Bogs, Birds, and the Boreal Beat: Climate Change and Life at the Edge of the Boreal
Michale Glennon, Ph.D. - Senior Research Scientist
New York State’s Adirondack Park is a large, intact breeding ground for numerous migratory bird species, several of which are declining throughout their range. A unique component of the Adirondack avifauna is the birds inhabiting the boreal peatlands of the park. Climate change is now widely recognized as the pre-eminent threat to biodiversity in the 21st Century. At the southern range extent for this ecosystem type and many of its avian inhabitants, the park is a valuable location from which to monitor changes in bird populations from a warming climate. Findings from long-term monitoring of boreal birds in the Adirondacks suggest that bird responses to climate change may be mediated by land use patterns, highlight the importance of a patchy habitat distribution, and raise important implications for potential conservation strategies in these habitats.