RESTORING HABITAT FOR THE CONSERVATION O

This is a two-year conservation initiative to determine the impacts of fire on the floral nectar resources of migratory ..hummingbirds in key wintering habitats in the Sierra de Manantln Biosphere Reserve (SMBR) in Jalisco, Mexico ..and to act on the management practices and restoration strategies developed from that research at local, regional, ..and international levels.

Partners will provide much-needed management recommendations that address the timing ..of prescribed fires and the restoration of post-fire habitat through a 378 hectare restoration project that will be ..monitored and used as a model for future efforts.

The project will benefit six Neotropical migratory hummingbird ..species, focusing primarily upon Rufous Hummingbird, an important pollinator and long-distance migrant whose ..populations have declined steadily since 1980.

This project's end products will include:1) an assessment of the ..impacts of fire and fire severity on hummingbird habitat; 2) the role of post-fire restoration on meadows and other ..habitats used by hummingbirds; 3) recommendations for land managers regarding the effective use of fire as a ..management tool with consideration of migratory hummingbirds; and 4) restoration of 378 hectares to provide the ..nectar-producing plants migratory hummingbirds need to survive at non-breeding sites.