Short-term changes in bird communities in response to silvicultural prescriptions

Abstract

Bird communities were surveyed on the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, using point-counts in May and June of 1993, 1994, and 1995. Sixteen stands were surveyed among four silvicultural prescriptions, including no-harvest, two-age high-leave harvest (i.e. 7 m 2 residual basal area ha −1), two-age low-leave harvest (i.e. 3.5 m 2 residual basal area ha −1) and clearcut harvest. Data were collected for 1 year preharvest (1993) and 2 years post-harvest (1994 and 1995). Pre-harvest surveys revealed no differences in abundance, richness or diversity of bird communities among stands. After harvest, all indices were higher for bird communities in harvested stands than in no-harvest stands, with no difference among clearcut or two-age stands. Two forest interior species and one interior edge species were negatively affected by timber harvest in some stands, whereas Hooded warblers ( Wilsonia citrina) were detected most frequently in low-leave and high-leave harvested stands. Three shrub-scrub species were positively affected by timber harvest. The Brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater) was the most commonly detected species in all harvested stands after harvest. These data indicate that a shift to two-age harvest prescriptions on the Daniel Boone National Forest will not alleviate the negative short-term responses associated with fragmentation on forest interior species, and will continue to enhance conditions for species preferring early successional habitat.