Effects of Precommercial Thinning on Snowshoe Hares in Maine

Abstract: Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an important prey species and a dominant herbivore across much of their North American range, and researchers have questioned the influences of forestry practices that alter habitat for hares and the potential community-level effects on carnivores. We examined the effects of precommercial thinning (PCT) from 1 to 11 years posttreatment on snowshoe hares. In the commercial forests of northern Maine, USA, we counted and cleared hare pellets twice a year during 2001 and 2002 on >46 km of pellet transects across 30 regenerating conifer stands (17 treated with PCT) previously treated with an aerial application of herbicide. We compared densities of snowshoe hare pellets among 3 development classes with (1 yr after thinning, 6 yr after thinning, and 11 yr after thinning) and without thinning (stands with a similar history of clearcut and herbicide treatment but no thinning). During both years, densities of hares were lower in stands treated with PCT than in similar unthinned stands across the 3 development classes and during both leaf-off and leaf-on seasons (P < 0.001). Within both thinned and unthinned stands, hare density was greatest in stands in the 1-year development class when compared to the 6-year and 11-year development classes, but a statistical difference (P = 0.048) among classes was evident only during leaf-off seasons. Precommercial thinning was associated with densities of snowshoe hares that were approximately half of those in similar unthinned stands up to at least 11 years posttreatment; however, thinned stands may retain densities of hares greater than stands managed using other forest harvesting regimes. Our results apply to core portions of stands with crop trees spaced at 1.8–2.4-m intervals following complete overstory removal and herbicide treatment. We advocate caution when applying our results to other thinning regimes or across broader spatial scales.     

Effects of Wildlife Forestry on Abundance of Breeding Birds in Bottomland Hardwood Forests of Louisiana

ABSTRACT Effects of silvicultural activities on birds are of increasing interest because of documented national declines in breeding bird populations for some species and the potential that these declines are in part due to changes in forest habitat. Silviculturally induced disturbances have been advocated as a means to achieve suitable forest conditions for priority wildlife species in bottomland hardwood forests. We evaluated how silvicultural activities on conservation lands in bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana, USA, influenced species-specific densities of breeding birds. Our data were from independent studies, which used standardized point-count surveys for breeding birds in 124 bottomland hardwood forest stands on 12 management areas. We used Program DISTANCE 5.0, Release 2.0 (Thomas et al. 2006) to estimate density for 43 species with >50 detections. For 36 of those species we compared density estimates among harvest regimes (individual selection, group selection, extensive harvest, and no harvest). We observed 10 species with similar densities in those harvest regimes compared with densities in stands not harvested. However, we observed 10 species that were negatively impacted by harvest with greater densities in stands not harvested, 9 species with greater densities in individual selection stands, 4 species with greater densities in group selection stands, and 4 species with greater densities in stands receiving an extensive harvest (e.g., >40% canopy removal). Differences in intensity of harvest influenced densities of breeding birds. Moreover, community-wide avian conservation values of stands subjected to individual and group selection, and stands not harvested, were similar to each other and greater than that of stands subjected to extensive harvest that removed >40% canopy cover. These results have implications for managers estimating breeding bird populations, in addition to predicting changes in bird communities as a result of prescribed and future forest management practices.     

Short-Term Response of Land Birds to Ponderosa Pine Restoration

We monitored the short‐term (>3 years) response of land birds to forest restoration treatments in Ponderosa pine forests located on the east slope of the North Cascade Range. Restoration treatments were designed to create stand structure and composition similar to pre‐settlement forests, which were influenced by a frequent fire regime. Overall, avian community composition was changed as a result of the treatments. Cassin’s Finch, Chipping Sparrow, and Yellow‐rumped Warbler were found at higher densities in treated stands, whereas Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, and Red‐breasted Nuthatch had higher densities in untreated stands. White‐headed Woodpecker and Western Bluebird were only detected in the treated stands. Brown‐headed Cowbird showed no response to treatments. We detected changes in the density of four of five foraging guilds in response to restoration treatments. Tree seedeaters, low understory and ground insectivores, and aerial insectivores all increased in density in treated stands. Overall, bark insectivores showed no density response to treatments. Tree foliage insectivore density was lower in treated than in untreated stands. Overall avian density, density of neotropical migrants, and density of some focal species were higher in treated stands. Monitoring should be continued to understand the longer‐term (5–10 year) responses of land birds and to guide future forest restoration efforts.     

