Review and download Chapter 3 - Golden-winged Warbler Working ...

Mid-Atlantic Subregion (Focal areas A1–A7; Figures 3–29 and 3–30; Table 3–5)
General Description
The focal areas in this subregion support
approximately 13% of the region’s (and 0.7% of
the world’s) Golden-winged Warblers. This
subregion has a couple of large populations and
several small, remnant populations. Managed
successional forests and scrub barrens are the
primary habitats in the Poconos where 51% of
surveyed timber harvests had Golden-winged
Warbler present. The largest, estimated Goldenwinged
Warbler population occurs in the Hudson
Highlands, which supports mixed populations of
Golden-winged and Blue-winged warblers in
abandoned fields and shrub-swamp, and nearly
Macro Landscape Context (within 1.5 mi (2.5 km) of management site)
Golden-winged Warblers are generally associated with landscapes containing:
3–47
pure Golden-winged Warbler populations in
hardwood swamp forests where reproductive
success is particularly high and elevations
relatively low. The hardwood swamp forests of
the Hudson Highlands provide habitat
segregation between Golden-winged Warblers
and Blue-winged Warblers at elevations below
1300 ft (400 m). The swamp forests that support
Golden-winged Warblers have 30-70% canopy
cover with extensive understory. Control of the
invasive plant Phragmites is necessary to sustain
Golden-winged Warbler populations in the
hardwood swamps (Confer et al. 2010).
• Elevations that range from 750–1180 ft (230–360 m), but habitat management in uplands
should be above 1300 ft (400 m) to exclude Blue-winged Warblers. Presence of Golden-winged
Warbler in hardwood swamp forests of Hudson Highlands seems to be unrelated to elevation.
• Forests that are 33–82 ft (10–25 m) in height (i.e. large sapling to small sawtimber sized trees).
• A relatively open forest canopy, more so than in other subregions (except in Hudson Highlands).
• Relatively high coniferous forest cover (14–25%) with a ratio of 70:30 deciduous:coniferous
trees in the landscape (expect nearly pure deciduous forest in Hudson Highlands).
Micro Landscape Context (within 0.15 mi (0.25 km) of management site)
Sites where Golden-winged Warblers are found generally:
• Have a lower ratio of deciduous:coniferous trees (85:15) relative to the central and southern
Appalachians (expect hardwood swamps of Hudson Highlands, which are 100% deciduous).
• Have less herbaceous cover (32%) than elsewhere in region (40%).
• Contain the following primary land cover types: deciduous forest (45%); woody wetlands (11%);
mixed forest (5%). Blue-winged Warblers have similar occurrence in all land cover types except
hardwood swamps of Hudson Highlands.