habitat modeling for landbird species at risk in
TRANSCRIPT
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSpeciesatRiskinSouthwesternNovaScotia
FinalReportfortheNovaScotiaHabitatConservationFund(year2,April2013‐Oct2014)andFinalReportfortheNovaScotiaSpeciesatRiskConservationFund(June2013‐Oct2014)
CindyStaicer,ClaraFerrari,andAlanaWestwoodDepartmentofBiology,DalhousieUniversity
2015
BACKGROUND,GOALSANDOBJECTIVESEffectiveconservationstrategiesforspeciesatriskrequireknowledgeabouttheirhabitatsandhowtheyaredistributedacrossthelandscape.OurprojectfocusedonsixlandbirdspeciesatriskthatinhabitforestedlandscapesinthefivecountiesofSouthwesternNovaScotia.Lossofhabitatisamainbreedinggroundconservationthreatforthesespecies.IdentificationofsuitablebreedinghabitatisafirststeptowardsconservingtheselandbirdSpeciesatRisk(SAR)inthisregion.Ourmaingoalwastoidentifybreedinghabitatatthesiteandlandscapescalesforsixrecently‐listed(Schedule1SARA)landbirdspeciesatriskinSouthwesternNovaScotia:CommonNighthawk(Chordeilesminor),ChimneySwift(Chaeturapelagica),EasternWoodPewee(Contopusvirens),Olive‐sidedFlycatcher(Contopuscooperi),CanadaWarbler(Cardellina[Wilsonia]canadensis),andRustyBlackbird(Euphaguscarolinus).Informationaboutthecharacteristicsoftheirhabitatanditsoccurrenceonthelandscapecanbeusedtoguideconservationeffortsfortheselandbirdsatrisk.Ourobjectivesofthesecondyearofthismulti‐yearprojectwereto:(1)conductadditionallandbirdatrisksurveysandrecruitvolunteerstocontributenewoccurrencesforthesespeciesforuseinhabitatmodeling;(2)conductadditional,detailedhabitatsurveysforthreetargetspeciesthatbreedinwetforests(Olive‐sidedFlycatcher,CanadaWarbler,andRustyBlackbird),toincreasesamplesizeforhabitatanalyses;(3)modelthedistributionsofbreedingpopulationsofallsixspeciesusingGIS;and(4)useourknowledgetoconducteducationandoutreach,andcreatehabitatstewardshiptools.
WORKCOMPLETED(1)BirdsurveysFieldsurveystargetedthethreetargetSARthatbreedinforestedwetlandsanddefendterritorieswithloudvocalizations:CanadaWarbler,Olive‐sidedFlycatcher,andRustyBlackbird.Surveyswereconductedinrandomlyselectedpolygonsofsuitablehabitat(asdeterminedbyHabitatSuitabilityModels;Westwood2012),stratifiedbyecodistrictandlandscapeharvesttype(whetherforestharvestingwasevidentwithin1km).Eachpolygoncontainedthreesurveysites,atleast250mapartandatleast100mfromaroad.Opportunisticplaybacksurveyswerealsocompletedwhenpotentiallysuitablehabitatwasencounteredenroutetodesignatedsurveysites.Surveyswereconductedbetweensunriseand1130hinfairweatherconditions(norainandwind<30km/h).Eachsurveyconsistedofa5‐minuteunlimited‐radiuspointcountfollowedbya30‐secondplaybackforeachspecies,toincreasethelikelihoodofdetectingtheSARifpresent.Distanceand
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.2
directiontoeachdetectedlandbirdSARwerenoted,sothatUTMscouldbeadjustedtoreflecttheactuallocationofthebird.Pointcountswerenotcarriedoutatopportunisticplaybackssites.Thesedatawerecombinedwithdetectionsfromothersourcessince2006,includingtheMaritimesBreedingBirdAtlas(MBBA),theStaicerresearchlabatDalhousie,andothervolunteers.FromthissetofpointsinGIS,asubsetofsiteswereselectedforvegetationsurveysinanefforttoevenlydistributevegetationsurveysitesamongecodistricts,landbirdSARspecies,andlandscapetypes.OpportunisticplaybacksurveyswerealsoconductedlateAprilthroughearlyJuly2014.Additionalrecordsweresolicitedfromvolunteers(seealsooutreachsection).AlloftheserecordswerecompliedandcombinedwithdatafromtheMBBAandusedforourfinalhabitatmodels. (2)HabitatsurveysInJulyandAugust2012and2013,vegetationsurveyswerecarriedoutatsiteswhereoneormoreofthethreetargetedSARlandbirdshadbeenfound.Ofthe99sitessampled,38wereoccupiedbyCanadaWarbler,45byOlive‐sidedFlycatcher,and37byRustyBlackbird(Table1).Somesiteswereoccupiedbytwoandafewwereoccupiedbyallthreespecies.Landscapetypeswereeitherharvestedforestorinun‐harvestedforest(Table1).AsitewasconsideredtobeinaharvestedlandscapeifthemostrecentGISforestinventorylayershowedevidenceofforestharvestwithin1kmofthesite.Siteswereselectedtoincludethedifferentecodistrictstotheextentpossible.SomeecodistrictswerelargerorhadmoreSARdetections.Ateachsite,aForestEcosystemClassification(FEC)plotwasestablishedattheGPScoordinatesoftheSARsighting.Avariable‐radiustreeplotwasestablishedusingabasalareafactor2prism.Treeswithintheplotwereclassifiedaccordingtocanopyposition(dominant,co‐dominant,intermediate,orsuppressed).Species,status(aliveordead),diameteratbreastheight,heightofstem,heightatthebottomofthecanopy,andanindexoftreehealthwerealsorecorded.FromtheFECplot,two50‐mtransectswereestablishedtocapturevariationacrosssite(Figure1).Thetransectswereatleast90°apart,indirectionsofpotentiallyusablehabitatforthetargetspecies.Vegetationstructureandcompositionplotswereestablishedat10‐mintervalsalongeachtransect,includingthecentrepoint,foratotalof11plotspersite.Ateach,fourdensiometerreadingsweretakenineachcardinaldirectionsandaveragedtoprovideameasureofcanopycover.Inaddition,structuralcomplexityinthelowerstratawasquantifiedateachofthe11vegetationstructureandcompositionplotsateachsite.Weestimatedthepercentcoveroflivefoliagethatoccupiedseverallayers:theshrublayer(shrubsandregeneratingtrees,0.25m–5m),theherbaceouslayer(plants<0.25m),andthegroundlayer(bryophytes,lichens,litter,andsubstrate).Coverestimatesforeachlayerweremadeasfollows:Fortheshrublayer,species,heightandpercentcoverofallplantsoccupyingatleast5%ofa4m2quadrat(2mx2msquare)wererecorded.Fortheherbaceouslayer,speciesandpercentcoverofallplantsoccupyingatleast5%ofa1m2quadratwererecorded.Plantswereidentifiedtospeciesexceptforsphagnummosses,someasters,andsomegraminoids(e.g.,grasses,sedges,orrushes).Allotheritemsoccupyingatleast5%ofthegroundlayerofthe1m2plot(litter,coarsewoodydebris,mud).Measurementstakenfromthe11vegetationstructureandcompositionplotswereaveragedtoobtainasummaryvalueforeachsite.ThisreportpresentsvaluesthathavebeenaveragedacrosssitesoccupiedbyeachlandbirdSAR.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.3
Table1.NumberofsitesatwhichhabitatsurveyswereconductedforeachlandbirdSARandthedistributionofhabitatsurveysacrossecodistrictsandlandscapetypes.
