imagine if I
can finally observe, imagine
that this case occurs that I
before and after in the area where I have not
I completed the project and got an increase
of aquatic birds. Probably the
my project flooded the area, but not
It depends on my action whether
let the birds increase,
rather it depends on factors
aa wider scale, a spatial scale more
wide which have led to an increase in
birds both in the project area and
in the area outside the project where not
if anything was flooded. I hope I
yes keep in mind that this is called
experimental design samling design
you kiss. Baci is for after control impact.
before, after, in the impact area where
I made the project and in the area of
I check where I didn't realize the
project. Only in this way can I verify that
It was me with my project that
reach my goal.
So, but how can I get the
data? To get the data you need
a monitoring that uses methods
standard, okay? The methods allow you to
get data and the data allows you to
answer the question: "I have achieved
my goal? He had my
project, was it successful?
There are many different methods
tell me and I will be very brief here,
but the first thing I have to remember is
my data, and I need to know and be
aware, my data is
reliable, trustworthy,
um, that is, the data has been collected
correctly,
so I will have to be careful about how I use it
of standard methods. I have to be careful
to use standard methods, okay?
Correct methods that will allow me to
reach
get information, okay? To reply
the
I have to replicate the samples
several times in time and space. It goes
good? The data then must represent the
phenomenon. I worked in a
ecosystem to do some projects.
The entire ecosystem will have to be
championship, not just a part,
must be representative of everything
the system and then I have to check the
contactability of target species,
or rather what is called
detectability or cacciability,
because some species are easily
contactable and I collect
the information.
other species are very elusive and I
I may underestimate
their presence. Okay? And here,
Let's see some very simple methods.
Direct counting of direct counts and
from direct counts I can get
of abundance data, that is, I can
count all the individuals of a certain
species, all individuals of another
species. Obviously this method is eh
useful but limited to specific areas,
so if the areas are small, small,
I can count directly, better if
using photos or video cameras. Okay?
Another method is territory mapping or
mapping method. This method is valid
for the birds eh singing, or
territorial singers who have homes
range, so I can quantify
males enchant in a certain area
and I can get the density of males
I'm enchanted. I can get this data.
first, then I realize the project and
after. My goal is to increase
of 50%
the density of singing males in a
zone a in a certain area within a certain time
t. I do a before mapping method and
after the mapping method. It is a method
very simple, about clearly it must
be focused on very specific areas
small, about 10 airs. They are searched
and beats all the areas precisely
within this sector. It is not
This method is suitable for this species
colonial gregarious, for the species that
They have no territories. This is valid.
only for the species that are
territorial, which through singing
They delimit territories. They generally do this
10 surveys, therefore 10 visits in the same one
area and through this method it is
they can get many different data,
density data, frequency data and many more
diversity indices, developing the first
data. A third method, there, you see?
This is the data that is reported
on a map and indicate territories,
do you see? Territories and home ranges
different for different species.
This is a typical matrix that is
outside the analysis of the with carried out
with the mapping method. Here is a
list of species, here is the density,
or the number of territories on
surface area of each species. This is
the frequency of each species on the
total and so on. You can get
lots of information, for example biomass,
but above all indicators of diversity.
should not be underestimated because they are
useful opportunities to analyze before,
after the effectiveness of mine
project, the effectiveness of my project.
Then we can get many tables
synthetic and so on.
Another method is the line.
Through the line I can get data
different along a linear path. I
contact all individuals of all
species that I can observe, but
I can also hear and obviously also
in this case I can eh get some
indexes
of density, so first the abundance,
then the density, then the frequency and so on
via. it's a very simple method, but it can
be carried out above all and only in
homogeneous environments, not in environments
heterogeneous, because otherwise it would go
layered the information.
Another very simple method, very
which allows you to obtain a lot of data is the
listening station method or method
of the point count. The count method
allows you to obtain information
on individuals of birds
and also of species, therefore number of
especially for point for many points.
The important thing is that each point maintains
a defined radius of its own, so I can
contact individuals only
within
of the circle of defined radius and
clearly within a time
fixed. Typically this time ranges from
5 to 10 minutes. Distance and radius
of action can vary from 25 to 50 ma
depending on the shielding of the environment.
