The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) has released its latest report on the state of biodiversity in Alberta. The Status of Landbirds in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone reports on the status of common bird species that are monitored by the ABMI in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone (BPE).

The BPE represents 58% of Alberta’s total land area and covers a vast expanse of northern Alberta. Alberta’s BPE is rich in natural resources; it serves as a working landscape for industry, and is considered an integral part of North America’s “bird nursery”. The report highlights the status of individual species and landbird groups such as neo-tropical migrants, forest interior specialists, winter residents and species at risk.

• the status of 74 landbird species in the Boreal Plains Ecozone were found to be, on average, 80% intact.
• as of 2010, 21% of Alberta’s BPE has been directly altered by human activities including cultivation, forest harvesting, residential, commercial, energy, and transport infrastructure
• agricultural cultivation represents the largest human footprint in Alberta’s BPE at 12%
• protected areas in Alberta include provincial and national parks and National Wildlife Areas account for 11.3% of the BPE
• the status of 74 common landbirds in Alberta’s oil sands region were found to be, on average, 85% intact. This region currently has a lower human footprint than the entirety of Alberta’s BPE and, therefore, a slightly higher intactness for landbirds.

Read the full report on the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Website

Posted by Pat Bumstead