Original habitat is best, but restoration still makes a big difference

A new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications presents some of the best evidence to date that restoration efforts in Missouri’s Ozark Highlands make a difference for nesting songbirds that breed there. The reduction of Missouri pine savannah and woodland areas has caused birds that rely on these habitats to decline. Current efforts to bring these habitats back are under way and include prescribed fire and thinning tree stands. Recent studies support that these efforts are making a positive impact on the ecosystem and increasing the survival of bird species that breed there.