Predicting breeding bird occurrence by stand- and microhabitat-scale features in even-aged stands in the Central Appalachians

Spatial scale is an important consideration when managing forest wildlife habitat, and models can be used to improve our understanding of these habitats at relevant scales. Our objectives were to determine whether stand- or microhabitat-scale variables better predicted bird metrics (diversity, species presence, and abundance) and to examine breeding bird response to clearcut size and age in a highly forested landscape. In 2004-2007, vegetation data were collected from 62 even-aged stands that were 3.6-34.6 ha in size and harvested in 1963-1990 on the Monongahela National Forest, WV, USA. In 2005-2007, we also surveyed birds at vegetation plots. We used classification and regression trees to model breeding bird habitat use with a suite of stand and microhabitat variables. Among stand variables, elevation, stand age, and stand size were most commonly retained as important variables in guild and species models. Among microhabitat variables, medium-sized tree density and tree species diversity most commonly predicted bird presence or abundance. Early successional and generalist bird presence, abundance, and diversity were better predicted by microhabitat variables than stand variables. Thus, more intensive field sampling may be required to predict habitat use for these species, and management may be needed at a finer scale. Conversely, stand-level variables had greater utility in predicting late-successional species occurrence and abundance; thus management decisions and modeling at this scale may be suitable in areas with a uniform landscape, such as our study area. Our study suggests that late-successional breeding bird diversity can be maximized long-term by including harvests >10 ha in size into our study area and by increasing tree diversity. Some harvesting will need to be incorporated regularly, because after 15 years, the study stands did not provide habitat for most early successional breeding specialists.     

Variation in stand mortality related to successional composition

Forest ecologists have long recognized that there are large differences in the vital rates of early- and late-successional species: early-successional species typically grow faster than late-successional species, while late-successional species typically have lower rates of mortality than early-successional species. Numerous studies have shown that the differences in mortality are particularly evident when comparing per-capita rates in stands of early- and late-successional species. However, fewer studies have examined whether such differences in per-capita mortality are manifest as a difference in biomass turnover: do stands comprised late-successional species have lower rates of basal area mortality (mortality per unit basal area) than stands comprised of early-successional species? In this paper, the relationship between stand mortality and successional composition is examined using forest inventory data from the state of Michigan (USA). Mortality was quantified as the annual percentage of basal area lost to mortality, and successional composition was quantified using a continuous variable that reflects the successional status of each of the component tree species. Analysis by multivariate regression revealed that the difference in mortality between early- and late-successional stands is as great as 50%, and that the significance of this result is robust to collinearity between stand composition, stand age, and stand structure. This result suggests that successional composition could be used to better forecast changes in timber supply, habitat supply, and ecosystem function.     

Avian use of early successional habitats: Are regenerating forests,utility right-of-ways and reclaimed surface mines the same?

The importance of early successional habitats for breeding and post-breeding birds has received recent attention. Common early successional habitats in the eastern United States are regeneration after timber harvests, utility right-of ways and reclaimed surface mines. Few studies, however, have compared the characteristics of these with regard to avian habitat use. We conducted a passive mist-netting study to assess the breeding and post-breeding avian communities associated with these land uses in the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Tennessee. We used analysis of variance to compare the vegetation structure among these habitat types and discriminant function analyses to illustrate differences in vegetation structure and bird abundance among habitats. We banded 1562 individuals of 40 species (1.08 birds/net-hour). The percent cover of saplings, forbs and grass differed among habitat types, but there was no detectable difference in shrub cover. Vegetation structure allowed good discrimination between habitat types (Wilks’ λ = 0.16), specifically in differentiating clearcuts from surface mines and right-of-ways. Although the three habitat types had several avian species in common, the abundance of 12 species differed substantially among habitat types, and their species abundance patterns allowed for excellent discrimination between these habitat types (Wilks’ λ = 0.08). We conclude that these three early successional habitat types are different with regard to vegetation structure and avian community assemblage. These differences are important for local and landscape-scale conservation planning for both early and late successional avian species.     

