Monitoring Bird Populations on National Forest Lands: Superior National Forest, 1993

Abstract

A habitat specific bird monitoring program was established on the Superior National Forest in 1991 (see Hanowski and Niemi 1991, 1993). The objectives of the program were: (1) to establish the physical layout of the monitoring program; (2) to monitor the abundance of indicator bird species specified by the Forest; (3) to monitor the abundance of common bird species on the Forest; and (4) to begin refining avian/habitat relationships used to assess forest management activities on breeding bird abundance and distribution. Additional goals for 1992 monitoring were: (1) to make statistical comparisons between 1991 and 1992 bird abundance; (2) to determine the power of statistical analyses in terms of detecting annual differences for a variety of community, guild, and species specific parameters; and (3) to explore similarities and differences in habitat data collected and the U.S. Forest Service forest types. Added objectives for 1993 were: (1) to analyze avian population trends detected after three years of monitoring; and (2) to reassign forest types based on field inspection of stands identified in 1992 as having questionable forest type classifications.