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Private Work with Wildlife and People in the United States

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/100292
This digital collection includes presentations given at the 8th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium held in 2014 for the symposium theme: Private Work with Wildlife and People in the United States.

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Browsing Private Work with Wildlife and People in the United States by Author "Mummey, Dan, speaker"

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    Using bird populations to evaluate activities, promote ecological awareness, and prompt action on private lands
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Ramsey, Philip, speaker; Stone, Kate, speaker; Mummey, Dan, speaker; Morgan, Ken, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
    Private landowners allocate significant resources towards restoration activities, yet have few ways to demonstrate the ecological effectiveness of their actions. As a group, birds are well suited to serve as response variables to management actions due to their abundance, relatively small territories, association with specific vegetative features, and our ability to passively monitor them. The MPG Ranch studies bird populations using a variety of methods, including: point counts, direct observations of target species, fine-scale mapping of bird occurrence, and tracking devices. The information gathered allows us to evaluate the success of restoration projects, including large-scale activities such as landscape conversion and small-scale activities such as building enclosures and shrubby draw enhancement. Our studies also allow us to document basic distribution and life history information on little-known species. We share data with local conservation groups, our state's Natural Heritage Program, and national bird monitoring efforts such as "eBird", "HawkCount", and "Hummingbirds at Home." Though our main goal is to apply data towards our own on-the-ground restoration activities, collaborative and community outreach efforts broaden its application to larger topics, including regional land-use planning efforts and setting management guidelines for species of concern. Our hope is that our research will prompt other private landowners to invest in formal and/or informal bird monitoring efforts on their properties.