TMAP Monitoring Handbook

1 Introduction

The Joint Monitoring Program of Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea started already in 1989 (Fleet 1989). The National Coordinator Group on the Joint Monitoring of Breeding Birds (JMBB) is responsible for the coordination, implementation, assessment and documentation of the monitoring program on breeding birds.

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

2 Objectives

The monitoring of breeding birds is carried out to detect and assess

• Population sizes and distribution of breeding birds throughout the Wadden Sea as well as population trends;
• Impact of climate changes on breeding bird populations;
• Response of breeding birds to contaminants that affect fitness of breeding birds;
• Impact of fisheries on breeding bird populations;
• Impact of recreational activities on breeding bird populations;
• Impact of agricultural changes (e.g. grazing) on salt marshes as natural breeding habitats of birds.

3 Monitoring requirements

Wadden Sea Plan (WSP)

Targets on “Birds”

Favorable conditions for migratory and breeding birds

• favorable food availability,
• natural breeding success,
• sufficiently large undisturbed roosting and moulting areas,
• natural flight distances.

EC Birds Directive (BD)

BD

Article 2: Measure to maintain the bird population
Article 3: Measure to preserve, maintain or reestablish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats
Article 4: Special conservation measures for Annex I species and for regularly occurring migratory species not listed in Annex I.
Article 10: Research as basis for protection, management

Annex I List of species
Annex V: List of endangered species, important areas, data on population level, taking of wild birds, species as indicators of pollution, effects of chemical pollution.

Oslo Paris convention (OSPAR)

Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy, Annex V and Appendix 3

Ecological Quality Objectives (EcoQO) Issue 3:
3.1 Proportion of oiled guillemots among those found dead or dying on beaches.
3.2 Mercury concentrations in seabird eggs.
3.3 Organohalogen concentrations in seabird eggs.
3.4 Plastic particle in stomachs of seabirds
3.5 Local sand eel availability to black-legged kittiwakes (breeding success in various UK regions)
3.6 Seabird population trends as an index of seabird community health.

EcoQO Issue 7:
“threatened and/or declining species”: presence and extent of species in the North Sea as shown on the Initial OSPAR List.

Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar)

Ramsar

„Monitoring and analysis of the ecological character of the site and for assessing the status and trends of wetlands … of […], flora and fauna, […], conservation measures and potential threats.”

African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

AEWA

Regional Agreement under the Bonn Convention.

Annex 3 Action Plan:

Article 5:
“endeavour to monitor the populations listed in Table 1. The results … shall be published or sent to appropriate international organizations, to enable reviews of population status and trends.

• … cooperate with a view to determining the migration routes of all populations listed in Table 1, using available knowledge of breeding and non-breeding season distributions and census results, and by participating in coordinated ringing programmes.”

EC Habitats Directive (HD)

HD

Birds are characteristic species of marine habitat types and are part of HD monitoring and reporting scheme.

Water framework directive (WFD)

WFD

Not relevant.

4 Definitions

All definitions and methodical descriptions are given in the guidelines "Monitoring of Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea” (Hälterlein et al. 1995).

New added species of breeding birds relevant for the monitoring program are Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis), Wigeon (Anas penelope) and Pintail (Anas acuta).

[revision of the guidelines "Monitoring of Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea” is recommended]

5 TMAP Monitoring Strategy

The existing Joint Monitoring program of Breeding Birds (JMBB) have been successful for over 15 years and should be continued. The frequency for monitoring and reporting will be linked to the 6-year reporting period (in accordance with the HD, BD) by the bird expert groups.

(Table 5.1) Parameters with monitoring locations and frequencies and the relation to the other monitoring requirements.

Remarks:

5.1 Parameters

• annual counts in a number of census areas,
• complete annual surveys of (starting in 1990) (Fleet et al. 1992)
• periodical counts of a larger range of species within the entire area. These total counts of the entire area will be repeated at five yearly intervals (1990, 1996,2001,2006...). The results are regularly published (Fleet et al. 1994, Melter et al. 1997, Rasmussen et al. 2000, Koffijberg et al. 2006).

5.2 Monitoring locations

The program on Monitoring Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea "Numbers and distribution of breeding birds” includes:

• selected census areas: at least two areas (four areas for Oystercatcher and Redshank)in each sub-region (The Netherlands, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark),
• periodical counts of a larger range of species within the entire area.

