Can clearcuts increase bird species richness in managed forests?

Abstract

Clearcuts are one of the results of forest management. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of clearcuts on bird communities in a managed forest in Western Poland. I applied the method of point transect counts. 20 points were located near clearcuts (less than 100 m from the nearest clearcut) and 25 points in the forest interior. In total, 36 bird species were recorded. On average, I found 9.20 bird species at points located near clearcuts and 6.72 species at points situated in the forest interior, and the difference was significant. The cumulative number of bird species for a given number of sampling points in the vicinity of clearcuts was higher than in the forest interior. The obtained results indicate that in managed, even-aged forests the generation of clearcuts can lead to an increase in local bird species richness.

The importance of non‐crop vegetation for bird diversity in Sitka spruce plantations in Ireland

“…In landscapes with few forest bird specialists or a long history of forest modification, the potential for negative impacts of fragmentation and edge effects on forest avifauna is smaller. Birds associated with gaps and open habitats can make a substantial contribution to bird diversity in and around forest gaps created both by natural processes (Fuller 2000, Keller et al 2003 and by tree-harvesting (Paquet et al 2006, Zmihorski 2008. In northern Europe, the abundance and occurrence of forest specialists decline from east to west (Fuller et al 2007).…”