Effects of restoration techniques on breeding birds in a thermally-impacted bottomland hardwood forest

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of revegetation techniques on breeding bird communities in a bottomland hardwood forest impacted by thermal effluent. In 1993, sections of the Pen Branch bottomland on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, were herbicide-treated (glyphosate), burned, and planted; other sections were planted only while others were unaltered and served as controls. Few differences in the avian community occurred at 1 and 2 years post-treatment among treatments. Plots that were herbicide-treated, burned, and planted had greater species richness in 1994 and abundance in 1995 than sections that were planted only (P < 0.05). bird species composition differed slightly among treatments and white-eyed vireos (Vireo griseus), Common Yellowthroats(Geothylpis trichas), Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), and Red-winged Blackbirds (Ageluius phoeniceus) were the most abundant species in the corridor. Revegetation techniques used to restore this thermally-impacted bottomland had little effect on the avian communities 1 and 2 years post-treatment.

Citation

Buffington, J. Matthew; Kilgo, John C.; Sargent, Robert A.; Miller, Karl V.; Chapman, Brian R. 2000. Effects of restoration techniques on breeding birds in a thermally-impacted bottomland hardwood forest. Ecological Engineering 15 (2000) S115-S120