Based on forest patch area, location, and hydrologic influence, we ranked the purported need of forest patches for additional conservation-protection. Qualities for higher ranking included forest patches with & greater than 2000 ha of core-forest that was more than 250 m from an edge, forest patches within high priority areas for reforestation, and forest patches with less propensity for flooding. Digital data are provided for: 1. Boundary of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley study area. 2. Forest cover (circa 2015) used to for determination of forest area in need of conservation protection. 3. The conservation estate (circa 2019) that had conservation protection by virtue of ownership, easement, or servitude. 4. Reforestation priority areas used to identify location of forests with increased need for forest protection. 5. Priority of forest areas for increased conservation protection.

Values for area of sustainable forest habitat for each species were obtained as the predicted occupied proportion of each 900 square meter pixel (i.e., occupancy probability x 900) within all forest patches deemed large enough to harbor a sustainable population of the species. The area required for a sustainable population of each species was derived from credible intervals associated with population trends from historical (1966-2015) BBS data (Sauer and others, 2017). For each silvicolous bird species in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, we assumed the minimum sustainable population was the number of birds needed to ensure ≤1% probability that the population would be extirpated (i.e., drop below a quasi-extinction threshold) during a 100-year period wherein annual population change was randomly selected from the credible interval associated with each species’ population trend. We used the mean of 500 simulation replicates conducted in R (Version 3.4.4; https://www.r-project.org/) as the presumed minimum sustainable population for each species. We arbitrarily set the quasi-extinction threshold at 25 breeding pairs. Because species with credible intervals associated with their trend estimates that were inclusively positive never declined in population, by default these species had a minimum sustainable population of 25 pairs.

Values for area of sustainable forest habitat for each species were obtained as the predicted occupied proportion of each 900 square meter pixel (i.e., occupancy probability x 900) within all forest patches deemed large enough to harbor a sustainable population of the species. The area required for a sustainable population of each species was derived from credible intervals associated with population trends from historical (1966-2015) BBS data (Sauer and others, 2017). For each silvicolous bird species in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, we assumed the minimum sustainable population was the number of birds needed to ensure ≤1% probability that the population would be extirpated (i.e., drop below a quasi-extinction threshold) during a 100-year period wherein annual population change was randomly selected from the credible interval associated with each species’ population trend. We used the mean of 500 simulation replicates conducted in R (Version 3.4.4; https://www.r-project.org/) as the presumed minimum sustainable population for each species. We arbitrarily set the quasi-extinction threshold at 25 breeding pairs. Because species with credible intervals associated with their trend estimates that were inclusively positive never declined in population, by default these species had a minimum sustainable population of 25 pairs.

Values for area of all occupied habitat were only obtained for species whose occupancy models predicted a marked proportion of the species' population was likely present in non-forest habitats.

A Priority Place is an area of high biodiversity value that is seen as a distinct place with a common ecological theme by the people who live and work there. As part of the Pan-Canadian approach to transforming Species at Risk conservation in Canada, a total of 11 Priority Places were affirmed by federal, provincial, and territorial governments in December 2018. The places selected have significant biodiversity, concentrations of species at risk, and opportunities to advance conservation efforts. In each Priority Place, the federal and provincial or territorial governments are working with Indigenous Peoples, partners, and stakeholders to develop conservation implementation plans. This dataset displays the geographic area covered by each of the 11 Priority Places using the best available information from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). Boundary information for each Priority Place was provided by its respective CWS regional office. The federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, has agreed to the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada. This new approach shifts from a single-species approach to conservation to one that focuses on multiple species and ecosystems. This enables conservation partners to work together to achieve better outcomes for species at risk. These 11 Priority Places are complemented by a suite of Community-Nominated Priority Places (CNPP), identified through an open call for applications.

A Priority Place is an area of high biodiversity value that is seen as a distinct place with a common ecological theme by the people who live and work there. As part of the Pan-Canadian approach to transforming species at risk conservation in Canada, a total of 11 Priority Places were affirmed by federal, provincial, and territorial governments in December 2018. The places selected have significant biodiversity, concentrations of species at risk, and opportunities to advance conservation efforts. In each Priority Place, the federal and provincial or territorial governments are working with Indigenous Peoples, partners, and stakeholders to develop conservation implementation plans. This dataset captures a small sample of the projects that are underway in these Priority Places. Over time, it will be expanded to include more projects. Some projects span various areas of a Priority Place but are reflected in this dataset as a single center point. This dataset is not to be used for legal purposes.