6 Methods

The detailed guidelines "Monitoring of Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea” were published in the volume "Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 3” (Hälterlein et al. 1995).

7 Parameter

8 Frequency and time

Annual surveys of the colonial and rare breeding birds and annual counts in the census areas aim to detect population trends.

Every five years complete census of all selected species in the entire Wadden Sea during the breeding season (will be adopted to the framework of the BD).

For details see [Table 5.1].

9 Assessment

The ecological targets regarding breeding birds, as agreed at the Trilateral Governmental Conference in Leeuwarden (1994), will be used for the assessment in the Wadden Sea:

• favorable conditions for breeding birds
• favorable food availability,
• natural breeding success,
• natural flight distances.

(Tab. 9.1)List of proposed breeding bird species in the Joint Monitoring Breeding Birds program taken EU Birds Directive into account.

(Fig. 9.1)Census regions and census areas in the Wadden Sea Area

10 Reporting

All data obtained from aerial and field surveys should be transferred to a geographical information system (GIS) for the analysis and assessment of the data (spatial and temporal development) and in combination with other GIS based information.

The frequency for monitoring and reporting will be linked to the six-year reporting period (in accordance with the HD, BD) by the bird expert groups.

11 Quality assurance

Every year a QAM is hold on different sites along the Wadden Sea coast to proof, test and discuss recent methods and practicability. Reports of these evaluation meetings are existing (Blew 2003).

12 Monitoring authorities

Denmark

Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser (DMU, NERI)

Germany

Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz (LKN)

Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz (NLWKN)

Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer (NLPV)

Netherlands

SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland

13 Literature

Bakker, J., N. Dankers, F. de Jong, C. Gätje, T. Pedersen, P. Potel & K. van Berkel. 1997.: Assessment Report of the Wadden Sea Ecosystem Wadden Sea Ecosystem No.7.

Blew, J. (2003).: Evaluation of the results of quality assurance activities of monitoring breeding birds 1993-2001 – technical report. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven.

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC): (OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1)

Dijksen, L. & B.J. Koks. 2003.: Broedvogelmonitoring in het Nederlandse Waddengebied in 2002. Sovon-monitoringrapport 2003/03. SOVON, Beek-Ubbergen.

Essink, K., C. Dettmann, H. Farke, K. Laursen, G. Lüerßen, H. Marencic & W. Wiersinga (Eds.) 2005.: Wadden Sea Quality Status Report 2004 Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 19.

Fleet, D. M., J. Frikke, P. Südbeck & R.L. Vogel. 1994.: Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea 1991. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No.1.

Fleet, D.M. 1989.: The Joint Monitoring Project for Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea. Report to the Trilateral Cooperation on the Protection of the Wadden Sea.

Fleet, D.M., J. Frikke, J. de Vlas & R. de Vries. 1992.: The Joint Monitoring Project for Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea. Annual Report 1990. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat Wilhelmshaven.

Hälterlein, D., D.M. Fleet, H.R. Henneberg, Th. Mennebaeck, L. M. Rasmussen, P. Suedbeck, O. Thorup & R. L. Vogel. 1995.: Guidelines for Monitoring of Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea -Summary (in Dutch, German, Danish). Wadden Sea Ecosystem No.3.

Koffijberg, K., L. Dijksen, B. Hälterlein, K. Laursen, P. Potel & P. Südbeck. 2006.: Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea in 2001. Results of the total survey in 2001 and trends in numbers between 1991 - 2001. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 22.

Melter, J., P. Südbeck, D. M. Fleet, L. M. Rasmussen & R. L. Vogel. 1997.: Changes in breeding bird numbers in census areas in the Wadden Sea 1990 until 1994. Wadden Sea Eco-system No. 4. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven.

Rasmussen, L.-M., D. M. Fleet, B. Hälterlein, B.J. Koks, P. Potel & P. Südbeck. 2000.: Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea in 1996. Results of a total survey in 1996 and of numbers of colony breeding species between 1991 and 1996. Wadden Sea Ecosystem No. 10.

Thyen, S., P.H. Becker, K-M. Exo, B. Hälterlein, H. Hötker & P. Südbeck. 1998.: Monitoring breeding success of coastal birds. Final report of the pilot studies 1996-1997. Wadden Sea Ecosystem Ecosystem No. 8. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven.