Browsing by Author "Panci, Hannah"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Development of Habitat Models and Habitat Maps for Breeding Bird Species In the Agassiz Lowlands Subsection, Minnesota, USA
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2015) Bednar, Joshua D; Zlonis, Edmund J; Panci, Hannah; Moen, Ronald; Niemi, Gerald J
    We report results of a two-­‐year effort in 2013 and 2014 to sample breeding bird species in the extensive lowland coniferous forests in the Agassiz Lowland Ecological Subsection (ALS) of northwestern Minnesota. The effort is a part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) forest planning process to identify forested areas of conservation concern to selected forest bird species potentially affected by logging activity. The general objectives were to: 1) identify lowland coniferous forest stands that encompassed a gradient of age classes, productivity as measured by site index, and forest patch sizes, 2) sample breeding bird populations within each of the selected stands in 2013 and 2014, 3) identify habitat and landscape characteristics associated with selected breeding bird species within these forest stand types, 4) develop habitat models for bird species of conservation concern and those potentially affected by logging activity, 5) apply the habitat models to state-­‐owned land to map the potential distribution of individual species or combinations of species in the ALS, and 6) provide recommendations on forest management that could be beneficial for conservation of breeding birds within the ALS.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Habitat and landscape characteristics that influence Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) and Marsh Wren (C. palustris) distribution and abundance in Great Lakes coastal wetlands
    (2013-08) Panci, Hannah
    I analyzed habitat and landscape characteristics important to the Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) and Marsh Wren (C. palustris) in Great Lakes coastal wetlands using breeding bird census data from two large projects in 2002-2003 and 2011-2012. Little is known about the population or distribution of these species in the Great Lakes region. For each of 840 survey points in coastal wetlands along the U.S. and Canadian shorelines, I used National Land Cover Data and Ontario Land Cover Data to calculate the percent cover of seven different land use classes within 500, 1000, and 2000 m buffers of each point. I combined these with climatic and landscape configuration variables as well as field-collected vegetation data to develop classification trees that predicted both Sedge and Marsh Wren presence and relative high abundance (≥3 wrens/site). After eliminating geographic variables, the best classification trees predicted Sedge Wrens to be present in wetlands with greater than 9% woody wetlands at the 2000 m buffer, and in high abundance in sites with less than 3% cattails and greater than 4% meadow vegetation. Marsh Wren presence was positively associated with emergent vegetation and cropland, and negatively associated with woody wetland at the 500 m buffer. Marsh Wrens were predicted to be in high abundance at sites with greater than 14% cattails. This classification tree analysis is a powerful predictive tool which significantly increases our ability to correctly predict the presence of these secretive wetland species. These results provide a basic understanding of characteristics of Great Lakes coastal wetlands important to two wetland-obligate bird species and can be useful in conservation decisions and management plans.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Summary of Breeding Bird Trends in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests of Minnesota: 1995-2014
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2014) Zlonis, Edmund J; Grinde, Alexis R; Condon, Elizabeth; Panci, Hannah; Li, Yang; Regal, Ronald R; Niemi, Gerald J
    A total of 329 existing forest stands were surveyed for breeding birds including 135 and 194 stands (953 survey points) in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests (NFs), respectively in 2014.