The Nature Conservancys Measures of Success experience in

The Nature Conservancy’s Measures of Success experience in assessing management effectiveness in Latin America Dan Salzer, U. S. A. Silvia Benitez P. , Ecuador The Nature Conservancy is a proud supporter of the 2003 World Parks Congress conserveonline. org

Management effectiveness approaches used by TNC in Latin America PAs • Measures of Success using 5 S method – Planning and measures approach includes • Biodiversity health of conservation targets • Threat status to conservation targets – Also includes smaller set of capacity measures • Parks in Peril Consolidation Scorecard

Enhanced 5 -S - stronger adaptive mgmt Systems • Project Scope • Targets & Viability Stresses & Sources • Critical Threats • Situation Analysis Implement & Monitor Adapt & Learn Success • Monitoring Plan • Analyze & Communicate • Summary Status Measures Strategies • Objectives & Actions • Action Plan

Benefits of Enhanced 5 -S • Strengthens coverage of all WCPA evaluation framework elements (context, planning, inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes) • Promotes adaptive management • Completely revised Excel tool

USE OF A CONSERVATION EVALUATION FRAMEWORK TO MOVE BEYOND BOUNDARIES ON P. A. MANAGEMENT CONDOR BIORESERVE CASE STUDY Silvia Benitez P. , Ecuador The Nature Conservancy is a proud supporter of the 2003 World Parks Congress conserveonline. org

Condor Bioreserve Project TNC Ecuador Program Eco. Ciencia Fundacion Antisana Fundacion Rumicocha Ministerio del Medio Ambiente USAID

The Condor Bioreserve Montane ecosystems 6 protected areas Upper Napo watershed More than 2 million hectares

Biodiversity and environmental services > 760 species of birds > 150 species of mammals > 110 species of amphibians 16 types of habitats: from highland grasslands to Amazon foothills forests > 2 million people depend on its resources (water)

Project Planning in the CBR • Iterative process • Strong link between different steps lead to MOS (adaptive management) • Reduce subjectivity • Science-based/use best information available • Participatory

Define Project Goal “The CBR will be a model for biodiversity conservation by applying participatory strategies that contribute to its sustainable development. ”

Systems: Conservation Targets Represent biodiversity Represent threats Represent different scales: geographic biodiversity organization

Systems: Conservation Targets Ecosystems Communities Amphibians of montane rivers River Otter Species Local Paramo High Inter-andean forests Low montane forests Foothill forests Andean Tapir Intermediate Coarse Andean Bear

Systems: Viability What are the key ecological attributes of conservation targets? What are their acceptable levels of change? What is the current state of conservation targets?

Systems: Viability

Sources and stresses What is affecting the viability of the conservation targets? What is causing the stress? Andean Bear Source Infrastructure development Stress Key attribute Fragmentation Habitat connectivity

Sources of stress: critical threats

Stresses and sources: situation analysis Understanding the linkages

Situation Analysis - Understanding the linkages Stresses and sources: situation analysis Farmers living on steep areas Paramo communities Inadequate land use practices Human-bear conflict Hunters Hunting Population reduction Illegal trade Colonos Population density Andean Bear

Strategies: objectives and actions Establish clear and measurable conservation objectives Maintain current habitat connectivity of Andean Bear within the Condor Bioreserve Reduce by 80% the mortality of Andean Bear due to conflicts with cattle raising

Strategies: objectives and actions How to achieve conservation objectives? Define priority strategic actions Establish 4 conservation corridors within protected areas in the CBR Work with farmers living on areas of humanbear conflict to improve cattle management on their lands

Success: monitoring plan Closing the circle Objective Indicators Methods Maintain current habitat connectivity of Andean Bear within the Condor Bioreserve • # of farmers changing cattle mgmt • % Andean bear mortality • Connectivity among habitat patches • Farmer surveys • Andean bear surveys • Satellite images - GIS fragmentation analyses

Benefits and Challenges Common vision on definition of success Boundaries based on conservation targets Science leads to decision making

Benefits and Challenges Data needs (e. g. , thresholds, baseline) Challenge of scale Measure process Hypothesis to be tested

Thank you!