Effects of early-successional shrubland management on breeding wood thrush populations
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Abstract
In forested landscapes, creation of habitat for early-successional shrubland birds is controversial because of perceived conflicts with the conservation of mature-forest birds. Nonetheless, many mature-forest birds, especially fledglings, readily use early-successional stands during the post-breeding period. This suggests that for mature-forest birds, creating habitat for early-successional birds could involve a tradeoff: reduced abundance and nest survival due to the loss of nesting habitat versus enhanced fledgling survival in early-successional stands. Our research addressed the effects of the creation of early-successional habitat for shrubland birds on wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) in western Massachusetts, USA. We compared wood thrush abundance, nest success, fecundity, and post-fledging survival in landscapes with high (∼20%) or low (∼1%) cover of early-successional stands suitable for shrubland birds. We found no differences in nest success, fecundity, and post-fledging survival between the 2 types of landscapes. Abundance of breeders, however, was significantly greater on the sites with high cover of early-successional habitat. We conclude that in forested landscapes, creation of early-successional habitat at levels recommended for the conservation of shrubland birds is compatible with viable wood thrush populations. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Effects of early-successional shrubland management on breeding wood thrush populations |
Series title | Journal of Wildlife Management |
DOI | 10.1002/jwmg.21559 |
Volume | 82 |
Issue | 8 |
Year Published | 2018 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Wiley |
Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Leetown |
Description | 10 p. |
First page | 1572 |
Last page | 1581 |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |