Inspiration Ridge Preserve Protocols for Ecological Inventories and Management

Abstract

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) recently assumed management of the 640-acre Inspiration Ridge Preserve (IRP) in Homer, Alaska. For CACS to best manage IRP, detailed monitoring of its wildlife distribution, soundscapes, and vegetation composition is required. This knowledge also creates opportunities for educational programs with tourists and the citizens of Homer. An ecological baseline was conducted in 2016 by a previous SEAS master’s project group. As an extension of that study, we conducted numerous field surveys, thus completing the baseline assessment to which all future studies can be compared. We worked with CACS to determine long-term management goals for IRP and create replicable protocols for future data collection and analysis. Field methods included installing camera traps to monitor wildlife, conducting fish trapping, collecting aerial images via drones, establishing sound recorders, and interviewing the original owner. The 2018 field season confirmed presence of semi-anadromous Dolly Varden and established appropriate softwares and locations for long-term sound monitoring. Wildlife monitoring data suggests that differences in spatial, diel, and seasonal activity, as well as in sensitivity to human activities, exist. Combined with vegetation composition assessment, this can inform the planning of visitor access and activity to minimize ecological degradation. In addition to standardized monitoring protocols, we are providing CACS with a custom-built application through which local residents and visitors can report observations of the migratory population of sandhill cranes. These observations will build a long-term database from which species abundance, phenology, and other such population trends can be assessed over time.