MILES, D. B.; STREBY, H. M.; Ohio University; Ohio University: Avian community responses to prescribed burns and shelterwood harvests

Previous forest management practices in U. S. Forests emphasized the suppression fires. A consequence of this management practice has been the excessive accumulation of fuel and high tree densities. In order to avoid severe and catastrophic fires, resource managers now employ a variety of treatments to diminish fuel loads. Alternative treatments include prescribed burns and thinning, both of which are assumed to mimic natural ecosystem function. However, avian responses to alternative silviculture treatments have only recently been investigated. We present the results of a study designed to ascertain whether avian community composition, productivity and foraging behavior are affected by fire and fire surrogate treatments. Avian species composition and abundance in each of four treatment types was estimated using point count census methods. The treatment plots were control, burn, thin, and burn + thin. The treatments were replicated in three different sites. We also determined differences in foraging behavior. Avian censuses were conducted a year before the treatments to obtain baseline data, and four years post-treatment. Our results represent acute and relatively long-term responses to forest disturbance. We compared community composition and foraging behavior using data from the baseline samples to determine whether species composition and community organization was homogeneous among the treatments. Species composition was significantly different among treatments, with highest diversity occuring in thin and burn plots. However, there was considerable heterogeneity in the data. There was evidence of species specific differences in foraging behavior across treatments. We document how species composition and niche organization shifts in response to the thin and burn treatments.