Archaic and contemporary topographic diversification of Upper Mississippi River forests
Abstract
Topographic diversity is an important component of environmental heterogeneity. Topographic diversity within the Upper Mississippi River floodplain has been degraded because of modifications for navigation improvement. Efforts aimed at restoring topographic diversity in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain have been extensive but have not focused on reversing the effects of forest loss and degradation. We investigated habitat features associated with Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) locations both within and outside of river floodplains and hypothesized this species would select topographically diverse habitats. Both topographic diversity and the distance to the upland forest/floodplain forest interface were useful predictors of Cerulean Warbler presence. We conclude that incorporation of topographic diversity into floodplain forest restoration planning would likely benefit Cerulean Warblers and the other species with similar habitat requirements. Incorporating topographic diversity into floodplain forest conservation planning will be challenging on major rivers that serve multiple purposes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 20, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1111/rec.12901
Entities
People
- Amber Langhus
- Jon Stravers
- Lisa Maas
- Rich King
- Tamra Elliot
Organizations
- National Park Service
- United States Army Corps of Engineers
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service