Habitat use and nest success of scrub-shrub birds in wildlife and silvicultural openings in western Massachusetts,USA

Many conservationists are concerned about reports of declining populations of scrub-shrub birds. Wildlife opening management, involving repeatedly burning or mechanically treating early-successional stands, is one strategy for creating habitat for these species, but this practice is costly. Some silvicultural treatments also create scrub-shrub habitat and have the advantage of potentially generating revenue, but the relative effectiveness of wildlife opening management and silviculture for creating bird habitat is not known. During 2004 and 2005, we compared scrub-shrub bird abundance, nest success, and habitat characteristics between wildlife and silvicultural openings in western Massachusetts to determine whether the habitats created by these practices are equivalent for birds. We recorded 1927 detections of 31 scrub-shrub bird species during the course of the study and monitored 368 nests. We found that although most species were present in both treatments, many differed in abundance between wildlife and silvicultural openings, including several species of high conservation concern. These differences were attributable to differences in habitat characteristics between treatments. The overall probability of a nest surviving to fledging was 0.43, and did not differ between wildlife and silvicultural openings. Our results indicate that the habitat quality of wildlife and silvicultural openings is not equivalent for scrub-shrub birds, but the two management approaches serve as complementary strategies for maintaining these declining species.     

Oak regeneration using the shelterwood-burn technique: management options and implications for songbird conservation in the southeastern United States

Shelterwood silviculture is commonly used to regenerate oaks in upland stands. However, competition from other species such as tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) may deter oak regeneration when these traditional shelterwood techniques are used. The shelterwood-burn technique is a relatively new tool for regenerating oak-dominated stands on some upland sites while simultaneously minimizing undesirable hardwood intrusion with prescribed fire. Once successful oak regeneration has been achieved, three options are available which will result in different vegetative structure and composition within a stand and subsequently different habitats for songbirds. These options are: complete or partial canopy retention, post-harvest prescribed burning and complete canopy removal. Canopy retention, burning and removal treatments will create, respectively, two-age stands that are likely to harbor a diverse mixture of mature forest and early successional species; park-like woodlands with open woodland species; or early-successional habitats with shrubland species. We suggest that shelterwood-burn systems and the management options associated with them offer viable alternatives for managing both songbird and timber resources where oak-dominated stands are the desired goal in upland southeastern sites.     

Effects of group-selection opening size on the distribution and reproductive success of an early-successional shrubland bird

Group-selection is a widely used silvicultural technique, and although recent studies have compared the ecology of birds inhabiting patches of regenerating forest created by group-selection with that of birds in clearcuts, little is known about the effect of opening size and shape on the ecology of early-successional shrubland birds within stands treated with group-selection. We studied chestnut-sided warblers (Dendroica pensylvanica), which are an early-successional shrubland bird, nesting in 29 patches of regenerating (4–5 years old) northern hardwoods forest 0.15–0.69 ha in area to determine whether the ecology of this species is affected by patch size or shape. Chestnut-sided warbler density decreased with patch size, however nests were initiated earlier in larger patches. There were no relationships between patch area and number of young fledged per territory or nest predation rates. Similarly, there were no relationships between patch shape (defined as the ratio of the patch perimeter to the perimeter of a circle of the same area) and territory density, date of initiation of first nests, number of young fledged per territory, or nest predation rates. These results contrast with the results of studies of area sensitivity of mature forest and grassland birds, in which bird density is negatively related to patch area. However, later nest initiation in smaller patches suggests that smaller patches are lower quality habitat, which is consistent with the negative relationships between patch area and habitat quality reported in studies of birds nesting in patches of mature forest.     

Planning timber harvest of residual forest stands without compromising bird and small mammal communities in boreal landscapes

Numerous efforts have been invested in designing and configuring residual forest stands in Canadian boreal forest to preserve their overall biodiversity. Now that several landscapes have been partially logged, the next issue in forest management involves the planning of residual forest stand harvesting without compromising wildlife populations. Residual stands can be cut when adjacent regeneration reaches 3 m in height according to current regulations in several Canadian provinces (e.g., Québec, Ontario, Alberta, and British-Columbia). However, little is known on whether such regenerating habitat (RE-3m) can maintain wildlife communities similar to those found in unharvested mature forest (CO). We estimated the relative abundance of small mammals and forest birds in RE-3m and CO habitats and characterized landscape and stand structures. These variables were then compared between the two contrasting successional stages and were used to build habitat use models (HUMs) for 21 species. CO and RE-3m differed with regard to several landscape characteristics and stand structure variables as a result of logging. Snowshoe Hare, Northern Flicker, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow and Magnolia Warbler were more abundant in RE-3m than CO, while Red-backed Vole, Brown Creeper and Golden-crowned Kinglet exhibited lower abundances in RE-3m. No significant differences in abundance were observed for the 12 other species. Species HUMs were highly significant and explained between 64.3 and 99.1% of the total variability in abundance. Following variance partitioning, stand structure variables accounted for most of the explained variability (54.2%) while landscape characteristics accounted for only 28.7%. No difference in species richness was observed but community evenness was greater in CO than RE-3m. Our results suggest that current regulations may threaten the maintenance of 3 out of 21 censused species for which abundances were significantly lower in regenerating 3 m tall stands. As stand structure explained a large amount of variability in abundance, it should be considered during timber harvest planning in both mature and regenerating stands. Until we know more on whether the current regulations are suitable for maintaining overall biodiversity, our results suggest that some mature forest stands should be maintained within managed landscapes for a complete logging rotation period.     

