The Forest Stewards Guild will hold an Assessing the Effects of Close-to-Nature Forestry on Forest Birds webinar on February 21st from Noon to 1 pm EST.
Europe’s Close-To-Nature Forestry (CTNF) that protects forest canopies has not been promoted to help avian abundance or diversity; however, forest bird populations in Europe have increased 7% over the last two decades. Could similar forest management approaches in the eastern USA could benefit North American birds?
Researchers sought to 1) assess the effects of forest structural characteristics on avian species richness in a CTNF managed forest; 2) compare the results to county-level eBird data to identify the challenges of assessing the impacts of forestry practices on birds at landscape scales; 3) highlight the ambiguities in current forest management guidelines for improving avian habitats and 4) suggest long-term direction for evaluating the impacts of alternative forest management practices on birds.
This case study provides preliminary evidence that CTNF-managed forests may support diverse birds of high conservation value that are normally drawn to different forest management extremes. It also provides recommendations for using eBird data to assess alternative forest management strategies at landscape scales and a synthesized look at the forest management guidelines provided by many of the major players in American ornithology.
To participate in this webinar, register at Meeting Registration – Zoom