Forest management and the distribution of understorey birds in the Bossematie Forest, eastern Ivory Coast

The Bossematie Forest, Eastern Ivory Coast, has repeatedly been logged but is now subject to rehabilitation carried out by the Ivorian SODEFOR (Societ e de developpement des forets) in co-operation with the German GTZ (Gesells chaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit). To estimate the conservation prospect s of forest birds, the influence of selective cleaning, an applied forestry practice, on vegetation structure and on the understorey bird community wa s studied. Vertical vegetation coverage was described and mistnetting was c arried out in ONO adjacent management zones, a 3-years-old treated plot and an untreated control plot. The understorey vegetation in the treated plot has been damaged by fallen midstorey trees. The treatment plot differed fro m the control plot mainly in forming a low, single-layered canopy, which is typical for early successional stages. The analysis of 810 captures shows clear differences in the bird communities: the number of individuals of so- called open-land species was significantly higher in the treated plot, wher eas that of forest-interior species significantly decreased. The results ar e used for the adaptation of species lists for an existing monitoring progr am. This will show, whether the establishment of strict reserves and the sp atial and temporal distribution of management activities can maintain popul ations of forest interior species in the Bossematie forest in the long run.