AUTHORS: Tara Hohman, Audubon Upper Mississippi River; Dale Gentry, Audubon Upper Mississippi River; Nicole Michels, National Audubon Society
ABSTRACT: Floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) provide critical habitat for a diverse avian community. Yet dozens of bird species that use these forests are listed as priority species and/or Species of Greatest Conservation Need by state and national agencies. These same agencies outline the desire to further define best management practices to conserve floodplain forest birds through their full annual cycle. Our 10 years of research on bottomland forest bird species along the UMR has resulted in the initial development of priority areas for birds within this landscape, as well as habitat associations between birds and the habitat characteristics they select for. This presentation discusses these findings and reviews the different and similar needs of focal species and species diversity in different stretches of this region. Towards the end of this presentation, we will also discuss the next steps to this work and goals for the future.
