Threat Ranking

Which threat to choose? Project Scope: Guam’s Native Wildlife & Habitats Guam Rail Guam’s Terrestrial Native Wildlife & Habitats Erosion/ Run-off Feral/ Nuisance animals Pollution/Litter Invasive Species Off-roading Tourists Habitat Loss Over-harvesting Cultural Hunting Wildland Arson Lack of awareness Sewage loads/spills Chemical pollution Urban development & construction Mitigation Lack of money Traditional practices Educational outreach Lifestyle choices Increased population Smoke Light cycle National security War Unemployment Cultural migration Corruption in government Legislative & legal directives Military buildup Greenhouse/gas emissions Global warming Weather events ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Rank Threats by 3 Factors Scope – proportion of area likely to be affected within a time frame by a specific threat Severity – level of damage expected within time frame Irreversibility – importance of taking immediate action to counter threat

Threat (Factor)CriteriaTotal Score Ranking ScopeSeverityIrreversibility Create a Threat-Ranking Table For each criteria, score the threat factor using a five point scale: 0 = no threat 1 = low 2= Medium 3 = High 4= Very High

Use the Following Direct Threats Invasive Species Feral/Nuisance Animals Pollution/Litter Tourists Increased Population Wildland Arson Habitat Loss Erosion/Run-off Over-harvesting Cultural Hunting

Guam Example Threat (Factor)Ranking Invasive Species HIGH Feral/Nuisance Animals HIGH Pollution/Litter MEDIUM Tourists MEDIUM Increased Population HIGH Wildland Arson HIGH Habitat Loss HIGH Erosion/Run-off MEDIUM Over-harvesting MEDIUM Cultural Hunting MEDIUM

Can Your Organization Influence Identified Threats? Not always feasible to target most top-ranked threat Re-rank threats based on your organization’s ability to influence each one

Re-Rank Using 3 Criteria Organizational ability – do you have the technical competence and/or resources? Social practicality – what barriers need to be removed? How difficult is it to remove them? Political feasibility – how supportive is the local political environment?

Ability to Influence and Impact Threat (Factor)CriteriaTotal Score Ranking Organizational Ability Social Practicality Political Feasibility For each criteria, score your organization’s ability to influence and impact the threats using a five point scale: 0 = no ability 1 = low 2= Medium 3 = High 4= Very High

Guam Example Threat (Factor)Ranking Invasive Species HIGH Feral/Nuisance Animals HIGH Pollution/Litter HIGH Tourists LOW Increased Population LOW Wildland Arson MEDIUM Habitat Loss MEDIUM Erosion/Run-off MEDIUM Over-harvesting MEDIUM Cultural Hunting MEDIUM

Further Considerations List your assumptions and any data gaps Involve key stakeholder groups Have members of scientific community review Threat Ranking and Concept Model

Creating Factor Chains Identify threat of highest priority based on rankings Isolate contributing factors Pinpoint target audiences for behavior change Determine objectives for mitigating threats

Guam’s Factor Chains Project Scope: Guam’s Native Wildlife & Habitats Guam Rail Guam’s Terrestrial Native Wildlife & Habitats Invasive Species Lack of awareness Educational outreach Lifestyle choices Feral/ Nuisance animals Pollution/Litter Sewage loads/spills Chemical pollution Smoke Light cycle Corruption in government Legislative & legal directives Greenhouse/gas emissions Global warming Weather events

Objective Themes 1.Promote the use of reporting tools of nuisance animals (invasive species and pests) in Guam 2.Protect the areas in which native species are found 3.Create areas for reintroductions of native species 4.Reduce the number of feral animals 5.Eradication of nuisance animals, specifically rodents

Management Options Objective Theme #1 Promote the use of reporting tools of nuisance animals (invasive species and pests) on Guam. Option 1 (Preferred) Island-wide marketing campaign advertising reporting methods – TV, radio, and newspaper. Option 2Workshops with high risk groups: vendors to Cocos Island, Cocos Resort security guards & employees Option 3Civic presentations to Mayor’s Council, Rotary clubs, Chamber of Commerce etc., schools Option 4Outside advertising: billboards, posters, signs.

Management Options Objective Theme #4 Reducing the number of feral animals. Option 1 (Preferred) Increase number of people who spay and neuter their pets. Option 2 (Preferred) Increase number of people who do not release unwanted pets into the wild. Option 3 (Preferred) Work with GAIN to publicize effects of feral animals on native wildlife. Option 4 (Preferred) Periodic catch and cull program.

Management Options Objective Theme #5 Control of invasive and nuisance animals, especially brown treesnakes and rodents. Option 1Use rodenticides and traps to eradicate rodents in areas slated for conservation work. Option 2Increase community awareness on the effects of rodents on native wildlife. Option 3 (Preferred) Integrated species specific pest management plans for specific areas on Guam. Option 4Use bounty to call attention to nuisance species.

Final Consideration It is pointless to try to initiate behavior change if an alternate behavior is neither practical nor available.