The relationships between vegetation and avian diversity along a northern Michigan clear-cut.

Abstract

The creation of edges is an important issue in biological conservation because it can result in profound ecological changes in the forest community. The purpose of this study was to determine if avifauna and vegetation differed between a recently created edge and the interior forest of lower northern Michigan. Three transects were constructed extending from the center of the clear-cut into the interior of the forest. Two points on each transect were marked, one along the edge and one within the forest. On three separate mornings the point count method was used to determine the species richness and abundance of bird communities along the edge and within the forest. Six 20x20 plots were constructed and the vegetation was sampled around the marked points. It was found that there was no difference in bird species richness between habitats. Vegetation richness between regions also showed no difference, however, the abundance of overstory trees (U=0.0, p=0.05) and canopy cover (U=0.0, p=0.05) was significantly greater within the forest than at the edge. It was also found that both regions had the same two dominant species (Quercus rubra and Populus grandidentata). Q. rubra dominated the forest and P. grandidentata dominated the edge. These trends suggest that the original homogeneous hardwood forest has been altered by the introduction of the clear-cut.