Red para la protección de las Aves Playeras
Description
In Chile, as in the world, coastal wetlands maintain significant pressure for anthropic use. Although Chile ratified the Ramsar Convention in 1981, still few wetlands have conservation efforts or legal protection figures. In the northern and central areas there are the smallest extensions of protected wetlands in the country, and these are, in turn, the areas that face the greatest use pressures linked to increased urbanization and increased tourist flow in spring and summer, a time that coincides with the breeding and wintering of many shorebirds. The loss of eggs and fledglings that do not reach maturity due to destruction of nests by vehicles and predation by dogs (both feral and domestic) have been documented. In this context, the reproduction of some shorebirds is especially vulnerable, and can be considered as an indicator of the quality of these wetlands as habitat for birds in general. These species include the Common Pilpilén (Haematopus palliatus) and the Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus occidentalis). Both species present international initiatives for their study and protection (eg USFWS 2007, Clay et al. 2010), so this project aims to contribute, from the local articulation, to expectations and goals that scale to national and global conservation purposes, as indicated by the Strategy for the Conservation of Shorebirds of the Pacific Route of the Americas .
The project aims to generate a monitoring network for H. palliatus and C. nivosusin wetlands of the semi-arid coast of Chile, coordinating efforts to evaluate their reproductive success and the main threats they face in their resting, feeding and nesting areas in northern and central Chile. In this way, the foundations will be laid for future management and conservation plans and programs for these species. This is motivated by the configuration of alliances with local organizations, with whom experiences will be complemented and intersectoral collaboration will be promoted in the study of shorebirds and the protection of their habitats. Although during 2019-2020 the monitoring will be applied in certain sites simultaneously, it seeks to be transferable to more locations in the future.
Objectives
The purpose of the project is to strengthen local capacities for the management and protection of coastal wetlands in the north, center, and south-central Chile, promoting a Shorebird Monitoring Network that operates collaboratively and simultaneously from different locations in the country. For this, the scopes of three approaches are complemented: I. Research, II. Dissemination and training, and III. Strengthening of governance.
The scope of the project includes a series of activities, which are related in general terms to the design of a program to monitor the reproductive activity of the species H. palliatus and C. nivosusand a manual for the evaluation of its threats, as well as the generation of capacities for the application of monitoring in different sites. The Network thus constitutes a collaborative effort to collect information that will support scientific dissemination and decision-making regarding the management and conservation of target species and their habitats. The feedback and interaction of the supporters of the monitoring will allow, towards the medium term, to favor the adaptive management of the practices applied in each of the sites involved in the Network.
Research
A monitoring program of the reproductive activity of populations of palliatus and C. nivosus is implemented in the semi-arid coast of Chile, involving the reference framework of national and international conservation strategies and programs. In turn, collaborative research on shorebirds and coastal wetlands is promoted, involving organizations and communities in the generation of scientific knowledge. Dissemination and training . The capacities of local actors are strengthened for the application of scientific methodologies that contribute to the monitoring of shorebirds and the evaluation of components of coastal ecosystems. Strengthening of governance . The adaptation of monitoring program methodologies is promoted for each of the sites that make up the Network, involving different actors in data collection and in the design of conservation plans and management guidelines.