Effects of restoration techniques on breeding birds in a thermally-impacted bottomland hardwood forest

We evaluated the effects of revegetation techniques on breeding bird commun ities in a bottomland hardwood forest impacted by thermal effluent. In 1993 , sections of the Pen Branch bottomland on the Savannah River Site, South C arolina, were herbicide-treated (glyphosate), burned, and planted; other se ctions were planted only while others were unaltered and served as controls . Few differences in the avian community occurred at 1 and 2 years post-tre atment among treatments. Plots that were herbicide-treated, burned, and pla nted had greater species richness in 1994 and abundance in 1995 than sectio ns that were planted only (P < 0.05). Bird species composition differed sli ghtly among treatments and White-eyed Vireos (Virco griseus), Common Yellow throats (Geothlypis trichas), Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), and Red-w inged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were the most abundant species in th e corridor. Revegetation techniques used to restore this thermally-impacted bottomland had little effect on the avian communities 1 and 2 years post-t reatment. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.