Changes in bird communities in boreal mixedwood forest: harvest and wildfire effects over 30 years.

The study examined the effects of forest harvest practices that approximate natural disturbance processes to evaluate whether these practices help conserve biodiversity. Past research has shown that management practices that mimic natural disturbance events such as forest fires is a successful habitat conservation strategy, particularly for boreal forest bird communities. The study investigated how bird communities differed between postharvest and postfire stands in the mid-boreal region of Alberta. The research found that the most significant difference between postfire and postharvest landscapes is the amount and orientation of residual live and dead trees. Postfire stands consist largely of standing dead trees whereas postharvest [...]