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Fragments are not islands: patch vs landscape perspectives on songbird presence and abundance in a harvested boreal forest

Fragments are not islands: patch vs landscape perspectives on songbird presence and abundance in... Norton. M. R., Hannon, S. J. and Sclimiegelow. F, K. A. 2000. Fragments arc not islands: patch vs landscape perspectives on songbird presence and abundance in a harvested boreal forest. - Ecography 23: 209-223. The boreal mixed-wood forest of northern Alberta. Canada is characterized by a mosaic of deciduous and coniferous forest patches. Recently, the deciduous portion of the forest was allocated for industrial logging. Widespread habitat loss and fragmentation may negatively affect birds and other wildlife. Most research on the effects of habitat loss on bird abundance has focussed on the forest as a patch or island in a matrix of non-habitat, but some species of songbird may use both the forest patch and the matrix. We hypothesized that some species of songbird might be able to compensate for a loss of deciduous forest by moving into other habiliit types (termed "habitat compensation"). We report on a replicated field investigation in which we assessed tlie response of songbirds to commercial timber harvest by first examining their abundance within deciduous forest only, and then adding the clearcuts and coniferous forest in the surrounding areas to the analysis for a broader, landscape view of the system. Bird communities in deeiduous and coniferous habitats had significant overlap in species composition: there was less overlap between forest and cleareuts. The shift from patch-centred to land.scape sampling altered our interpretation of over half of the mosi common species" responses to logging in at least one year, suggesting that habitat compensation may have been occurring. However, signiticant variation in responses of species was observed between the two study areas. Our past reliance on island biogeographic and other single habitat approaches may be inappropriate for this system, and we stress thai a broad, landscape view is required to properly assess and interpret species' responses to habitat loss and fragmentation. M. R. Norton and S. J. Hannon (correspondence: sue.hannon@ualherta.ca). Dept of Biol. Sciences. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton. AB. Canada, T6Ci 2E9 (present address of M. R. N.: Alberta Conservation Assoeiation, 7th floor. 6909-1. tl6St, Edmonton, AB. Canada TOG 2H1}. - E. K. A. Schmiegelow, Depl of Renewable Resources, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. T6G 21IL Habitat loss and fragmentation of previously contiguous landscapes have been a concern of conservationists for over two decades. Assessing the impact on species and eomtnunities in remnant (or fragtnented) areas has been the foeus of intensive scientific research for just as long (e.g. Forman et al. 1976, Wileove et al. 1986). Landscape changes, such as a reduction in original habitat area, isolation of remaining habitat patehes, and an inerease in edge relative to interior habitat have all been implicated as having negative effects on some wildlife populations (Saunders et al. 1991). Declines in several speeies of birds have been partially attributed to the loss and fragmentation of their breeding habitat (e.g. Whiteomb et al. 1981. Bohning-Gaese et al. 1993), and neotropical migrant songbirds appear to be particularly sensitive (Robbins et al. 1989. Morton 1992). To date, our perception of the impaets of habitat fragmentation has been heavily based on the theory of island biogeography (MacArthur and Wilson 1967), This theory has dominated our decisions about whieh Accepted 1 July 1999 Copyright © ECOGRAPHY 2000 ISSN 0906-7590 Printed in Ireland - ail rights reserved ECOGRAPHV 2.1:2 (2000) 209 logical Research Station provided logistieal support. Alberta Pacific Forest Industries and Vanderwell Contracting conducted the experimental logging al Calling Lake. Thanks to Ben Olsen and Cindy MeCallum for assistance in preparing Fig. I. Funding for this work was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada, the J. K. Cooper Foundation, the Canadian Cireumpolar Institute, the Canadian Wildlife Serviee, Forestry Canada's Canada-Alberta Partnership in Forestry Program. Alberta Environmental Protection, Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, Daishowa-Marubeni Industries, the National Eco-Research Tri-Couneil. and the Natural Seiences and Enghieering Research Council of Canada. This paper benefitted from comments on an earlier draft by Miko Monkkonen. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ecography Wiley

