Habitat suitability index models: Forster's tern (breeding)--Gulf and Atlantic coasts

The habitat suitability index (HSI) model in this report on the Forster's tern is intended for use in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (1980) habitat evaluation procedures for impact assessment and habitat management. The model was developed from a review and synthesis of existing information and is scaled to produce an index of habitat suitability between 0 (unsuitable habitat) and 1 (optimally suitable habitat). Assumptions used to develop the model and guidelines for model applications, including methods for measuring model variables, are described.