Designing spatially explicit incentive programs for habitat conservation: A case study of the Bicknell's thrush wintering grounds

The Bicknell's thrush (Catharus bicknelli) is among North America's migratory bird species of greatest conservation concern. Protecting habitat at both ends of its range has been identified as a high priority action. An estimated 90% of the species' global population overwinters on the island of Hispaniola, where ongoing habitat loss is a severe problem. Preventing further loss of Bicknell's thrush habitat on Hispaniola will require, among other efforts, establishing conservation areas on private lands, where success will depend on cooperation with landowners. This paper considers a voluntary incentive program to landowners in the Dominican Republic to yield a cost-effective network of protected habitat to sustain overwintering Bicknell's thrush populations. TAMARIN, a Geographic Information System (GIS) based model, evaluates the economic and ecological considerations for a voluntary bid scenario where landowners sell their property rights to a government agency or non-governmental organization. Results indicate that two scientific reserves in northeastern Dominican Republic could be connected under one viable forest fragment valued at US $5.5 x 106, increasing the total protected land by 87% to 19,357 ha. Incorporating the spatial variability of economic costs and biological benefits into a conservation program, such as the Bicknell's Thrush Habitat Protection Fund will help planners achieve habitat conservation at least cost.