Short‐Term Effects of Fire and Other Fuel Reduction Treatments on Breeding Birds in a Southern Appalachian Upland Hardwood Forest

Greenberg, Cathryn H.; Tomcho, Aimee Livings; Lanham, J. Drew; Waldrop, Thomas A.; Tomcho, Joseph; Phillips, Ross J.; Simon, D.

doi:10.2193/2006-070

Cited by 37 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Given that repeated treatment involves multiple entries into a stand (at least two disturbance events in addition to potential slash treatments prior to fire) and a greater overall disturbance intensity, our finding of larger effect size estimates for the vast majority of species is consistent with individual FFS studies (e.g., Greenberg et al 2007). Previous studies have also documented similar results for gradients of thinning intensity (Hayes et al 2003).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests

Fontaine¹,

Kennedy²

2012

Ecological Applications

108

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Abstract. Management in fire-prone ecosystems relies widely upon application of prescribed fire and/or fire surrogate (e.g., forest thinning) treatments to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function. Recently, published literature examining wildlife response to fire and fire management has increased rapidly. However, none of this literature has been synthesized quantitatively, precluding assessment of consistent patterns of wildlife response among treatment types. Using meta-analysis, we examined the scientific literature on vertebrate demographic responses to burn severity (low/moderate, high), fire surrogates (forest thinning), and fire and fire surrogate combined treatments in the most extensively studied fire-prone, forested biome (forests of the United States). Effect sizes (magnitude of response) and their 95% confidence limits (response consistency) were estimated for each species-by-treatment combination with two or more observations. We found 41 studies of 119 bird and 17 smallmammal species that examined short-term responses ( 4 years) to thinning, low/moderateand high-severity fire, and thinning plus prescribed fire; data on other taxa and at longer time scales were too sparse to permit quantitative assessment. At the stand scale (,50 ha), thinning and low/moderate-severity fire demonstrated similar response patterns in these forests. Combined thinning plus prescribed fire produced a higher percentage of positive responses. High-severity fire provoked stronger responses, with a majority of species possessing higher or lower effect sizes relative to fires of lower severity. In the short term and at fine spatial scales, fire surrogate forest-thinning treatments appear to effectively mimic low/moderate-severity fire, whereas low/moderate-severity fire is not a substitute for high-severity fire. The varied response of taxa to each of the four conditions considered makes it clear that the full range of fire-based disturbances (or their surrogates) is necessary to maintain a full complement of vertebrate species, including fire-sensitive taxa. This is especially true for high-severity fire, where positive responses from many avian taxa suggest that this disturbance (either as wildfire or prescribed fire) should be included in management plans where it is consistent with historic fire regimes and where maintenance of regional vertebrate biodiversity is a goal.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests

Fontaine¹,

Kennedy²

2012

Ecological Applications

108

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“…We measured tree and snag basal area (BA) and density, percent cover of low and tall shrubs, and leaf litter depth in each experi-mental unit to examine changes in select features of forest structure resulting from the fuel reduction treatments 2 years after one prescribed burn (2005) (Greenberg et al, 2007), and again in 2006 and 2011 after the second prescribed burn. Tree and snag (P10 cm dbh) density, and percent cover of tall (P1.4 m ht) shrubs was measured within 10, 0.05-ha (10 Â 50 m) plots located at grid points (50 Â 50), starting from a randomly selected gridpoint origin.…”

Section: Forest Structure Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research on how prescribed fire or other fuel reduction methods affect breeding bird communities in upland hardwood forests is scant, but results suggest that changes to species diversity or composition are associated with changes to forest structure (Greenberg et al, 2007). Many bird species that require open, young-forest conditions have shown regional or continental population declines and are listed as high-priority for conservation (Warburton et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In upland hardwood forests of the eastern US, high-severity fires are rare, and effects on breeding bird communities are not well known. Research indicates that single or multiple low-intensity burns with little tree mortality may have a negligible effect on most bird species, or short-term effect on some species associated with shrub or leaf litter cover (Aquilani et al, 2000;Artman et al, 2001;Greenberg et al, 2007). In contrast, high-severity fires with heavy tree mortality may create habitat for species requiring open, early successional conditions (Greenberg et al, 2011) or snags for nest cavities, while retaining many species associated with closed canopy forest, at least in the short-term (Greenberg et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an earlier study of fire and fire surrogates for fuel reduction, we experimentally assessed how breeding bird communities and species in a southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest responded to fuel reduction treatments by mechanical felling of the understory, prescribed burning, or mechanical felling of the understory followed a year later by prescribed burning (Greenberg et al, 2007). Initial (2003) prescribed burns in mechanical + burn treatment areas were hotter than in the burn-only treatment areas because of cut fuels that were left in place for a year prior to burning, killing substantial numbers of overstory trees and effectively creating conditions of low-severity (burn-only) and high-severity (mechanical + burned).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bird response to fire severity and repeated burning in upland hardwood forest

