Integrating bird-habitat modeling into national forest planning for bird conservation in the southern Appalachians

Abstract

We developed spatially-explicit bird-habitat models with a variety of site-specific and landscape parameters to predict avian species distributions on southern Appalachian National Forests to aid National Forests with bird conservation planning. These models can be used to assess the effects of different forest management alternatives on long-term population viability for a variety of avian species. Unlike past planning efforts on National Forests which were based on qualitative attempts at interpreting changes in forest type and age class distributions on avian species, use of spatially explicit habitat models can provide quantitative estimates of how habitat availability is changing for a given species and also evaluate the significance of management decisions on spatial configurations of avian habitats. Using the Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) as an example, we demonstrate how these models work and how different forest management alternatives may affect Chestnut-sided Warbler habitat in the future.

Parent Publication

• 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 and 2

Citation

Buehler, David A.; Linder, Eric T.; Franzreb, Kathleen E.; Klaus, Nathan A.; Dettmers, Randy; Bartlett, John G. 2005. Integrating bird-habitat modeling into national forest planning for bird conservation in the southern Appalachians. 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 2 Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: p. 1173-1177