Browsing by Subject "Forest birds"
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Item Bird Population Trends in Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin Forests, 1991-1997(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1998) Hawrot, Rita Y; Hanowski, JoAnn M; Lima, Ann R; Niemi, Gerald J; Pfannmuller, LeeThe status of forest birds has been the subject of considerable interest (Terborgh 1989). Longterm monitoring can be used to identify species at risk by providing information on abundance patterns. We previously summarized our results on bird population trends in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests (NF), Minnesota, after three years of monitoring (Hanowski and Niemi 1994). In both forests, the Gray Jay, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, and American Redstart increased significantly and the White-throated Sparrow and Red-eyed Vireo decreased significantly. We also looked at population trends of breeding birds in Minnesota and Minnesota forested regions over the past 28 years using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a continental monitoring program which uses roadside counts to sample breeding birds (Sauer et al. 1997) (Niemi et al. 1995). Forty-two percent of species (49 species) examined had no significant change in abundance,'36% (42 species) had significant increases, and 21% (25 species) had significant declines. Most species with declining trends could be grouped into three broad categories: species associated with forests, species of agricultural landscapes, and species associated with wetlands. In 1997, we completed the seventh year of our forest breeding bird monitoring program. Since the program’s initiation in 1991, we have added three study areas: the Chequamegon NF of northwestern and central Wisconsin, and Minnesota’s St. Croix River Valley (St. Croix) in 1992; and southeastern Minnesota (Southeast) in 1995 (Figure 1). Northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin are located in the southern boreal-northern hardwood forest border (Pastor and Mladenoff 1991). Much of the conifer forest has been converted to aspen and birch since the middle of the last century (Coffin and Pfannmuller 1988). The present landscape has fewer conifer stands and more deciduous stands such as aspen and birch (Green 1995). Southeast Minnesota and central Wisconsin (southern most extent of the Chequamegon NF) are part of the eastern deciduous forest. Forests in this region have been altered by agricultural development or urban growth (Coffin and Pfannmuller 1988). We are currently monitoring five study areas by conducting over 1600 habitat-specific point counts each breeding season (Howe et al. 1997). Our objectives are to (1) identify species that have significant population trends for each study area; (2) identify species with significant population trends over the region; and (3) compare our results to trends from Minnesota BBS.Item Minnesota's Forest Bird Diversity Initiative FY02-03 Final Report(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2003) Niemi, Gerald J; Hanowski, JoAnn M; Danz, Nicholas P; Lind, Jim; Jones, Malcolm T; Sales, JamesThe Minnesota Forest Bird Diversity Initiative (MFBDI) was initiated in 1991 as a comprehensive monitoring, research, and education effort to maintain Minnesota’s rich diversity of forest birds. The Initiative was motivated by: 1) forest-related problems in the eastern US and emerging issues in the Pacific Northwest US, 2) a major study on the potential effects of increased forest harvesting and management in Minnesota (known as the GEIS) indicated that forest birds may exhibit substantial changes in the future unless several mitigation measures were implemented, and 3) little was known about many fundamental issues on the ecology of forest birds. These included limited information on a) population trends of forest birds, b) factors associated with nest success, c) how landscape level changes affect forest bird distribution and abundance, d) how forest management activities affected forest birds, and e) the ability to predict the effects of increased forest harvesting (three-fold increase from 1950 to 1990) on forest birds. Significant progress has been made during this 12-year effort towards improving our understanding of Minnesota’s forest birds. Major accomplishments include: 1) establishment of a comprehensive and effective monitoring program throughout the forested areas of Minnesota to identify habitats used by birds and to detect trends in populations; 2) examination of recent population trends (using data gathered during the past twelve years from the Initiative’s monitoring program) and long-term population trends (using data gathered during the past 37 years from the US Geological Survey’s Breeding Bird Survey roadside routes) to identify forest birds with declining populations; 3) development of a detailed, state-of-the-art classification of Minnesota’s forested areas using satellite imagery (30 m pixel resolution); 4) development of many species-specific models relating bird distribution and abundance to forest cover, age, and landscape patterns; 5) completion of a variety of nesting studies on forest birds that have revealed low reproductive success in southeastern Minnesota and highly variable reproductive success in northern Minnesota; 6) a simulation analysis of the Nashwauk Uplands for four alternative management scenarios - an analysis that links a landscape, succession, and disturbance (LANDIS) model of forest change with the response by forest birds, 7) a prediction on the potential effects of forest plan alternatives that have been proposed for managing the Chippewa and Superior National Forests, and 8) production of a multitude of materials to transfer the knowledge gained from this effort to landowners, land managers, foresters, wildlife biologists, and others. The latter includes the delivery of more than 130 presentations; over 40 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports; training of ten graduate students and two post-doctoral associates; publication of a book, Birds and forests: a conservation and management guide, that reviews current research and management guidelines on birds and their relationships to forest habitats; organizing and participating in numerous workshops on forest bird management and conservation; and publication of a small booklet, Planning for the birds: things to consider when managing your forest, for distribution to private woodland owners through the Forest Stewardship Program. Most of this information is summarized in a web site on Minnesota’s forest birds - www.nrri.umn.edu/mnbirds.