Assessing ecoregional-scale habitat suitability index models for priority landbirds

John M. Tirpak; D. Todd Jones-Farrand; Frank R. Thompson; Daniel J. Twedt; Charles K. Baxter; Jane A. Fitzgerald; William B. Uihlein

doi:10.2193/2008-125

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Assessing ecoregional-scale habitat suitability index models for priority landbirds

Informally Refereed

Authors:

John M. Tirpak, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Frank R. Thompson, Daniel J. Twedt, Charles K. Baxter, Jane A. Fitzgerald, William B. Uihlein

Year:

2009

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2193/2008-125

Source:

Journal of Wildlife Management. 73(8): 1307-1315.

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Abstract

Emerging methods in habitat and wildlife population modeling promise new horizons in conservation but only if these methods provide robust population-habitat linkages. We used Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data to verify and validate newly developed habitat suitability index (HSI) models for 40 priority landbird species in the Central Hardwoods and West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Bird Conservation Regions. We considered a species' HSI model verified if there was a significant rank correlation between mean predicted HSI score and mean observed BBS abundance across the 88 ecological subsections within these Bird Conservation Regions.

Keywords

Breeding Bird Survey, Central Hardwoods, ecoregion, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Habitat Suitability Index, landbird, National Land Cover Dataset, validation, verification, West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas

Citation

Tirpak, John M.; Jones-Farrand, D. Todd; Thompson, Frank R., III; Twedt, Daniel J.; Baxter, Charles K.; Fitzgerald, Jane A.; Uihlein, William B., III. 2009. Assessing ecoregional-scale habitat suitability index models for priority landbirds. Journal of Wildlife Management. 73(8): 1307-1315.