Ecological monitoring of multi-species habitat conservation plans

Adaptive management of conservation lands depends on reliable and timely information concerning the effects of management actions on targeted species and ecosystem processes. Design and implementation of a monitoring system for regional, multi-species habitat conservation plans such as the Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP, see http://ceres.ca.gov/CRA/NCCP/intro.htm) in southern California pose significant scientific, technical, and institutional challenges. The objective of this 1-year Working Group is to develop monitoring principles and guidelines for the NCCP reserve system that are scientifically defensible, respond to institutional and economic constraints, and can be integrated into an adaptive management framework.