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Evaluating outcomes of management targeting the recovery of a migratory songbird of conservation concern

Henry M. Streby·Gunnar R. Kramer·Sean M. Peterson·David E. Andersen
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Abstract

Assessing outcomes of habitat management is critical for informing and adapting conservation plans. From 2013 – 2019, a multi-stage management initiative aims to create >25,000 ha of shrubland and early-successional vegetation to benefit Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in managed forested landscapes of the western Great Lakes region. We studied a dense breeding population of Golden-winged Warblers at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Minnesota, USA, where shrubs and young trees were sheared during the winter of 2014-2015 in a single treatment supported in part by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and in part by other funding source(s) to benefit Golden-winged Warblers and other species associated with young forest [e.g., American Woodcock (Scalopax minor)] and as part of maintenance of early successional forest cover on the refuge.

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Henry M. Streby, Gunnar R. Kramer, Sean M. Peterson, David E. Andersen. 2018-01-29. Evaluating outcomes of management targeting the recovery of a migratory songbird of conservation concern. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4319

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