Using multiple spatial scales to prioritize openland bird conservation in the Midwest

Geographic variation is a common problem facing conservation planners and land managers. Results from local-scale or single species research can only rarely be extrapolated across scales, ecoregions, or species. Because most species show geographic variation in habitat requirements and response to management, a conflict often exists between traditional ecological research that emphasizes precision at finer spatial and temporal scales and the needs of planners and land managers who require information that is less geographically and temporally restricted. For multi-species conservation planning, geographically broad-scale information on the distribution of cover types and species is critical for setting the conservation priorities that guide land management decisions. This is especially true because geographically explicit conservation "hotspots" cannot contain habitat necessary for the conservation of all species.; This research describes the geographic distributions of openland cover types and bird species and then evaluates the cumulative and relative importance of different geographic areas for openland bird conservation. Information at coarser geographic scales provides context to information at progressively finer scales. The findings from this three-chapter dissertation suggested that conservation goals and objectives must be geographically sorted because conservation actions may have more implications at some scales and in some ecoregions than others. Although conservation planning that prioritizes management efforts primarily in more openland-dominated states and ecoregions may provide necessary habitat for most species, the needs of all species (particularly some rarer species of high conservation priority) will not be met by these areas alone. This work could be useful in guiding conservation actions as posed in the Michigan Wildlife Conservation Strategy and the Important Bird Areas Program, and in directing future studies examining demographics or productivity of openland birds at landscape or habitat scales.