Species LandscapetypeNo.ofsitesSampled
Ecodistrict
720 730 740 750 760
RustyBlackbird Harvested 21 12 2 6 1 0
Unharvested 16 3 1 7 4 1
Olive‐sidedFlycatcher Harvested 26 15 2 5 0 4
Unharvested 19 2 2 10 3 2
CanadaWarbler Harvested 18 3 2 11 1 1
Unharvested 20 9 3 1 2 5
Allsitescombined Harvested 54 28 7 9 3 7
Unharvested 45 6 4 24 7 4
Figure1:Layoutofthehabitatplot.AnFECplotwasestablishedattheSARlocation.Vegetationstructureandcompositionwerequantifiedevery10malongtwo50‐mtransectsstartingatandextendingfromtheFECplot.
Vegetation Structure and Composition Plot
SAR Location/FEC Plot
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.4
Thevegetationdatasetresultedin143initialmeasuredorcalculatedvariables.Indicatorspeciesanalysis(ISA)wasusedtodeterminethevariablesthatweresignificantlyassociatedwithaparticularspeciesorgroup.Thosethatwerenotstatisticallyorbiologicallysignificant,basedonexpertknowledgeandliterature,wereremovedorcombinedintoclasses.Remainingvariableswereassessedforcorrelationandcontributiontovarianceexplainedusingfactoranalysis,resultinginthefurtherremovalorreclassificationofvariableswithhighcorrelationsorlowexplanatorypower.Someexceptionsweremadeforvariablesexpectedtohavehighbiologicalimportance.Theaveragesandvariancesof26variableswereretainedforfurtheranalysis(Table2). Table2.VariablesusedtocomparehabitatatsitesoccupiedbythethreetargetlandbirdSAR.
Variable DescriptionCanopyclosure Canopyclosure asapercent,determinedbyadensiometerMudcover Percentcoverofmud,wetsoil,orbaregroundthatwould getmuddySphagnumcover Percentcoverof all SphagnummossspeciesWatercover PercentcoverofopenwaterorpuddleCinnamonferncover Percentcoverofcinnamonfern(Osmundacinnamomea)Ferncover PercentcoverofallotherfernsConiferousshrubcover PercentcoverofconiferoustreesintheshrublayerSprucecover PercentcoverofallspeciesofspruceintheshrublayerDeciduousshrubcover Percentcoverofbroad‐leavedplantsintheshrublayerAldercover Percentcoverof speckledalder(Alnusincanarugosa)inshrublayerLambkillcover Percentcoveroflambkill(Kalmiaangustifolia)intheshrublayerAllshrubcover PercentcoverofallplantsintheshrublayerConiferousshrubheight Averageheight ofconiferoustreesintheshrublayerSpruceheight Averageheight ofallspeciesofspruceintheshrublayerDeciduousshrubheight Averageheight ofbroad‐leavedplantsintheshrublayerAlderheight Averageheight ofspeckledalder(Alnusincanarugosa)inshrublayerLambkillheight Averagecoveroflambkill(Kalmiaangustifolia)intheshrublayerAllshrubheight AveragecoverofallshrublayerplantsTreeheight AverageheightofalltreesinforestinventoryplotsStandbasalarea BasalareaforthesiteascalculatedfromprismplotsConiferoustrees<5m Numberofsoftwoodtreeslessthan5mtallinprismplotsConiferoustrees>5m Numberofsoftwoodtreesgreaterthan5mtallinprismplotsDeciduoustrees<5m Numberofhardwoodtrees lessthan5mtallinprismplotsDeciduoustrees>5m Numberofhardwoodtreesgreaterthan5mtallinprismplotsSnags<5m Numberofstandingdeadtrees lessthan5mtallinprismplotsSnags>5m Numberofstandingdeadtreesgreaterthan5mtallinprismplots
IndicatorSpeciesAnalysiswasusedtoidentifyvegetationvariableswhoseabundanceandfrequencywereassociatedwithaparticularlandbirdSARspeciesorsitecondition.Theseanalyseswereconductedusing4999randomizedMonteCarloruns.Thefollowinggroupsofsitesweretested:occupiedvs.unoccupied(foreachspecies),harvestedvs.unharvestedlandscape(forsitesoccupiedbyeachspecies).
