Abstract
Silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting have been suggested to promote development, retention, or creation of late-successional features such as large trees, multilayered canopies, snags, and logs. We assessed bird response to three silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting that retained structural features found in old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests and that imitated natural disturbance regimes more closely than did traditional clear-cutting: (1) small-patch group selection treatment representing a low-intensity disturbance; (2) two-story treatment, representing a moderate to high-intensity disturbance; and (3) modified clear-cut treatment, representing a high-intensity disturbance. We counted diurnal breeding birds 1 yr prior to and 2 yr after harvest to estimate effects of the silvicultural treatments on bird communities compared with uncut controls. The small-patch group selection treatment was most similar in species composition to control stands. The two-story treatment was more similar to the modified clear-cut treatment. Ten bird species remained abundant following the small-patch group selection treatment. They declined in abundance in modified clearcuts and two-story stands. These species included four neotropical migratory species and five species with restricted geographic ranges and habitat associations. Nine species increased in response to moderate and/or high-intensity disturbances. This group included a larger proportion of species that were habitat generalists. Silvicultural treatments imitating low-intensity disturbances were most effective in retaining bird communities associated with mature forest; high-intensity disturbances such as the two-story and modified clear-cut treatments greatly altered bird community composition. Bird responses to the silvicultural treatments that we studied indicate that a variety of stand types is needed to meet needs of all species.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-185 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Ecological Applications |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
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Keywords
- Bird communities
- Forest management
- Green tree retention
- Natural disturbance regimes
- Neotropical migratory birds
- New forestry
- Oregon Coast Range
- Pseudotsuga menziesii
- Silviculture
- Uneven-aged management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology
Cite this
Breeding bird responses to three silvicultural treatments in the Oregon Coast Range. / Chambers, Carol L; McComb, William C.; Tappeiner, John C.
In: Ecological Applications, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1999, p. 171-185.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Breeding bird responses to three silvicultural treatments in the Oregon Coast Range
AU - Chambers, Carol L
AU - McComb, William C.
AU - Tappeiner, John C.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting have been suggested to promote development, retention, or creation of late-successional features such as large trees, multilayered canopies, snags, and logs. We assessed bird response to three silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting that retained structural features found in old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests and that imitated natural disturbance regimes more closely than did traditional clear-cutting: (1) small-patch group selection treatment representing a low-intensity disturbance; (2) two-story treatment, representing a moderate to high-intensity disturbance; and (3) modified clear-cut treatment, representing a high-intensity disturbance. We counted diurnal breeding birds 1 yr prior to and 2 yr after harvest to estimate effects of the silvicultural treatments on bird communities compared with uncut controls. The small-patch group selection treatment was most similar in species composition to control stands. The two-story treatment was more similar to the modified clear-cut treatment. Ten bird species remained abundant following the small-patch group selection treatment. They declined in abundance in modified clearcuts and two-story stands. These species included four neotropical migratory species and five species with restricted geographic ranges and habitat associations. Nine species increased in response to moderate and/or high-intensity disturbances. This group included a larger proportion of species that were habitat generalists. Silvicultural treatments imitating low-intensity disturbances were most effective in retaining bird communities associated with mature forest; high-intensity disturbances such as the two-story and modified clear-cut treatments greatly altered bird community composition. Bird responses to the silvicultural treatments that we studied indicate that a variety of stand types is needed to meet needs of all species.
AB - Silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting have been suggested to promote development, retention, or creation of late-successional features such as large trees, multilayered canopies, snags, and logs. We assessed bird response to three silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting that retained structural features found in old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests and that imitated natural disturbance regimes more closely than did traditional clear-cutting: (1) small-patch group selection treatment representing a low-intensity disturbance; (2) two-story treatment, representing a moderate to high-intensity disturbance; and (3) modified clear-cut treatment, representing a high-intensity disturbance. We counted diurnal breeding birds 1 yr prior to and 2 yr after harvest to estimate effects of the silvicultural treatments on bird communities compared with uncut controls. The small-patch group selection treatment was most similar in species composition to control stands. The two-story treatment was more similar to the modified clear-cut treatment. Ten bird species remained abundant following the small-patch group selection treatment. They declined in abundance in modified clearcuts and two-story stands. These species included four neotropical migratory species and five species with restricted geographic ranges and habitat associations. Nine species increased in response to moderate and/or high-intensity disturbances. This group included a larger proportion of species that were habitat generalists. Silvicultural treatments imitating low-intensity disturbances were most effective in retaining bird communities associated with mature forest; high-intensity disturbances such as the two-story and modified clear-cut treatments greatly altered bird community composition. Bird responses to the silvicultural treatments that we studied indicate that a variety of stand types is needed to meet needs of all species.
KW - Bird communities
KW - Forest management
KW - Green tree retention
KW - Natural disturbance regimes
KW - Neotropical migratory birds
KW - New forestry
KW - Oregon Coast Range
KW - Pseudotsuga menziesii
KW - Silviculture
KW - Uneven-aged management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033081675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033081675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033081675
VL - 9
SP - 171
EP - 185
JO - Ecological Appplications
JF - Ecological Appplications
SN - 1051-0761
IS - 1
ER -