Effects of Season and Scale on Response of Elk and Mule Deer to Habitat Manipulation

Abstract: Manipulation of forest habitat via mechanical thinning or prescribed fire has become increasingly common across western North America. Nevertheless, empirical research on effects of those activities on wildlife is limited, although prescribed fire in particular often is assumed to benefit large herbivores. We evaluated effects of season and spatial scale on response of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to experimental habitat manipulation at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in northeastern Oregon, USA. From 2001 to 2003, 26 densely stocked stands of true fir (Abies spp.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were thinned and burned whereas 27 similar stands were left untreated to serve as experimental controls. We used location data for elk and mule deer collected during spring (1 Apr-14 Jun) and summer (15 Jun-31 Aug) of 1999–2006 to compare use of treated and untreated stands and to model effects of environmental covariates on use of treated stands. In spring, elk selected burned stands and avoided control stands within the study area (second-order selection; large scale). Within home ranges (third-order selection; small scale), however, elk did not exhibit selection. In addition, selection of treatment stands by elk in spring was not strongly related to environmental covariates. Conversely, in summer elk selected control stands and either avoided or used burned stands proportional to their availability at the large scale; patterns of space use within home ranges were similar to those observed in spring. Use of treatment stands by elk in summer was related to topography, proximity to roads, stand size and shape, and presence of cattle, and a model of stand use explained 50% of variation in selection ratios. Patterns of stand use by mule deer did not change following habitat manipulation, and mule deer avoided or used all stand types proportional to their availability across seasons and scales. In systems similar to Starkey, manipulating forest habitat with prescribed fire might be of greater benefit to elk than mule deer where these species are sympatric, and thus maintaining a mixture of burned and unburned (late successional) habitat might provide better long-term foraging opportunities for both species than would burning a large proportion of a landscape.     

Forest Stand Characteristics Altered by Restoration Affect Western Bluebird Habitat Quality

Forest managers are setting Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in the southwestern United States on a trajectory toward a restored ecosystem by reducing tree densities and managing with prescribed fire. The process of restoration dramatically alters forest stands, and the effects of these changes on wildlife remain unclear. Our research evaluated which aspects of habitat alteration from restoration treatments may be affecting the habitat quality of Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana), an insectivorous songbird whose populations are declining. Habitat loss resulting from fire‐suppression activities may be partially responsible for their population declines; thus, the bluebird is a good representative species for assessing how the reconstruction of presuppression forest conditions can affect wildlife. We measured habitat variables at 63 successful and 19 unsuccessful Western Bluebird nests in 1999–2001 and 2003. We compared habitat models that represented bluebird biology and habitat changes from restoration. Two models of nest success that included (1) an increased herbaceous and bare ground cover and (2) increased Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) densities and reduced Ponderosa pine densities were most supported by the data. Increased herbaceous ground cover and Gambel oak density likely represent improved invertebrate assemblages and thus improved forage abundance for nesting bluebirds. Lower Ponderosa pine densities may provide bluebirds with open perches from which to hunt and thereby improve the availability of invertebrates as a food source. We also provide a landscape‐scale example of changes to bluebird habitat quality from treatments, which we recommend as a useful tool in restoration planning.     

