Restoration Forestry Research
Relation of Regional Forest Change to Northern Forest Birds

Objectives

• Refine a basin-wide protocol for gathering habitat-specific monitoring information on birds within the region,
• Gather Landsat vegetation data and other information for habitat delineation,
• Develop a regional bird biodiversity map using Landsat and other bio-physical databases,
• Deliver information to public and private sectors to help guide biodiversity management activities.

Background

Birds are among the best indicators of environmental health. Based on 25 years of data from across the U.S. and Canada, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service have shown that the highest diversity of breeding bird species is found in the area surrounding the Great Lakes. This diversity springs in part from the variety of forest and wetland habitats in the transition zone between the eastern temperate deciduous forest and the boreal forest, and the large number of neotropical migrants that use these forests. Neotropical migrants typically make up 60-80% of the bird species and individuals in forest communities of the region.

Although neotropical migrants are experiencing habitat loss and change in their tropical wintering grounds, understanding the importance of their temperate and boreal breeding grounds is crucial. Since most birds are relatively short lived (1-3 years) and have high mortality rates, continual replacement of the population with successful reproduction is critical. Land managers need good scientific information about species and habitats for sustained ecosystem management.

This project will identify areas of high regional biodiversity to aid in wise stewardship of the forests surrounding the Great Lakes basin.

For more information on this topic please contact:
David Mladenoff@facstaff.wisc.edu or,
Gerald Bartelt (608)221-6344