dc.description.abstract | Forest-dwelling birds hold various social, economic, and ecological
values. This study aims to identify the habitat elements that recreational
areas provide or lack for various forest birds. Three recreational areas
across Thunder Bay, Ontario were visited in order to gain insight about
the effects these areas have on avifauna. The study areas include:
Thunder Bay Spacing Trials, Cascades Conservation Area and
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. These sites were chosen based on their
recreational value, size and location. Thunder Bay Spacing trials
represents a homogenized recreational forest in comparison to the other
two forests which are heterogeneous in structure. Observations of
species, weather, time and date, and forest structure were all noted
during each trial. Sampling techniques, duration of visits and the
presence of a flowing water body remained constant amongst all sites.
The relationship between bird observations and weather, bird presence
based on forest structure (homogeneous and heterogeneous) and the
anthropogenic qualities of each site were all investigated. From the
results, there was a slight relationship between bird availability and
weather. The bird and tree species composition of each site varied
significantly, as well as the total number of species observed at each site. | en_US |