Succession of bird communities in young temperate rainforests following thinning

We repeated bird and vegetation surveys in 1991–1992 and 2005–2006 among young managed stands and old-growth forests in southeast Alaska to evaluate whether pre-commercial thinning of managed stands influenced the bird community. We compared decadal changes in bird densities and forest vegetation among 3 stand types: managed stands originating from clearcuts 35 years ago that were left untreated (unthinned), managed stands thinned at uniform spacing (thinned), and old growth with no prior timber harvest. We did not detect differences in decadal trends in avian densities between thinned and unthinned stands for 15 of 16 common bird species using a repeated-measures design. Thinning did not result in greater recruitment of overstory-nesting species as predicted. This was likely because of 1) similar increases in tree heights ( = 9–10 m) and canopy cover ( = 29–43%) between unthinned and thinned stands across decades and 2) the relatively young successional stage of these stands, which had only begun to recruit medium and large size conifers (dbh ≥ 36 cm). Decadal trends in densities of most (88%) understory-nesting bird species did not differ between thinned and unthinned stands. Shrub cover decreased by 22% and 31% across decades in thinned and unthinned stands, respectively. Bird community composition in managed stands reflected the general decadal changes in forest vegetation with a shift in dominance from understory species in the early 1990s (80–85% of total bird density) to an equal abundance of understory (45–54%) and overstory species in the mid-2000s. The latter was more similar to old-growth stands, which were dominated by overstory species (67–71%). Overstory-nesting birds in old growth increased in density by 49% across decades. Densities of cavity-nesting species remained unchanged in managed stands and less than densities in old growth across decades, possibly because of a lack of large trees and snags for nest sites. Overall, thinning of clearcut stands, the primary silvicultural system in the region, had few measurable benefits to birds nearly 20 years after treatment. Monitoring over the 70–100-year harvest rotation may be necessary to fully test whether thinning accelerates succession of bird communities in clearcut stands. However, partial harvests that retain large trees and snags should also be explored as alternatives to better maintain late-succession avifauna throughout the harvest rotation in southeast Alaska. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

Avian Response to Mechanical Aspen Restoration in Sierra Nevada Coniferous Forest

Using mechanical treatments to mimic natural disturbances is becoming a standard management and restoration approach. In the Sierra Nevada, as throughout much of western North America, much of aspen habitat is in poor health. Because of the high ecological value of healthy aspen, and its limited extent on the landscape, restoration to reverse the decline and improve stand health has become a management priority in the region. To evaluate the ecological effects of mechanically removing competing conifers to restore aspen in the Sierra Nevada, we compared vegetation characteristics and bird abundance in treated and untreated aspen stands on the Lassen National Forest before and up to 13 years after mechanical conifer removal. Treatments reduced total canopy cover and increased herbaceous cover and the number of aspen stems, while shrub and overstory aspen covers were unchanged. Of 10 aspen focal bird species, 7 increased in abundance following treatment relative to controls, including all species associated with early seral aspen habitat and cavity nesting species; none declined. In contrast, of the six conifer focal species, the four associated with denser conifer habitat declined as a result of the treatments. The two species associated with conifer edges and understory cover increased. Our results demonstrate mechanical conifer removal treatments can provide ecologically meaningful changes in habitat for the avian community and are an effective tool for restoring ecological values of degraded aspen habitat for birds in the Sierra Nevada.     

Effects of prescribed burning and harvesting on ground-dwelling spiders in the Canadian boreal mixedwood forest

