Department of Geography, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Science Applications, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Ecol Appl. 2023 Jul;33(5):e2889. doi: 10.1002/eap.2889. Epub 2023 Jun 6.
Translocation, often a management solution reserved for at-risk species, is a highly time-sensitive intervention in the face of a rapidly changing climate. The definition of abiotic and biotic habitat requirements is essential to the selection of appropriate release sites in novel environments. However, field-based approaches to gathering this information are often too time intensive, especially in areas of complex topography where common, coarse-scale climate models lack essential details. We apply a fine-scale remote sensing-based approach to study the 'akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) and 'akeke'e (Loxops caeruleirostris), Hawaiian honeycreepers endemic to Kaua'i that are experiencing large-scale population declines due to warming-induced spread of invasive disease. We use habitat suitability modeling based on fine-scale light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived habitat structure metrics to refine coarse climate ranges for these species in candidate translocation areas on Maui. We found that canopy density was consistently the most important variable in defining habitat suitability for the two Kaua'i species. Our models also corroborated known habitat preferences and behavioral information for these species that are essential for informing translocation. We estimated a nesting habitat that will persist under future climate conditions on east Maui of 23.43 km for 'akikiki, compared to the current Kaua'i range of 13.09 km . In contrast, the novel nesting range for 'akeke'e in east Maui was smaller than its current range on Kaua'i (26.29 vs. 38.48 km , respectively). We were also able to assess detailed novel competitive interactions at a fine scale using models of three endemic Maui species of conservation concern: 'ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), Maui 'alauahio (Paroreomyza montana), and kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys). Weighted overlap areas between the species from both islands were moderate (<12 km ), and correlations between Maui and Kaua'i bird habitat were generally low, indicating limited potential for competition. Results indicate that translocation to east Maui could be a viable option for 'akikiki but would be more uncertain for 'akeke'e. Our novel multifaceted approach allows for the timely analysis of both climate and vegetation structure at informative scales for the effective selection of appropriate translocation sites for at-risk species.
translocation，通常是一种针对濒危物种的管理解决方案，在面对快速变化的气候时，是一种高度时间敏感的干预措施。非生物和生物栖息地需求的定义对于在新环境中选择合适的释放地点至关重要。然而，收集这些信息的现场方法通常过于耗时，特别是在地形复杂的地区，常见的粗尺度气候模型缺乏必要的细节。我们应用一种基于精细遥感的方法来研究夏威夷毛伊岛上特有的 'akikiki（Oreomystis bairdi）和 'akeke'e（Loxops caeruleirostris），这两种夏威夷蜜旋木雀由于入侵性疾病的传播导致气候变暖而大规模减少。我们使用基于精细激光雷达（lidar）衍生的栖息地结构指标的栖息地适宜性建模，来细化这些物种在毛伊岛候选移植区域的粗气候范围。我们发现，冠层密度是定义这两种毛伊岛物种栖息地适宜性的最重要变量。我们的模型还证实了这些物种的已知栖息地偏好和行为信息，这些信息对于指导移植至关重要。我们估计了东毛伊岛在未来气候条件下的筑巢栖息地，对于 'akikiki 来说，将持续存在 23.43 公里，而目前的毛伊岛范围为 13.09 公里。相比之下，东毛伊岛 'akeke'e 的新筑巢范围比其在毛伊岛的当前范围小（分别为 26.29 公里和 38.48 公里）。我们还能够使用三种受关注的毛伊岛特有物种的模型，在精细尺度上评估详细的新竞争相互作用：'ākohekohe（Palmeria dolei）、Maui 'alauahio（Paroreomyza montana）和 kiwikiu（Pseudonestor xanthophrys）。两个岛屿上的物种之间的加权重叠区域适中（<12 公里），毛伊岛和考艾岛鸟类栖息地之间的相关性通常较低，表明竞争潜力有限。结果表明，向东毛伊岛移植对于 'akikiki 来说可能是可行的选择，但对于 'akeke'e 来说则不太确定。我们的新多维方法允许及时分析气候和植被结构，以在信息丰富的尺度上为濒危物种选择合适的移植地点提供有效的指导。
