Ten Principles for Bird-Friendly Forestry: Conservation Approaches in Natural Forests Used for Timber Production

Abstract

Bird–forestry relationships have been the subject of research and conservation initiatives for decades, but there are few reviews of resulting recommendations for use by forest managers. We define “bird-friendly forestry” as forest management that applies recommendations from research seeking to reconcile logging with bird conservation in natural forests used for timber production. We reviewed relevant studies to synthesize 10 principles of bird-friendly forestry: (1) protect and enhance vertical structure through uneven-aged silviculture; (2) leave abundant dead wood in different decay stages; (3) maintain residual large green trees; (4) create and maintain sufficient amounts of uncut reserves and corridors; (5) maximize forest interior by retaining large contiguous forest tracts in landscapes with sufficient functional connectivity; (6) maintain buffers along streams, rivers, and wetlands cultural and urban landscapes; (7) maintain horizontal stand structure and enhance vegetation diversity by creating canopy gaps; (8) extend the temporal scale of logging cycles; (9) minimize post-logging disturbance to forests, particularly during the bird breeding season; and (10) manage for focal species and guilds. These principles may serve as guidelines in developing bird-friendly management plans customized for regional priority species, with a clearly articulated vision and quantitative objectives through which success can be measured.

An Assessment of the Climate Change Impacts on the Distribution of the Glacial Relict Woodpecker Three-Toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus

“…Recommendations for the conservation of the Three-Toed Woodpecker in the study area include, but are not limited to the following: (1) creating a buffer zone in forests, with a special focus on forests within protected areas; (2) limiting the sanitary removal of trees associated with its presence, i.e., spruce [11,45,47,48], fir [7,9,11,52], pine [7,45,47,52], birch [47], and beech [9,11]; (3) extending the time between logging [112]; (4) preserving standing dead wood in amount that is not smaller than 20 m 3 /ha [34]; (5) preserving mature and old-growth forest stands by leaving minimum 15 spruce and fir trees/ha with a diameter no less than 40 cm [34]; (6) creating a larger area of suitable habitats as the species does not favour small forests [46]; (7) banning human activities in the breeding period (March-July) in a 500 m radius from the known nest sites [34]; (8) banning the land-use changes in the species habitat, including the new forest roads construction [34]; (9) establishing connection between habitats through corridors [112]; (10) increasing the protection of areas with suitable habitats. Habitat protection and limiting sanitary logging has so far proved to be an adequate measure for the conservation of the Three-Toed Woodpecker in Bulgaria [13,45].…”