The ‘Natural Disturbance Paradigm’ for forest management seeks to meet conservation goals by modeling industrial harvest in fire-driven forest systems on patterns associated with wildfire. Fire suppression and increased forest harvesting may have detrimental effects on biodiversity, and therefore prescribed burning is suggested to retain legacies of wildfire not emulated under natural disturbance based approaches. The merits of this approach are being tested in the EMEND experiment in the Canadian boreal mixedwood forest. We compared responses of ground-dwelling spiders between sites subjected to prescribed post-harvest burning and retention harvest during three seasons during the first 7 years after disturbance. Overall, 38,661 adult spiders representing 190 species were collected. Estimated species richness was highest in undisturbed sites in all 3 years. Burning had the strongest negative effect on species richness 1–2 years after treatment; however, richness was higher in burns than in harvested sites 5–6 years post-disturbance. Species turnover was highest within controls but tended to increase over time between burned and harvested plots. Lower turnover in burned and harvested sites may reflect habitat homogenization by disturbance, suggesting a management and conservation challenge in relation to naturally disturbed and undisturbed areas. Species were grouped into disturbance-specialists, disturbance-tolerant, disturbance-generalists and generalists; 22 species were significant indicators for untreated sites, 18 for the burn and three for the harvest treatments. No major differences were observed in the spider fauna between harvested and burned areas within the first 6–7 years post-disturbance, and little evidence of recovery toward the pre-harvest fauna was evidenced. However, long term experiments may improve understanding of natural disturbance processes and improve management of boreal forests.     

Landscape Ecology of Eastern Spotted Skunks in Habitats Restored for Red‐Cockaded Woodpeckers

Although examples are rare, conflicts between species of conservation concern can result from habitat restoration that modifies habitat to benefit a single taxon. A forest restoration program designed to enhance habitat for endangered red‐cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) may be reducing available habitat for the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), a forest‐adapted sympatric species of conservation concern that occurs in the Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas, U.S.A. At small scales, eastern spotted skunks select early successional forest with structural diversity, whereas red‐cockaded woodpeckers prefer mature pine (Pinus spp.) habitat. We surveyed for eastern spotted skunks at 50 managed forest stands, modeled occupancy as a function of landscape‐level habitat factors to examine how features of restoration practices influenced occurrence, and compared known occupied forest stands to those where active red‐cockaded woodpecker nesting clusters were located. The most‐supported occupancy models contained forest stand age (negatively associated) and size (positively associated); suggesting eastern spotted skunks primarily occupy large patches of habitat with dense understory and overhead cover. Red‐cockaded woodpecker nesting clusters were located in smaller and older forest stands. These results suggest that increased overhead cover, which can reduce risk of avian predation, enhances occupancy by small forest carnivores such as eastern spotted skunks. Management activities that increase forest stand rotation length reduce the availability of young dense forest. The practice may enhance the value of habitat for red‐cockaded woodpeckers, but may reduce the occurrence of eastern spotted skunks. Implementing plans that consider critical habitat and extinction risks for multiple species may reduce such conservation conflict.     

Abundance and habitat relationships of breeding birds in the Sky Islands and adjacent Sierra Madre Occidental of northwest Mexico

The Sierra Madre Occidental and neighboring Madrean Sky Islands span a large and biologically diverse region of northwest Mexico and portions of the southwestern United States. Little is known about the abundance and habitat use of breeding birds in this region of Mexico, but such information is important for guiding conservation and management. We assessed densities and habitat relationships of breeding birds across Sky Island mountain ranges in Mexico and adjacent portions of the Sierra Madre from 2009 to 2012. We estimated densities at multiple spatial scales, assessed variation in densities among all major montane vegetation communities, and identified and estimated the effects of important habitat attributes on local densities. Regional density estimates of 65% of 72 focal species varied significantly among eight montane vegetation communities that ranged from oak savannah and woodland at low elevations to pine and mixed‐conifer forest at high elevations. Greater proportions of species occurred at peak densities or were relatively restricted to mixed‐conifer forest and montane riparian vegetation likely because of higher levels of structural or floristic diversity in those communities, but those species were typically rare or uncommon in the Sky Islands. Fewer species had peak densities in oak and pine‐oak woodland, and species associated with those communities were often more abundant across the region. Habitat models often included the effects of broadleaf deciduous vegetation cover (30% of species), which, together with tree density and fire severity, had positive effects on densities and suggest ways for managers to augment and conserve populations. Such patterns combined with greater threats to high‐elevation conifer forest and riparian areas underscore their value for conservation. Significant populations of many breeding bird species, including some that are of concern or were not known to occur regionally or in mountain ranges we surveyed, highlight the importance of conservation efforts in this area of Mexico.     

