Forest
patches are opportunities to conserve wildlife
Date: June 5, 2019
Source: University of California - Davis
Privately-owned,
fragmented forests in Costa Rica can support as many vulnerable bird species as
can nearby nature reserves, according to a study from the University of
California, Davis.
The
research suggests that working with landowners to conserve or restore forests
on working landscapes can help protect wildlife. In Costa Rica, working landscapes
include forest patches, crops, pastures and small towns.
The
study, published June 5 in the Journal of Applied Ecology, found that
reforesting private lands in regions that are wetter and already forested would
yield the greatest gains for bird communities.
Such
information is being used by local conservation organizations to help
prioritize sites for rainforest restoration across the study region.
"With
sufficient forest cover, working landscapes -- even if degraded and fragmented
-- can maintain bird communities that are indistinguishable from those found in
protected areas," said lead author Daniel Karp, an assistant professor in
the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. "This
means that private landowners have great power to improve the conservation
value of their lands through reforestation."
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