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.5
(3)HabitatmodelsThehabitatsofsixlandbirdsatriskCommonNighthawk(Chordeilesminor),ChimneySwift(Chaeturapelagica),Olive‐sidedFlycatcher(Contopuscooperi),EasternWood‐pewee(Contopusvirens),CanadaWarbler(Cardellinacanadensis),andRustyBlackbird(Euphaguscarolinus)weremodeledforthefivecountiesintheSouthwestNovaBiosphereReserve.ThefinalmodelspresentedherewerebuiltbyClaraFerrari(Ferrari2014).HerworkbuiltonearliermodelscreatedbyDalhousiestudentsJenniferRandall(2013;CommonNighthawk),MeaganKindree(2014;ChimneySwift);SiobhanDarlington‐Moore(2014;EasternWoodPewee),AlanaWestwood(2014;Olive‐sidedFlycatcher,CanadaWarbler,andRustyBlackbird).Ferarri(2014)revisedandimprovedthesemodelsbyresolvingcertainmodelingissues,suchasspatialautocorrelation,spatialbias,andimportantenvironmentalfeaturesselection.Theanalysisalsoincorporatednewspecieslocationdatabasedonfieldsurveysandpublicobservationsobtainedthroughthe2014breedingseason.AllofthemodelswerebuiltusingtheMaximumEntropy(MaxEnt)algorithm,whichusespresence‐onlydata,whichisappropriateforrarespecies.Wetness,structuralandanthropogenicfeatureswereessentialforbuildingthemodels.TheMaxEntprogramproducedaspatialdistributionmodelforthehabitatforeachspeciesinGIS.
TwodatasetswereinputintoeachMaxEntmodel:
1. Geo‐referencedlocationsofthespecies‐fromvariousresearchandvolunteersurveys,duringthe2006‐2014breedingseasons.
2. Environmentalvariables‐habitatfeaturesimportantinpreviousstudiesandthatcouldberepresentedbyavailableGISdata.
Modelsextractedinformationaboutthehabitataroundknownspecieslocationsandusedittoextrapolatethedistributionofhabitatforeachspeciesacrossthelandscape.DetailsofthemodelingmethodscanbefoundinFerrari(2014).(4)Education,outreach,andstewardshipThisprojectcontributedtotheeducation,outreach,andstewardshipactivitiesoftheLandbirdsatRiskprogram,developedin2012asacollaborationbetweenDr.CindyStaiceratDalhousieUniversityandtheMerseyTobeaticResearchInstitute(MTRI).TheseactivitiesaimtoinformandraiseawarenessaboutlandbirdsatriskamongpeopleinsouthwesternNovaScotia,andtoengagetheminspeciesconservationandhabitatstewardship.Fivespecies(excludingtheEasternWoodPewee,whichwasnotCOSEWIC‐listedatthetime)werethefocusoftheseactivities.Stewardshipcoordinators,DominicCormier,MarianKempandLauraAchenbach,werehiredthroughHSPfundstoassistDr.Staicerindevelopingtheprogram.Knowledgeaboutthepopulationsandhabitatfortheselandbirdsatriskwasbasedondataandexperiencefromourfieldsurveysandaugmentedwithinformationfromtheliterature,includingthestatusreports(COSEWIC2006,2007a,2007b,2008a,2008b,2012).Stewardshiptoolsdevelopedincluded:aLandbirdsatRiskHabitatconservationbrochure,aLandbirdsatRiskposter,apublicwebsiteassociatedwithMTRI,andaLandbirdsatRiskdatamanagementmoduleontheNSSpeciesatRiskwebsite.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.6
RESULTS(1)BirdsurveysIntotal,337birdsurveyswerecompletedin2012and2013combined.Noneofthethreetargetedwet‐forestlandbirdSARwerefoundattwo‐thirds(63%)ofthesitesvisited.TheOlive‐sidedFlycatcherwasfoundat20%ofthesites(68sites,42ofwhichwerenewsites,fromwhichthespecieswasnotpreviouslyreported).TheCanadaWarblerwasfoundat10%ofthesites(32sites,15ofwhichwerenewsites).TheRustyBlackbirdwasfoundat7%ofsites(25sites,19ofwhichwerenewsites).Additionalrecordsofthesespecieswereobtainedthroughcasualobservationsmadewhileconductingfieldworkandthroughreportssubmittedbythepublic.In2014,reportsofCommonNighthawksweresubmittedfrom38observersorgroupsinadditiontoourfieldteam.Atotalof55reportswereobtainedfrom20May‐21August2014.Mostbirdswerebothseenandheard.Booming,acourtshipandterritorialdisplayofmales,wasmostoftenheardinMayandJune.WefoundnoevidencethatCommonNighthawksweremoreactiveundermoonlightinearlyevening.Birdsweremostoftenseennearopenwaterorforest,orboth,andtoalesserextent,developedareasandclearcuts.Largenumberswerereportedduringmigration:aflockof150on12August,andaflockof1000on21August.(2)HabitatsurveysResultsofthedetailedhabitatsurveysweresummarizedtocomparehabitatcharacteristicsamongthethreetargetlandbirdSAR.ThesummariesincludedataobtainedfromthecentralFECplot,includingtypeofecosites(asvisualizedinedatopicgrids),treespeciescomposition,andvegetationtype(VT).Thestructureandcompositionplotdata(11persite)weresummarizedtocomparethepercentcoverofvegetationinthedifferentverticallayersandothergroundfeatures.IndicatorSpeciesAnalysisdeterminedwhatvariableswereindicativeofsitesoccupiedbyeachspecies.EcositesTheedatopicgridisatwo‐dimensionaldiagramusedintheForestEcosystemClassificationforNovaScotiatoplotsiteswithrespecttorelativemoistureandnutrientregimes.Soilmoistureregime,whichrangesfromverydrytowet,representstheaveragemoistureavailabletoplants.Soilnutrientregime,whichrangesfromveryrichtoverypoor,representstherelativeavailabilityofnutrientstosupportplantgrowth(www.gov.ns.ca/natr/library/forestry/reports/Ecosites.pdf).
