Changes in land use, particularly reductions in the use of fire, have altered the structure and composition of southern forests and associated wildlife communities.
Retaining structural elements, such as a few mature trees and snags, in young, even-aged stands provides many benefits for a variety of wildlife species.
Early successional stands promote diversity in plant and animal communities, but many of the beneficial aspects are negated when the canopies of these stands close.
Stands receiving silvicultural treatments that promote complex forest canopies are heavily utilized by a variety of bird species.
A shift in intermediate stand treatments from prescribed fire to herbicides led to widespread changes in forest structure.
