Despite the long time since the introduction and spread of pine plantations in southern hemisphere countries there has been no study of the suitability of this exotic and novel type of vegetation on the native avifauna. This thesis aims to add understanding of this habitat replacement and its effects on the forest bird community. This research included a series of studies to assess the quality of mature pine plantations for the forest avifauna in comparison to what is in native forests. The first two studies determine the effects on the forest bird community of the fragmentation and replacement of native forest in a gradient of substitution. The results showed a direct relationship between level of substitution and loss of functional diversity, and that fragmentation predicts the bird assemblage in pine stands. The next two studies used data from an intensive ringing season to assess differences in the condition of populations inhabiting each habitat. Birds, in general, were found in better condition in native fragments than in pine plantations. Moreover, a despotic distribution was determined for a migrant species and a gradient in habitat quality was found in relation to proximity to native forest. The next two studies used information from a nest-box survey set in a gradient of sites with substitution of native forest. The results showed that the type of forest cover and their proportion in the landscape may affect the breeding performance of some species. Finally, in the last study I evaluated the foraging niche of bird species in each habitat. Compared with native forest, niche breath reduced while the niche overlap increased in pine plantations for most species. The results suggest that pine plantations are poor quality habitat for the bird community and that the substitution of native forests increases selective pressure.

The introduction and establishment of a new and markedly different environment within a long established natural system provides an excellent opportunity to study the principles of adaptation and colonisation by native species. In Australia, an example is furnished by the conversion of large areas of native eucalypt forests to mono-cultured plantations of Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata). The principal aim of this study was to assess which species of native mammals, birds and higher plants are able to utilise or occupy such plantations. Successional aspects of community structure, and colonisation in pine forest systems, were investigated by considering stands of different ages. A variety of adjacent native eucalypt forests provided controls and indicated the range of potential colonisers. Various habitats in both forest types were studied with regard to potential nest sites and availability of food, in order to determine those habitats most favourable for mammals and birds. The effect, on wildlife, of clearing eucalypt forests, but leaving forest remnants along gullies, was also assessed.

No description available.

I investigated plant and animal community characteristics on 14 forest stands in north central Mississippi. Study sites included 9 pine plantations, 3 streamside management zones, and 2 hardwood cove forests. I estimated relationships between faunal metrics and habitat characteristics. I measured vegetation characteristics within quadrant and nested plot designs to estimate understory, midstory, and overstory species composition and structure. I inventoried breeding birds using point count surveys and sampled herpetofauna diversity using area-constrained searches within belt transects during 2008 and 2009. I detected 39 species of birds in 2008, 43 species of birds in 2009, 11 species of amphibians, and 9 species of reptiles. Hardwood cove sites supported more deep forest-dwelling bird and salamander species; whereas, pine stands supported more grassland bird species. Species richness and abundance of birds was related to snag DBH. Species richness and abundance of herpetofauna was related to number of understory plant species.

I evaluated effects of 5 treatments for pine plantation establishment on breeding and wintering birds and small mammals during years one through 5 post-treatment in the Lower Coastal Plain of Mississippi. I modeled relationships between 8 vegetation variables and avian abundance to identify influential habitat components in pine plantations. At the landscape scale, I compared avian abundance of regionally important species with land class variables in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. In pine plantations, species richness, total abundance, and 2 conservation bird metrics generally decreased with increasing intensity of stand establishment. Thus, this study suggests that increasing standmestablishment intensity can reduce avian habitat quality in Coastal Plain pine plantations. Presence of residual trees retained after timber harvest was the most influential variable related to avian abundance, and tree retention may reduce the negative impacts of intensive stand establishment on avian communities. There were minimal treatment effects on common small mammals of young pine plantations. For the Coastal Plain landscape, a mixture ofn area and edge variables were influential in avian models for 10 species, although area or edge each were important for 2 species. Hardwood forests were important vegetation types for all but one modeled species. Assessment of habitat conditions that affect avifauna and small mammals on managed timber production lands can assist natural resource managers with integration of timber production and conservation of biological diversity.

