A framework for addressing bird conservation priorities in high-elevation vegetation communities of the Appalachian Mountains
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) is a self-directed, nonregulatory bird conservation partnership with the mission of restoring and sustaining native bird populations and their habitats throughout Appalachia. In 2008, the AMJV formed an ad hoc "high-elevation" technical working group to identify and address conservation priorities of bird species reliant on spruce-fir, northern hardwood, and other vegetation communities typically associated with the highest elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. We outline specific goals and guiding principles that frame the working group's activities and discuss initial efforts to spatially and thematically define "high-elevation" bird conservation issues within the Appalachian Mountains.