Treesearch

Choosing between the apparent plethora of methods for monitoring bird populations is a dilemma for a person contemplating beginning a monitoring program. Cooperrider et al. (1986) and Koskimies and Vaisanen (1991) describe many methods. In the Americas, three methods have been suggested as standard (Butcher 1992). They are: point counts for determining habitat relationships, population size, and population trends; and two demographic methods, constant effort mist netting and nest searching. Below, I discuss the process of choosing methods and suggest priorities. Then, for point counts, I...

Birders are the primary user-group of neotropical migratory birds. In the United States, birders number in the tens of millions and spend upwards of $20 billion dollars per year on bird seed, travel, and birding paraphernalia. Average yearly spending by active birders averages between $1,500 and $3,400, with travel being the major expenditure. Research needs include studies of birder demographics and birding economics at the national and state levels, as well as at specific birding sites. In addition, we must learn more about birder knowledge of how wildlife programs are funded and their...

New initiatives in wildlife management have come from the realization that birds can be used as indicators of ecosystem health. Conceptually, biological diversity includes processes working at all scales in biological hierarchies that compose the natural world. Recent advances in the understanding of ecological systems suggest they are nonequilibrium systems, and must be managed as such. In a practical sense, biological diversity must be managed by devising indicators of ecosystem integrity and health. Ecological integrity, although there are difficulties in defining criteria for its...

Understanding where in their annual cycle Neotropical-Nearctic migrant bird populations are limited is essential for developing effective management and conservation policies. A review of currently available information indicates that these long-distance migrant species may be limited by events and circumstances in both summer and winter, and possibly on migration as well. This has broad implications for management, which must take into account both the quantity and quality of habitat for these species at various times of year. Thus, the maintenance of viable populations of long-distance...

We briefly review concepts in landscape ecology and discuss their relevance to the conservation and management of neotropical migrant landbirds. We then integrate a landscape perspective into a spatially-hierarchical framework for conservation and management planning for neotropical migrant landbirds (and other biota). The framework outlines a comprehensive approach by which managers can develop plans based on (1) assessing the composition and interspersion of habitats important to species of current or future concern at a variety of spatial and temporal scales by generating and using data...

Neotropical migratory bird monitoring programs can contribute greatly to a more holistic and proactive management approach for state agencies. It is, however, imperative that these monitoring programs be scientifically designed and clearly communicated to managers. Information from monitoring programs can be used to develop multiple-species habitat management strategies, and declining populations can be detected before threatened and endangered species management is required.

EPOQ (Studies of Bird Populations in Quebec) is a data base on birds of Quebec containing more than 2.2 million records of observations recorded on 158,000 checklists from 3,600 observation sites since 1950. Trends were measured for each of four subsets of EPOQ data between 1970 and 1989 (all year, spring (April-May), summer (June-July), and fall (August-October) as well as for BBS (Breeding Bird Survey of U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv.) data for Quebec (1969 to 1989). Species were then separated into neotropical and temperate migrants, and trends compared between EPOQ subsets and data bases. The...

The momentum this Partners in Flight initiative has developed is very impressive. I'm encouraged because, although it will have its costs, I see it as a potential aid to existing wildlife management efforts. Here, I will discuss some types of information that are routinely used by wildlife and habitat managers for other species. If this same information is made available for the species that are the subject of the Partners in Flight program, it can be readily plugged in to existing systems.

Timber harvesting and mechanical site preparation can reduce site productivity if they excessively disturb or compact the soil. Volcanic ash-influenced soils with low undisturbed bulk densities and rock content are particularly susceptible. This study evaluates the effects of harvesting and site preparation on changes in the bulk density of ash-influenced forest soils in northern Idaho. Three different levels of surface organic matter were studied. Soil samples were taken before and after harvesting to determine the extent and depth of compaction. Soil bulk densities increased significantly...

At the Desolation Wilderness a sample of visitors without the required use permit were asked to complete a short survey to allow them to be compared with visitors who had gotten permits. Previous research suggested that those without permits would be less experienced at the site, and be more likely to be anglers, on shorter visits, younger, in smaller groups, or with friends than visitors who had gotten permits. Some, but not all, of these earlier findings were true for the Desolation Wilderness. Additionally, visitors with permits were similar to those without permits for some important...