Bird Density and Habitat Use in Forest Openings Created 



by Herbicides and Clearcutting in 



The Central Appalachians 



William C. McComb and Robert L. Rumsey ^ 



Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky 



Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0073 



ABSTRACT. — Winter and breeding bird communities were sampled 

 on clearcuts, on plots receiving four rates of picloram herbicide appli- 

 cation, and on untreated plots. Four-year-old picloram treated plots 

 did not increase bird species diversity, but did increase bird density 

 over untreated plots. Positive response of some bird species to treat- 

 ment was due to creation of an edge. Bird density was affected by 

 physiographic site. Hairy woodpeckers, Picoides villosus; wintering 

 red-bellied woodpeckers, Melanerpes carolinus; and Carolina chicka- 

 dees, Parus carolinensis, used south-facing slopes more than north- 

 facing slopes, while red-eyed vireos, Vireo olivaceus, and ovenbirds, 

 Seiurus aurocapillus, used north-facing slopes more than ridgetop 

 sites. White-breasted nuthatches, Sitta carolinensis', red-bellied wood- 

 peckers; tufted titmice, Parus bicolor; and Carolina chickadees exhi- 

 bited changes in habitat use from winter to spring. A variety of piclo- 

 ram herbicide treatments (27-68 kg/ ha) and clearcutting in small (0.5- 

 1.0 ha) blocks, on both south-facing and north-facing slopes, is 

 recommended to increase bird density and provide more diverse habi- 

 tat than exists in undisturbed forests. 



INTRODUCTION 



Herbicides are used by foresters for timber stand improvement and 

 by wildlife managers to create forest openings (McCaffery et al. 1974; 

 Loftis 1978; Dewey 1980). Any herbicide use or timber harvesting 

 affects the structure and composition of forests as wildlife habitat. The 

 effects of forest cutting on bird communities have been reported by 

 McComb and Noble (1980), Strelke and Dickson (1980), and Crawford 

 et al. (1981), who found that tree thinning tended to increase bird spe- 

 cies diversity (BSD) and bird abundance, probably due to an increase in 

 foliage height diversity of the stand. In contrast, little information is 

 available on the effects of herbicide application on forest bird communi- 

 ties. Beaver (1976), Savidge (1978), and Best (1972) reported the effects 

 of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D applications to shrubs and trees on birds and 

 found either no effects or reductions in bird density and /or diversity. 

 Shipman (1972) reported greater wildlife diversity for up to 10 years 

 after application of fenuron herbicide on 0.04-ha plots in Pennsylvania. 



Present address: Department of Agriculture, McNeese State University, 

 Lake Charles, Louisiana 70609 



Brimleyana No.9:83-95. June 1983. 83 



