Forest Health
Study Birds. Learn About Forests.
What bird breeding habits reveal about the health of our forests.
Breeding birds are incredibly indicative of the quality of a landscape because most species are habitat selective. They're nomadic enough to find good breeding sites, and they're relatively easy to observe. By observing them, we can determine if our environment is healthy. Our IEC Forest tool provide a rigorous, transparent tool for measuring forest health in northern mesic forests of the western Great Lakes region based on local breeding birds. It can guide sustainable forest management and conservation practices and monitor long-term outcomes.
Feathered Facts
Use the work we've already done to help determine forest health. How to Use the Tool
Over 100 Bird Species
Well over 100 species of breeding birds are found in these forests depending on the size and heterogeneity of the landscape. Some of these bird species are very sensitive to forest condition, while others are more tolerant of disturbance and might even prefer degraded habitats
Laurentian Mixed Forest
Our general approach is applicable anywhere for any group of species or environmental variables, but our specific calculator is appropriate for northern mesic forest landscapes of northern Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin (Bird Conservation Region 12).
Why Birds = Forest Health
Forest birds provide valuable ecological services in their own right but, because they are relatively conspicuous and well-known, forest birds are especially useful as cost-effective and reliable indicators of a healthy forest environment.
Ensure Accurate Data
- In order to use the IEC calculator, bird monitoring points must be from a northern mesic forest landscape (Curtis 1959) in parts of Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 12.
- To avoid bias, points should be positioned at least 250 m apart from each other (Howe et al. 1997).
- Bird data must consist of standard 10-minute unlimited-radius point counts (Howe et al. 1997; Knutson et al. 2007) collected during the breeding season (approximately late May through early July).
- These methods require expert bird observers to record all birds seen or heard (including flyovers), regardless of distance to the observer, from a stationary point count location. Visit Birder Certification Online and have your observers validate their bird identification skills.
- Point counts should be conducted during the early morning hours and in good weather with minimal wind (<12 mph) and rain.
- Ideally, points should be located at least 100 m within a forest area.
Support that spans
Wisconsin
Built by students, supported by volunteers and powered by birds.
The Index of Ecological Condition (IEC) calculator is the result of a unique collaboration between researchers from The Nature Conservancy, timber investment groups, the U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin DNR, Marshfield Clinic, UW–Madison and the University of Minnesota–Duluth. Hundreds of volunteers and field researchers across Wisconsin also played a vital role, collecting the bird data that powers this tool. Together, they’ve created a science-based way to measure forest health and support smarter, more sustainable land management.
Ask an Expert
Meet Erin Giese, Associate Director of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity. She champions student experience and truly enjoys training the next generation of scientists. If you have questions about the Forest Health Tool, Erin can help.