Bird
Conservation Regions
Parts of four Bird Conservation Regions, as defined by the North American
Bird Conservation Initiative, occur in Illinois. In this context, Illinois
shares a natural affinity with areas ranging from eastern Nebraska to central
Wisconsin, eastern Kentucky and southern Louisiana.
The
following descriptions are of entire Bird Conservation Regions, not
only the Illinois portions:
Eastern
Tallgrass Prairie - This region includes what was formerly
the tallest and lushest grasslands of the Great Plains. The prairie
and woodland ecotone was marked by a broad and dynamic oak-dominated
savanna. The modern landscape of the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is dominated
by agriculture. Threats to the upland and wetland habitats of this
region include urbanization, recreational development, and agricultural
expansion. High priority grassland birds that persist in some areas
include the Greater Prairie-Chicken and Henslow’s Sparrow.
Cerulean Warblers are in some wooded areas, and Red-headed Woodpecker leads
the list of savanna specialists.
Prairie Hardwood Transition - Prairies once dominated
this region in the west and south. Oak savanna separated this landscape
from the beech-maple forest to the north and east. There are still
remnant populations of Greater Prairie-Chicken in grasslands and
Cerulean Warbler and other forest-breeding migrants to the northeast.
Early successional habitat is used by Golden-winged Warblers, Henslow’s
Sparrows, and American Woodcock. Glaciation has resulted in numerous
pothole-type wetlands and shallow lakes, and the Great Lakes’ coastal
estuaries are the destinations of many rivers. Additional important
waterfowl lakeshore-wetland habitats range from emergent marshes
and diked impoundments to normally ice-free deepwater habitats
valuable for diving ducks. This region is second only to the Prairie
Pothole region in terms of support of high densities of breeding
waterfowl, including Mallard, Bluewinged Teal, Wood Duck, and Redhead.
Central Hardwoods - The Ozark Mountains on the
west and Interior Low Plateaus on the east are geologically similar
to each other but are bisected by the floodplain of the Mississippi
River and its larger tributaries. The entire area is dominated
by an oak-hickory deciduous forestinhabited by interior forest
species, such as Cerulean Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Louisiana
Waterthrush. The region includes some of the most extensive forests
in the middle of the continent and is probably a source for populations
of these birds for many surrounding areas. Among early succession
birds, this is the last major stronghold of the Eastern Bewick’s
Wren. Restoration of prairie, glade, and barren habitat is a conservation
priority. Although Wood Ducks are the primary breeding waterfowl, the region
holds more significance for waterfowl as a migratory staging area. The
floodplains of the river systems exhibit a diversity of habitats (e.g.,
floodplain forests, emergent wetlands, and submerged aquatic beds), all
of which are utilized by migrating waterfowl. Large concentrations of waterfowl,
including Mallard, Lesser Scaup, and Canvasback, are common during both
spring and fall migration. Threats to the habitats of the region include
agricultural conversion of floodplain habitats and urbanization.
Mississippi Alluvial Valley - The Lower Mississippi
Alluvial Valley consists of approximately 24 million acres of alluvial
floodplain south of the Mississippi River’s confluence with
the Ohio River. Prior to European settlement, this was the greatest
bottomland hardwood forest on earth and was subject to massive
annual flood events of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
These forested wetlands were the main wintering area for mid-continent
Mallards, Wood Ducks, and other waterfowl species. Flood control
and deforestation for agriculture began more than 100 years ago.
Today, less than 25 percent of the region remains forested and
flooding has been reduced by about 90 percent. Despite these changes,
the region still winters large numbers of waterfowl, estimated
at about 9 percent of the continental duck population. With the
large reduction in native habitat and natural flooding, the major
waterfowl management issue today is providing enough foraging habitat
on managed private and public lands to reliably meet the needs
of wintering ducks and geese. Many shorebird species also use managed
wetlands for migration stopover sites. Remnant forests harbor populations
of Swainson’s Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, and Swallow-tailed
Kite. The region provides excellent colonial waterbird habitat,
particularly to the south where large numbers of White Ibis, Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron, and other herons and egrets nest.
For
more information, please go to: http://www.nabci-us.org/
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| Congress
has challenged the States to develop a Wildlife
Action Plan
that focus on the "species in greatest need of conservation," yet addresses
the "full array of wildlife." The State Wildlife Grant Program defines
wildlife as any species of wild, free-ranging animal, including fish,
and animals in captive breeding programs when the objective is reintroduction
of individuals to the species' natural range. All wild animals–vertebrate
and invertebrate, aquatic and terrestrial–will be incorporated into the
Wildlife
Action Plan.
The Illinois plan will specifically address game species, the species
in greatest need of conservation and the plants that comprise the habitats
necessary for Illinois' wildlife.
As
a condition of Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program and State
Wildlife Grant Program funding, Illinois must develop a Wildlife
Action Plan
that identifies and is focused upon the "species in greatest need of
conservation."
The first of eight required elements is to provide "information on the
distribution and abundance of species of wildlife, including low and
declining populations as the State fish and wildlife agency deems appropriate,
that are indicative of the diversity and health of the State's wildlife." To
address this requirement, a set of Eight Criteria
have been considered for selecting Illinois´species
in greatest need of conservation.
- What
this list and these species ARE:
- An
answer to "what species are we concerned about?"
Certainly threatened and endangered species are in critical need,
but many more species are rare, localized or declining, and worthy
of attention. This type of philosophy is sometimes described as "
keeping common species common".
- Tools
for IDNR to identify habitat and geographic priorities
By considering where these species occur, areas or habitat types
will be identified that have high diversity of " species
in greatest need of conservation". Distributions of these
species will be one of several factors IDNR considers in selecting
conservation opportunity areas–sites and landscapes with
specific wildlife objectives and where efforts are focused.
- Potential
measures of conservation success
Monitoring some of these species will be indicators of the relative
success of conservation actions.
- Ways
to involve willing conservation partners
Conservation needs in Illinois far exceed what IDNR can accomplish
alone. Other agencies and organizations have important wildlife programs
and conservation resources. Defining the species in Illinois in greatest
need of conservation is one way to guide priorities and build cooperative
efforts.
- A
requirement for continuing to receive State Wildlife Grant Program
funding
- What
this list and these species ARE NOT:
- The
list is NOT a special protection status for a species
- The
list is NOT regulatory
- Species
are NOT necessarily a direct target of conservation actions
Most of the species in greatest need of conservation do not require
species-specific conservation actions. Stewardship geared towards
habitats and alleviating common problems, such as invasive species,
is the most effective solution.
- The
list is NOT the focus of the Illinois
Wildlife Action Plan
The focus of the Illinois
Wildlife Action Plan
is to identify wildlife and habitat goals and the people and resources
that will help reach those goals. A species-by-species approach will
not work.
- Species
in Greatest Need of Conservation
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