MAV Forest Breeding-bird DSM

<div><div>FOR non-AGOL ACCOUNT HOLDERS, DOWNLOAD THIS GEOSPATIAL DATA HERE: </div><div><br /></div><div>https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/search?tags=lmvjv</div></div><div><br /></div><div>We developed a spatially explicit decision support model, based on a Partners in Flight plan for forest bird conservation, that prioritizes forest restoration to reduce forest fragmentation and increase the area of forest core (interior forest &gt;250 m from “hostile” edge). Our primary objective was to increase the number of forest patches that harbor &gt;2000 ha of forest core, but we also sought to increase the number and area of forest cores &gt;5000 ha. Concurrently, we targeted restoration within local (320 km2) landscapes to achieve ≥60% forest cover. Finally, we emphasized restoration of higher-elevation bottomland hardwood forests in areas where restoration would not increase forest fragmentation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Forest patches should be of sufficient size to support source populations of targeted bird species, to minimize the likelihood of extirpation, and to ensure a low probability of genetic degradation. The issues that must be resolved in order to select an appropriately‐sized patch of habitat for breeding birds are: 1) context, or how ought breeding birds be buffered from the negative influence of surrounding matrices; 2) desired number of breeding pairs to constitute a source population with a high probability of long‐term viability; and 3) the density at which birds tend to occur within habitat likely to be included in average patches. Area can be conceptually calculated using the formula:  A = (N * D) + B where A = Area of forest required to support a source population (ha), N = Desired number of breeding pairs, D = Density of breeding birds (expressed as area / breeding pair), and B = The area (ha) of a 1‐km‐wide forested buffer around the core forest area (N * D). </div><div><br /></div><div>The 2015 Updated was completed by Michael Mitchell (Ducks Unlimited - Southern Regional Office), in cooperation and collaboration with the LMVJV partnership. </div>