Effect of stand age on bird communities in late-successional Macedonian pine forests in Bulgaria

To gain insight into the question of which vegetation characteristics have the most influence on avian assemblages in late-successional forests, the habitat preferences of bird-guilds in old-growth endemic forests of Macedonian pine were studied over 3 years in the Pirin National Park, Bulgaria. Bird–habitat relationships were investigated by comparing vegetation characteristics, and bird species richness, diversity, abundance, and guild structure of birds (determined according to food type, foraging and nesting sites) between mature (60–100 years old) and over-mature (>120 years old) Macedonian pine forest stands. Studied forest age-classes differed mainly by the density, height and diameter of trees, and the amount of dead wood. The first one of these parameters decreased and the latter two parameters increased with the forest succession. The difference in the vegetation structure affected the abundance of bird-guilds and thus, the overall bird abundance and the structure of avian assemblages within Macedonian pine forests. There was no significant difference in bird diversity among studied forest age-classes, but the overall bird abundance increased with forest maturation. Analyzed by study plots, species richness was higher in over-mature forests, but at cluster level, there was no significant difference between mature and over-mature forest age-classes. Half of the studied (insectivorous, hole- and ground-nesters, bark- and canopy-foraging bird species) guilds were more abundant in over-mature forests, while there was no bird-guild exhibiting a preference for mature forest stands. The abundances of bird-guilds were correlated with tree height, diameter at breast height and the amount of dead wood between the studied forest age-classes and this might explain their preferences for over-mature pine forests. Therefore, for future sustainable management of these endemic forests and the conservation of their avifauna, efforts should focus on protecting the remaining native old-growth forest stands and the importance of the structure of Macedonian pine forests on their bird assemblages should be considered in forestry practices.     

Alternative silvicultural practices with variable retention improve bird conservation in managed South Patagonian forests

Alternative silvicultural approaches to timber management, such as regeneration treatments with different degrees of stand retention, may mitigate negative effects of clear-cutting or shelterwood cuts in forested ecosystems, including changes in old-growth forest bird communities. The aims of this work were: (a) to compare bird species richness and densities among different silvicultural designs with variable retention (dispersed and/or aggregated) and unmanaged primary forests, and (b) to assess temporal changes at community and species levels before and after treatments. A baseline avian survey was conducted prior to harvesting to evaluate canopy gap presence and forest stand site quality influences. Subsequent to harvesting, data on bird species richness and density were collected by point-count sampling during the summer season for 5 consecutive years (4 treatments × 5 years × 6 sampling points × 5 counts). Bird species richness and density (15 species and 9.2 individuals ha⁻¹) did not change significantly with forest site quality of the stands and canopy gap presence in unmanaged forests. However, both variables were significantly modified in managed forests, increasing over time to 18 species and reaching to 39 individuals ha⁻¹. Inside the aggregated retention, bird communities were more similar to unmanaged primary forests than those observed within the dispersed retention or in clear-cuts. Opting for a regeneration method with dispersed and aggregated retention has great potential for managing birds in Nothofagus pumilio forests. This method retained enough vegetation structure in a stand to permit the establishment of early successional birds (at least in dispersed retention), and to maintain the bird species of old-growth forests which could persisted in the retention aggregates.     

Community composition, species richness, and abundance of birds in field margins of central Mexico: local and landscape-scale effects

Field margin vegetation is among the last vestiges of semi-natural habitat for birds in many agricultural landscapes of tropical regions. However, field margins differ in size, structure, and flora, and their value to birds depends on all these factors and on species-specific habitat preferences. Therefore, we analyzed data on resident and neotropical migratory birds found in 40 field margins of the agricultural landscape of El Bajío, Guanajuato, Mexico. The structural and botanical characteristics of the field margin, and those of the adjacent landscape, were related to bird species richness and abundance. We recorded 61 species of birds of which 36 were migratory. Locally, the size of the field margin (width, height, volume), its vegetative vertical complexity, and the abundance of trees and tree species had a positive effect on bird species richness and abundance. Native trees, especially mesquites, were especially important for many birds observed foraging, nesting, and perching. The most important landscape-scale variables were the density of hedgerows around field margins and the distance to natural vegetation remnants (scrub forest). Bird species richness and abundance were positively affected by the length of the hedgerows within 100 and 200-m-radius circles centered on each field margin. Field margins closer to natural vegetation also had more bird species and individuals. On the basis of our results, we suggest some general management recommendations for improving the habitat for birds in tropical agricultural landscapes.     