Fragments are not islands: patch vs landscape perspectives on songbird presence and abundance in a harvested boreal forest

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References (45)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0906-7590
eISSN
1600-0587
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0587.2000.tb00277.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Norton. M. R., Hannon, S. J. and Sclimiegelow. F, K. A. 2000. Fragments arc not islands: patch vs landscape perspectives on songbird presence and abundance in a harvested boreal forest. - Ecography 23: 209-223. The boreal mixed-wood forest of northern Alberta. Canada is characterized by a mosaic of deciduous and coniferous forest patches. Recently, the deciduous portion of the forest was allocated for industrial logging. Widespread habitat loss and fragmentation may negatively affect birds and other wildlife. Most research on the effects of habitat loss on bird abundance has focussed on the forest as a patch or island in a matrix of non-habitat, but some species of songbird may use both the forest patch and the matrix. We hypothesized that some species of songbird might be able to compensate for a loss of deciduous forest by moving into other habiliit types (termed "habitat compensation"). We report on a replicated field investigation in which we assessed tlie response of songbirds to commercial timber harvest by first examining their abundance within deciduous forest only, and then adding the clearcuts and coniferous forest in the surrounding areas to the analysis for a broader, landscape view of the system. Bird communities in deeiduous and coniferous habitats had significant overlap in species composition: there was less overlap between forest and cleareuts. The shift from patch-centred to land.scape sampling altered our interpretation of over half of the mosi common species" responses to logging in at least one year, suggesting that habitat compensation may have been occurring. However, signiticant variation in responses of species was observed between the two study areas. Our past reliance on island biogeographic and other single habitat approaches may be inappropriate for this system, and we stress thai a broad, landscape view is required to properly assess and interpret species' responses to habitat loss and fragmentation. M. R. Norton and S. J. Hannon (correspondence: sue.hannon@ualherta.ca). Dept of Biol. Sciences. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton. AB. Canada, T6Ci 2E9 (present address of M. R. N.: Alberta Conservation Assoeiation, 7th floor. 6909-1. tl6St, Edmonton, AB. Canada TOG 2H1}. - E. K. A. Schmiegelow, Depl of Renewable Resources, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. T6G 21IL Habitat loss and fragmentation of previously contiguous landscapes have been a concern of conservationists for over two decades. Assessing the impact on species and eomtnunities in remnant (or fragtnented) areas has been the foeus of intensive scientific research for just as long (e.g. Forman et al. 1976, Wileove et al. 1986). Landscape changes, such as a reduction in original habitat area, isolation of remaining habitat patehes, and an inerease in edge relative to interior habitat have all been implicated as having negative effects on some wildlife populations (Saunders et al. 1991). Declines in several speeies of birds have been partially attributed to the loss and fragmentation of their breeding habitat (e.g. Whiteomb et al. 1981. Bohning-Gaese et al. 1993), and neotropical migrant songbirds appear to be particularly sensitive (Robbins et al. 1989. Morton 1992). To date, our perception of the impaets of habitat fragmentation has been heavily based on the theory of island biogeography (MacArthur and Wilson 1967), This theory has dominated our decisions about whieh Accepted 1 July 1999 Copyright © ECOGRAPHY 2000 ISSN 0906-7590 Printed in Ireland - ail rights reserved ECOGRAPHV 2.1:2 (2000) 209 logical Research Station provided logistieal support. Alberta Pacific Forest Industries and Vanderwell Contracting conducted the experimental logging al Calling Lake. Thanks to Ben Olsen and Cindy MeCallum for assistance in preparing Fig. I. Funding for this work was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada, the J. K. Cooper Foundation, the Canadian Cireumpolar Institute, the Canadian Wildlife Serviee, Forestry Canada's Canada-Alberta Partnership in Forestry Program. Alberta Environmental Protection, Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, Daishowa-Marubeni Industries, the National Eco-Research Tri-Couneil. and the Natural Seiences and Enghieering Research Council of Canada. This paper benefitted from comments on an earlier draft by Miko Monkkonen.

Journal

EcographyWiley

Published: Apr 1, 2000

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