SHORT-TERM CHANGES IN BIRD COMMUNITIES IN RESPONSE TO SILVICULTURAL PRESCRIPTIONS

Bird communities were surveyed on the Daniel Boone National Forest, Ke ntucky, using point-counts in May and June of 1993, 1994, and 1995. Si xteen stands were surveyed among four silvicultural prescriptions, inc luding no-harvest, two-age high-leave harvest (i.e. 7 m(2) residual ba sal area ha(-1)), two-age low-leave harvest (i.e. 3.5 m(2) residual ba sal area ha(-1)) and clearcut harvest. Data were collected for 1 year preharvest (1993) and 2 years post-harvest (1994 and 1995). Pre-harves t surveys revealed no differences in abundance, richness or diversity of bird communities among stands. After harvest, all indices were high er for bird communities in harvested stands than in no-harvest stands, with no difference among clearcut or two-age stands. Two forest inter ior species and one interior edge species were negatively affected by timber harvest in some stands, whereas Hooded warblers (Wilsonia citri na) were detected most frequently in low-leave and high-leave harveste d stands. Three shrub-scrub species were positively affected by timber harvest. The Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) was the most commo nly detected species in all harvested stands after harvest. These data indicate that a shift to two-age harvest prescriptions on the Daniel Boone National Forest will not alleviate the negative short-term respo nses associated with fragmentation on forest interior species, and wil l continue to enhance conditions for species preferring early successi onal habitat. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.