Site preparation is fundamental for establishing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations, but long-term sustainability of plantations established using mechanical treatments is in question because of concerns regarding soil tillage and the removal of harvest residue and soil organic matter. A study was installed in 1981 on 12 locations in northeastern Georgia and west-central South Carolina to evaluate pine plantation response to mechanical site preparation. Site preparation treatments induced gradients of organic matter manipulation and soil tillage. The treatments included: Control, Chop/Burn, Shear/Disc, Shear/V-Blade, Shear/Rake, and Shear/Rake/Pile. Research was conducted to address the following objectives: (i) compare rotation-age forest response to several intensive site preparation treatments used to establish pine plantations in the Piedmont of the southeastern United States; (ii) correlate growth response with the gradients of soil organic matter removal, soil tillage, and hardwood control; (iii) determine the influence of intensive management on the amount of carbon contained in pine plantations. All site preparation treatments increased year-18 volume accumulation compared to the control treatment. Chop/Burn and Shear/Disc treatments, with pine volumes of 214 m3 ha-1 and 232 m3 ha-1, respectively, conserved harvest residue and out-performed the Shear/Rake treatment (191 m3 ha-1), which completely removed harvest residue. Treatments that included tillage provided growth benefits that lasted throughout the rotation even when tillage was accompanied by complete organic matter removal. Hardwood competition had the greatest influence on pine volume accumulation, explaining over 54% of the variation in pine growth at age 18. Treatments that included tillage most effectively controlled hardwood competition. At year 18, site preparation treatments significantly affected soil organic matter (SOM) content; however, soil nitrogen, foliar nitrogen, bulk density, and macroporosity were not affected by site preparation. All treatments were equally deficient in foliar nitrogen. The Shear/Disc and Shear/Rake/Disc treatments had a significantly positive relationship between foliar nitrogen and pine volume. These treatments had lower hardwood basal areas (below 15%), indicating that once hardwoods were controlled, nitrogen became limiting to pine growth. Using pre-harvest characterization data, carbon accumulation during old-field succession increased fourfold compared to agricultural sites on the nearby Calhoun Experimental Forest. Carbon accumulation on these old-field loblolly pine sites reached quasi-equilibrium after 40 years as shown by uncut reference stands. Site preparation significantly affected the amount of soil C in the upper 20 cm of the soil. Those site preparation treatments that removed harvest residue and accelerated SOM decomposition through tillage had the lowest soil carbon levels. The Shear/Rake/Disc treatment had 10% lower soil carbon content than the Control and Shear/V-Blade treatments. / Master of Science

Climate change resulting from emissions of fossil fuel combustion has sparked considerable interest in renewable energy and fuel production research, particularly energy derived from cellulosic ethanol, which is derived from biomass such as wood and grass. Cellulosic ethanol demonstrates a more promising future as a global energy source than corn-derived ethanol because it does not displace food crops, irrigation is not required, and chemical application rates are much lower than for annual crops, such as corn. Growing cellulosic biomass for energy can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions via carbon (C) sequestration and by reducing demand for fossil fuel production. The objective of this study was to investigate how land use change affects soil properties and selected soil C and nitrogen (N) dynamics among alternative cellulosic biofuel treatments at the Weyerhaeuser Alabama Cellulosic Biofuel Research site in west-central Alabama. Composite soils for characterization, along with forest floor, were collected at year 1 and year 2 after treatment establishment at 0-15cm and 15-30cm depths at six locations along three hillslope-riparian transects in five experimental watershed treatments. Decomposition of loblolly pine needles was assessed in each watershed using an in situ litter bag method. Seasonal in situ net nitrogen mineralization was measured using a sequential core method, and an anaerobic incubation for N mineralization potential of composite soils was performed in the laboratory. Results revealed high variability of soil properties and processes within these watersheds, along with no consistent treatment effects. This study provides baseline data for these watershed treatments for future studies. / Master of Science

