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Abstract
Broad-scale deforestation in the Neotropics has decreased habitat area and connectivity for forest-dwelling fauna. Costa Rica has attempted to increase forest cover and connectivity outside of protected areas to support wildlife conservation by establishing a network of biological corridors. However, reforestation within corridors, which is primarily undertaken by conservation organizations, has rarely targeted wildlife habitat requirements directly. Since conservation action within corridors is implemented by myriad organizations with different priorities, effective management within corridors requires collaboration and the identification of potential synergies and conflicts. Effective conservation also requires an increased understanding of how changes in forest cover within biological corridors affect wildlife populations, which is limited by the fact that species-habitat relationships remain poorly understood for many Neotropical species. In this dissertation, I use the upper Guacimal watershed, located within the Corredor Biológico Pájaro Campana (CBPC) in northwestern Costa Rica, as a case study for identifying the effects of stakeholder conservation priorities on the populations of resident forest-dwelling bird species. I conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants from 20 locally-operating conservation organizations to understand their land management practices and conservation constraints. The interviews included a participatory mapping exercise where participants highlighted the locations of their conservation priorities. I found that organizations’ priorities aligned with the CBPC goal of increasing downslope forest connectivity, but priorities linked with specific conservation themes differed in their spatial distributions. I conducted avian point counts at 301 sites within the study area and used this dataset to develop multinomial N-mixture abundance models for 16 forest-dwelling bird species at three focal scales. While relationships with landscape gradients were scale-dependent and species-specific, landscape composition was a more frequent driver of abundance patterns than landscape configuration. I then developed four reforestation scenarios based on theme-specific participatory mapping conservation priorities and examined predicted changes in the abundance of ten forest-dwelling bird species under each scenario. Modest increases in forest cover provided significant benefits for many species, regardless of forest configuration. However, no scenario was optimal for all focal bird species. Therefore, trade-offs must be weighed when planning reforestation initiatives in the region.