Cape May vs. spruce budworm (1 Viewer)

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 27, 2004

• #1

I would like to know if some other birdwatchers observed a serious decline in populations of Cape May Warbler since foresters became very effective to control (even eradicate...) spruce budworm outbreaks? The trend here is to develop silvicultural practices inspired by natural disturbances... however, I'm not sure that an "imitation" of budworm outbreak will be very nutritive for that warbler!

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 27, 2004

• #2

Hi Gaga,

Worrying. How do they control the budworm? - are they spraying huge areas with insecticide?

Over here, forestry plantations are one of the few areas not treated with pesticides.

Michael

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 27, 2004

• #3

Exactly, here in New Brunswick, they are spraying huge arears with pesticides. Moreover, the industry is trying to replace balsam firs by monospecific plantations of spruces (we should say "fir budworm", because firs are much more prefered than spruces by this insect...). The last visible defoliation (4 000 ha) was in 1995. Usually, there is a major outbreak each 20 years; the last one was in the early 1970s...

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 27, 2004

• #4

Very sad. I wonder if they've done an economic assessment of it - spraying forests is very expensive, particularly bearing in mind that the benefits of spraying (higher wood yields) won't be realised until the crop is mature, maybe 30 or 50 years later. They would almost certainly do far better to not spray, and invest the money saved in the bank - they'd end up with far more money than the extra wood is worth. That's the reason our forestry people don't spray, not the ethics, the economics.

Michael

 

C

Cuckoo-shrike

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2004

• #5

I'm aware from friends in New England that, although virtually all warbler populations are lower than they were in the 1970's, Cape May has suffered a major decline and is now a hard bird to find in the region. I've had three birding trips to Connecticut in spring and the fall and it remains the only regular warbler I haven't seen.
Andy

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2004

• #6

May be that can show you why it is difficult to find that species now...

 

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Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 28, 2004

• #7

Gaga said:

May be that can show you why it is difficult to find that species now...

Click to expand...

Hi Gaga,

What is that graph? - is it the number of breeding records in NB each year, or what?

Thanks,

Michael

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 29, 2004

• #8

It's the mean abundance of Cape May Warbler per Breeding Bird Survey route, in New Brunswick... We can see a sharp decline!

 

C

Cuckoo-shrike

Well-known member

• Jan 29, 2004

• #9

What about the other species that are to some extent dependent on spruce budworm - Bay-breasted and Tennessee? Are their populations falling in line with those of Cape May?

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 30, 2004

• #10

Aquila said:

What about the other species that are to some extent dependent on spruce budworm - Bay-breasted and Tennessee? Are their populations falling in line with those of Cape May?

Click to expand...

Exactly... the Tennessee is declining as strongly as the Cape May! For the Bay-breasted, there is also a decline, but less obvious. Of the three, it is the less dependent on spruce budworm.

 

Y

Yve_M

Colonial Member

• Jan 30, 2004

• #11

Hi Gaga,

Could you tell me what insecticide(s) they are spraying in New Brunswick to control the spruce bud worm? Are they spraying virgin forests or are they spraying areas that have been planted after harvest? Are they spraying to preserve forests for future harvest? Do they also spray to protect tress in recreational areas such as provincial/national parks?