Towards an operational database of forest bird abundance in British Columbia

Forest companies would like to reduce the number of birds, eggs, and nests that are negatively affected by logging. The problem is that we dont have detailed knowledge of where every bird lives, so its difficult to make educated choices about where and how much forest to harvest. My research will provide a solution to this problem. I will relate bird data to forest characteristics like age and height to understand which forest types have the most birds, and to map out where birds are most likely to live. This information will be provided to the partner organizations and other forest companies to ultimately help develop logging plans that reduce accidental destruction of bird nests and eggs.

Faculty Supervisor:

Erin Bayne

Student:

Nicole Barker

Partner:

West Fraser Mills Ltd.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Natural resources

University:

University of Alberta