Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest
The loss of mature forests is a known stressor of forest management on biodiversity. Mature forests provide unique habitat for forest birds. Here, we examine the capacity of mature forest stands embedded in an intensively managed landscape to provide habitat for landbird species that are associated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/184 |
| _version_ | 1797343954977423360 |
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| author | Lisa A. Venier Kevin Porter Gregory Adams Kenneth McIlwrick Emily Smenderovac |
| author_facet | Lisa A. Venier Kevin Porter Gregory Adams Kenneth McIlwrick Emily Smenderovac |
| author_sort | Lisa A. Venier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The loss of mature forests is a known stressor of forest management on biodiversity. Mature forests provide unique habitat for forest birds. Here, we examine the capacity of mature forest stands embedded in an intensively managed landscape to provide habitat for landbird species that are associated with mature, unfragmented habitats. We carry this out by comparing bird communities in forest stands in three landscapes with a gradient of management activity. We examined community-level indicators (richness, diversity, abundance and community structure), and trait-level indicators (species groups associated with cavity nesting, mature forests, interior forests and area sensitivity). We found no obvious negative effects on bird communities, species and trait groups in forest stands in the most intensively managed landscape relative to the less intensively managed landscapes. Our ability to draw inferences about the influence of management intensity is limited due to lack of replication; however, these results do provide evidence that mature forest stands within intensively managed landscapes can provide valuable habitat to mature forest associates. There are often trade-offs between generating wood products from the forest and the provision of mature forest habitats. Research on forest birds can provide some of the necessary information for assessing the size and shape of those trade-offs and help to inform the conversation about the desired structure, function and composition of forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:55:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c7b9f4a3ca54cfda53031d7e4c97788 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:55:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c7b9f4a3ca54cfda53031d7e4c977882024-01-26T16:34:44ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072024-01-0115118410.3390/f15010184Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian ForestLisa A. Venier0Kevin Porter1Gregory Adams2Kenneth McIlwrick3Emily Smenderovac4Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaIndependent Researcher, Fredericton, NB E3B 6Y2, CanadaGWA Forestry and Applied Biosciences Consulting, 5 Rockridge Dr., Sussex Corner, Sussex, NB E4E 5R2, CanadaGreat Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaGreat Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaThe loss of mature forests is a known stressor of forest management on biodiversity. Mature forests provide unique habitat for forest birds. Here, we examine the capacity of mature forest stands embedded in an intensively managed landscape to provide habitat for landbird species that are associated with mature, unfragmented habitats. We carry this out by comparing bird communities in forest stands in three landscapes with a gradient of management activity. We examined community-level indicators (richness, diversity, abundance and community structure), and trait-level indicators (species groups associated with cavity nesting, mature forests, interior forests and area sensitivity). We found no obvious negative effects on bird communities, species and trait groups in forest stands in the most intensively managed landscape relative to the less intensively managed landscapes. Our ability to draw inferences about the influence of management intensity is limited due to lack of replication; however, these results do provide evidence that mature forest stands within intensively managed landscapes can provide valuable habitat to mature forest associates. There are often trade-offs between generating wood products from the forest and the provision of mature forest habitats. Research on forest birds can provide some of the necessary information for assessing the size and shape of those trade-offs and help to inform the conversation about the desired structure, function and composition of forests.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/184bird communitiesforest managementAcadian Forestindicatorsfunctional traitslandscape effects |
| spellingShingle | Lisa A. Venier Kevin Porter Gregory Adams Kenneth McIlwrick Emily Smenderovac Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest Forests bird communities forest management Acadian Forest indicators functional traits landscape effects |
| title | Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest |
| title_full | Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest |
| title_fullStr | Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest |
| title_short | Response of Forest Bird Communities to Managed Landscapes in the Acadian Forest |
| title_sort | response of forest bird communities to managed landscapes in the acadian forest |
| topic | bird communities forest management Acadian Forest indicators functional traits landscape effects |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/184 |
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