I recently read this thesis: https://books.google.com/books/about/Factors_Affecting_Avian_Diversity_in_a_N.html?id=xnVPAAAAYAAJ produced by Tom Litwin in 1986, discussing the changes in Sapsucker Woods in both avian type and foliage type, over the hundred years up to that time.
Amazing that grazing, lumbering, and fire have all passed through SSW prior to its ‘sanctuary’ days. The charted changes in nesters (Canada Warblers were once frequent!) is very informative. My only point here is that Tom says early on something to the affect that there is a difference between ‘conservation’ and ‘preservation’ and that distinction had never hit home before so clearly. Not to bend the Latin (and PIE) roots too far, but ‘con’ (from Latin ‘cum’ with or together) and ‘serve’ (‘ser’ protect) is not the same as ‘pre’ (beforehand) and ‘serve’. Protecting together, as John C eloquently described, is not the same business as protecting the same static thing forever. I finally grasped why the south side of the SSW is so barren of lower tier breeders, after looking at Litwin’s historic maps of the woods. Frankly, I prefer the north and east for diversity; the south high closed canopy has its interesting but quite different residents (thrushes, tanagers, barred owl, pileated et al., high canopy warblers in migration, and ovenbirds to give one forest floor denizen his due.) The occasional cutting, as horrifying as it seems, breathes and welcomes new life into the tired old forest, when done intelligently and in moderation. I would like to think that keeping an eye on the DEC efforts is worthy, but that DEC is not rapacious in intent. ChrisP ______________________ Chris Pelkie Information/Data Manager; IT Support Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/ On Aug 18, 2017, at 13:07, John Confer <con...@ithaca.edu<mailto:con...@ithaca.edu>> wrote: HI Dave, It still surprises me that even among environmentalists, biodiversity is still a matter of contention. There are ecological reasons to support biodiversity, often thought to enhance the mega goal of biostability. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
