Occurrence of Bird Species on Hybrid Poplar Plantations and Adjacent Land Uses in the North-Central U.S.

Abstract

We have been studying songbirds and small mammals occupying hybrid poplar plantations in the north-central United States for the past several years. The overall objective of this project is to evaluate the possible biodiversity implications of large-scale woody biomass development, and to provide a basis for managing plantations with biodiversity goals in mind. Results of our initial studies on songbirds and small mammals are described in Christian et al. (1997), including patterns of occurrence and abundance on plantations and adjacent land use types. In that study, the occurrence of individual bird species was inconsistent across plantations. In addition, the abundance of many species on plantations was extremely low. For these reasons, Christian et al. (1997) presented and analyzed abundance data only for major migration guilds (long-distance migrants, short-distance migrants, and permanent residents) of birds, and not for individual species.