Response of greater sage-grouse to sagebrush reduction treatments in Wyoming big sagebrush

Vegetation treatments have been widely implemented in efforts to enhance conditions for wildlife populations. Yet the effectiveness of such efforts often lack rigorous evaluations to determine whether these practices are effective for targeted species. This is particularly important when manipulating wildlife habitats in ecosystems that are faced with multiple stressors. The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem has been altered extensively over the last century leading to declines of many associated species. Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata wyomingensis) is the most widely distributed subspecies, providing important habitats for sagebrush-obligate and associated wildlife. Sagebrush often has been treated with chemicals, mechanical treatments, and prescribed burning to increase herbaceous forage species released from competition with sagebrush overstory. Despite many studies documenting negative effects of sagebrush control on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat, treatments are still proposed as a means of improving habitat for sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species. Furthermore, most studies have focused on vegetation response and none have rigorously evaluated the direct influence of these treatments on sage-grouse. We initiated a 9-year (2011–2019) experimental study in central Wyoming, USA, to better understand how greater sage-grouse respond to sagebrush reduction treatments in Wyoming big sagebrush communities. We evaluated the influence of 2 common sagebrush treatments on greater sage-grouse demography and resource selection. We implemented mowing and tebuthiuron application in winter and spring 2014 and evaluated the pre- (2011–2013) and post-treatment (2014–2019) responses of sage-grouse relative to these management actions. We evaluated responses to treatments using demographic and behavioral data collected from 620 radio-marked female greater sage-grouse. Our specific objectives were to evaluate how treatments influenced 1) sage-grouse reproductive success and female survival; 2) sage-grouse nesting, brood-rearing, and female resource selection; 3) vegetation responses; and 4) forbs and invertebrates. Our results generally suggested neutral demographic responses and slight avoidance by greater sage-grouse in response to Wyoming big sagebrush treated by mowing and tebuthiuron. Neither mowing nor tebuthiuron treatments influenced nest survival, brood survival, or female survival. Selection for nest and brood-rearing sites did not differ before and after treatments. Females selected habitats near treatments before and after they were implemented; however, the strength of selection was lower after treatments compared with pre-treatment periods, which may be explained by a lack of response in vegetation and invertebrates following treatments. Perennial grass cover and height varied temporally yet did not vary systematically between treatment and control plots. Forb cover and species richness varied annually but not in relation to either treatment type. Perennial grass cover and height, forb cover, and forb species richness did not increase within mowed or tebuthiuron-treated areas that received 2 or 6 years of grazing rest compared with areas that received no grazing rest. Finally, forb and invertebrate dry mass did not differ between treated plots and control plots at mowing or tebuthiuron sites in any years following treatments. Results from our study add to a large body of evidence that sage-grouse using Wyoming big sagebrush vegetation communities do not respond positively to sagebrush manipulation treatments. Management practices that focus on the maintenance of large, undisturbed tracts of sagebrush will best facilitate the persistence of sage-grouse populations and other species reliant on the sagebrush steppe.     

Home‐range size and habitat use of European Nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus nesting in a complex plantation‐forest landscape

