Implications of Increased SST on Sula Dactylatra in Rapa Nui Marine Park

Marine protected areas are a relatively new conservation tool intended to remove harmful anthropogenic practices and influences to enable ecological processes to occur normally, but they cannot protect ecosystems from global impacts like climate change. One such MPA, Rapa Nui Marine Park in Chile, is home to the Masked Booby, Sula dactylatra. Though not currently endangered, their population numbers decrease annually, and seabirds are among the most threatened species in the face of climate change. This study seeks to examine the spatial ecology of the Sula dactylatra against the context of the MPA and examines whether increasing sea surface temperatures (SST) will render the protected area insufficient. This study used statistical analyses in R using open datasets from the World Database on Protected Areas, Movebank, and NOAA. Our findings indicate that on average, SST increased 0.1 degrees per year from 2010 to 2020, culminating in a 1-degree increase over that decade. There is no indication this pattern will subside. The global nature of climate change, evidence of local SST increase, and lack of MPA management suggests that the boundaries of Rapa Nui Marine Park do nothing to protect enclosed masked booby foraging range from climate change effects. As climate conditions continue to change, it is likely that the spatial ecology of the masked booby and other species in Rapa Nui will be impacted in some way. There needs to be more research done to evaluate how ENSO or seasonal changes contribute to increasing SST in this area, as well as what effect this may have on the prey species of the Sula dactylatra. It may also be valuable to understand the varying management needs across Rapa Nui, as many islets are subjected to different conditions and may require different oversight. Aside from climactic factors, park effectiveness is still dependent upon funding and to what extent the regulations are enforced

Leveraging Land Easements for Grassland Bird Habitat Conservation

In addressing the decline of North American grassland bird populations, it is important to consider the various interdisciplinary approaches that can be employed in their conservation. OECMs, or “other effective area-based conservation measures” encompass a wide array of strategies which can be leveraged to conserve natural landscapes and species. Land easements implemented by the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) are an example of one such strategy. The LCAC seeks primarily to preserve the rural character of Adams County but has more recently turned their focus toward environmental conservation. In partnering with the Land Conservancy, this case study aimed to identify land easements within Freedom Township, PA that should be prioritized for grassland bird conservation, while also supporting the LCAC in applying for a Land Trust Grant through the Cornell Ornithology Lab. To fulfill these goals, the Eastern Meadowlark was chosen as a focal species. Surveys were then distributed to landowners engaged in LCAC land easements within Freedom Township to gauge their current agricultural practices and willingness to participate in grassland bird conservation. After preparing Eastern Meadowlark occurrence data and selected environmental variables in ArcGIS Pro, the software MaxEnt was used to produce models expressing the predicted probability of Eastern Meadowlark presence in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The first model used land cover data to identify where the birds were likely located, and the second model used crop cover data to relate presence to certain crops. By integrating these models with survey responses, we identified parcels (1) containing suitable habitat for the Eastern Meadowlark, and (2) owned by landowners interested in bird conservation as priority conservation parcels. The results of this study indicated that the Eastern Meadowlark was negatively correlated with tree cover and crops unfavorable for nesting, including soy and corn. A stronger presence was predicted on easements that self-reported growing crops conducive to nesting, such as grasses, wheat, or hay. Based on these findings, we make several recommendations for the focus of future grassland bird conservation efforts within Freedom Township