SCIENCE SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL AND REFUGE BIRD CONSERVATION PLANNING

Craig R. Beckman1, Shawn Weick1, Melinda G. Knutson1, John R. Sauer2, Timothy J. 
Fox1, Eileen M. Kirsch1, Brian R. Gray1, Christine A. Ribic1.
1U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, 
WI 54603 2U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 
20708.

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) is a new bird 
conservation effort that seeks to integrate various bird conservation plans and 
"deliver the full spectrum of bird conservation through regionally-based, 
biologically-driven, landscape-oriented partnerships" 
(http://www.dodpif.org/nabci/index.htm).  This study will provide science 
support for the NABCI initiative in Region 3 of the USFWS, which includes the 
Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge.  We will develop GIS data 
layers and GIS management tools within the Prairie-Hardwood Transition Ecoregion 
that will allow refuge managers to incorporate regional and local bird 
information into refuge-specific planning.  These GIS data layers and tools will 
be combined with land bird point count information from National Wildlife 
Refuges, Wetland Management Districts, State agencies, and universities to 
develop habitat models for multiple bird species.  This study is a collaborative 
effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3, the USGS Upper 
Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, and the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research 
Center.  

As a first step in the process, we worked with multiple wildlife refuges and the 
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to integrate point count data collected 
from USFWS Refuges into a MS Access database.  The database mirrors the national 
Bird Point Count Database being developed at Patuxent.  The database records the 
data and metadata needed for future use of the point count databases in modeling 
efforts.  Incorporating data from multiple sources into a unified Access 
database without re-entering the data proved to be a major challenge.  Problems 
included ambiguous mapping of point locations, bird names that didn't match the 
master list, loss of metadata necessary for full understanding of the data, and 
differences in data collection methods and recording.  Once completed, the 
Prairie-Hardwood database will be useful for conservation planning at the refuge 
and regional scale, and the data will be available for use in modeling work.   
The database will also provide a template for future recording of point count 
data.    

Keywords:  NABCI, USFWS Region 3, GIS, bird point count, National Wildlife 
Refuge