In Europe, the consequences of commercial plantation management for birds of conservation concern are poorly understood. The European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus is a species of conservation concern across Europe due to population depletion through habitat loss. Pine plantation‐forest is now a key Nightjar nesting habitat, particularly in northwestern Europe, and increased understanding of foraging habitat selection is required. We radiotracked 31 Nightjars in an extensive (185‐km²) complex conifer plantation landscape in 2009 and 2010. Home‐range 95% kernels for females, paired males and unpaired males were an order of magnitude larger than song territories of paired males, emphasizing the importance of habitats beyond the song territory. Nightjars travelled a mean maximum distance of 747 m from the territory centre each night. Home‐range placement relative to landscape composition was examined by compositional analysis. Pre‐closure canopy forest (aged 5–10 years) was selected at all scales (MCP, 95% and 50% kernels), with newly planted forest (aged 0–4 years) also selected within 50% kernels. For telemetry fixes relative to habitat composition within 2 km of their territory centre, individuals again selected pre‐closure and newly planted forest, and also grazed grass heath. Open ungrazed habitat was not selected, with implications for open habitat planning for biodiversity conservation within public‐owned forests. Despite the Nightjars’ selection for younger growth, moth biomass was greater in older forest stands, suggesting that foraging site selection reflects ease of prey capture rather than prey abundance. Within large plantation‐forest landscapes, a variety of growth stages is important for this species and our results suggest that grazing of open habitats within and adjacent to forest will additionally benefit the European Nightjar.     

Responses to Fire in Selected Tropical Dry Forest Trees1

Fire is a frequent disturbance in the tropical dry forests of Central America, yet very little is known about how native species respond to such events. We conducted an experimental burn in a tropical dry forest of western Nicaragua to evaluate plant responses to fire with respect to survivorship and recruitment. Measurements of woody vegetation of all size classes were carried out prior to the prescribed burn and three successive years post fire. We selected the 15 most abundant species <10 cm DBH to assess percent survivorship and sprouting responses post fire. Changes in seedling densities for these 15 most abundant species and the 15 least abundant species were analyzed using a repeated measure ANOVA. We also assessed changes in seedling densities for three species of international conservation concern. We found three major fire‐coping strategies among common dry forests plants: resisters (low fire‐induced mortality), resprouters (vigorous sprouting), and recruiters (increased seeding post‐fire). While survivorship was generally high relative to tropical moist forest species, those species with lower survivorship used either seeding or sprouting as an alternative strategy for persisting in the forest community. Seed dispersal mechanisms, particularly wind dispersal, appear to be an important factor in recruitment success post‐fire. Burn treatment led to a significant increase in the density of seedlings for two species of conservation concern: Guaiacum sanctum and Swietenia humilis. Results of this study suggest that common dry forest species in western Nicaragua are fire tolerant. Further study of individual species and their fire responses is merited.     

Prescribed fire is associated with increased floral richness and promotes short-term increases in bee biodiversity in the ponderosa pine forest of the Southern Rocky Mountains

1. Managed low-severity surface fires are frequently implemented in efforts to restore disturbance processes to forests of North America; although the effects of managed fire on forest structure are well-studied, few studies investigate whether these disturbances cascade to impact pollinator communities.
2. We analysed bee-habitat relationships in fire-treated (1- and 3-years post-treatment) and non-treated ponderosa pine stands in Colorado to test wild bee population responses.
3. Observed bee richness and α-diversity were highest in stands 1-year post-fire and had more Anthophora, Bombus, Osmia and Lasioglossum spp. in comparison to 3-year post-fire and non-treated stands. Bee functional groups were responsive to treatments, with more below-ground nesting taxa present in stands 3 years post-fire.
4. Floral richness was the highest mid-growing season (June, July) and within 1-year post-fire stands.
5. A model analysing the effects of foraging and nesting habitat variation on bee assemblages indicated positive association between floral richness and bee α-diversity, but negative relationships with stand basal area. Nesting habitat was not associated with variation in bee assemblages.
6. We conclude that managed fire has positive short-term effects on bee biodiversity that are likely mediated by floral richness. However, these effects were not detectable by 3 years post-treatment in the southern Rocky Mountain region.

