Since 1994,The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) has partnered with the DoD Legacy Resource Management Office and DoD natural resource managers to:

• Monitor the demographics of landbird populations of concern,
• Model demographics as functions of landscape pattern and change,
• Quantify demographic effects of weather/climate variation,
• Provide management guidelines to maintain source habitat, and
• Monitor the efficacy of pro-conservation management actions.

The DoD-MAPS network (Google Earth Map) monitors the effects of management (or wildfire) on 50+ species, but the primary target installations include six stations on each of four installations in NABCI Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 24 (Central Hardwoods)

• Fort Leonard Wood, MO - monitoring effects of reforestation and wildfire prevention on 25 species including Field Sparrow. We also conduct Cerulean Warbler surveys in riparian bottomland forest.
• NSA Crane, IN - monitoring effects of forest management on community change (23 species), including interior forest species (e.g. Wood Thrush and Worm-eating Warbler) and more species (e.g. Blue-winged Warbler and Kentucky Warbler) more associated with successional habitat.
• Jefferson Proving Ground, IN - (now Big Oaks NWR) monitoring effects of forest management (thinning and fire) on the population dynamics of 25 species including forest-dwelling (e.g. Wood Thrush and Ovenbird) and successional species (e.g.Blue-winged Warbler, and Kentucky Warbler).
• Fort Knox, KY - monitoring installation-wide declines of 23 species (including Wood Thrush and Kentucky Warbler) thought to result from residential and commercial encroachment.
• BCR24 STATIONS POOLED - allows access to the results of analyzing data pooled from all four installations (24 stations).

Another 18 stations were located on three Texas military installations, Texas Army Reserve National Guard Camp Swift and Fort Hood within the Oaks and Praires BCR, and TNG Camp Bowie within the Edwards Plateau BCR.

• TXARNG Camp Bowie, TX - monitoring the effects of grazing cessation, watercourse restoration, and widlfire on 15 landbird species including Painted Bunting.
• TXARNG Camp Swift, TX - monitoring the effects of dropzone management (fire and vegetation removal techniques) on eight species, including Painted Bunting, and White-eyed Vireo.
• Fort Hood, TX - monitoring the population dynamics of 19 species including Painted Bunting and Golden-cheeked Warbler on sites adjacent to managed areas.
• TEXAS STATIONS POOLED - allows access to the results of analyzing data pooled from all three locations (18 stations).

In addition, six stations were located on US Army Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

• Fort Bragg, NC - monitoring effects of long-leaf pine habitat management on 22 species (including Prairie Warbler), specifically post-fire community changes in upland habitats.

IBP has monitored birds on other DoD installations but full MAPS analyses have not been conducted for these locations.

• NIOC Sugar Grove, WV - Effects of open woodland management on landbird demographics and butterfly conservation.
• NAS Brunswick & Redington SERE School, ME - monitoring landbirds of population concern.
• Fort Riley,KS.
• Fort Leavenworth, KS.
• Fort Belvoir, VA.
• Fort A.P. Hill, VA.
• NAS Patuxent River, MD
• NAS Dahlgren, MD
• Tidewater Naval Complex, NC/SC.

Our research has also revealed critically important relationships for several species (e.g. Painted Bunting and Wood Thrush) showing that seasonal weather influences population health on both the non-breeding and breeding habitats. More information regarding these relationships can be found in species management accounts in the Materials for Managers.

The project was coordinated by The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP Staff Page) lead by Phil Nott and David F. DeSante. Mary Chambers was responsible for many aspects of website design, authoring, and preparation of documents. Funding for these activities has been provided by the Legacy Resources Management Office, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division.

IBP Contact details

Postal Address: P.O. Box 1346; Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-1346; USA.
Shipping Address: 11435 State Route One, Suite 23; Point Reyes Station, CA 94956; USA.
Telephone: (415) 663-1436 FAX: (415) 663-9482

Recommended Citation: Nott, M. P.and M. Chambers. 2008. Monitoring, Modeling, and Managing Landbird Populations on Department of Defense Lands. Website supporting research findings and management decision-support tools for Department of Defense natural resource managers. A report to the DoD Legacy Resources Management Office, Washington D.C. http://birdpop.org/dod/dod_ibp.htm (3 March 2010)

Last edited March 4th, 2010

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