In very open environments I can
to arrive at aa to define a radius
that reaches 100 m away. In
genre, you see, it is necessary to replicate
the sessions and it is indicated
especially for small birds, for
small birds.
You see that two sessions are held in
early spring and late spring and is
mostly focused on birds
territorial, even the points method
listening because it is also based on singing
and in spring the birds therefore no
they sing. So and that's the the
most suitable period. Then there are many
other methods, namely the method of
marking and recapture, for example,
through the ringing, no, of the
ringing station, eh we can capture,
mark and then release them and they will come
then many birds were recaptured again.
This is a very useful method, only that
It is mainly focused on the study
of medium to long distance migrations.
To monitor the effects of the
changes brought about by our project,
This method is not very useful. Then there
there are many others, for example the
phototrapping, the use of drones and so on.
One very important thing to say is that
clearly the analyses are necessary
statistics and there are many handbooks,
many manuals that help you understand
what kind of data do we have and how do we use it?
how to then analyze them through tests
specific.
However, it is important to remember that not
we may also not monitor
only biological indicators, therefore
birds. We can also monitor
um
impact or pressure processes.
So we can also work on
threatening events. And on this is a
very broad topic. I suggest you
to study, to delve deeper into the part
of the dips approach that allows you to
identify monitoring indicators
which are of pressure, of
state state, impact impact and impact
response response. It is a scope
very important that requires
in-depth analysis.
I suggest this to you because
I emphasize the fact that we can
monitor not only indicators
organic, but also for example
chemical or physical processes that are, for example
example, definable by indicators of
pressure. Is that okay? For example, if I
I want to protect waterfall nests and
individual that one of the threats is the
trampling, I can also monitor the
trampling through indicators
rampling, right? By people. So, me
I can monitor the indicator of
trampling, in this case it is number of
people trampling
the brinig area eh on times in one
defined space. So I can
locate a pressure gauge and
if my project goal is
reduce
20% of people trampling, I can
work on this, on the indicators of
pressure, not only on
biological indicators. It is a very topic
in-depth, I recommend it to you.
Sometimes we may not have data
analytical on the field, we cannot
we may not get them either because we don't
we have time, both because we do not have
budget and so if we don't have time and
other other resources to collect
this type of information, we
we can also use expert methods.
expert methods are instead based
on the experience of a group of experts,
on the exerise of a group of experts who
assigns some barks, some pronunciations to
specific specific aspects of the of the
threatening events. This is a topic
very large, but also know that we
we can not only collect data
in the field, but also collect data from
a group of experts. These are the
basic expert methods.
By the way, there are many expert methods
and three analysis is a sector that
eh it includes many. I advise you to
to study, to delve deeper into the thread
reduction assessment. Through the
thread reduction assessment we can
monitor
before and after if we have decremented,
reduced threats in an area where we
we made a project. If one
of the problems was water stress, the
water stress or trampling by people or dog
feral dog or other threats, I can
monitor
before and after.
people tramping, dog eh
or the water stress before and. If I
I get a decrease, I have reached
my goal. Obviously in that
case the goal was reduction of
people trample, reduction of feral dove
or reduction of empty stress and
so I quantify through a
expert method and scores of the
score before and after the value of the
threats. It is a very in-depth topic and
very new introduced by UCN,
from the World Conservation Union and I will
I suggest it, I suggest you for
further information on this book
we made it together with a group
which talks specifically about threat analysis and
of how to monitor threats in websites
project before and after.
It's finished. Now I suggest you many
books. Obviously there are many
handbooks for field guides, for
collect field data, for
obviously recognize the birds.
There are many different books. This Bird
Census Technics is a typical, it is
very important among seminal books,
handbooks, books by Bibietal,
which includes many techniques. Also
I suggest this to you ecological Census
Technics and then not to be overlooked the
Magurran's book, this one here,
Missourian Biological Diversity, which
it deals with many biodiversity indices,
of diversity, which is an important
sector that we should all go to
discover and use.
I thank you for all the further information
information. You can also write to me at
This address. Is that okay? Best regards.
Bye