Benefits of Golden-winged Warbler and Cerulean Warbler habitat restoration for non-target forest birds: An empirical examination of the focal species concept

Tessa A. Rhinehart, Darin J. McNeil, Cameron J. Fiss, Jeffery L. Larkin, Amanda D. Rodewald, Jonathan Cohen, Justin Kitzes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Despite the growing popularity of using single species as surrogates for biodiversity, conservation interventions for a single taxon do not always benefit other species within the community. Using a suite of multiple focal species, together, may better guide management that benefits entire ecological communities. Here, we provide the first empirical evaluations of community-level outcomes of two real-world management programs structured around focal species. Specifically, we assess the extent to which forest management intended to benefit a pair of imperiled songbird species, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), provides benefits to non-target forest bird species in the eastern United States. Using data from 803 sites surveyed over seven years across three central Appalachian states, we demonstrate that silvicultural treatments designed to benefit the two focal species also increased occupancy probabilities for 25 of 64 non-focal species, including 6 of 25 species identified as high-priority for the regions. Focal-species treatments also on average supported 4–7 more bird species per point than reference unmanaged, mature forests. Only 4 of 64 species were found to have lower occupancy probability in treated forests. These results provide evidence that forest management for Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers provides meaningful co-benefits to other species in the central Appalachians and thus support use of multiple focal species to efficiently conserve a larger proportion of the avian community.

Original languageEnglish
Article number110436
JournalBiological Conservation
Volume292
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors

Funding

This work was supported by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Conservation Effects Assessment Project ( 68-7482-15-501 ), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ( 0407.18.059680 and 0403.20.069725 ), the University of Pittsburgh , and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania .

FundersFunder number
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Conservation Effects Assessment Project68-7482-15-501
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation0407.18.059680, 0403.20.069725
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    Keywords

    • Cerulean warbler
    • Focal species
    • Forest management
    • Golden-winged warbler
    • Species richness
    • Umbrella species

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
    • Nature and Landscape Conservation

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