Carabids benefit more from pine stands with added understory or second story of broad-leaved trees favored by climate change than from one-storied pine stands

The released excess anthropogenic nitrogen and carbon produces habitat enrichment, as exemplified by the modification of one-storied pine stands by introducing deciduous species into the understory or second story. In this study, we discuss the validity of pine stand modification by pitfall-trapping epigeic carabid beetles. Two hypotheses were formulated: (1) proportion of late-successional species is higher in assemblages inhabiting pine stands with understory or a second story than in one-storied pine stands; (2) plant litter composition affects carabid beetle assemblages more than other environmental variables. Additionally, characteristic carabid species of the respective pine stand types were identified. GLMM analysis revealed a higher proportion of late-successional species in pine stands with understory or a second story than in one-storied ones. NMDS separated those pine stand types. RDA analysis indicated that pine litter and humus had the strongest effect on carabid beetle assemblage structure in one-storied stands, being drier and thicker in this stand type than in the others. Indicator value analysis identified two characteristic non-forest species in one-storied stands The study revealed that the introduction of understory and particularly a second story into pine stands increased carabid beetle diversity and the proportion of late-successional species, confirming the validity of pine stand modification.     

Investigating area-sensitivity in shrubland birds: Responses to patch size in a forested landscape

Population declines of shrubland birds in the eastern United States have been attributed to loss of early-successional habitat. Given that shrubland habitats are often ephemeral and patchily distributed, understanding the sensitivity of shrubland birds to patch characteristics is important for conservation. We tested the extent to which patch area was related to shrubland bird density, annual survival, and productivity by examining capture rates, apparent annual survival estimates, and juvenile-to-adult-female ratios for six focal species of shrubland birds in southeastern Ohio. Identical 3 × 3 mist-net grid arrays were set at each of 13 clearcut patches ranging in size from 4 to 16 ha and visited once per week between June and August of 2002–2006. Over the five seasons, 1428 juveniles and 2001 adults of six species were banded. Capture rates for all six species increased with patch area (mean of 44% higher in largest than smallest patch) but this relationship was only significant for the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens; F_1,11 = 34.2, P < 0.001) and the Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas; F_1,11 = 7.0, P = 0.023). However, after accounting for the effect of bird movements on capture rates, capture rates for only four of the six species increased patch area (mean of 22% higher in largest than smallest patch) and this relationship was only significant for the Yellow-breasted Chat (F_1,11 = 8.9, P = 0.012). Patch area was not a good predictor of apparent annual survival or juvenile-to-adult-female ratios for any species. Overall, we detected limited evidence of area-sensitivity in our system and no evidence that annual survival or productivity differed by patch area.     

Landscape-scale disturbance and boreal forest birds: Can large single-pass harvest approximate fires?

Boreal forest birds have adapted to changes caused by natural disturbances such as fire and this adaptation forms the basis for the Natural Disturbance Paradigm (NDP) underlying recent proposed changes in forest harvesting practices in western Canada. To date, this paradigm has been evaluated primarily at the stand level and within conventional harvesting systems. The potential for improvements in avian conservation at the landscape scale by adopting the NDP approach is largely unknown. We examined the effects of landscape-scale disturbances on forest bird communities by contrasting richness and abundance of birds in (1) 16 single-pass harvest sites with residual forest patches, (2) 29 multi-pass harvest sites with residuals; and (3) 15 salvage-logged post-fire sites with variable harvest intensity. We contrasted bird communities in these treatments with those in unsalvaged post-fire sites of similar age. Post-fire sites were used to provide a metric of the Natural Range of Variation (NRV) to be expected in bird communities. Sites were surveyed for avian community composition and abundance 1–5 years post-disturbance. Redundancy analysis indicated that bird communities differed from the NRV in all of the harvest treatments. However, single-pass harvests provided a somewhat better fit to NRV than did multi-pass harvesting. Avian community similarity was influenced by non-linear responses to area harvested, amount of residual retention, residual composition and pre-disturbance forest composition. An optimization routine created from a General Linear Model, suggests that community similarity to NRV can be maximized by using single-pass harvests over multi-pass harvests, harvesting 66–88% of the timber in the planning unit, and retaining 5–19% of the disturbance area as live residual patches, with 50% of harvests having at least 9% of the area in residuals.     

