{"id":16386,"date":"2017-11-03T01:53:26","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T01:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/162.217.168.59\/?page_id=16386"},"modified":"2023-01-15T12:57:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T17:57:06","slug":"grantborealavianmodelling","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/forests.org\/fr\/grantborealavianmodelling\/","title":{"rendered":"Grant – Boreal Avian Modelling Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE BOREAL AVIAN MODELLING PROJECT<\/h3>\n

SFI Supports Research to Help Billions of Birds in the Boreal Forest<\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Why This Project Matters<\/p>\n

\"Red<\/div>\n

The boreal forest, stretching from Alaska to Newfoundland is an important global bastion of bird life and billions of birds migrate to and from the boreal forest every year from as far away as South America. They can face threats all along these massive flyways. With our North American scale SFI hopes to proactively and positively influence bird conservation on managed, working-forest landscapes.<\/p>\n

The Canada warbler, for example, flies back and forth from the northern Andes to the boreal forest. In Canada, where about 80% of the Canada warbler\u2019s global breeding range is located, it breeds in all provinces and territories. It is listed as a threatened species under Canada\u2019s Species at Risk Act (SARA). A grant, from the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, is helping the Canada warbler, and all boreal birds, by supporting the University of Alberta\u2019s Boreal Avian Modelling (BAM) Project.<\/p>\n

How the Project Helps Conserve Biodiversity<\/p>\n

The BAM project is a partnership of many organizations led by the University of Alberta, Universit\u00e9 Laval and Environment and Climate Change Canada, the broader partnership includes academic institutions, government agencies and environmental NGOs. BAM was created to develop models that will help managers, including forest managers, understand which habitats birds need for breeding. This work will meet immediate conservation needs and inform future research and monitoring efforts. The results generated by BAM are relevant to anyone with an interest in the conservation of over 300 species of birds found in the boreal.<\/p>\n

For example, BAM data on the olive-sided flycatcher, which is listed as threatened under SARA, is being used in the Alberta Land Use Framework and other land-use planning exercises to understand how changes in forest age and type will influence it and other birds\u2019 breeding habitats. These types of land-use scenario models will aid in the development of regional management plans that feed into provincial conservation and stewardship strategies for private and public lands.<\/p>\n

How the Project Helps Forest Managers<\/p>\n

The BAM project will investigate conservation management needs of SFI Program Participants and other forestland managers. In the case of the brown creeper, for example, preliminary data show the birds have a strong preference for nesting in dead or dying trees. Whereas some birds like the Lincoln\u2019s Sparrow and the pine siskin are common in harvested areas.<\/p>\n

BAM data also have the potential to inform land managers of a range of bird habitat needs. This data could help guide management decisions at a landscape and stand level, including forests of exceptional conservation value. BAM data has the potential to enhance implementation of stand- and landscape-level measures that promote a diversity of habitat types, which is a requirement under the SFI 2015-2021 Forest Management Standard.<\/p>\n

SFI\u2019s contribution<\/p>\n

SFI has developed strong partnerships across North America to enhance forest bird conservation. Our work with BAM is the latest in one of many bird conservation projects. Working with BAM will allow SFI Program Participants to scale up work to a national level, and perhaps inform continental conservation of some species. This will complement the work of a range of SFI partners in establishing and enhancing the conservation value of SFI lands for forest birds.<\/p>\n

The project is also directly supported by SFI Program Participants Canfor, Louisiana-Pacific, West Fraser and Weyerhaeuser. These companies will provide in-kind data support to help BAM in characterizing the conservation value of their certified land base. These partners will also contribute data expertise and analysis coordination.<\/p>\n

This partnership cuts across government, academia, conservation NGO\u2019s and industry to provide strategic coordination around large-scale conservation efforts focused on bird habitat and breeding patterns. These partners include:<\/p>\n

Partners<\/p>\n