Bird and Herpetofaunal Inventory on St. Louis County Lands

Abstract

Neotropical migrant birds have recently received much attention following reported declines in many species that breed in eastern North America. Probable causes for such declines include events such as habitat alteration, occurring on both breeding and wintering grounds. Changes in forest species composition and age structure, and the spatial arrangement of these forest components may influence bird communities in both regions. The consequences of these changes to birds and other wildlife in Minnesota are not well understood. Minnesota's forests harbor a greater diversity of songbirds than anywhere else in North America. Birds represent more than 70% of the more than 150 terrestrial vertebrate species in northern Minnesota forests. Development of forest management plans designed to sustain the diversity of these forests should address bird communities occupying them. To better understand the effects of forest management activities on bird communities in southern St. Louis County, bird census points were established in and around 24 sites which had been previously logged. Herpetofaunal sampling was also established on two of the 24 sites chosen for bird censuses. Results of these surveys were used to determine the use of recently harvested sites (and areas immediately surrounding them) by birds and herpetofauna and to establish baselines for continued monitoring of bird and herpetofaunal communities on these and additional sites. Objectives: The objectives of this initial year of surveying bird and herpetofaunal communities in regenerating habitats were to: (1) survey at least 20 recently-logged sites for breeding birds; (2) establish herpetofaunal sampling on two of these sites; and (3) establish a baseline for continued research on species associations in regenerating and other habitats in southern St. Louis County.