An Ecoregional Context for Forest Management on National Wildlife Refuges of the Upper Midwest,USA |
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Authors: | III" target="_blank">R?Gregory?CoraceIII Lindsey?M?Shartell Lisa?A?Schulte Wayne?L?Brininger Michelle?K?D?McDowell Email author" target="_blank">Daniel?M?KashianEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Seney National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Seney, MI, USA;(2) School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA;(3) Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA;(4) Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Rochert, MN, USA;(5) Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, McGregor, MN, USA;(6) Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; |
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Abstract: | To facilitate forest planning and management on National Wildlife Refuges, we synthesized multiple data sources to describe
land ownership patterns, land cover, landscape pattern, and changes in forest composition for four ecoregions and their associated
refuges of the Upper Midwest. We related observed patterns to ecological processes important for forest conservation and restoration,
with specific attention to refuge patterns of importance for forest landbirds of conservation priority. The large amount of
public land within the ecoregions (31–80%) suggests that opportunities exist for coarse and meso-scale approaches to conserving
and restoring ecological processes affecting the refuges, particularly historical fire regimes. Forests dominate both ecoregions
and refuges, but refuge forest patches are generally larger and more aggregated than in associated ecoregions. Broadleaf taxa
have increased in dominance in the ecoregions and displaced fire-dependent taxa such as pine (Pinus spp.) and other coniferous species; these changes in forest composition have likely also affected refuge forests. Despite
compositional changes, larger forest patches on refuges suggests that they may provide better habitat for area-sensitive forest
landbirds of mature, compositionally diverse forests than surrounding lands if management continues to promote increased patch
size. We reason that although fine-scale research and monitoring for species of conservation priority is important, broad
scale (ecoregional) assessments provide crucial context for effective forest and wildlife management in protected areas. |
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