Habitat Capability Model for Birds Wintering in the Black Hills, South Dakota

摘要

Habitat models have considerable economic effects on management decisions and are211u001eused to predict consequences of land management decisions on wildlife. The Black 211u001eHills National Forest uses the habitat capability model (HABCAP), but its 211u001eaccuracy relative to resident wintering bird populations is largely unknown. The 211u001eauthors tested the model's predictive accuracy for resident nongame birds 211u001ewintering in 11 vegetation structural stages of ponderosa pine, quaking 211u001easpen/paper birch, and meadows in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Six species, 211u001ehairy woodpecker, gray jay, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nutatch, red-211u001ebreasted nuthatch, and dark-eyed junco, had HABCAP coefficients for vegetation 211u001estructural stages during winter. Red crossbills were not previously included in 211u001ethe model, so the authors developed HABCAP coefficients for them. Prediced 211u001eabundance of winter birds in vegetation structural stages based on HABCAP 211u001ecoefficients differed from observed abundance for gray jays, black-capped 211u001echickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, red-breasted nuthatches, and dark-eyed 211u001ejuncos. HABCAP coefficients were modified to reflect observed abundance patterns 211u001eof birds. These changes to HABCAP coefficients should provide managers with more 211u001eappropriate estimates of land management impacts on nongame birds wintering in 211u001ethe Black Hills.