West Coastal Plain & Ouachitas Forested Wetland Birds (Southeast Blueprint Indicator)

Reason for Selection Some factors related to patch size and landscape composition that are important to forested wetland species are not well-represented by other indicators. Forested wetlands and associated bottomland hardwoods represent a unique and imperiled habitat in the region that supports birds and many other wildlife species. Maintaining the structure and integrity of these forested wetlands has conservation implications that extend beyond the West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas region due to the ecosystem’s importance for birds migrating to and from Mexico, the West Indies, and Central and South America. This indicator also promotes consistency with the forest management and protection priorities of the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture. Input Data * [WGCPO Forested Wetland Decision Support Model]; detailed description of methods is available under “Decision support model” in the [West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Forested Wetland Plan, Version 1.0] This decision support model first characterized the landscape that was available to each forested wetland bird umbrella species for breeding. It identified landscapes with enough potentially suitable habitat to support a minimum viable population based on the amount of woody wetland landcover, minimum viable population size and area requirements, and natal dispersal distance. Then, it prioritized that potential breeding landscape based on each species’ unique habitat needs: distance to water, percent forest cover, flood tolerance and flood preference, and presence of bald cypress-tupelo floodplain forest. Lastly, it combined each species-specific habitat suitability model into the final composite index used in this indicator. * [Base Blueprint 2022 extent] * [Southeast Blueprint 2023 extent] Mapping Steps * Reproject the WGCPO Forested Wetland Decision Support Model source data to NAD 1983 Contiguous USA Albers (EPSG 5070). * Reclassify the source data as seen in the legend below. The WGCPO Forested Wetland Decision Support Model layer from the LMVJV has values ranging from 0 to 0.933365. Classify the data into five groups based on percentile priority within WGCPO regional boundary for the six umbrella species (Acadian flycatcher, Kentucky warbler, yellow-throated warbler, prothonotary warbler, red-shouldered hawk) as shown in the final indicator values below. Assign all pixels with an actual value of 0 in the WGCPO model a value of 0 in the indicator. Zero values are intended to help users better understand the extent of this indicator and make it perform better in online tools. * 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 = High habitat suitability for forested wetland bird umbrella species (Acadian flycatcher, Kentucky warbler, yellow-throated warbler, prothonotary warbler, red-shouldered hawk) (score >80) 4 = Medium-high habitat suitability (score >60-80) 3 = Medium habitat suitability (score >40-60) 2 = Medium-low habitat suitability (score >20-40) 1 = Low habitat suitability for forested wetland bird umbrella species (score >0-20) 0 = Not suitable for forested wetland bird umbrella species (score = 0) Known Issues * The indicator does not account for important components of stand structure that impact habitat quality for these species. Key factors include: a) large tree diameter (>23 cm dbh), b) density of large trees (>40 trees >50 dbh/ha), c) low tree density (250-300/ha), d) mid-story cover (open), e) understory cover (open), f) understory cover (dense), g) moderate to well-developed canopy (60–70%), and h) small cavities (<10 inch diameter) or snag density of 5 snags/ha. * The indicator does not account for variation in water quality. 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 West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Forested Wetland Landbird Plan. 2017. [[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb3865d2727be6f94acf2fc/t/5bfc99b221c67c2cdd60ab54/1543281078237/WGCPO_BLH_Riparian_Plan_Oct2017.pdf]].