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LTEM: Monitoring breeding land birds in Olympic National Park
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Dr. D. Erran Seaman and Dr. Kurt J. Jenkins, USGS, FRESC, OFS
 Changes in avian community structure and population abundance may indicate fundamental changes in park ecosystems related to changing climate, forest communities, or human uses on the breeding grounds as well as habitat loss and change on wintering grounds of migrant species. From 1998-2000 we conducted preliminary design studies to evaluate and refine point-count methods for monitoring breeding land birds in Olympic National Park. Such design studies, or pilot studies, are a critical step in the process of evaluating statistical and economic efficiencies of monitoring, selecting monitoring attributes on the basis of costs and statistical properties, and identifying sampling problems. Our objectives were to describe spatial and temporal variation in point count indices, evaluate distance-based sampling methods, examine potential problems with point-count sampling in highly structured coniferous forest ecosystems, and provide recommendations for monitoring.
 Roberts, S., K. J. Jenkins, and others. In Prep. Monitoring breeding land birds in Olympic National Park: preliminary design studies. USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center.
 We are indebted to Susan Roberts (USGS) for her help managing and analyzing data sets and drafting many key sections of the final report. We would also like to thank Katherine Beirne (NPS) for her help in developing the database, preparing data summaries, and overall assisting us in many phases of the project. Thanks to Dave Manson, our lead technician, for overseeing field operations and to the following individuals for for conducting field work for this project: Jen Shulzitski, Lori Overacre, Alan Watson, Kathe Derge, and Roger Meyer. Carrie Donnellan prepared the metadata summaries for this project.
Kurt Jenkins
Phone: 360-565-3041
E-mail: kurt_jenkins@usgs.gov
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