Over one million hectares of pocosins and wet flats in the southeastern coastal plain are intensively managed for the production of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations. These management activities may have adverse effects on soil physical properties, site hydrology, and overall site productivity. Substantial quantities of wood residues are often left on these sites by timber harvesting operations, and it was hypothesized that the incorporation of this slash into the soil could improve the soil physical properties and site hydrology. One organic pocosin site and one mineral wet flat site were chosen post-harvest for treatment. The wet flat study was organized as an incomplete block design having four blocks and six treatments: (i) conventional bedding, (ii) strip surface mulching with bedding, (iii) strip surface mulching with tillage and bedding, (iv) broadcast mulch without bedding, (v) broadcast mulch with bedding, and (vi) flat planted control. The pocosin study was organized as a randomized complete block design with four blocks and four treatments. The treatments are identical to those of the wet flat site without the broadcast mulch treatments (iv and v). Soil physical property data was analyzed pre- and post-treatment, while post-treatment site hydrology and soil water chemistry data was analyzed periodically for one year. Seedling survival and height data were analyzed after one growing season. The treatments had little effect on soil physical properties, site hydrology, soil water nutrients, or seedling survival on the wet flat study site. Bedding in general significantly increased tree height growth, but mulching had no significant effects. The treatments had little effect on soil physical properties on the pocosin study site except for soil macroporosity, which was significantly increased by bedding. Site hydrology and soil water nutrients were not significantly affected by the treatments, but seedling survival and height growth were significantly increased by bedding. Mulching had no significant effects on any of the parameters studied. / Master of Science

Investigation subject – 1991-2003 analysis of the condition of the cultivated pine plantations. The subject of graduation dissertation - is the pine plantations planted by Veisiejai forest enterprise as well as Veisiejai forestry from 1991 until 2003. The aim of graduation dissertation - is to analyze the state and the quality of pine plantations planted by Veisiejai forestry from 1991 until 2003 and considering the given results to introduce more effective means planting new pine plantations , not to do former mistakes.

Magistro darbe tiriamos briedžių žiemos ganyklos Labanoro regioniniame parke. Darbo objektas – Labanoro regioninis parkas- Labanoro girininkija. Darbo tikslas – nustatyti briedžių gausą ir jų žiemos ganyklų būklę Labanoro regioniniame parke. Darbo metodai – R. McCain metodas, statistinė analizė. Darbo rezultatai. Šio darbo tikslas – nustatyti briedžių gausą ir jų žiemos ganyklų būklę Labanoro regioniniame parke. . Tyrimas pasirinktuose bareliuose buvo atliktas R. McCaino metodu, tiriant briedžių ganyklų būklę nevegetaciniu laikotarpiu. Tyrimo juostos ilgis - 14,1 km Briedžių žiemos ganyklų įvertinimas parodė, kad žvėrių poveikis ganykloms priklauso nuo medelių ir ūglių apsaugojimo repelentais. Pažeidimų lygis ganyklose priklausė ir nuo repelentų kokybės, ir nuo augalų apdorojimo repelentais tvarkingumo. Buvo patvirtinta darbo hipotezė, kad nuo repelentų kokybės ir augalų apdorojimo kokybės priklausė kokius augalus briedžiai dažniau rinkosi. Pušies želdiniai buvo žalojami mažiau nei vidutiniškai. / Master‘s Research was based on the assessment of the moose influence in the winter habitats of the Labanoras Regional Park. The object – Labanoras Regional Park. The goal – assessment of the state of winter habitats of moose in Labanoras Regional Park. The research method – R. McCain method and statistics analysis. The goal of this work was to assess of the state of winter habitats of moose in Labanoras Regional Park. I have used R. McCain method assessing the number of moose local population. The method of sample plots was used to assess the state of the wither habitats of moose. The total length of transect is 14,1 km. Research of the state of winter habitats has shown that the moose influence depends on repellent use. The main reason of the strong influence on pine depends not only on repellents use but also on repellent quality. Moose prefer different species of trees including pine. Research has approved this hypothesis. The pine was consumed averagely.