The bottomland hardwood forest of the southern United States

Bottomland hardwood forests are valued for timber production, water storage, enhanced water quality, nutrient cycling, erosion control and wildlife habitat. However, the majority of southern bottomland stands, 90% of which are in private ownership, are occupied by a degraded mixture of tree species, caused largely by repeated, incomplete harvests. They can be naturally regenerated to a stand of favorable species composition by removing the residual stand of merchantable and non-merchantable trees. For timber production, these systems respond best to even-aged management such as clearcutting, shelterwood cutting and patch clearcutting. Plant succession under such systems allows shade intolerant species to occupy the site, followed by species of increasing shade tolerance. Uneven-aged systems, such as individual-tree selection and group selection, are also viable regeneration methods, but they require great attention to detail and frequent stand entry. In areas of high sensitivity to timber harvesting, a two-aged system such as a leave-tree is recommended. Stand disturbance, either planned or unplanned, is needed to keep southern hardwood forest stands viable.     

Bird abundance and diversity across a hardwood gradient within early seral plantation forest

The extensive removal of competing broadleaved shrubs in forest plantations typically results in structural and compositional simplification of early seral habitat. However, information on the tradeoffs between such intensive forestry practices and biodiversity is scant. Here we assess the magnitude and direction of potential impacts of intensive forest management on populations of early seral-associated breeding birds. Observed population declines of several Neotropical migrant bird species are hypothesized to be linked to the loss of early seral habitat on the breeding grounds. We investigated the association between broadleaved hardwood cover and avian abundance and diversity in intensively managed early seral Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands of the Pacific Northwest. Bird species richness decreased across an elevational gradient, but did not vary as a function of either local vegetation composition or structure. In contrast, bird abundance was strongly associated with hardwood cover at local and landscape scales, especially for foliage-gleaning species. We found strong support for the existence of a threshold in relative bird abundance as a function of hardwood at the stand scale; abundance doubled with an increase from 1% to ∼6% hardwood and then reached a plateau. Though abundance of leaf-gleaners increased even more strongly across a gradient in hardwood cover, evidence for a distinct threshold was less clear. We conclude that when early seral hardwood forest is scarce, even small increases in hardwood may provide substantial conservation benefits. However, for some species (i.e., foliage gleaners), there may be more direct trade-offs in abundance and juvenile recruitment with hardwood management intensity.     

Effects of fire disturbance on bird communities and species of mountain Serrano forest in central Argentina

In central Argentina, Serrano forest has a long history of fire disturbance; however, the impact of fire on avifauna remains unknown. We compared the avian–habitat relationships in forest patches with low, moderate, and high fire regimes using a community-level (species richness, abundance, ordination and guilds) and species-level (indicator species analysis) approach. In patches under each fire condition, we recorded bird community composition, richness and abundance, and different vegetation structure variables. The site under high-severity fire regime was structurally poor and had been converted from original forest to dense grassland. There, diversity of bird community was low, retaining approximately 30 % of the species present in the least impacted site. Avian assemblage was dominated by generalist and open area birds. Guilds were underrepresented, showing an important reduction of foliage granivorous, nectarivorous, omnivores, and foliage and bark insectivorous, and absence of fly-catchers. Moreover, low abundance of forest understory, midstory, and canopy species and of birds belonging to open and closed nesting guilds was detected. By contrast, under low and moderate-severity fire regimes highest bird diversity as well as highest representativeness of most guilds was observed. Forest bird species were strongly associated with low fire disturbance, whereas moderate fire disturbance was characterized by the presence of forest and generalist species. Given the critical conservation status of Serrano forest in Córdoba, Argentina, habitat restoration and protection of forest relicts could be suitable measures to promote avifauna preservation.     

