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WoonyBird Restoration Plant Selector Manual
Citation:
Mckinney, Richard A., J. Kiddon, AND M. Nightengale. WoonyBird Restoration Plant Selector Manual. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-14/444, 2014.
Impact/Purpose:
This report describes a spreadsheet-based tool to aid in the restoration of a land parcel by suggesting plants which are appropriate for light and soil conditions at the restoration site, to be used in conjunction with a previously published framework for developing low-cost, low-impact enhancements that can be incorporated during the restoration of greenspaces to enhance their wildlife habitat value. The report targets urban greenspaces that either are specifically designed for or can function as best management practices for the remediation of urban stormwater runoff, and focuses on bird habitat value, building on the potential for enhanced human well-being that has been shown to accompany increased songbird diversity in urban areas. The operation of the tool is described, and suggested strategies for identifying target bird species, as well as additional design considerations for habitat enhancement are provided. Information provided by application of the tool will help to enhance habitat value of a restored greenspace, and may therefore be of use to regional resource managers and stakeholders including urban planning departments and local resource conservation organizations involved in planning and carrying out restoration of urban greenspaces. Along with the framework document, this report will provide input to support greenspace restoration strategies that include the enhancement of bird habitat value through low-cost, low-impact design practices. This information will be helpful to regional resource managers and stakeholders including urban planning departments, property owners, developers, engineers, consultants, contractors, municipal staff, and local resource conservation organizations involved in planning and carrying out restoration of urban greenspaces. While the target bird species and planting recommendations are specific to the Woonasquatucket watershed, the general principles underlying the development of the various project components will be useful in developing similar recommendations in other urban watersheds.
Description:
Modifying greenspaces to enhance habitat value has been proposed as a means towards protecting or restoring biodiversity in urban landscapes. As part of a framework for developing low-cost, low-impact enhancements that can be incorporated during the restoration of greenspaces to enhance their wildlife habitat value, we developed a spreadsheet-based tool to aid in the restoration of a land parcel by suggesting plants which are appropriate for light and soil conditions at the restoration site, and which will attract bird species specified by the user. This manual provides some background information on enhancing bird habitat in urban greenspaces, describes the operation of the tool, suggests strategies for identifying target bird species, and provides some additional design considerations for habitat enhancement. Information provided by application of the tool will help to enhance habitat value of a restored greenspace, and may therefore be of use to regional resource managers and stakeholders including urban planning departments and local resource conservation organizations involved in planning and carrying out restoration of urban greenspaces.