Research & Monitoring
Goal: Produce research and monitoring results that will improve management of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats.
Objective 1: Acquire information necessary to improve the management of at least 5 Species of Greatest Conservation Need or their habitats.
Description: FWC and its partners conduct research to maintain up-to-date information on the life history, habitat requirements, population dynamics and management needs of Florida's species and habitats, particularly the 691 SGCN. In previous years, SWG funds focused on filling data gaps for SGCN having a low or unknown status and a declining or unknown trend. This objective now includes acquiring information on both SGCN and their habitats focuses on information needs necessary to guide species and habitat management action.
Objective 2: Address climate change vulnerability of at least 2 Species of Greatest Conservation Need by identifying or implementing adaptation strategies.
Description: In many cases, species are not able to adapt to climate change on their own due to the rapid changes in the extent and structure of the habitat they occupy, or roadblocks to their successful migration and relocation. In these cases, where species are unable to adapt on their own, management interventions are necessary to ensure their long-term survival. The creation of adaptation strategies can provide managers with climate informed actions that they can operationalize into their management plans.
Objective 3: Maintain and use species and habitat status assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation actions.
Description: An integral part of Florida’s wildlife conservation efforts is monitoring the changes in species and their habitats over time, especially in response to conservation actions. This objective focuses on developing or maintaining status assessment tools, like those described in Chapter 5: Monitoring Florida's SGCN and Habitats in the 2018 State Wildlife Action Plan. Species and habitat status information is critical to making decisions regarding management action, resource allocation and adaptive management.
Supporting Document:
Enge, K. M., B. A. Millsap, T. J. Doonan, J. A. Gore, N. J. Douglass, and G. L. Sprandel. 2003. Conservation plans for biotic regions in Florida containing multiple rare or declining wildlife taxa. Final Report. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. 146 pp.