South Atlantic Forest Birds (Southeast Blueprint Indicator)

Reason for Selection This indicator represents ecologically important thresholds in forest patch size and other characteristics, such as distance to forest and ecotone edge. Many species are sensitive to these features of the landscape, but forest birds’ habitat relationships are the most extensively studied and have available habitat models. The needs of these forest bird species are increasingly restrictive at higher index values, reflecting better quality forested wetland and upland hardwood habitat. Input Data * [South Atlantic Blueprint 2021 extent] * [Southeast Blueprint 2023 extent] * [2019 National Land Cover Database] (NLCD): Land cover * [Base Blueprint 2022 extent] * The following [Southeast GAP species models]: Chuck-will’s widow (bCWWI) Red-headed woodpecker (bRHWO) Wood thrush (bWOTH) Whip-poor-will (bWPWI) American woodcock (bAMWO) Hooded warbler (bHOWA) Kentucky warbler (bKEWA) Acadian flycatcher (bACFL) Black-throated green warbler (bBTNW) Northern parula (bNOPA) Prothonotary warbler (bPROW) Swainson’s warbler (bSWWA) * Select models from the [South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative (SAMBI) Designing Sustainable Landscapes (DSL) avian habitat project]: [Prothonotary warbler] (bPROW) [Swainson’s warbler] (bSWWA) Mapping Steps The index of forest birds is based on scores representing increasingly restrictive limitations of potential habitat for a suite of species. Species-based constraints are: * If a pixel is identified in the wood thrush (1 ha minimum patch), whip-poor-will (no more than 250 m into forest interior), red-headed woodpecker (interior patch within 500 m of early successional habitat), Chuck-will’s widow (interior patch within 500 m of early successional habitat), or American woodcock (within 125 m of ecotone edge) Southeast GAP models, give it a value of 1. If not, give it a value of 0. * If a pixel is identified in the hooded warbler (15 ha minimum patch) or Kentucky warbler (17 ha minimum patch in wet hardwoods) Southeast GAP models, give it a value of 2. If not, it retains the value from step 1. * If a pixel is identified in the Acadian flycatcher (40 ha minimum patch) Southeast GAP model, give it a value of 3. If not, it retains the value from step 2. * If a pixel is identified in the Northern parula (70 ha minimum patch) Southeast GAP model, black-throated green warbler (100 ha minimum patch) Southeast GAP model, or the prothonotary warbler (70 ha minimum patch within 120 m of water) Southeast GAP or DSL model, give it a value of 4. If not, it retains the value from step 3. * If a pixel is identified in the Swainson’s warbler (350 ha minimum patch within 250 m of water) Southeast GAP or DSL model, give it a value of 5. If not, it retains the value from step 4. * If a pixel is identified in the NLCD as low, medium, or high intensity developed, assign it a value of 0. If not, it retains the value from step 5. * Clip to the spatial extent of the 2021 South Atlantic Blueprint. The data outside this area was not reviewed by the indicator team who created it, so we decided not to use those data. * Clip to the spatial extent of Base Blueprint 2022. * As a final step, clip to the spatial extent of Southeast Blueprint 2023. Note: For more details on the mapping steps, code used to create this layer is available in the [Southeast Blueprint Data Download] under > 6_Code. Final indicator values Indicator values are assigned as follows: 5 = Very large patches near water (potential for presence of Swainson’s warbler) 4 = Large patches often near water (potential for presence of Northern parula, black-throated green warbler, or prothonotary warbler) 3 = Medium patches (potential for presence of Acadian flycatcher) 2 = Small patches often near water (potential for presence of hooded warbler or Kentucky warbler) 1 = Very small patches or near open areas (potential for presence of wood thrush, whip-poor-will, red-headed woodpecker, Chuck-will’s widow, or American woodcock) 0 = Less potential for presence of forest bird index species Known Issues * This indicator predicts less habitat for Swainson’s warbler and prothonotary warbler in the Apalachicola basin because one of the two models used for these species (DSL) does not cover this area. * It overpredicts habitat in areas that have been converted to other land uses since the release of 2001 GAP landcover data. * Thresholds used in this indicator focus primarily on species presence and larger patches are likely needed for source populations of any of these species. Disclaimer: Comparing with Older Indicator Versions There are numerous problems with using Southeast Blueprint indicators for change analysis. Please consult Blueprint staff if you would like to do this (email [hilary_morris@fws.gov]). Literature Cited Southeast Gap Analysis Project. SE-GAP Vertebrate Predicted Habitat. [[https://www.basic.ncsu.edu/segap/DataServer.html]]. Williams SG, Rubino MJ. 2012. Designing Sustainable Landscapes Project. Biodiversity and Spatial Information Center, North Carolina State University. [[https://www.basic.ncsu.edu/dsl/hab.html]]. Accessed April 2014. Williams SG, Rubino MJ, Silvano AL, Elliott MJ, Cook K, Smith S. 2010. Southeast Gap Analysis Project. Biodiversity and Spatial Information Center, North Carolina State University; Alabama Gap Project, Alabama Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Auburn University; Natural Resources and Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Georgia. Accessed April 2014. [[https://www.basic.ncsu.edu/segap/]]. Homer, Collin G., Dewitz, Jon A., Jin, Suming, Xian, George, Costello, C., Danielson, Patrick, Gass, L., Funk, M., Wickham, J., Stehman, S., Auch, Roger F., Riitters, K. H., Conterminous United States land cover change patterns 2001–2016 from the 2016 National Land Cover Database: ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, v. 162, p. 184–199. [[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2020.02.019]].