OurecositedataforthethreelandbirdSARinSouthwesternNovaScotiaaresummarizedinFigure2.Eachnumberedovalontheedatopicgridrepresentsoneofthe17Acadiangroupecositesassociatedwithaparticularmoistureandnutrientregime,andthustendstosupportdifferentvegetationtypes.Noneofoursamplesfellintothedriest,verypoorecosites(AC1,AC2,andAC3)orthericherecosites(AC13,AC14,AC15,AC16,orAC17).Overall,thethreelandbirdSARsinhabitedasimilarsetofecosites.ThemajorityofplotsforallthreespecieswerecategorizedasAC4(Wet/VeryPoor)orAC8(Wet/Poor).Threeecosites(AC4,AC8andAC12)accountedforatotalof86%ofCanadaWarblersitesandfourecosites(AC4,AC7,AC8andAC12)accountedfor83%ofOlive‐sidedFlycatchersites,andsixecosites(AC4,AC5,AC6,AC8,AC10,andAC12)accountedfor87%ofRustyBlackbirdsites.Lessthan10%ofotherecositeswereinhabitedbythesespecies.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.7
Figure2.Distributionofhabitatsamplesites(asdeterminedatFECplots)ontheedatopicgridforthethreetargetlandbirdSAR.Numbersrefertothe17Acadiangroupecosites.Placementoftheovalsonthegridindicatestherelativelevelsofmoistureandnutrientsofasite.Theecositesbecomewetterfromtoptobottomandricherfromlefttoright.Thedarkerthecolour,themorelandbirdSARsitesoccurredinthatecosite.
Trees
TreedatafromtheFECplotsrevealedmanysimilaritiesamongthethreespeciesoflandbirdSAR(Figures3‐4).Spruceandbalsamfirtogethermadeup57%ofthetreesinOlive‐sidedFlycatcherplots,50%inCanadaWarblerplots,and40%inRustyBlackbirdplots(Figure3).Pine,hemlock,andhardwoodscomprised53%ofthetreesinRustyBlackbirdplots.Redmaplewascommon,accountingforabout25%ofthetreesintheplotsofallthreeSAR.OtherhardwoodswerelesscommonintheFECplots.EasternwhitecedarsoccurredinoneCanadaWarblerplot,locatedintheHectanoogacedarswamp,animportantareathatsupportedseveralpairsofthislandbirdSAR.
Overall,abouthalfofthetreesinFECplotswereliveconifers,one‐quarterwerelivedeciduoustrees,andone‐quarterweresnags(Figure4).TheseproportionsweresimilarforallthreelandbirdSAR.Olive‐sidedFlycatcherhabitathadaslightlyhigherproportionofsnagswhileRustyBlackbirdhabitathadaslightlyhigherproportionofdeciduoustrees.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.8
Figure3.SpeciescompositionoflivetreesintheFECplotinlandbirdSARhabitatsurveys.Canada Warbler (n = 38 plots) Olive-sided Flycatcher (n = 46 plots) Rusty Blackbird (n = 38 plots)
Balsam fir
Spruce
Pine
Tamarack
Eastern hemlock
Eastern white cedar
Red maple
Birch
Other hardwoods
Balsam fir
Spruce
Pine
Tamarack
Eastern hemlock
Eastern white cedar
Red maple
Birch
Other hardwoods
Balsam fir
Spruce
Pine
Tamarack
Eastern hemlock
Eastern white cedar
Red maple
Birch
Other hardwoods
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.9
Figure4.ProportionoftreesintheFECplotsthatweresnags(deadstandingtrees),livedeciduous(broad‐leaved)treesandliveconiferoustrees.
VegetationstructureUnderstoreyvegetationstructureforthe100‐mtransectscenteredoneachFECplotissummarizedinFigure5.PercentcoverofsaplingsandhighshrubswerehighestforCanadaWarbler.Forallthreespecies,coniferoussaplingscontributedmorecoverthandeciduoussaplings.ShrubscontributedmosttoCanadaWarblerhabitatandleasttoRustyBlackbirdhabitat.Highshrubs(suchasalder),cinnamonfern,andsphagnummosswereimportantcomponentsofCanadaWarblerhabitat.Lowshrubs(suchaslambkill)andotherferns(primarilybracken)werecommoninOlive‐sidedFlycatcherhabitat.Comparedtotheothertwospecies,RustyBlackbirdhabitathadlessunderstoreycoverabove25cm.
Figure5.ComparisonofvegetationstructureinhabitatplotsforthethreelandbirdSAR.Averagepercentcover,measuredevery10malongatwo50‐mtransectscenteredontheFECplot.
