The “terrifying” report emphasizes a massive loss of birds – Pottsville Republican Herald

The marriage to the use of modern technologies with experienced ecological cups and input The community scientists offers us “precision protection” and a very clear and precise picture of bird health throughout North America.

A groundbreaking study published in the respected magazine Science showed that the bird populations in areas where you should thrive fall the most drastically.

Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology analyzed 36 million bird observations that bird observers shared to the Ebird program of the Cornell Lab, together with several environmental variables that come from high-resolution satellite images for 495 bird species across North America from 2007 to 2021.

A big finding? Birds disappear the fastest in the places where there are usually the best – places where they should cut off well. In fact, 83% of the bird species examined shrinks the most in the areas where they are most common. (Grassland and Arctic tundra birds show particularly troubling trends.)

“It is quite scary – the sheer number of birds that have disappeared is a bit difficult to fathom,” said Luke Redmond, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at Penn State Schuylkill. “I hope the Cornell data open the eyes of the people about what is going on in so many systems – not only in North America, but probably on the entire planet.”

Alison Johnston, a leading author of the study and the ecological statistics, added: “Places where ideal habitats and climate were once delivered for these species. I think this is an indication of larger shifts for nature that is around us.

Redmond said that the decline was probably not only limited to birds.

“Since birds are relatively easy to observe, their popularity means that there are many eyes looking for them,” he said. “I wouldn't be surprised if others [animal] Species show the same decline, and that makes it all the more worrying. “

Not all bad news

There is some hope. Almost every kind had a certain place on the map where the populations actually increased, even if these spots were only a few. These tiny success spots for some bird species could be due to conservation efforts, and due to the precision of the new detailed mapping, scientists can dig deeper to understand what is best there. This can influence future nature conservation projects and intelligent government policy in order to reverse the data contained in the new map without dedicated bird observers being entered their sightings in the EBIRD program. In all of this data, statisticians used modeling and new methods to ensure the reliability of the data. With the help of modern technology, you were able to carry out simulations that would have taken 85 years on a standard-personal laptop!

What you can do

On a small scale, Redmond recommends that their farms become more reliable for wild animals and voluntarily serve their time voluntarily for maintenance efforts such as monitoring and cleaning up. You can do this by reducing the size of your lawn ras and integrating more local plant species into your garden – birds rely on the berries (and beetles!) That live in these species. When transitioning to more natives, but also not to use harmful pesticides.

The support and volunteer work in groups such as the Schuylkill Headwaters Association, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Riverkeeper, the Schuylkill County Conservancy and other land protection groups is another way to do important work.

On a larger scale you can make nutritional changes that reduce environmental impacts, e.g. You can also select more organic food to keep harmful chemicals away from the farmers that often visit birds. As always, the support of politicians who fight for strong environmental laws and programs is of essential importance for a future worth living for the birds and us. For more information, see the League of Conservation Voters website.