Greenberg¹,

Waldrop²,

Tomcho³

et al. 2013

Forest Ecology and Management

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Dean, "Bird response to fire severity and repeated burning in upland hardwood forest" (2013 a b s t r a c tPrescribed burning is a common management tool for upland hardwood forests, with wildlife habitat improvement an often cited goal. Fire management for wildlife conservation requires understanding how species respond to burning at different frequencies, severities, and over time. In an earlier study, we experimentally assessed how breeding bird communities and species responded to fuel reduction treatments by mechanical understory reduction, low-severity prescribed fires, or mechanical understory reduction followed a year later by high-severity prescribed fires in upland hardwood forest. Here, we assess longer-term response to the initial mechanical treatment (M), and a second low-intensity burn in twice burned (B2) and mechanical + twice burned (MB2) treatments and controls (C). Initial (2003) higher dead fuel loadings and consequently high-severity fires in MB2 created open-canopy structure with abundant snags, resulting in much higher species richness and density of breeding birds compared to other treatments. Relative bird density and richness remained much higher in MB2 after a second burn, but few changes were evident that were not already apparent after one burn. The initial (2003) burn in B2 had cooler, low-severity fires that killed few trees. Delayed tree mortality occurred in both burn treatments after one burn, and continued in both after a second low-intensity burn. In B2, this resulted in gradual development of a ''perforated,'' patchy canopy structure with more snags. Abundance of total birds and most species in B2 was similar to C, but several additional species associated with open-forest conditions occurred at low levels, increasing richness in B2. In both burn treatments, burning temporarily reduced habitat suitability for ground-nesting birds. Bird communities in M were similar to C, as shrubs recovered rapidly. Results indicate that one or two relatively low-intensity burns with patches of hotter fire may result in gradual, subtle changes to canopy cover and structure that may slightly increase bird species richness over time. In contrast, a single high-intensity, high severity fire can create young forest conditions and a heterogeneous canopy structure that can be maintained by repeated burning and increase breeding bird relative abundance and richness by attracting disturbance-adapted species while retaining most other forest species.Published by Elsevier B.V.

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Forage availability for white‐tailed deer following silvicultural treatments in hardwood forests

et al. 2011

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Closed-canopy upland hardwood stands often lack diverse understory structure and composition, limiting available nutrition for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as well as nesting and foraging structure for other wildlife. Various regeneration methods can positively influence understory development; however, non-commercial strategies are needed to improve available nutrition in many stands, as some contain timber that is not ready to harvest and others are owned by landowners who are not interested in harvesting timber. Applications of herbicide and prescribed fire have improved availability of food and cover for deer and other wildlife in pine (Pinus spp.) systems. However, this strategy has not been evaluated in hardwood systems. To evaluate the influence of fire and herbicide treatments on available deer forage in upland hardwood systems, we measured forage availability and calculated nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) at 14% crude protein mixed diet, following 7 silvicultural treatments, including controls, in 4 mixed upland hardwood stands July-September 2007 and 2008. We compared NCC among forest treatments and within 4 paired warm-season forage food plots to evaluate the usefulness of food plots in areas where forests are managed. Nutritional carrying capacity estimates (deer days/ha) were greatest following canopy reduction with prescribed fire treatments in both years. Understory herbicide application did not affect species composition or NCC 1 year or 2 years post-treatment. Production of forage plantings exceeded that of forest treatments both years with the exception of early-maturing soybeans and retention cut with fire 2 years post-treatment. We encourage land managers to use canopy reducing treatments and low-intensity prescribed fire to increase available nutrition and improve available cover where needed in upland hardwood systems. In areas where deer density may limit understory development, high-quality forage food plots may be used to buffer browsing while strategies to reduce deer density and stimulate the forest understory are implemented. ß 2011 The Wildlife Society.KEY WORDS food plots, forage availability, prescribed fire, silviculture, understory herbicide applications, upland hardwoods, white-tailed deer.

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Short‐Term Effects of Fire and Other Fuel Reduction Treatments on Breeding Birds in a Southern Appalachian Upland Hardwood Forest

Cited by 37 publications

References 23 publications

Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests

Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests

Bird response to fire severity and repeated burning in upland hardwood forest

Forage availability for white‐tailed deer following silvicultural treatments in hardwood forests

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