THE EFFECTS
OF SITE PRODUCTIVITY AND
HETEROGENEITY ON BIRD HABITAT QUALITY AND SPECIES RICHNESS
Ph.D., University
of New Brunswick, 2006
M.Sc.F., University
of New Brunswick, 1998
B.Sc., Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1996
Thesis Committee:
Dr. Antony W. Diamond: ACWERN and University of New Brunswick (UNBF), Fredericton Campus
Dr. Graham Forbes: UNBF
Dr. Daniel Keppie: UNBF
Abstract:
I assessed factors affecting timber productivity, plant abundances and their effects on songbird habitat quality and species richness at 220 sites in central Labrador. Arthropod abundance, landscape content, heterogeneity and microclimate (e.g., temperature, radiation) were also examined as potential influences on bird habitat quality and richness. Elevation, slope and drainage were dominant features influencing timber volume and plant abundances. Timber volume and richness of understory vegetation increased with elevation and slope and were negatively associated with rapidly drained soil. Hermit thrush (Catharus ustulatus) abundance was inversely related to timber volume. The remaining 14 bird species showed few relationships with vegetation but, where relationships existed, landscape variables were usually more important than local variables.
Microclimate explained little variation in bird habitat quality. Sites occupied were inconsistent between years, which I attribute, in part, to birds having difficulty assessing resources within a site since arthropod biomass varied between years and within the breeding season. The high yearly variance in total bird abundance relative to the sum of the variances of all species signifies parallel fluctuations in species densities indicating low site-specific competition. Low site-specific competition can broaden species' niches, potentially contributing to poor bird-habitat relationships.
My only observed bird species richness-productivity patterns occurred at the stand grain and showed 3 different patterns: linear decline, a linear increase and curvilinear decline with biomass, temperature and radiation respectively. A covariation between heterogeneity and productivity may explain the richness-volume and richness-temperature curves but not the richness-radiation curve. I suggest that conflicting richness-productivity patterns in the literature could result from different patterns of covariation between heterogeneity and common productivity surrogates where richness is driven by heterogeneity.
Journal Publications:
Elson, L.T., Simon, N.P.P. In press. Plant abundances following clearcutting and stripcutting in central Labrador. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry.
Schwab, F.E., Simon, N.P.P., Stryde, S. and Forbes, G. In press. Effect of post-fire snag removal on breeding birds of western Labrador. Journal of Wildlife Management
Schwab, F.E., Simon, N.P.P., Sinclair, A.R.E. In press. Breeding birds related to vegetation structure in southeast British Columbia. Journal of Wildlife Management.
Simon, N.P.P. and Schwab, F.E. 2005. Plant community structure following wildfire in the subarctic forests of Labrador. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 22: 229-235.
Newbury, T.L. and Simon, N.P.P. 2005. The effects of clearcutting on snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) relative abundance in central Labrador. Forest Ecology and Management 210: 131-142. (pdf)
Schwab, F.E., Simon, N.P.P., Nash, S. 2005. Sex and age segregation of wintering willow ptarmigan in Labrador. Northeastern Naturalist 13: 113 -118.
Betts, M., Simon, N.P.P., Nocera, J.J. 2005. Point count summary statistics differentially predict reproductive activity in bird-habitat relationship studies. Journal of Ornithology 146: 151-159. (pdf)
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E. 2005. The response of conifer and broad-leaved trees and shrubs to wildfire and clearcut logging in the boreal forests of central Labrador. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 22: 35-41.
Otto, R.D., Simon, N.P.P., Couturier, S. Schmelzer, I. 2003. Evaluation of satellite collar sample size requirements for mitigation of low-level military jet disturbance of the George River caribou herd. Rangifer special issue no 14: 297-302.
Simon, N.P.P., Diamond, A.W., Schwab, F.E. 2003. Do northern forest bird communities show more ecological plasticity than southern forest bird communities in eastern Canada? Écoscience 10: 289-296. (pdf)
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E., Otto, R.D. 2002. Songbird abundance in clear-cut and burned stands: a comparison of natural disturbance and forest management. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 32: 1343-1350. (pdf)
Simon, N.P.P., Stratton, C.B., Forbes, G.J., and Schwab, F.E. 2002. Similarity of small mammal abundance in post-fire and clearcut forests. Forest Ecology and Management 165: 163-172. (pdf)
Schwab, F.E., Simon, N.P.P., Carroll, C.G. 2001. Breeding songbird abundance in the subarctic forests of western Labrador. Écoscience 8: 1-7.
Schwab, F.E, Pitoello, F.G. and Simon, N.P.P. 2001. Relative palatability of green manure crops and carrots to white-tailed deer. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29: 317-321.
LeCoure, M.I., Schwab, F.E., Simon, N.P.P. and Diamond, A.W. 2000. Effects of post-fire salvage logging on breeding birds in western Labrador. Northeast Wildlife 55: 39-46.
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E, and Diamond, A.W. 2000.Patterns of bird abundance in relation to logging in western Labrador. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 30: 257-263.
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E, LeCoure, M.I., Phillips, F.R. and Trimper, P.G. 1999. Effects of trapper access on marten population in central Labrador. Northeast Wildlife 54: 73-76.
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E, LeCoure, M.I., Phillips, F.R. 1999. Fall and winter diet of Martens, Martes americana, in central Labrador related to small mammal densities. Canadian Field-Naturalist 113: 678-680.
Simon, N.P.P., Schwab, F.E., Baggs, E.M. and Cowan, G.I. Mct. 1998. Distribution of small mammals among successional and mature forest types in western Labrador. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 112: 441-445.
Conference Presentations:
2006 Crossing scales and disciplines to achieve forest sustainability: Synthesis. IALE, San Diego.
2003 Evaluating the effects of landscape change on abundance, productivity, and survival of forest birds (presented with M. Betts). ACWERN, Wolfville, NS.
2003 Natural disturbance and forest management. Workshop on Natural Disturbance Management. Sustainable Forest Management Network, Corner Brook, NL.
2002 The relationship between forest productivity and songbird habitat quality. ACWERN, Rocky Harbour, NL
2000 Songbird abundance and fecundity in relation to forest structure and productivity. ACWERN, St. Andrews NB.
1998 Patterns of bird abundance in relation to logging in western Labrador/ Bird plasticity in relation to latitude. Institute of Environmental Monitoring and Research Seminar Series - Goose Bay, NL.
1997 The effects of logging on birds in western Labrador. ASWFB/ACWERN conference - Alma, NB.
1996 The effects logging on birds in western Labrador. ACWERN, Bon Portage Island, NS.