Deciduous
Coniferous
Snag
Canada Warbler habitat (n=38 plots)
Deciduous
Coniferous
Snag
Olive-sided Flycatcher habitat (n=46 plots)
Deciduous
Coniferous
Snag
Rusty Blackbird habitat (n=38 plots)
0102030405060708090
100110120130140
CAWA (n=38) OSFL (n=46) RUBL (n=38)
Pe
rce
nt
cove
r (c
um
mu
lati
ve)
Coniferous saplings
Deciduous saplings
High shrub
Low shrub
Cinnamon fern
Other ferns
Sphagnum
Other mosses
Other ground vegetation
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.10
VegetationtypesTheproportionsofFECplotsperlandbirdSARhabitatthatwereclassifiedintodifferentvegetationtypes(VTs)areshowninFigure6.ThethreelandbirdSARsdifferedintheproportionsofplotsthatwereinwetforestVTs.MostoftheCanadaWarblersplots(91%)wereinwetVTs,eitherwetconiferous(46%)orwetdeciduous(45%).ThemostcommontypeswereWC1andWD2,typifiedbyblackspruceorredmaple,cinnamonfernandsphagnummoss.Incomparison,only56%ofOlive‐sidedFlycatcherplots(34%wetconiferousand22%wetdeciduous)andonly42%ofRustyBlackbirdplots(21%eachwetdeciduousandwetconiferous)werewetforestVTs.However,WC1andWD2werethemostcommonwetforestvegetationtypesforthesespeciesaswell.Olive‐sidedFlycatcherandRustyBlackbirdplotsspannedawiderrangeofvegetationtypes(Figure6).Olive‐sidedFlycatcherplotsalsoincludedseveralspruceVTs,andSP5,withblackspruce,lambkillandbracken,wasthemostcommon.RustyBlackbirdplotsincludedspruceandspruce‐hemlockvegetationtypes,aswellasintoleranthardwoodandmixed‐woodvegetationtypes.SomeFECplotsforOlive‐sidedFlycatchersandRustyBlackbirdshadtoofewtreestodetermineavegetationtype.IndicatorSpeciesAnalysisIndicatorSpeciesAnalysisshowedthatpresenceofRustyBlackbirdswasindicatedbymoreopenwater,andmoreconiferoustreesandsnagstallerthan5m.Inharvestedlandscapes,RustyBlackbirdsiteswereindicatedbymorelambkillthansitesinunharvestedlandscapes.Absencewasindicatedhighershrubs,moreshrubcover,moresprucecover,moredeciduousshrubcover,tallerdeciduousshrubs,higherspruce,morecinnamonferncover,andhigherspeckledalders.IndicatorSpeciesAnalysisshowedthatpresenceofOlive‐sidedFlycatcherswasindicatedbymoresnagslessthan5mtall,andgreaterheightandpercentcoveroflambkill.Inharvestedlandscapes,Olive‐sidedFlycatchersiteshadmorelambkillcoverandheight,aswellashighershrubsoverallthansiteswiththisspeciesinunharvestedlandscapes.Absencewasindicatedbygreatercanopyclosure,greatercoverofspeckledalder,andhigherstandbasalarea.IndicatorSpeciesAnalysisshowedthatpresenceofCanadaWarblerswasindicatedbygreatercoverandheightofalder,morecoverofdeciduoustreesgreaterthan5mtall,highercanopyclosure,morecinnamonferncover,andgreaterheightofbroadleavedshrubsthandidsitesinunharvestedlandscapes.Inharvestedlandscapes,siteswithCanadaWarblerhadmorelambkill,cinnamonferns,andsnagsunder5m.Absencewasindicatedbygreatercoveroffernsotherthancinnamonfern.
Comparingspecies,RustyBlackbirdsiteswereindicatedbymoreopenwater,CanadaWarblersiteswereindicatedbymorecinnamonfern,moreandtalleralder,andgreatercoverofthetreecanopyandbroadleavedshrubs,andOlive‐sidedFlycatchersiteswerenotindicatedbyanyvariable.
AmoredetailedtreatmentofthisandadditionalmultivariatestatisticalanalysesofthehabitatdatawillbepresentedinthedissertationofAlanaWestwood,Ph.D.candidate,DalhousieUniversityDepartmentofBiology.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.11
CE1
MW2
SH3
SH4a
SP4a
WC1
WC2
WC6
WC7
WD2
WD4
WD4A
WD8
NONE
Canada Warbler habitat (n=38 plots)Figure6.ProportionofplotscategorizedasdifferentFECvegetationtypes(VT).FormoreinformationonVTs,see:novascotia.ca/natr/forestry/veg‐types/.
IH7
MW2SH6
SP4
SP5
SP6
SP7
WC1
WC2
WC5
WC6WC7
WC7A
WD2
WD3
WD4
WD4A
WD8
NONE
Olive-sided Flycatcher habitat (n=46 plots)
IH1IH2IH7MW2SH1SH4aSH5SH6SP4SP4aSP5SP9WC1WC7WC7AWD2WD3WD4WD4AWD6WD8NONE
Rusty Blackbird habitat (n = 38 plots)
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.12
(3)Habitatmodels
ThevariablesthatwerecalculatedinGISandusedtocreatethefinalversionsofthespeciesdistributionhabitatmodelsinMaxEntforeachofthesixlandbirdSAR(Ferarri2014)areshowninTable3.
ThetermAUCreferstotheAreaUndertheCurveandisameasureofhowwellthemodeldistinguishesthesiteswhereaspeciesoccurredfromrandomlocations.ThehighertheAUCvalue,thebetterthemodelperformed.AmodelwithanAUCvaluegreaterthan0.7isconsideredtohavegooddiscriminatorypower(Phillips2005).
Theimportanceofeachvariablewasmeasuredbytwoestimates:percentcontributionandthepermutationimportance:
Thepercentcontributionisbasedontheincreaseordecreaseinregularizedgainduetoaparticularvariable,holdingothervariablesconstant,foreachiterationofthetrainingalgorithm.
Foreachenvironmentalvariableinturn,thepermutationimportanceisdeterminedbymeasuringthedecreaseintrainingAUCwhenthevaluesofthisvariablearerandomlypermutingforthetrainingset.ThissecondestimatedoesnotdependonthepaththatMaxEntusestogettheoptimalsolution,whereasthefirstestimatedoes.Therefore,thesecondestimatewaspreferentiallyusedtochoosethevariables(Phillips2005).
