Forest composition, leaf litter, and songbird communities in oak- vs. maple-dominated forests in the eastern United States

Fox, Vanessa L.; Buehler, Charlotte; Byers, Chad M.; Drake, Summer E.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.03.019

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Instead, we documented a positive association between Ovenbird density and core forest cover within 500 and 1,000 m radii. This finding was not unexpected, because impacts of Lumbricus in North America have been most commonly documented in maple-basswood forests, both within our study region (Gundale et al 2005;Hale et al 2005Hale et al , 2006Holdsworth et al 2007a, b) and in the northeastern U.S. (Lawrence et al 2003;Fox et al 2010). Studies finding Lumbricus impacts in other forest types are less common (but see Alban and Barry 1994;Nuzzo et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Negative effects of Lumbricus on vertebrates have been documented in other regions. Fox et al (2010) observed that ground-nesting songbirds were absent from a heavily invaded sugar maple forest in southern Indiana, and Maerz et al (2009) documented exponential declines of woodland salamanders in response to earthworm-caused reduction of litter depth in the northeastern U.S. More research is needed to clarify whether additional vertebrate species, such as small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and other ground-nesting and ground-foraging birds, are affected by earthworm invasions and associated habitat changes. Furthermore, future research should address how potentially at-risk species are affected by interactions between earthworms and other stressors, including climate change, plant invasions, herbivory by over-abundant deer populations, and shifts in disturbance regimes (e.g., Frelich and Reich 2009).…”

Section: Regional Implications For Ovenbird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Earthwormcaused reductions of litter depth and arthropod food supplies reduce abundance of salamanders ), and ground-nesting songbirds have been observed to be absent from heavily invaded forests (Fox et al 2010). The only study designed to explicitly assess associations between invasive earthworms and songbirds found that Lumbricus invasions were related to reduced abundance of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla) and Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) in sugar maple (Acer saccharum)/basswood (Tilia americana) forest stands of 10-20 ha (Loss and Blair 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasions of non-native earthworms related to population declines of ground-nesting songbirds across a regional extent in northern hardwood forests of North America

2012

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Non-native invasive earthworms (Lumbricus spp.) substantially change previously earthwormfree hardwood forests of North America by consuming the leaf litter layer, reducing cover and richness of herbaceous plants, and increasing dominance of sedges and grasses. These changes have been associated with reduced density of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla) and Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) in 10-20 ha forest stands, and with reduced Ovenbird nesting success. Whether earthworms reduce songbird populations across a regional extent is unclear. We investigated relationships among Lumbricus, vegetation structure, landscape patterns of forest cover, and density of four ground-nesting songbird species at points scattered across the Chequamegon-Nicolet (Wisconsin) and Chippewa (Minnesota) National Forests, USA. In both national forests, Ovenbird density was significantly lower at invaded points than Lumbricus-free points, but only in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and sugar maple/basswood (Tilia americana) (hereafter, maple-basswood) woodlands. Density of the Hermit Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia), and Veery (Catharus fuscescens) did not differ in relation to Lumbricus. In maple-basswood forests, Lumbricus biomass was the best predictor of Ovenbird density, with greater biomass associated with reduced density. Vegetation structure and landscape pattern variables received weak support as density predictors. Across all forest types, Ovenbird density was most strongly related to forest cover within 500 and 1,000 m radii. Our results suggest that earthworm invasions may pose a regional threat to Ovenbirds within maple-basswood forests of the U.S. northern Midwest.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Regional Implications For Ovenbird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasions of non-native earthworms related to population declines of ground-nesting songbirds across a regional extent in northern hardwood forests of North America

2012

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“…Lack of early successional habitat in the eastern US, which savannas and open woodlands provide, is a major concern in wildlife conservation [49][50][51]. Savannas and woodlands support some of the highest levels of plant diversity [52][53][54], which begets a greater abundance of varied resources and habitats needed to conserve threatened and endangered wildlife species [55][56][57][58]. Both the dominance of oak tree crowns in the canopy and oak litter on the forest floor increase ecosystem productivity by supporting a greater diversity and abundance of invertebrates involved in energy and nutrient cycles than those communities without oak [59][60][61][62].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on the Dynamics of Prescribed Fire, Tree Mortality, and Injury in Managing Oak Natural Communities to Minimize Economic Loss in North America

