From 1994-1997 I surveyed breeding birds and sampled vegetation at 391 random points on UMR floodplain forest along a latitudinal gradient to characterize bird assemblages and associations with gradients in forest structure at the local survey point and land cover composition within 200m radius of survey points (landscape scale). We conducted 10 minute 50m fixed radius point counts (Ralph et al. 1993) to survey birds during the breeding period between 30 May and 10 July in all years. We sampled the southernmost pool (13) first and then progressed to each pool in succession northward, finishing in Pool 4, sampling each point once a season. Surveys were conducted from 30 minutes before to five hours after local sunrise. We recorded all birds seen and heard within a ten-minute sampling period and mapped locations data sheets within and beyond 50m from the observer (as determined by visual estimation). We recorded vegetation cover using a releve’ (Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg 1974) within a 10m radius surrounding the survey point immediately following each bird survey. We estimated cover classes (<5%, 5-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 76-100%) for vegetation in four vertical layers (canopy, subcanopy, understory, ground), as well as litter cover and depth, or water cover and depth if the area was partially flooded. Heights of these layers differed among different sites and not all layers were present at all sites. We noted the three tree species with the most cover in the canopy and subcanopy each. We estimated canopy and subcanopy height (m) using a clinometer, and visually estimated understory and ground layer height (m). We estimated litter depth (cm) by taking the average of three readings from the ground to the top of the litter layer using a ruler. Beginning in 1995 the number of standing snags (>10cm dbh) within the 50m radius were counted as seen from center of the survey circle. Within 200m buffers of each sample point, I estimated the area (m2) of forest, wet meadow, dry grassland, emergent wetland, shrub carr, urban, agricultural, and open water habitats, and lengths of edges between these habitats (m) extracted from 1:15,000 scale GIS coverages based on 1989 color infrared aerial photos of study pools using ARC/INFO.

We sampled vegetation and breeding birds in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest edge and interior areas to (1) measure Phalaris cover and (2) evaluate if the breeding bird assemblage responded to differences in Phalaris cover or other forest structure variables. Data are counts of birds collected during 3 surveys within 50m at each site using 10 minute point count methods. Vegetation was sampled using a releve technique at the bird count point within 10m of the point.

We sampled vegetation and breeding birds in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest edge and interior areas to (1) measure Phalaris cover and (2) evaluate if the breeding bird assemblage responded to differences in Phalaris cover or other forest structure variables. Data are counts of birds collected during 3 surveys within 50m at each site using 10 minute point count methods. Vegetation was sampled using a releve technique at the bird count point within 10m of the point.

We conducted this study in Upper Mississippi River Pools 4 and 8 to document the occurrence and cover of Phalaris arundinacea and other forest floor plants in UMR floodplain forests and relate measures of abundance of Phalaris, and community composition and diversity to estimates of flood duration which can exhibit high spatial heterogeneity. We used modeled inundation duration which allowed us to sample at randomly selected forest “places” across a large spatial scale in forest areas that had a range of tree canopy cover and basal area. We also evaluated changes in plant composition, Phalaris and wood nettle cover and silver maple seedling persistence between years relative to modeled inundation duration. From these repeated samples we also asked whether Phalaris and wood nettle cover the 1st year influenced plant composition the following year. Forest floor vegetation was quantified as percent cover within 5, 4m radius plots: one in the center and 4 others centered 25m from the center plot in the 4 cardinal directions. Percent cover was recorded to the nearest 5% for cover over 5%, to nearest 1 percent below 5%. We also noted species that were rare (1-5 individuals with less than 1%) as 0.1% cover, or numerous with insignificant cover (<1% cover), as 0.5% cover. Summing cover over all species in a plot could yield a number greater than 100, or greater than the total cover estimated for that plot if plant canopies overlapped. The species abbreviations (codes) follow the USDA Plants website conventions (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home).

We conducted this study in Upper Mississippi River Pools 4 and 8 to document the occurrence and cover of Phalaris arundinacea and other forest floor plants in UMR floodplain forests and relate measures of abundance of Phalaris, and community composition and diversity to estimates of flood duration which can exhibit high spatial heterogeneity. We used modeled inundation duration which allowed us to sample at randomly selected forest “places” across a large spatial scale in forest areas that had a range of tree canopy cover and basal area. We also evaluated changes in plant composition, Phalaris and wood nettle cover and silver maple seedling persistence between years relative to modeled inundation duration. From these repeated samples we also asked whether Phalaris and wood nettle cover the 1st year influenced plant composition the following year. Forest floor vegetation was quantified as percent cover within 5, 4m radius plots: one in the center and 4 others centered 25m from the center plot in the 4 cardinal directions. Percent cover was recorded to the nearest 5% for cover over 5%, to nearest 1 percent below 5%. We also noted species that were rare (1-5 individuals with less than 1%) as 0.1% cover, or numerous with insignificant cover (<1% cover), as 0.5% cover. Summing cover over all species in a plot could yield a number greater than 100, or greater than the total cover estimated for that plot if plant canopies overlapped. The species abbreviations (codes) follow the USDA Plants website conventions (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home).

Our data include detailed information about 12 species of Anatidae broods encountered on four study areas in Maine during 1977–94 as one dataset. The second dataset provides the characteristics of the wetlands which were monitored during the studies. The third dataset enumerates the effort (such as numbers of visits to each wetland) to determine numbers of broods and the number of young that reached Class IIC-III to fledge. Each wetland is described by size, pH, specific conductivity, and class according to the system of Cowardin and others (1979, Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States, USFWS publication, 131 p.). More details of the datasets are included in the companion USGS Data Report.

Our data include detailed information about 12 species of Anatidae broods encountered on four study areas in Maine during 1977–94 as one dataset. The second dataset provides the characteristics of the wetlands which were monitored during the studies. The third dataset enumerates the effort (such as numbers of visits to each wetland) to determine numbers of broods and the number of young that reached Class IIC-III to fledge. Each wetland is described by size, pH, specific conductivity, and class according to the system of Cowardin and others (1979, Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States, USFWS publication, 131 p.). More details of the datasets are included in the companion USGS Data Report.

Data used in: "Misleading prioritizations from modeling range shifts under climate change" by H.R. Sofaer, C.S. Jarnevich, and C.H. Flather. Breeding Bird Survey data (version 2014.0) for songbirds were summarized over historical (1977-1979) and recent (2012-2014) time periods at routes in the conterminous U.S. Avian occurrence data were combined with information on climate and land cover at each survey route.

Data used in: "Misleading prioritizations from modeling range shifts under climate change" by H.R. Sofaer, C.S. Jarnevich, and C.H. Flather. Breeding Bird Survey data (version 2014.0) for songbirds were summarized over historical (1977-1979) and recent (2012-2014) time periods at routes in the conterminous U.S. Avian occurrence data were combined with information on climate and land cover at each survey route.

This dataset consists of estimates of population trends for 236 species and species complexes of North American birds, and bird taxonomic, primary habitat biome, or conservation status group relative abundance trajectories. Both sets of estimates cover the period 1970 - 2022. Sources of data include the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), Christmas Bird Count (CBC), Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS), and the American Woodcock Singing-ground Survey (SGS). The groups with collective relative abundance trajectories are Aridland, Dabbling and Diving Ducks, Eastern Forest, Geese and Swans, Grassland, Sea Ducks, Tipping Point, Waterbirds, and Western Forest.