Study

Riparian forest strips as habitat for breeding birds in boreal forest

  • Published source details Darveau M., Beauchesne P., Belanger L., Huot J. & Larue P. (1995) Riparian forest strips as habitat for breeding birds in boreal forest. Journal of Wildlife Management, 59, 67-78.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Provide or retain un-harvested buffer strips

Action Link
Bird Conservation
  1. Provide or retain un-harvested buffer strips

    A replicated study in balsam fir Abies balsamea stands in Quebec, Canada (Darveau et al. 1995) in 1989-92 found that 60 m-wide riparian forest buffer strips retained forest-dwelling breeding bird abundances and a species composition more similar to uncut areas than that of narrower strips. For one year before and three years following clearcutting, birds were surveyed in five buffer strips: 20 m-, 40 m-, 60 m-, and more than 300 m-wide (i.e. undisturbed control) strips, and a 20 m-wide thinned (33% of trees removed) strip. After initial increases in bird densities (30-70%) in all strips in the year after cutting, the 20 m- and 40 m-wide strips exhibited greatest decreases. Three years after cutting, forest species were less abundant (four songbirds becoming virtually absent) than habitat generalists in the 20 m strips (the thinned 20 m strip had densities around 20% less than the unthinned 20 m-wide strip).

Output references
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