Effects of Even-Age Timber Management on Bird Communities of the Longleaf Pine Forest in Northern Florida

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Abstract
Breeding and wintering bird populations were studied, by line-transect sampling, in the natural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest and four age-classes (1, 10, 24, and 40 years) of slash pine (P. elliottii) plantations in Florida, during 1981. Breeding bird density, species richness, species diversity, and biomass were highest in the longleaf pine forest and differed (P < 0.05) from those found in all age-classes of slash pine plantations. Breeding bird density, species richness, and diversity (H''), but not biomass, were correlated (P < 0.05) with stand age. Little similarity in the composition of the breeding bird community existed between longleaf pine and any age-class of slash pine plantation. In winter, neither species richness nor diversity differed (P < 0.05) among the five stand types, and density and biomass differed (P < 0.05) only between 1- and 24-year-old plantations. Similarity of the wintering bird community between the forest and plantations increased progressively with plantation age. Although slash pine plantations in northern Florida do not provide habitat that will maintain the breeding bird community of the natural longleaf pine forest, older plantations (< 40 years) do provide habitat for a wintering bird community that is reasonably similar to that of the natural longleaf pine forest.