     

Long-term soil nutrient dynamics and lateral nutrient movement in fertilized and unfertilized red pine plantations

In this study, we use arepeated-measures analysis to test thehypothesis that soil fertility underpotassium-limited red pine (Pinusresinosa Ait.) stands at the Charles LathropPack Demonstration Forest in Warrensburg, NewYork is increasing toward a steady state thatwas artificially induced in fertilized standsby K-fertilization over 50 years ago. Wemeasured soil K by horizon and added new datato a 53-year database. We examine onemechanism that explains the higher rate of Kaccumulation in unfertilized stands comparedwith fertilized – lateral movement offertilizer K from treated plots to untreated –using the rubidium/potassium reverse tracermethod. Over the past five decades, soil Kconcentrations under both fertilized andunfertilized red pine have increasedsignificantly. The trends under fertilized andunfertilized plots demonstrate the gradualconvergence of soil K under unfertilized plotstoward concentrations in fertilized plots. Five decades after fertilization, treated soilsstill contain greater concentrations ofexchangeable K and lower bulk densities thanunfertilized plots. Analysis of Rb/K ratios inthe forest floor of fertilized and unfertilizedplots confirms the hypothesis that lateraltransport of surface broadcast fertilizer,applied over 50 years ago, extendsapproximately 11–16 m from the edges offertilized plots. The four unfertilized plotsclosest to fertilized plots have beensignificantly affected by inputs of fertilizerK, while the remaining five plots arerelatively unimpacted. Approximately 36% ofthe K in fertilized plots, and 23% of the K inunfertilized plots affected by fertilizermigration were derived directly from thefertilizer applied 5 decades ago, demonstratingthe highly conservative nature of mineralnutrient cycling in aggrading forests.     

Influence of conservation reserve program mid-contract management and landscape composition on northern bobwhite in tall fescue monocultures

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized mid-contract management (MCM) in 2004 to restore and maintain plant species composition and structural diversity in aging Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other grassland-dependent wildlife. We implemented 3 USDA-approved MCM regimes (i.e., strip disking, strip glyphosate spraying, and strip glyphosate spraying in combination with legume interseeding) in 60 tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae) CRP monocultures in south-central Illinois, USA, during 2005–2008. We hypothesized that adult bobwhite relative densities and brood presence would increase following MCM that effectively restored early successional plant communities in otherwise monotypic stands of tall fescue. We estimated annual adult bobwhite relative densities and brood presence-absence in managed and unmanaged CRP. We modeled vegetation characteristics and landscape composition to identify factors influencing adult densities and brood presence. Adult relative densities were 2-fold greater in managed fields than in unmanaged fields, and were negatively correlated with greater percentages of grass cover. Adult densities were positively correlated with greater plant species diversity, and greater percentages of bare ground and legume cover. Logistic regression and odds ratio estimates indicated that fields managed with glyphosate-interseed and glyphosate treatments were 39.6% more likely to have broods than unmanaged CRP, whereas disked fields were 10.0% more likely than unmanaged CRP. These models indicated that the probability of brood presence was greater in fields with increased percentage of bare ground, greater plant species diversity, and decreased percentage of grass and litter cover. These findings suggest that a 3-year rotation of glyphosate or glyphosate-interseed treatments can enhance habitat conditions for adult bobwhites and broods in CRP tall fescue monocultures. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Landscape context of plantation forests in the conservation of tropical mammals

Plantation forests have been expanding in many tropical and subtropical environments. Howerver, even when they replace less wildlife friendly land uses such as pastures and annual crops, the biodiversity levels of pristine natural habitats often have not been recovered. Here we addressed how the landscape context of plantation forests located in South-eastern Brazil affects species richness and community resilience of medium and large size mammals. The area covered by native habitat fragments surrounding plantation forests is positively related to functional richness, including the presence of species more vulnerable to extinction in fragmented landscapes. In addition, the degree of aggregation of plantation forest stands is negatively related to more vulnerable species. No primates were recorded in our seven plantation forest sites (ranging from 272 to 24,921 ha), even when they were seen in native habitat fragments adjacent to commercial tree stands. Two invasive species (Sus scrofa and Lepus capensis) were recorded in four plantation forest sites. The impoverishment of fauna in plantation forests is due to two factors. First, plantation forests generally are structurally simplified habitats when compared to highly diverse tropical forests. Secondly, the isolation from habitat fragments which act as source of individuals in the landscape precludes the establishment of individual in plantation forest. We also highlighted the management practices to improve the complexity of vegetation in commercial tree stands should be taken cautiously, insofar as reduced productivity per area entails a greater demand for land. Thus, an alternative would be intensify the management of the commercial tree stands for wood production together with the restoration of adjacent areas set aside to conservation and native habitat fragments protection.     