Bird community responses to a gradient of site preparation intensities in pine plantations in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina

Although intensively managed pine forests are common in the southeastern US, few studies describe how combinations of mechanical (MSP) and chemical site preparation (CSP) and herbaceous weed control (HWC) techniques affect bird communities that use early successional habitats within young pine forests. Therefore, we examined effects of six treatments of increasing management intensity via combinations of MSP (strip-shear and wide spacing or roller chop and narrow spacing) and CSP (application or no application) treatments with banded or broadcast HWC on bird communities in six loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA, for 8 years following site preparation. Wide pine spacing and strip-shear MSP increased bird abundance and species richness over narrow spacing and chopped MSP for 6 years after planting. Chemical SP reduced bird abundance in year 2, increased bird abundance in year 6, had no effect on abundance after year 7, and did not affect species richness in any year. Total bird abundance and species richness were similar between banded and broadcast HWC. Site preparation and HWC had no effect on bird diversity and bird communities were most similar in treatments of similar intensity. Site preparation and HWC had few or no effects on birds based upon migratory status, habitat association, or conservation value. The addition of chemical site preparation or HWC had little effect on birds beyond pine spacing, and bird abundance was not proportional to management intensity. Although we observed treatment effects, all treatments provided habitat used by a variety of bird species, and pine plantations may play an increasingly important role in bird conservation as forests become fragmented and converted to other land uses and as natural processes that create early successional habitat, such as fire, are suppressed.     

Stand structure of hemiboreal old-growth forests: Characteristic features,variation among site types,and a comparison with FSC-certified mature stands in Estonia

To improve the silvicultural targets for ecologically sustainable forestry, we quantified functionally important structural features for the first time in a representative set of old-growth forests in hemiboreal Europe. Altogether, 23 old-growth stands of four site-type groups were compared with mature commercial stands nearby in the Estonian state forests that hold the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate of sustainable forestry. These two treatments did not differ significantly in terms of tree-species diversity, volumes of woody debris of <20 cm diameter (including fine woody debris) and its decay-stage composition. However, mature stands had many more early-successional trees and lacked late-successional deciduous species; they also had a higher overall density and volume of live trees, due to abundant individuals of 10–39 cm diameter at breast height. Old-growth stands had at least twice as many live trees ≥40 cm, standing dead trees ≥30 cm and lying wood ≥20 cm in diameter, any freshly fallen debris, and regeneration. For lying wood ≥20 cm in diameter, the treatment effect depended on site type: both treatments of Vaccinium-type dry boreal forests were remarkably deadwood-poor (indicating historical management of the old-growth stands), while mature eutrophic stands of Aegopodium-type were most impoverished relative to old-growth levels. We conclude that many functional characteristics of old growth were present in the FSC-certified, mostly naturally regenerated, commercial stands. The main problem is the lack of very large trees, particularly of late-successional deciduous species, which should be addressed by their well-planned retention in cut areas and reconsideration of salvage logging strategies. A dense regeneration in old-growth stands also indicated the potential of selection cuttings. The study highlighted the need for region- and site-type specific numerical targets for sustainable forest management, which in the hemiboreal region should address the characteristic occurrence of late-successional deciduous trees on fertile soils and higher natural deadwood volumes than in typical boreal forests. For certification, the issues of structural impoverishment revealed both the inadequacy of some silvicultural practices and some indicators set by the national FSC-standard in Estonia.     

Structural changes and potential vertebrate responses following simulated partial harvesting of boreal mixedwood stands

Partial harvesting, where different numbers and arrangements of live trees are retained in forest stands, has been proposed for maintaining late-successional structure and associated vertebrate species within managed boreal forests. Using the stand dynamics model SORTIE-ND, we examined 80-year patterns of structural change in response to different intensities (30-70% basal area removal) and spatial patterns (22-273 m² mean patch size) of harvesting. We also applied habitat models for seven late-successional vertebrates to the structural conditions present after harvesting to assess potential species responses.Partial harvesting increased understory and downed woody debris (DWD) cover and decreased overstory structure for the first 25 years after harvest, in comparison to unharvested stands, with this effect subsequently reversing as harvest-induced regeneration reached the canopy. Although harvesting enhanced long-term structural development in this regard, large trees, large snags, and large DWD all remained below unharvested levels throughout the simulation period. Harvesting also produced transient increases in early-decay DWD and ground exposure. Most changes in structural attributes increased in proportion to harvest intensity, but structural differences among harvest patterns were generally small. Dispersed harvesting induced somewhat less pronounced decreases in vertical structure, and produced more post-harvest slash, than aggregated harvesting.All seven vertebrate species decreased in abundance as harvest intensity increased from 30 to 70%. In comparison to their pre-harvest abundances in old stands, vertebrates associated with DWD (redback salamander, marten, red-backed vole) showed neutral or positive responses at one or more harvest intensities, whereas those associated with large trees and snags (brown creeper, flying squirrel) consistently exhibited substantial adverse impacts.