Jm. Buffington et al., Effects of restoration techniques on breeding birds in a thermally-impacted bottomland hardwood forest, ECOL ENG, 15, 2000, pp. S115-S120
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.