Short-Term Effects of Fire and Other Fuel Reduction Treatments on Breeding Birds in a Southern Appalachian Upland Hardwood Forest

Abstract: We compared the effects of 3 fuel reduction techniques and a control on breeding birds during 2001-2005 using 50-m point counts. Four experimental units, each >14 ha, were contained within each of 3 replicate blocks at the Green River Game Land, Polk County, North Carolina, USA. Treatments were 1) prescribed burn, 2) mechanical understory reduction (chainsaw-felling of shrubs and small trees), 3) mechanical + burn, and 4) controls. We conducted mechanical treatments in winter 2001-2002 and prescribed burns in spring 2003. Tall shrub cover was substantially reduced in all treatments compared to controls. Tree mortality and canopy openness was highest in the mechanical + burn treatment after burning, likely due to higher fuel loading and hotter burns; tree mortality increased with time. Many bird species did not detectably decrease or increase in response to treatments. Species richness, total bird density, and some species, including indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea) and eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis), increased in the mechanical + burn treatment after a 1-year to 2-year delay; eastern woodpewees (Contopus virens) increased immediately after treatment. Hooded warblers (Wilsonia citrina), black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia), and worm-eating warblers (Helmitheros vermivorus) declined temporarily in some or all treatments, likely in response to understory and (or) leaf litter depth reductions. Densities of most species affected by treatments varied with shrub cover, tree or snag density, or leaf litter depth. High snag availability, open conditions, and a higher density of flying insects in the mechanical + burn treatment likely contributed to increased bird density and species richness. In our study, fuel reduction treatments that left the canopy intact, such as low-intensity prescribed fire or mechanical understory removal, had few detectable effects on breeding birds compared to the mechanical + burn treatment. High-intensity burning with heavy tree-kill, as occurred in our mechanical + burn treatment, can be used as a management tool to increase densities of birds associated with open habitat while retaining many forest and generalist species, but may have short-term adverse effects on some species that are associated with the ground- or shrub-strata for nesting and foraging.     

Benthic meiofauna responses to five forest harvest methods

Benthic meiofauna were collected from the pools of minute (0 order) streams in the Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas during March 21–23, 1996 to see if benthic communities responded to forest harvest methods in a similar manner as plankton communities collected two years prior. The study streams and their watersheds (2–6 ha) were located in 14–16 ha forest stands that were selected for comparability of stands. Five treatment stands were paired with adjacent undisturbed reference stands (10 total). Treatment stands were subjected to one of five harvest methods listed in order of decreasing severity of harvest disturbance to the stands: (1) clearcut; (2) pine seed-tree; (3) pine shelterwood; (4) pine-hardwood group selection; and (5) pine single-tree selection. The mean number of taxa per site was 14 with a range of 9–20 taxa including rotifers, copepods, nematodes, dipterans, ostracods and `other' meiofauna. Densities of total meiofauna (mean=2449 No. l ^–1) were significantly higher (p= 0.002) in treated sites. Highest densities occurred in single-tree and clearcut treatments. Rotifers were significantly more numerous at the single-tree treatments (p=0.03) and nematodes were significantly greater at the clearcut treatments (p=0.03). We conclude that benthic meiofauna in these headwater streams are sensitive to silviculture practices and that the impact of forest harvest persists for at least 2.5 years.