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Climate scientists' projections suggest that severe droughts could become more frequent over the next century, with significant impacts on wildlife habitat. Fortunately, new research by scientists at Point Blue Conservation Science and The Nature Conservancy show how financial incentive programs can create vital habitat for waterbirds, meeting a critical need of years of water. drought
. extreme drought, significantly reducing wildlife habitat. The area is recognized of hemispheric importance for waterbirds, which use flooded farmland and wetlands as habitat. As part of two innovative financial badistance programs, farmers receive an incentive payment to flood their fields at key times in order to create a habitat for waterbirds. Until this study, the landscape effects of these incentive programs had not been rigorously studied.
The researchers at Point Blue and The Nature Conservancy used satellite images to evaluate two questions: 1) the impact of the 2013-2015 drought on the habitat of waterbirds; The central valley; and 2) the amount of habitat created by incentive programs.
"Before this research was completed, we felt that these programs were successful in offsetting the impacts of drought on wildlife, but we now know how much they are," said Dr. Matt Reiter, Senior Scientist Quantitative ecologist at Blue Point and lead author of the study. "Program managers should give high priority to maintaining these incentive programs in the face of severe and frequent droughts in order to support waterbirds in the Central Valley and the Pacific Flyway", was -he adds.
up to 80% of the amount of open water in agricultural fields after harvest and up to 60% in managed wetlands, compared with years without drought. Crops badociated with the San Joaquin Basin, particularly maize, and wetlands in this basin had larger reductions in open water than rice and wetlands in the Sacramento Valley. Overall, satellite data showed that the 2013-2015 drought in the Central Valley was more severe than previous years of drought between 2000 and 2011.
Looking at the amount of habitat created through incentive programs, researchers have found that much open water in paddy fields during key times of the year that are critical for waterbirds could be attributed to programs. BirdReturns, a program funded and administered by The Nature Conservancy, has provided up to 61% of all flooded rice habitat available a few days during the fall of drought years studied. The Waterfowl Habitat Enhancement Program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has created up to 100% of the available habitat for certain days during winter and created an average of 64% of available habitat
We know that we need to be more agile from year to year as conditions change.Considerable at this dynamic conservation is to understand what works and what does not work and to have the data to adjust on the fly, "said Dr. Mark Reynolds, Principal Investigator, Migratory Birds Program, The Nature Conservancy. "It is incredibly rewarding to know that these programs have had a significant impact on these bird populations during these years of extreme drought, and tells us how to cope with another drought."
"The NRCS administers our Incentive program for waterbird program for 8 years and it's great to have strong support data now on how it works, "said Alan Forkey, Conservation Assistant of the state for the NRCS. "By learning that during the drought years in winter, on average more than 60% of the available bird habitat was provided by Farm Bill's conservation programs, we get desired benefits. "
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