Development of standardised protocols for assessing reptile and amphibian populations

计算动物数量——以及动物占据栖息地的数量——是制定保护决策的基础。尽管最近在调查设计和分析方面取得了进展，但两栖动物和爬行动物的种群评估几乎完全依赖于简单的计数，而这些计数通常与实际的种群规模、密度或栖息地的数量几乎没有关系。这是因为简单的计数没有考虑到动物在栖息地、时间段或观察者之间的可探测性变化。因此，收集到的两栖动物和爬行动物种群数据的质量是极不稳定的。我们一直在开发和测试用于评估各种两栖动物和爬行动物种群状况的调查方法，这些方法使用的设计和分析工具考虑到可探测性的变化。由于最近对评估受保护的两栖动物和爬行动物状况的兴趣越来越大，我们认为现在是时候让这些工具更广泛地提供给专业的最终用户了。因此，我们从NERC寻求资金来实现这一目标，并将两栖动物和爬行动物的种群评估与其他具有明确调查标准的分类群相提并论。参与该项目的利益相关者将是为受保护物种提供咨询和许可的法定机构；负责规划决策和管理当地自然保护区的地方当局；代表发展商进行调查和缓解工程的生态顾问；以及为两栖动物和爬行动物问题提供建议、培训和现场管理的保护组织。该项目将分为三个阶段，由一个包括主要利益相关者在内的指导小组监督。第一阶段将包括一系列区域讲习班，这些讲习班将：(1)向区域最终用户介绍设计和分析调查数据的工具的最新发展、可用的软件，以及如何将这些工具应用于两栖动物和爬行动物数据；(2)就目前人口评估中的紧迫问题、使用的方法范围及其优缺点以及应用新方法和分析的潜在障碍寻求反馈。通过这些研讨会，我们将为调查设计和分析起草新的标准协议。在项目的第二阶段，将在最终用户正在进行的实际调查项目上对议定书草案进行“实地测试”。我们将为一些这样的项目提供设计和分析服务，作为回报，最终用户将对协议草案的执行情况提供反馈。通过这种方式，最终用户将获得使用统计模型和新协议的实际经验。在项目的第三阶段，道路测试的反馈将导致修订的最终调查规程，然后将通过项目伙伴网络传播。此外，我们将举办一个培训讲习班，以确保采用更严格定义的最佳实践准则。因此，我们希望整个过程成为知识交换的过程，而不仅仅是知识转移。该项目的经济影响将是广泛的。由于在两栖动物和爬行动物的开发缓解上花费了数百万英镑，关于这些行动的成本效益的争论非常激烈。因此，该项目将产生的协议将使生态顾问能够为其客户制定更有效的缓解计划。同样，它将加强法定机构颁发许可证所涉及的决策过程，在涉及规划问题时，地方当局将获得更好的信息。自然保护区的管理者也将能够对两栖动物和爬行动物进行更有效的调查，这将提高我们对这些动物的区域和国家状况的了解。

Counting animals - and the number of habitats occupied by animals - is fundamental to conservation decision-making. Despite recent advances in survey design and analysis, population assessments of amphibians and reptiles almost entirely rely on simple counts that usually bear little relationship to actual population sizes, densities or the number of habitats occupied. This is because simple counts fail to take into account variations in the detectability of animals between habitats, time periods or observers. Consequently, the quality of data collected on amphibian and reptile populations is extremely variable. We have been developing and testing survey methods for assessing the population status of a variety of amphibian and reptile species, that use designs and analytical tools that take account of variations in detectability. Because of the recent growth in interest in assessing the status of protected amphibians and reptiles, we believe that the time is right to make such tools more widely available to professional end-users. We therefore seek funds from NERC to make this happen, and put amphibian and reptile population assessment on a par with other taxa that have well-defined survey standards. The stakeholders involved with the project will be statutory agencies that provide advice and licensing for protected species; local authorities responsible for planning decisions and managing local nature reserves; ecological consultants who carry out surveys and mitigation projects on behalf of developers; and conservation organisations that provide advice, training and site management on amphibian and reptile issues. The project will be divided into three phases which will be overseen by a steering group that includes principal stakeholders. Phase I will comprise a series of regional workshops that will: (1) brief regional end-users on recent developments in tools to design and analyse survey data, available software, and how these might be applied to amphibian and reptile data; and (2) seek feedback on what the current pressing issues are in population assessments, the range of methods used and their advantages and disadvantages, and potential obstacles to applying new methodologies and analyses. From these workshops we will draft new standard protocols for survey design and analysis. In Phase II of the project the draft protocols will be 'road-tested' on real survey projects being carried out by end-users. We will provide a design and analysis service for a number of such projects, and in return the end-users will provide feedback on the performance of the draft protocols. In this way, end-users will gain hands-on experience of using statistical models and new protocols. In Phase III of the project, feedback from the road-tests will lead to revised, final survey protocols that will then be disseminated via the project partner network. In addition, we will run a training workshop that will ensure that more tightly defined best practice guidelines are adopted. We therefore intend the whole process to be one of knowledge exchange - rather than just knowledge transfer. The economic impact of the project will be widespread. With several million pounds being spent on development mitigation for amphibians and reptiles, debate rages over the cost-effectiveness of such actions. The protocols that will emerge from this project will therefore allow ecological consultants to produce much more effective mitigation plans for their clients. Equally, it will strengthen the decision-making processes involved with licensing by the statutory agencies, and local authorities will be better-informed when it comes to planning issues. Managers of nature reserves will also be able to carry out more effective surveys of amphibians and reptiles which will enhance our knowledge of the regional and national status of these animals.