Habitat loss may be the leading cause of population declines and range reductions among landbirds in western North America. To reverse this trend and maintain existing populations, remnant high-quality habitats must be protected and degraded habitats restored.
Although efforts to protect and enhance riparian habitats are underway, land managers designing restoration programs face a high degree of uncertainty in deciding which management actions will be most effective. To reduce this uncertainty, the full range of knowledge and skills from the natural and social sciences should be brought to bear on the problem. In addition, dissemination of information among scientists, managers, and stakeholders should be rapid, reciprocal, and continuous (Mangel et al. 1996).