WCS study on birds and streams included in federal guidelines to safeguard waterwaysAugust 19, 2009Natural Resource Conservation Service to use monitoring technique for stream assessments The results of a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) study that rapidly measures stream habitat have been adopted by a government agency working with private landowners to restore waterways throughout the U.S. The results of the study, which assess the relationship between streamside vegetation and migratory songbirds, are being used by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS works with landowners on restoring and protecting the literally million of miles of streams that flow through private lands. The study is by Hilary Cooke and Dr. Steve Zack of the Wildlife Conservation Society and appears in the July issue of the journal Environmental Management. The study, which looked at riparian area in semi-arid eastern Oregon, examined two simple and quick vegetation measurements: the average height and width of woody vegetation such as willows along a flood plain. The results showed that increases in woody vegetation led to a greater diversity and abundance of riparian birds including yellow warblers, song sparrows and yellow-breasted chats. "Riparian habitat is critical for birds particularly in semi-arid regions of the west, and working with landowners to increase their streamside woody vegetation is an important conservation tool for declining bird populations," said Cooke who is finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Alberta. The results of the study provide federal managers and private ranchers with an efficient tool for estimating the value of their streams as bird habitat, according to the authors. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has added these simple measurements to their revised protocol for assessing riparian habitat with private landowners across the nation. "We feel that adding this wildlife component to our stream assessments will help ensure that both streams and riparian habitats can function better on private lands," said Kathryn Boyer, Fisheries Biologist for the NRCS who oversees many projects working with private landowners throughout the west. "We undertook these studies to help inform riparian management and wildlife conservation," said Zack. "We think such assessments can represent a 'win-win' for private landowners wanting to restore their streams and for encouraging the creation of more in-stream habitat for fish and habitat important for declining migratory birds. We are very happy that our work is being adopted by the NRCS, who can help implement widespread conservation of fish and wildlife working with private landowners." The Wildlife Conservation Society is building upon this work to better inform how to conserve of riparian systems and wildlife habitat. "As riparian habitat is the most degraded, but most important, habitat in the West, it is imperative to find workable ways to restore our watersheds to ensure that they function to store water, hold soils, and provide habitat to wildlife," said Zack. Wildlife Conservation Society |
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| Related Wildlife Conservation Current Events and Wildlife Conservation News Articles World's least known bird rediscovered A species of bird, which has only been observed alive on three previous occasions since it was first discovered in 1867, has been rediscovered in a remote land corridor in north-eastern Afghanistan. Wildlife Conservation Society finds 'world's least known bird' breeding in Afghanistan Researchers for the Wildlife Conservation Society have discovered for the first time the breeding area of the large-billed reed warbler-dubbed in 2007 as "the world's least known bird species"-in the remote and rugged Wakhan Corridor of the Pamir Mountains of north-eastern Afghanistan. Tilapia feed on Fiji's native fish The poster child for sustainable fish farming-the tilapia-is actually a problematic invasive species for the native fish of the islands of Fiji, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups. World's rarest gorilla ready for its close-up The world's rarest-and most camera shy-great ape has finally been captured on professional video on a forested mountain in Cameroon, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and Germany's NDR Naturfilm. List of 'unsung' wildlife affected by climate change released The Wildlife Conservation Society today released a list of animals facing new impacts by climate change, some in strange and unexpected ways. Orphaned Mountain Gorilla Babies Return Home to Congo National Park More than two years after being evacuated following the 2007 killings of their mothers, mountain gorilla babies Ndakasi and Ndeze this week returned home to the Democratic Republic of Congo, moving into a new custom-built forest sanctuary. A year after discovery, Congo's 'mother lode' of gorillas remains vulnerable A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society says that western lowland gorillas living in a large swamp in the Republic of Congo-part of the "mother lode" of more than 125,000 gorillas discovered last year-are becoming increasingly threatened by growing humans activity in the region. Africa's rarest monkey had an intriguing sexual past, DNA study confirms The most extensive DNA study to-date of Africa's rarest monkey reveals that the species had an intriguing sexual past. Of the last two remaining populations of the recently discovered kipunji, one population shows evidence of past mating with baboons while the other does not. New study provides insight on energy development and sage-grouse habitat in the intermountain West A study released October 14th in the current issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE will shed new light on oil and gas development potential in the Intermountain West. Whale-sized genetic study largest ever for southern hemisphere humpbacks After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and an international coalition of organizations have unveiled the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. More Wildlife Conservation Current Events and Wildlife Conservation News Articles |
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