Forest Bird Response to Regeneration Practices in Central Hardwood Forests

We studied breeding songbird populations in a managed, predominantly forested landscape, in southeastern Missouri. We determined differences in the relative abundance of breeding birds in forest stands that had been harvested by the clearcut (n = 12), shelterwood (n = 12), group selection (n = 12), and singletree selection (n = 10) forest regeneration methods, and mature even-aged stands (n = 12). Five migrant songbirds, the blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus), prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor), rufous-sided towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), white-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus), and yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens), were more abundant in clearcut treatments than other treatments (P 0.30). Nest success of species nesting in clearcut and shelterwood treatments was 18-50%. The percent of the site in gaps, shrub stem density, and tree-diameter distribution differed among forest regeneration methods (P < 0.001). We believe habitat requirements of birds in managed forests can be best met by a mixture of evenand uneven-aged forest management that creates a range of disturbance sizes. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 61(1):159-171