Response of forest avifauna to forestry in northeast Oregon

Drawing upon data collected over the past eight years, SEI-Idaho is beginning to analyze the response of breeding bird communities to timber harvest in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon. Research during the first three years (1994-1996) addressed bird-habitat relationships in managed and unmanaged forests, and especially focused on the distribution and abundance of bird species among six different forest structural classes (stand initiation, stem exclusion – open canopy, stem exclusion – closed canopy, understory reinitiation, young forest – multistory, and old forest – multistory). In addition, habitat relationships for more than 30 bird species have been modeled using multiple regression techniques. These models have been used to make inferences about the likelihood that forest practices in the inland West are related to population trends for a number of bird species. The second “phase” of our research began in 1997, when numerous stands were treated with timber harvest prescriptions. At this point, our focus shifted from documenting habitat relationships to understanding the direct influence of forestry practices on forest birds. In 1998, following silvicultural treatments, we collected the first year of post-treatment bird data; in 1999 and 2000, we repeated this work for a second and third post-treatment season, respectively. With almost a decade of data, our research is likely to lead to several important contributions to our knowledge of bird-forestry relationships. Management implications will be significant and numerous scientific publications are anticipated. Partners include Boise Cascade Corporation, NCASI, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Habitat Restoration
Effects of Wildfire
Birds and Forestry
Landscape Composition
Silviculture and Birds

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