Temporal patterns in aquatic and avian communities following selective logging in the Upper Great Lakes region
2002
Flaspohler, D.J. | Huckins, C.J.F. | Bub, B.R. | Van Dusen, P.J.
We surveyed populations of birds, fish, and aquatic macroinvertebrates in and along riparian systems within northern and mixed-hardwood forests that varied in time since last selection logging. Thirteen headwater stream sites from the Otter River watershed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula were included in the study. We detected a significant negative correlation between a standard index of habitat quality for coldwater streams (Great Lakes Environmental Assessment Section [GLEAS]) and time since last selective logging. Brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitch.) abundance was also negatively correlated with year of forest cut as was the abundance of selected aquatic macroinvertebrate orders (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) that are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. Thus, relative to more recently logged stands, stands with older cuts had higher indices of habitat quality, more brook char, and the dominant aquatic macroinvertebrates tended to be those generally associated with higher quality coldwater streams. In contrast, bird species richness was positively related to year of last selective logging. As expected, basal area was lower and ground cover was greater in more recently logged stands. Thus, bird species richness was higher in stands with less basal area (recent cuts) than in stands with more basal area (older cuts). Percent ground cover showed a strong positive correlation with bird species richness. Twelve bird species were detected only in recently logged (since 1990) stands. The results of this multitaxa study suggest that selective logging of riparian forests is associated with changes in local animal abundance and diversity, and these effects appear to persist for approximately 30 yr postharvest.
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