Dey

Schweitzer

2018

Forests

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Abstract:The long history of fire in North America spans millennia and is recognized as an important driver in the widespread and long-term dominance of oak species and oak natural communities. Frequent wildfires from about 1850 to 1950 resulted in much forest damage, and gained fire a negative reputation. The lack of fire for the past nearly 100 years due to suppression programs is now indicted as a major cause of widespread oak regeneration failures and loss of fire-dependent natural communities. The use of prescribed fire is increasing in forest management and ecosystem restoration. An understanding of fire effects on trees can provide the basis for the silviculture of restoring and sustaining oak ecosystems. We present an overview of fire-tree wounding interactions, highlight important determinants of fire injury and damage, and discuss several practical situations where fire can be used to favor oak while minimizing damage and devaluation of the forest. We also identify stages in stand development, regeneration methods, and management objectives for which fire has the potential of causing substantial damage and recommend preferred alternative practices.

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“…However, the exclusion of key soil macrofauna (e.g., non-native earthworms) due to the 1 mm 2 mesh size of litter bags likely limited overall fragmentation in both studies compared to natural conditions. For example, litter decomposition rates are often more than eight-times greater in earthworm-accessible large mesh litter bags than in fine mesh bags that exclude them in temperate deciduous forests (Holdsworth et al, 2008; Fox et al, 2010). Therefore, we likely underestimated decay rates in both studies compared to natural conditions by excluding various soil faunal fragmenters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field and lab conditions alter microbial enzyme and biomass dynamics driving decomposition of the same leaf litter

Rinkes¹,

Sinsabaugh²,

Moorhead³

et al. 2013

Front. Microbiol.

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Fluctuations in climate and edaphic factors influence field decomposition rates and preclude a complete understanding of how microbial communities respond to plant litter quality. In contrast, laboratory microcosms isolate the intrinsic effects of litter chemistry and microbial community from extrinsic effects of environmental variation. Used together, these paired approaches provide mechanistic insights to decomposition processes. In order to elucidate the microbial mechanisms underlying how environmental conditions alter the trajectory of decay, we characterized microbial biomass, respiration, enzyme activities, and nutrient dynamics during early (<10% mass loss), mid- (10–40% mass loss), and late (>40% mass loss) decay in parallel field and laboratory litter bag incubations for deciduous tree litters with varying recalcitrance (dogwood < maple < maple-oak mixture < oak). In the field, mass loss was minimal (<10%) over the first 50 days (January–February), even for labile litter types, despite above-freezing soil temperatures and adequate moisture during these winter months. In contrast, microcosms displayed high C mineralization rates in the first week. During mid-decay, the labile dogwood and maple litters in the field had higher mass loss per unit enzyme activity than the lab, possibly due to leaching of soluble compounds. Microbial biomass to litter mass (B:C) ratios peaked in the field during late decay, but B:C ratios declined between mid- and late decay in the lab. Thus, microbial biomass did not have a consistent relationship with litter quality between studies. Higher oxidative enzyme activities in oak litters in the field, and higher nitrogen (N) accumulation in the lab microcosms occurred in late decay. We speculate that elevated N suppressed fungal activity and/or biomass in microcosms. Our results suggest that differences in microbial biomass and enzyme dynamics alter the decay trajectory of the same leaf litter under field and lab conditions.

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Forest composition, leaf litter, and songbird communities in oak- vs. maple-dominated forests in the eastern United States

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

Invasions of non-native earthworms related to population declines of ground-nesting songbirds across a regional extent in northern hardwood forests of North America

Invasions of non-native earthworms related to population declines of ground-nesting songbirds across a regional extent in northern hardwood forests of North America

A Review on the Dynamics of Prescribed Fire, Tree Mortality, and Injury in Managing Oak Natural Communities to Minimize Economic Loss in North America

Field and lab conditions alter microbial enzyme and biomass dynamics driving decomposition of the same leaf litter

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