Effects of Forest Management on Avian Abundance in Spruce-fir Forests of New England
Problem Addressed: The decline of several spruce-fir associated birds
Goal(s)/Objective(s): Determine how forest management is associated with mature forest structure and how abundance of focal species responds to mature forest structure
Key Findings: Forest management treatments reflect a range of vegetative structural conditions from mature reference stands with large diameter trees and relatively low shrub cover to clearcut stands with few large trees and high shrub cover.
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- Rolek, Brian
University of Maine - Loftin, Cynthia
USGS Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit - Harrison, Daniel
University of Maine - Wood, Petra
USGS West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Several spruce-fir associated birds have declined recently (Fig. 1), and commercial harvesting in Acadian spruce-fir within northern New England has a dominant influence on landscape structure and composition. We tested the effects of mature forest structure on focal species that use spruce-fir habitat and related mature forest structure to forest management treatments. We found quadratic relationships between abundance and mature forest structure for Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, and Boreal Chickadee. Blackburnian Warbler had a positive association, while Canada Warbler and Yellowbellied Flycatcher had negative associations.
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