Effects of ice storm-created gaps on forest breeding bird communities in central Vermont

摘要: Abstract A damaging ice storm struck northern New England, NY, and adjacent Canada in January 1998, affecting nearly 7 million ha of forest lands. Although relatively rare at this scale, such natural disturbances provide a unique opportunity to study short- long-term impacts on ecosystems wildlife species. I investigated the storm’s short-term effects breeding birds hardwood central Vermont. Point counts (n=52) six ice-damaged sites Green Mountain National Forest were used compare post-storm bird abundance with pre-storm samples collected same points 1993 or 1994, five control (n=25) that unaffected by storm. In general, damage canopy trees consisted broken limbs main stems, lesser amounts uprooted trees. This resulted perforations, small gaps. Overall, species richness diversity increased only sites, whereas total controls. Three forest-interior declined (P≤0.046) following storm, two canopy-foragers (Red-eyed Vireo Blackburnian Warbler), ground-forager/nester normally associated closed-canopy woodlands (Ovenbird). Another ground-forager/nester, Dark-eyed Junco, was increase (P=0.046) after although Winter Wren showed marginal (P=0.075). Among habitat/foraging guilds, groups (canopy-foragers ground/shrub foragers) significantly (P≤0.034), open-edge feeders marginally (P=0.069). Results from are consistent investigations responses selective management, particularly “group selection” “single-tree selection”, suggesting these management strategies may effectively emulate disturbance events as storms.