Sagebrush Bird Conservation Network
Project Name: Habitat use by birds along a gradient of mountain big sagebrush and western juniper woodland
Objectives: Assessment of the importance of western juniper density within mountain big sagebrush habitats to shrubsteppe and juniper woodland bird communities. Identification of western juniper cover thresholds at which shrubsteppe birds begin to and completely dissapear from mountain big sagebrush communities and juniper cover thresholds at which juniper woodland birds begin to occur is a primary goal. Predictive models of habitat associations of shrubsteppe and juniper woodland birds across this gradient will help understand the role western juniper encroachment in shubsteppe communities has in shaping songbird communities.
Location: Horse Lake Basin and the southern Modoc Plateau, Lassen County, California (NE of Susanville, CA)
Project duration: Begun in 2002 - ongoing.
Project contact:
Dan Barton
Shrubsteppe Program Biologist
PRBO Conservation Science
dbarton@prbo.org
Aaron Holmes
Shrubsteppe Program Director
PRBO Conservation Science
aholmes@prbo.org
Bird sampling methods: 5 minute variable circular plot point counts.
Vegetation sampling: 100 m line intercept, 20 adapted daubenmire frames, and juniper tree counts (for estimating juniper density) have been sampled at all sites.