Surface mining in the Appalachian region (USA) converts large areas of mature forest to early successional habitat. This shift in landscape structure has the potential to reduce habitat availability and suitability for forest-dwelling songbirds by reducing and fragmenting mature forest, but also to increase habitat availability for grassland-and shrubland-associated songbirds. We examined the influence of mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) reclamation habitats (grassland, shrubland, and remnant forest) on songbird community composition and abundance at three former MTMVF mines in southwestern West Virginia, relative to intact forest. We quantified the songbird community in 1999 and 2000 using point counts arranged throughout the mine complexes to assess landscape composition of the songbird community. Community analysis showed songbirds had strong associations with their respective guild based on species habitat preferences. Although remnant and intact forest treatments had similar species compositions, the forest interior guild had greater richness in intact rather than remnant forest. Total species richness was greatest in the reclaimed shrubland treatment. Focal species analysis followed similar trends as community assessments, because most species abundances within treatment types were strongly associated with species habitat preferences. Our results indicate that reclamation habitat decisions, i.e., grasslands versus forests, can have large effects on avian community composition. Determining appropriate mine restoration actions depends on the suite of species desired for long-term occupancy and their conservation priority. Compromis relatifs aux approches de remise en état de mines en prairie ou forêt dans la région centrale des Appalaches et répercussions sur la communauté de passereaux RÉSUMÉ. L'exploitation de mines à ciel ouvert dans la région des Appalaches (É.-U.) a entrainé la conversion de vastes secteurs de forêts matures en milieux de début de succession. Ce changement dans la structure du paysage peut engendrer une réduction de la disponibilité et de la qualité des milieux pour les passereaux forestiers en réduisant et fragmentant les forêts matures, mais peut aussi entrainer une augmentation de la disponibilité de milieux pour les passereaux de prairies et d'arbustaies. Nous avons examiné l'effet de la remise en état (en prairie, arbustaie ou forêt résiduelle) d'anciens sites miniers situés au sommet de montagnes ou dans des vallées remblayées (SMVR) sur la composition et l'abondance des communautés d'oiseaux à trois anciennes mines SMVR dans le sud-ouest de la Virginie-Occidentale, comparativement à des forêts intactes. Nous avons déterminé la composition des communautés d'oiseaux à l'échelle du paysage au moyen de dénombrements par points d'écoute répartis dans l'ensemble des complexes miniers en 1999 et 2000. L'analyse des communautés a révélé que les passereaux étaient fortement associés selon leur guilde respective fondée sur leurs préférences d'habitat. Même si les forêts résiduelles et...
The proliferation of energy rights‐of‐way (pipelines and powerlines; ROWs) in the central Appalachian region has prompted wildlife management agencies to consider ways to use these features to manage and conserve at‐risk songbird species. However, little empirical evidence exists regarding best management strategies to enhance habitat surrounding ROWs for the songbird community during stopover or breeding periods. We used a before–after–control–impact design to study cut‐back border (linear tree cuttings along abrupt forest edges) harvest width (15, 30, and 45 m wide into the forest), and harvest intensity (14 and 4.5 m2/ha basal area retention) prescriptions along ROWs and assessed their effects on mature forest and young forest songbird species and avian guilds (forest gap habitat, forest interior habitat, young forest habitat, and species of regional conservation priority) up to 2 years after treatment throughout West Virginia. Species richness during the spring stopover period initially decreased at the 1‐year post‐treatment period but returned to pre‐treatment levels by 2 years post‐treatment. Breeding season responses to cut‐back border treatments varied across harvest width, harvest intensity, and time, but all responses of focal species abundance and guild richness were neutral or positive. Cut‐back border harvest intensity had a stronger influence (i.e., more positive responses) than harvest width on breeding focal species abundances and guild richness. For harvest intensity, the more intense, 4.5 m2/ha retention treatment had a stronger influence (i.e., more positive responses) than the less intense, 14 m2/ha retention treatment. For harvest width, the narrowest treatment (15‐m wide) had the strongest influence (i.e., more positive responses) of all width treatments, followed by the widest (45‐m wide treatment) with the least influence from the 30‐m wide treatment. Abundances and richness increased from pre‐treatment to 2 years post‐treatment across all species and guilds that exhibited a response. These results suggest that cut‐back borders increase breeding season habitat suitability along ROWs for the mature forest and young forest songbird community as well as for species of regional conservation priority in the short‐term. These findings can aid the development of management guidelines for the forest songbird community along abrupt forest edges of man‐made habitat features in forest‐dominated landscapes.
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