Effective monitoring for adaptive wildlife management: Lessons from the Galapagos Islands

Successful monitoring underpins effective wildlife management insofar as mo nitoring serves to track the response of wildlife resources to management a nd to identify whether management should be continued or changed. Here we p rovide both general guidelines and specific examples for the design and imp lementation of effective monitoring programs for adaptive wildlife manageme nt based, in part, on lessons we have learned in the Galapagos Islands, whe re development of a comprehensive monitoring program for its wildlife is un derway. To be effective, wildlife monitoring programs should (1) be framed by well-articulated objectives that are closely linked to management goals; (2) measure a subset of informative indicators with sampling methods that permit unbiased and statistically powerful results while minimizing costs a nd logistical problems; (3) ensure program continuity despite the vagaries of change in personnel, technology, and program objectives; and (4) quickly make accessible appropriately analyzed information to a wide audience, par ticularly policymakers. Only through such an integrated process can the ada ptive "loop" in wildlife management be closed and management practices and policies evolve in a manner ultimately beneficial to wildlife, both in Gala pagos and elsewhere.