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Abstract
We used fixed-distance point counts to monitor bird populations from 1994-1998 in a rapidly urbanizing region of southwestern Missouri. Prior to the early 1990s, the rural landscape was a mosaic of forest, dolomite glades, and pasture but development proceeded rapidly in the 1990s with increased promotion of Branson, Missouri as a vacation and retirement destination. Point count data were collected in areas with native vegetation intact and that are not likely to be developed as the region continues to urbanize (undeveloped sites), and at a 375-ha residential/golf development (developed site). Eleven of 18 regularly-recorded species showed declines, five of them significant, on the developed site relative to their trends on the undeveloped sites. Each of those five species was associated with forest or forest edge habitats. Only one species showed a significant decrease on the undeveloped sites. Notably, some forest species were reduced in the developed site even though patches of forest and other native vegetation remained. We suggest that a regional conservation strategy be developed so that the needs of all species of forest avifauna can be met as urbanization continues its advance on native habitats.
Parent Publication
Citation
Jane A. Fitzgerald, Jonathan Bart, Harold D. Brown, Kathy Lee. 2005. Birds in a Developing Area: The Need for Habitat Protection at the Landscape Scale. In: Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D., editors 2005. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 1 Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: p. 296-300