VariablesimportantineachmodelsuggestthatOlive‐sidedFlycatchers,CanadaWarblersandRustyBlackbirdsneedwetforeststhatarevariouslycomplex,butindifferentways,atthesite(orstand)andlandscapescales.TheimportantvariablesalsosuggestthatChimneySwiftsandCommonNighthawksneedopenareasnearwaterwithinforestedlandscapesbutalsousedevelopedareasiftheyprovidesuitablenestsites.Thespatially‐explicitspeciesdistributionmodelsforthesixspeciesareshownintheformofmapsinFigures7‐12.Eachmapshowsthepredictedvariationinhabitatsuitabilityforaspeciesacrosstheregion.Thelikelihoodthataspeciescanutilizeagivenareaasbreedinghabitatisindicatedbycolour,fromleastlikely(yellow;pooresthabitat)tomostlikely(darkblue;besthabitat).Actualoccurrencedatausedtobuildthemodelsareshownbyopencircles.HigherresolutionimagesandGISlayersareavailableuponrequest([email protected]).Theboundariesofprotectedareas,asof2013,arealsoshownonthemaps.AllbuttheEasternWood‐Peweeappeartobewidelydistributedacrossprivate,crown,andprotectedlands.EasternWood‐Peweesneedtall,matureuplandforest,especiallymaturestandsofwhitepine,whichisnowlargelyrestrictedtoprotectedlands,especiallyinandnearKejimkujikNP.MostoftheCanadaWarblerandRustyBlackbirdhabitatappearstoexistoutsideofprotectedareas.TheTobeaticWildernessAreaplusthecrownlandstotheSSWcomprisealargeareaofgenerallyunsuitablehabitatforallbuttheOlive‐sidedFlycatcher.MostoftheareaiscontainedwithintheWesternRegion.Thepredictedhabitatofthesixspeciesdoesnotappeartobeassociatedwithparticularecodistricts(comparehabitatmapswithmapathttp://novascotia.ca/natr/forestry/ecological/pdf/ELC_Map.pdf).ThepredictedhabitatoftheCommonNighthawk,aswellasoccurrencerecordsforthisspecies,isassociatedwithriversystems(notethatthedarkblueareasfollowriversonthemap).
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.13
Table3.VariablesusedtocreatethelandbirdSARhabitatmodelswithMaxEnt.
SpeciesandAUCoffinalmodelGISvariablesusedinfinalMaxEntmodels
Percentcontribution
Permutationimportance
CommonNighthawk(AUC=0.684) distancetowaterways 24.2 22.9 distanceto_urbanareas 19.4 20.0
distanceto_shrubby_wetlands 16.8 22.4
distanceto_low_shrubs 13.0 9.5
1ststorycanopyheight 12.1 8.2
distancetoclearcuts 10.8 13.5
2ndstorycanopyheight 3.8 3.4
ChimneySwift(AUC=0.799) distanceto_urbanareas 38.2 30.2 1ststorycanopyheight 15.2 7.7
distancetoclearcuts 15.1 32.9
distancetowaterways 11.0 14.7
distanceto_deadstands 8.5 6.5
distancetoopenwetlands 8.0 5.5
distanceto_low_shrubs 3.9 2.5
EasternWood‐Pewee(AUC=0.863) distancetoprotectedareas 32.0 27.7 distanceto_low_shrubs 22.7 15.6
1ststorycanopyheight 18.6 12.9
distanceto_urbanareas 16.2 27.1
depthtowatertable 6.8 11.7
distancetowaterways 3.7 4.9
Olive‐sidedFlycatcher(AUC=0.748) distancetowetlands 26.1 16.7 distanceto_agriculturallands 21.3 16.2
distancetowaterways 17.3 23.5
distancetoclearcuts 14.3 20.5
forest_type 10.3 11.5
depthtowatertable 8.4 5.5
canopyclosure 2.2 6.1
CanadaWarbler(AUC=0.716) depthtowatertable 36.8 31.3 distancetowaterways 22.6 21.8
distanceto_uneven_agestands 17.6 10.8
distancetoclearcuts 16.6 22.9
2ndstorycanopyheight 3.8 8.2
canopyclosure 2.6 5.0
RustyBlackbird(AUC=0.766) depthtowatertable 42.0 36.8 distanceto_low_shrubs 22.4 13.1
distanceto_agriculturallands 19.4 21.2
distancetowaterways 9.8 28.9
distancetoclearcuts 6.4 0.0
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.14
Figure7.PredictedhabitatdistributionmodelfortheCommonNighthawk(Chordeilesminor)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.15
Figure8.PredictedhabitatdistributionmodelfortheChimneySwift(Chaeturapelagica)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.16
Figure9.PredictedhabitatdistributionmodelfortheEasternWood‐Pewee(Contopusvirens)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.17
Figure10.PredictedhabitatdistributionmodelfortheOlive‐sidedFlycatcher(Contopuscooperi)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.18
Figure11.PredictedhabitatdistributionmodelfortheCanadaWarbler(Cardellinacanadensis)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.19
Figure12.Predictedhabitatdistributionmodelforthe RustyBlackbird(Euphaguscarolinus)inSouthwesternNovaScotia.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.20
(4)Education,outreach,andstewardshipTheLandbirdsatRiskinForestedLandscapesworkshopincludedelementsincluded:
• Trends,surveys,andstatusofthefivespecies• Identificationofthefivespeciesbysightandsound• Lifehistoryandrange(breeding,migration,wintering)ofthefivespecies• Breedingseasonecologyandbehaviourofthefivespecies• Breedinghabitatofthefivespecies• Habitatcomparisonforthethreewetforestspecies• Threatstopopulationsforeachofthefivespecies• Stewardship,includingadiscussionabouthowcanwestewardthehabitatforthesefive
speciesinsouthwesternNSThisfree2‐hourlongworkshopwasgiventopublicaudiencesatseveralvenues:
MTRI,morningandeveningsessions,27March2013 AnnapolisRoyal,9February2014 Liverpool,22February2014 TusketFalls,8March2014 BearRiver,25March2014(presentationtoBearRiverFirstNations) Halifax,27March2014(presentationattheBirdSocietymeeting) Clare,9September2014(“Atelier:Oiseauxenpérildanslespaysagesforestiers”)
InJune2014,acitizensciencepilotprojecttomonitorCommonNighthawkswasestablished.VolunteerrecruitmentwasorganizedbyScienceHorizonsinternLauraAchenbach.TheofficialsurveywastimedtocoincidewithmoonlitearlyeveningsinJune.Additionalrecordswereacceptedfromanytimeduringthesummer.
