STREAMSIDE ZONES AND BREEDING BIRDS IN EASTERN TEXAS

Strips of mature trees along intermittent or permanent streams, called streamside zones (SZ), often are retained to protect water quality an d accommodate wildlife when forest stands are harvested. We investigat ed the effects on breeding birds of 3 SZ widths (narrow 15-25 m, mediu m 30-40 m, and wide 50-95 m) in young pine (Pinus spp.) plantations in eastern Texas. Bird abundance was generally positively related to SZ width. Narrow SZ were inhabited mainly by species associated with youn g brushy stands and habitat edge. Bird species frequenting the wide zo nes were mostly those associated with mature pine-hardwood and bottoml and hardwood stands in the South. Species found in the medium zones we re a mix of species associated with narrow and wide zones, Retention o f medium and wide SZ maintains species of birds in local communities a nd benefits species associated with mature forest.