Silencing the Forest Songbirds

Slide 1: 

Silencing the Forest Mason Brady Mr. Vega - English 11A How Logging Destroys Songbird Populations in the Northeast http://www.fs.fed.us/wildecology/decaid/decaid_background/op_logging_bigload.jpg

If a tree were cut down in the forest and no wildlife were there to see it… : 

If a tree were cut down in the forest and no wildlife were there to see it… …would they still have a home? http://www.inmagine.com/uny580/u15533117-photo

Abstract : 

Abstract The purpose of this project is to create an understanding of how logging in the Northeast affects the songbird population. Songbird populations decrease every year when birds migrating from southern regions find their homes destroyed. These birds keep insect numbers down and add beauty to the landscape. The songbirds might be thought of as having no significance, but in reality they are essential to the ecosystems they inhabit.

Trees are being… : 

Trees are being… Cut down for lumber. Logged to create roads. Cleared to make room for development and industry. http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/05/09/logging460x276.jpg

Is there an effect? : 

Is there an effect? http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2008-04/george-steinmetz-clear-cut-road.jpg

Songbirds… : 

Songbirds… Do they have a purpose? How does logging affect their population? What problems do they solve in the environment? http://www.mo.gov/mo/mophotos/winged/WN_BaltimoreOrioles_McDaniel_050707.jpg

Deforestation : 

Deforestation 300 million acres of forest was harvested from 1630 to 1907 in the Northeast alone. After the beginning of the 20th century, loggers headed west in search of better timber, but still today clear cutting exists. (Northeast Wilderness) http://www.oceansatlas.com/unatlas/projectmanager/atlas_cd/cds_upload/1022772260947_logging__deforestation___0014894.jpg

"The threat is that once you have a forest that comes back, there is pressure to do what you used to do: cut it down." ~John Gilroy (Northeast Wilderness) : 

"The threat is that once you have a forest that comes back, there is pressure to do what you used to do: cut it down." ~John Gilroy (Northeast Wilderness) http://i.pbase.com/o6/61/711761/1/86363131.hKzbzg0y.DSC_0026r1.jpg

The Birds : 

The Birds Colorful birds such as Orioles, Tanangers, purple martins, and wood thrushes are known as “Neotropical migrants.” These birds need 250 acres for successful living. They migrate south to warmer climates but nest in the northeast for spring. More and more birds will return to their homes and find them destroyed because of urban sprawl and development. (Endangered Species Handbook)

Forest Fragmentation : 

Forest Fragmentation Forest fragmentation splits up a wooded area into small patches of trees. This leaves the birds nesting along edges and openings and always have the threat of predation on them by other animals. These animals may be cats, raccoons, snakes, and blue jays. The birds then cannot successfully reproduce and go into what is called a "sink" where the birds will never replenish themselves. Photo: http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/MiddleMississippiRiver/images/cottonwoods.jpg (Klawitter)

Slide 11: 

In the eastern forests the migratory songbirds have decreased 45 percent in the last 50 years. Clear cutting and fragmentation of their breeding forests displaced the songbirds. Homes, malls,and roads conform big forests into small patches of woods. In these new woods the male songbird cannot hear others and abandons his home. (North America)

Slide 12: 

The Unsung Hero http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.50simplethings.com/images/articles/2ffd599ca5eb2fe8d4eac812d6c3cc53.jpg

Slide 13: 

The songbirds are key to the ecosystems in the Northeast. They are cost efficient, insect controllers. Like bats, the birds kill many insects a day that may be carrying harmful parasites that can effect us. These insects, if were not controlled, would be destroying the foliage on the forest floor, spreading disease, and pestering people much more often. (Klawitter)

What Should We Do? : 

What Should We Do? There is a supply of trees in the Northeast that needs to fit the demand. By recycling and using less paper products, together we can lower the demand for timber and therefore slow down the logging industry. Doing this will give songbirds a chance to adapt to their changing environment and still be able to control the insect population while keeping their numbers strong. Instead of the birds migrating to little or no home, they will come back and notice only a few trees missing. (Valentine; Mayfield)

Works Cited : 

Works Cited Endangered Species Handbook. Endangered Species Handbook. 2005. Animal Welfare Institution. 1 May 2009 <http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/index.php>. Klawitter, Bob. FOREST PRESERVATION FOR THE TIMBER INDUSTRY 3 (1994): 1-1. 1994. 1 May 2009. <Http://www.fnr.purdue.edu/inwood/past%20issues/FOREST%20PRESERVATION%20FOR%20THE%20TIMBER%20INDUSTRY.htm.> Mayfield, Pam. "U.S. Forest Conservation May Increase Deforestation Elsewhere." OSU Research News. 28 May 1999. Ohio State University. 30 Apr. 2009 <http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/timber.htm>. "North America." Endangered Species Handbook. 1983. Animal Welfare Institution. 01 May 2009 <http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/forest_north.php>. "Northeast Wilderness Returning a Century after Deforestation." Associated Press. 17 Aug. 1998. Forest Protection Portal. 1 May 2009 <http://forests.org/archive/america/amforrec.htm>. Valentine, James. "NRDC: Paper Industry Laying Waste to North American Forests." NRDC: Natural Resources Defense Council - The Earth's Best Defense. 2 Apr. 2009. 01 May 2009 <http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/tissue.asp>.