Effects of fuel reduction on birds in pitch pine–scrub oak barrens of the United States

King, David I.; Schlossberg, Scott; Brooks, Robert T.; Akresh, Michael E.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.08.039

Cited by 32 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…We found the pattern of post-disturbance colonization similar to past studies, with prairie warblers colonizing at low densities after initial logging and increasing up to 4-5 years after treatment (King et al, 2011;Schlossberg and King, 2009). As treated pitch pine matured, we also witnessed a decline in bird density as found in other studies .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…The increase in bird densities as sites recovered from logging appeared to correspond to prairie warblers' habitat requirements, principally dense woody shrubs suitable for nesting (Nolan, 1978;Slay, 2010). Average shrub height in the first year or two after harvesting was typically lower than the height range of most selected prairie warbler nest sites in our study (Akresh, 2012;King et al, 2011), potentially accounting for the relatively low densities of birds in the years directly following logging.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…In 2000, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife started a program of habitat restoration and fuels reduction to reduce wildfire risk and promote biodiversity. This was accomplished by thinning pitch pine stands to 25% residual canopy cover and treating scrub-oak stands with mowing and prescribed fire (King et al, 2011). We sampled birds in scrub oak barrens (2 plots; 28.7 and 6 ha), treated pitch pine (4 plots; 15.1, 22.5, 7.8 and 10.8 ha), and power line corridors (2 plots; 4.2, 5.7 ha), which comprised most of the early-successional area and the principal habitats occupied by prairie warblers within this pitch pine-scrub oak barren (King et al, 2011;Fig.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The treated pitch pine plots were each thinned once before the study period; one plot was thinned in 2004, one in 2006, and two in 2007. Prairie warblers do not occupy untreated pitch pine forest (King et al, 2011), and therefore it was not possible to examine pre-versus post-treatment effects on displaced birds after the initial harvest of pitch pine. However, during the 2011-2012 non-breeding season there were disturbances by high-intensity wildfire and mowing in small areas of two treated pitch pine plots (2.0 ha of plot 3 and 1.7 ha of plot 5, respectively).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Demographic response of a shrubland bird to habitat creation, succession, and disturbance in a dynamic landscape

Akresh

King

Brooks

2015

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Demographic response of a shrubland bird to habitat creation, succession, and disturbance in a dynamic landscape

Akresh

King

Brooks

2015

Forest Ecology and Management

Self Cite

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“…These new patches would thus favour open-habitat species Kelly et al 2014) and associated ecosystem services (Whelan et al 2008). We also suggest that further funding of sustainable forest harvesting should be considered in the study area to offset the loss of open habitats and to prevent the occurrence of high-intensity fires as a result of fuel accumulation (Stephens 1998;Drapeau et al 2000;King et al 2011;Fenton et al 2013).…”

Section: Strengths and Weaknesses Of Rewilding: Implications For Consmentioning

confidence: 88%

Rural abandoned landscapes and bird assemblages: winners and losers in the rewilding of a marginal mountain area (NW Spain)

et al. 2014

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In many regions of Europe, large-scale socioeconomic changes have led to the abandonment of rural activities and a gradual takeover of natural vegetation. It is important to assess the relative positive and negative effects of land abandonment on particular areas where the low-intensity farming is no longer socially or economically viable in order to quantify the potential conservation costs and benefits of a rewilding as a land-use management policy. During the period 2000-2010, we studied the landuse/land-cover changes in an abandoned mountain landscape (Galicia, NW Spain) and evaluated the effects on breeding bird occurrence and distribution. For this purpose, we analysed remotely sensed data-derived maps in combination with data obtained from bird censuses carried out in 2000 and 2010 at both landscape and census plot scale. The results revealed a gradient of change from bare ground and open shrubland to closed shrubland and woodland. Thirteen shrubland and forest bird species showed a significant increase (including species of conservation concern such as Turtle Dove, Dartford Warbler and Western Bonelli's Warbler), while four ecotone and open-habitat species (e.g. Red-backed Shrike) showed a significant negative trend. In conclusion, rewilding appears to have overall positive effects on biodiversity and should be considered by policy makers as alternative land-use strategy in marginal mountain areas, particularly if they have been historically affected by wildfires. Fire management aimed at favouring the creation of small burned areas in progressively closed landscapes derived from rewilding may be a complementary alternative to maintain open habitats in these areas.Editor: Erica Smithwick.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

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Differential use of nest materials and niche space among avian species within a single ecological community

Akresh,

Mandell,

Grima

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Differential use of resources among bird species has been examined extensively in diet and nesting sites, but few studies have assessed this regarding avian nest materials. We assessed the structure and composition of nests in a group of co‐existing passerine shrubland birds at a site in Massachusetts, USA. We found, measured, collected, and dissected nests, and then weighed nest materials in morphological groups (e.g., bark, twigs, feathers) to determine if our seven focal species were using different nest materials. Among species, we compared proportional material masses in complete nests, and also separately in the exterior, structural part of the nest and the interior, cup lining. We found that the proportional masses of all 17 material types that we examined in nests differed among species. The compositions of nests among all seven bird species were distinct in multivariate ordination space and only a few pairs of species had substantial niche overlap. Proportional masses of materials within discrete sections (exterior and interior) also varied among species. Although some differences in nest composition could be partially explained by bird species size, nest materials differed even within the three larger bodied species and within four smaller bodied species. Our study builds upon previous studies that have shown species‐specificity in avian nest composition and supports the notion that birds using the same environment have distinct niches in relation to the materials placed in their nests. Niche partitioning due to interspecific competition could partially explain our findings, as certain materials are limited as resources, and searching for suitable nest materials is energetically costly. Additionally, other factors, such as partitioned nest sites, may have led to differential nest material use. We recommend further research to help elucidate underlying mechanisms of nest composition partitioning in birds and potentially other nest‐building taxa.

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Effects of fuel reduction on birds in pitch pine–scrub oak barrens of the United States

Cited by 32 publications

References 27 publications

Demographic response of a shrubland bird to habitat creation, succession, and disturbance in a dynamic landscape

Demographic response of a shrubland bird to habitat creation, succession, and disturbance in a dynamic landscape

Rural abandoned landscapes and bird assemblages: winners and losers in the rewilding of a marginal mountain area (NW Spain)

Differential use of nest materials and niche space among avian species within a single ecological community

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