Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Response Of Disturbance-Dependent Breeding Bird Communities To Two Site Preparations In Loblolly Pine Plantations, Falyn Leann Owens

LSU Master's Theses

Disturbance-dependent birds throughout the United States have recently experienced significant declines due to fire suppression and conversion of wilderness to human-dominated landscapes. In Louisiana, young loblolly pine plantations are an important source of early- successional habitat for these specialist birds. However, changes in management practices may affect forest stand suitability for bird communities that rely on them. Here I examined how changes in two site preparations, tree row spacing [14 ft (4.3 m) vs. 20 ft (6.1 m)] and arrangement of post-harvest woody debris (piled vs. scattered), impacted breeding, disturbance- dependent birds. During four summers in 2006-2010, observers conducted point …