Otheroutreachactivitiesincluded:
"Envirothon"3July2014,aKejimkujikNationalParkoutreachevent "DawnChorusWalk"12July2014,anMTRIandKejimkujikNationalParkevent "Nightcreaturestalk:TheCommonNighthawk",14July2014,aKejimkujikNationalPark
Outreachevent CBCLandandSeafilmingatKejimkujikNationalParkaboutLandbirdsatRiskinNovaScotia,
25July2014 ShortvideosoftheRustyBlackbirdandOlive‐sidedFlycatcherwerefilmedandpostedonthe
MTRIYouTubechannelandMTRIFacebookpage Encouragingthepublictosubmitnewlandbirdsatrisksightings;ane‐mailaddresswas
availableforthispurpose([email protected])Finally,weconvenedapartnersinconservationworkshopinlateMarch2014tosharecurrentknowledgeandexistingprograms,andconcernsaboutlandbirdsatriskconservationinNovaScotia.RepresentedatthemeetingweretheNovaScotiaDepartmentofNaturalResources,theNovaScotiaDepartmentofEnvironment,EnvironmentCanada,NovaScotiaNatureTrust,NatureConservancyofCanada,AtlanticCanadaConservationDataCentre,NovaScotiaBirdSociety,BirdStudiesCanada,EcologyActionCentre,ParksCanada,theMerseyTobeaticResearchInstitute,andDalhousieUniversity.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.21
ACHIEVEMENTSANDLESSONSLEARNEDThisprojectachievedtangibleresultsthatcanbeappliedatthesite(stand)andlandscapescalesinSouthwesternNovaScotia.Atthesitescale,resultsfromourhabitatsurveyscanbeusedtoidentifybreedinghabitatforOlive‐sidedFlycatchers,CanadaWarblers,andRustyBlackbirdsinthefield.Inadditiontospecificfeaturesthatcanbeobservedwhenvisitingasite(e.g.,certaintreespecies,awell‐developedhighshrublayer,abundantcinnamonfern,sphagnummosscoveringtheground,orthepresenceofopenwaterormud),thisstudyidentifiedparticularFECecositesandvegetationtypesassociatedwiththepresenceoftheselandbirdSARspecies.OursurveysverifiedthatthethreeLandbirdSARthatwetargetedforoursurveysmainlyinhabitedwetforests.Thehabitatofthesespeciescontainedsimilarproportionsofsnags(deadstanding),livedeciduous(broadleaf),andliveconiferoustrees.Allthreeinhabitedconifer‐dominatedmixedwoods,withredmaplemakingupaboutone‐quarterofthetotaltrees.Blackspruce(abouttwo‐thirds)orredspruce(aboutonethird)wasthedominantconifer,andwasmostabundantinOlive‐sidedFlycatchersites.RustyBlackbirdsitescontainedamoreevendistributionofconiferspecies,eventhoughtheyareknowntonestmainlyinthicketofsmallspruce(Powell2008).FortheCanadaWarblerandOlive‐sidedFlycatcher,themostcommonecositeswereAC8(Wet/Poor)andAC4(Wet‐VeryPoor),wheretreegrowthislimitedbyexcessivemoistureandlowfertility.TypicalvegetationonAC8isconiferousormixed‐woodtreedswamps,withspruce,fir,andredmaple,andtypicalvegetationonAC4isblackspruceandtamarack(Neilyetal.2011).AlthoughOlive‐sidedFlycatcherswerealsofoundinawiderrangeofconiferous‐dominatedvegetationtypes,theyweremostabundantinwetconiferousforest.BothRustyBlackbirdsandOlive‐sidedFlycatchershavelargeterritoriesorhomerangesof10ormorehectareswhereastheCanadaWarblerterritoryisabout1hectare(100x100m)orless,closetothesizeofthehabitatplotsinourstudy.Habitatplotsfortheotherspeciesrepresentedamuchsmallerfractionoftheareausedbythebirds.ThusitislikelythatoursurveysmorecompletelycharacterizedCanadaWarblerhabitatthanthatoftheotherspecies.OurresultsareconsistentwithpublishedstudiesindicatingthatCanadaWarblerpreferentiallynestinforestedareaswithahighdensityofsmallstemsandunevenground(Hallworthetal.2008,GoodnowandReitsma2011).RustyBlackbirdswereobservedinawiderrangeofecositesandvegetationtypesthantheotherspecies,suggestingthatparticulartreespeciesorvegetationtypesarelessimportantforthisbird.However,sitessampledlikelyincludedforagingsites,nestingsites,andvariouskindsofforesthabitatthroughwhichindividualsmoveonadailybasis.RustyBlackbirdsforageforinvertebratesinshallowwaterandmud,andnestinsmallconifers,mainlyblackspruce(Powell2008).AlthoughwefoundRustyBlackbirdsusingbothunharvestedandharvestedlandscapes,thelattercanbeecologicaltraps,asbirdsnestingtherehavelowerbreedingsuccess(Powelletal.2010).AdditionalandmoredetailedstatisticalanalysesofourhabitatdatawillbepresentedinthePh.D.dissertationofAlanaWestwood,andinmanuscriptssubmittedforpublication,in2015‐2016.Atthelandscapescale,ourhabitatmodelscanbeusedtoidentifythelocationandconfigurationofpredictedbreedinghabitatforCommonNighthawk,ChimneySwift,EasternWood‐Pewee,Olive‐sidedFlycatchers,CanadaWarblers,andRustyBlackbirdsacrossSouthwesternNovaScotia.Itisinterestingtonotethatalthoughhabitatsurveysshowedmuchoverlapinthecharacteristicsofsitesoccupiedbythethreewet‐forestspecies,thedistributionoftheirpredictedhabitatwasquitedifferent.ThismayreflecttheinabilityofcurrentGISlayerstocaptureimportantsite‐levelhabitatfeatures.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.22
Priortofieldwork,initialhabitatsuitabilityindexmodelswerebuiltwithinformationfromtheliteratureandexpertopinion(Westwood2012).Ourfieldsurveyswereconductedatsitesrandomlyselectedfrompolygonsidentifiedinthesemodelsassuitablehabitatforoneormoreofthesespecies.ThethreetargetlandbirdSARwereuncommoninthesesurveys,occurringatonlyonethirdofthesites.Oursurveyswereafieldtestoftheseinitialmodels,confirmingthatbettermodelswereneeded.TheOlive‐sidedFlycatcherwasfoundattwiceasmaysitesaswereCanadaWarblers,whichwerefoundatabouttwiceasmanysitesasRustyBlackbirds,therarestofthethreespeciesandtheonewhichhasexperiencedthegreatestdeclines(Greenberg,andMatsuoka2010).Ratherthanbeingmoreabundant,Olive‐sidedFlycatchersmaysimplybeeasiertodetectbecauseoftheirmuchloudersong.OurfieldsurveysandeffortsofvolunteersincreasedthenumberofoccurrencesoflandbirdSARforSouthwestNovaScotia.TheenhanceddatabaseenabledustodevelopnewhabitatmodelsbasedonGISdataatoccurrencelocations.Ournewhabitatmodelsshouldbemoreaccuratethanourinitialhabitatsuitabilitymodelsastheyusedtheinformationabouttheenvironmentatoccupiedsites.OurstewardshipandoutreachactivitiesforlandbirdSARreachedalargeaudienceandengagedmanypeople.Moreofthepublicarenowfamiliarwithidentificationofthesespeciesandawareoftheirconservationstatusandissues.Thepositiveresponsebythepublicalsoshowedthatthepublicisinterestedinbeingmoreinvolvedintheconservationoflandbirds.
RECOMMENDATIONSFORFOLLOW‐UPSTEPSTheresultsfromourhabitatsurveyscanbeusedinthefieldtoidentifybreedinghabitatforOlive‐sidedFlycatchers,CanadaWarblers,andRustyBlackbirds.TheinformationcouldbeusedbyitselforinconjunctionwithexistingFECfieldprotocols,andincorporatedintobestmanagementpractices.ThehabitatmodelsforthesixlandbirdSARcanbeusedforlocal‐scaletoregional‐scaleland‐useplanning.InGIS,themodelscanbeusedbygovernment,industryandconservationorganizationsforland‐usedecision‐making,suchastargetingareasofhighqualityhabitatthatcouldbeprotectedoridentifyingareaswherespecificforestmanagementtechniquesarelikelytobenefitorharmthespecies.Habitatmaps(higherresolutionimagesofthemapsinthisreport)canbeusedmorewidely,bylandownersandthegeneralpublic,toidentifylocalareasofgoodhabitatforthesespecies.Theaccuracyofourhabitatmodelscanbeassessedthroughfieldtests.Themostefficientuseoftimewouldbetovisitareasofhighpredictedhabitatsuitability.Forterritorialspecies,theuseofplaybackwillenhancethechancesofdetectingthespeciesifitisindeedpresentasite.Alessdirectwayoftestingthemodelswouldbetokeeptrackofwhetherthesesspeciesaredetectedatsitesvisitedduringthebreedingseasonforotherkindsoffieldwork.Date,timeandUTMswouldneedtoberecordedaswellasthelandbirdspeciesthatwaspresent.Landbirdsatriskcanbeincorporatedintocurrentorfutureresearchormonitoringprograms.DevelopmentofaccuratemapsofforestedwetlandswouldaidgreatlyinidentifyinghabitatfortheselandbirdSAR.Lidarhasgreatpotentialforidentifyingfeaturesthatareimportanttothesespecies,suchasheightoftheshrublayerandotherfeaturesnotavailablecurrentlyasGISlayers.Thereismuchpotentialforinvolvingthepublicinconservationoflandbirdsatrisk.Peoplewhoarenotfamiliarwithbirdscanbetrainedtolookandlistenforthesesspeciesandtoidentifybreedinghabitat.Themoreinformationwehaveaboutthedistributionandabundanceofthesespecies,themoreinformed,targeted,andeffectiveourconservationeffortscanbe.
HabitatModelingforLandbirdSAR–Staiceretal.2015–p.23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FundingandlogisticalsupportforthisprojectwasprovidedbytheNovaScotiaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesthroughtheNovaScotiaHabitatConservationFund(contributionsfromhuntersandtrappers)andtheNovaScotiaSpeciesatRiskConservationFund,theNovaScotiaStrategicCooperativeIncentiveprogram,EnvironmentCanadathroughtheScienceHorizonsInternshipProgramandtheHabitatStewardshipProgram,ParksCanada,NSERC,theMerseyTobeaticResearchInstitute,AgroParisTech‐ENGREF,andtheBiologyDepartmentatDalhousieUniversity.Accesstoprovincial,federal,andprivatelandstoconductsurveyswereprovidedbytheDepartmentofNaturalResources,ResoluteForestProducts,ParksCanada,theNovaScotiaNatureTrust,TheNatureConservancyofCanada,andBruceandBerniceMoores.TheMerseyTobeaticResearchInstituteandParksCanadaprovidedlogisticalsupport.WethankthemanyvolunteerparticipantswhocollectedspeciesdatathroughtheMaritimesBreedingBirdAtlas(MBBA),theNorthAmericanBreedingBirdSurvey(BBS),E‐birdCanada,andtheLandbirdsatRiskprogram,includingthosewhoparticipatedinthefirstCommonNighthawkpilotsurvey.OfficialsponsorsoftheMBBAincludeBirdStudiesCanada,CanadianWildlifeService,NSDepartmentofNaturalResources,PEIDepartmentofNaturalResources,NatureNewBrunswick,theNovaScotiaBirdSociety,andtheNaturalHistorySocietyofPEI.
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