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Coordinating short-term projects into an effective research program: effects of site preparation methods on bird communities in pine plantations

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Several short-term projects conducted at the Savannah River Site have focused on the effects on avian populations of different techniques of preparing a site for tree planting in young pine plantations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of these studies, to summarize the information they provide regarding the effects of pine management on avian communities, and to demonstrate how multiple short-term projects can be used to address pressing management issues. O'Connell, Sparling, and Branch examined breeding and wintering bird use of areas treated with several mechanical and chemical site preparation methods. Overall, there were few treatment-related effects on bird populations. Both O'Connell and Sparling believed that the few differences in bird use of treatment plots were associated with minor differences in the structural diversity of the vegetation. Each of these short-term studies provided timely information on an issue of management importance and, taken together, they provide a more comprehensive picture of the effects of site preparation methods on bird communities in pine plantations than a single long-term study.

Citation

Kilgo, John C.; Miller, Karl V.; Moore, William F. 2000. Coordinating short-term projects into an effective research program: effects of site preparation methods on bird communities in pine plantations. Studies in Avian Biology. 21:144-147.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/2261