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Research ArticleArticles

Breeding-Bird Population Changes Following Right-of-Way Maintenance Treatments

W.C. Bramble, R.H. Yahner and W. R. Byrnes
Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) January 1992, 18 (1) 23-32; DOI: https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1992.006
W.C. Bramble
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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R.H. Yahner
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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W. R. Byrnes
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Article Figures & Data

Figures

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  • Figure 1.
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    Figure 1.

    Locations of the Allegheny Mountain ROW (1) in the Allegheny Mountain Physiographic Province (III) and the Piedmont ROW (2) in the Piedmont Physiographic Province (I) in Pennsylvania.

  • Figure 2.
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    Figure 2.

    Diagram of a 230 kV line ROW to show (1) a wire zone that included the ROW lying under the wires plus about 10 feet on each side and (2) border zones that included the remainder of the ROW lying on each side of the wire zone. A low shrub-forb-grass cover type occupied the wire zone with a tall shrub-forb-grass cover type on border zones.

  • Figure 3.
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    Figure 3.

    Changes in the number of birds counted per acre per day on the wire zone of treatment units on the Allegheny ROW from June 1987 (pretreatment) to August 1987 (post-treatment), and from June 1988 to August 1988. HC=handcutting, M=mowing, MH=mowing plus herbicide, SF-stem-foliage spray, F=foliage spray.

  • Figure 4.
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    Figure 4.

    Changes in the number of birds counted per acre per day on the wire zone of treatment units on the Piedmont ROW from June 1987 (pretreatment) to August 1987 (post-treatment), and from June 1988 to August 1988. HC=handcutting, M=mowing, MH=mowing plus herbicide, SF=stem-foliage spray, F=foliage spray.

  • Figure 5.
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    Figure 5.

    Spot maps of birds counted over a 6 day census period in June (pretreatment) and August (posttreatment) 1987 on treatment units on the Allegheny ROW. Each rectangle represents a treatment unit; each dot represents 1 bird counted on wire zones (w) and border zones (b).

  • Figure 6.
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    Figure 6.

    Shrub (blueberry)-forb (goldenrod)-grass (fescue) cover type on the wire zone and a shrub (witchhazel) cover type on the border zone developed after a selective basal spray. The ROW bird count was 9.3 per acre per day on the wire zone and 14.8 on the border zones in August 1987.

  • Figure 7.
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    Figure 7.

    Grass (poverty grass)-forb (goldenrod) cover type on the wire zone and a shrub (witchhazel) cover type on the border zone that developed after a mowing plus herbicide treatment on the wire zone and a selective basal spray on the border zone. The bird count in August 1987 was 1.2 per acre per day on the wire zone and 11.2 on the border zone.

  • Figure 8.
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    Figure 8.

    A low tree sprout (from cut stubs of oaks and red maple) cover type on a handcut wire zone June 1987. A tall shrub cover type (witchhazel and bear oak) that developed on the border zone after selective cutting is on the left. The bird count was 0.2 per acre per day on the wire zone and 5.9 on the border zone in August 1987.

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    Figure 9.

    A towhee nest with 3 eggs in blackberry on the wire zone of a selective basal spray unit in July.

  • Figure 10.
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    Figure 10.

    Rufous-sided towhee perched on a dead tree branch on the border zone of a selective basal spray unit

Tables

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    Table 1. Bird populations on the Allegheny and Piedmont ROW treatment units in June and August 1987 and 1988. All treatments were applied in July 1987.
    TreatmentZoneAllegheny ROWPiedmont ROW
    1987198819871988
    JuneAug.JuneAugJuneAug.JuneAug
    No. birds per acre per day
    HandcuttingWire2.30.20.80.86.80.31.40.2
    Border3.45.96.33.64.92.42.71.5
    Entire ROW2.93.13.62.25.91.42.10.9
    MowingWire2.34.31.36.710.20.21.40.9
    Border4.914.19.217.64.95.76.27.4
    Entire ROW3.69.25.312.27.63.03.84.0
    Mowing plus herbicideWire5.31.20.71.07.95.72.00.6
    Border3.311.28.69.35.612.07.27.3
    Entire ROW4.36.24.75.26.28.94.14.0
    Selective basal sprayWire5.69.35.19.3----
    Border5.214.86.610.9----
    Entire5.412.15.910.1----
    Stem-foliage sprayWire3.912.71.15.55.77.37.46.8
    Border2.89.14.29.73.77.35.56.1
    Entire ROW3.410.92.77.64.77.36.56.5
    Foliage sprayWire1.58.21.06.18.820.64.910.7
    Border2.46.94.27.53.25.97.97.4
    Entire ROW2.07.62.66.86.013.26.48.9
    • View popup
    Table 2. Number of bird species (species richness) on the Allegheny and the Piedmont ROW in June 1987 and 1988 and August 1987 and 1988. Treatments were applied in July 1987.
    TreatmentNo. bird species (6 day census)
    19871988
    JuneAugustJuneAugust
    Allegheny ROW
    Handcutting1414119
    Mowing12261426
    Mowing plus herbicide10161413
    Selective basal spray13261422
    Stem foliage spray10171219
    Foliage spray10271119
    Average11211318
    Piedmont ROW
    Handcutting108135
    Mowing20111513
    Mowing plus herbicide19231717
    Stem-foliage spray13201720
    Foliage spray19241418
    Average18171515
    • View popup
    Table 3. Bird populations in June 1987 (pretreatment) and August 1988 (post-treatment) on the Allegheny Mountain and Piedmont Province ROW (No. = total birds counted and % = proportion of population).
    SpeciesA llegheny ROWPiedmont ROW
    June 1987Auq 1988June 1987Auq 1988
    No.%No.%No.%No.%
    Chestnut-sided warbler Dendroica pensylvanica6518142----
    Field Sparrow Spizella pusilia56152072644132414
    Gray catbird DumeteUa carolinensis4111506185177
    Rufous-sided towhee Pipilo erythrnphthaìmus381010113319177
    Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas3610679309198
    American redstart Setophaga ruticelìa257172--10.4
    Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater25710.1123--
    Indigo bunting Passerina cyanea20627219573
    Song sparrow Melospiza melodia113991320.610.4
    Chipping sparrow Spizella passerina9310.1----
    Rose-breasted grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus8291----
    American goldfinch Carduelis tristis8213221642
    American robin Turdus migratorius5120.93142
    Red-eyed vireo Vireo olivaceus51223----
    Black-and-white warbler mniotilta vaiïa419110.3--
    Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea20.5152--10.4
    Golden-winged warbler Vermivora chrysoptera20.520.3--187
    Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum20.530.4113--
    Least flycatcher Empidonax minimus10.3132--10.4
    Ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris10.3--10.310.4
    Great crested flycatcher My¦archus crinitus10.3--10.310.4
    Black-capped chickadee Parus atricapillus10.3354103--
    Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis10.3------
    Eastern phoebe Sayornis phoebe--162--31
    Downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens--122--20.8
    Eastern wood-pewee Contopus virens--10110.3--
    Tufted titmouse Parus bicolor--1014162
    Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus--91----
    House wren Troglodytes aedon--50.7823414
    Canada warbler Wilsonia canadensis--30.4----
    Dark-eyed junco Junco hyemal?s--20.3----
    Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus--10.1----
    Hairy woodpecker Picoides villosus--10.110.320.8
    Common flicker Colaptes auratus--10.15210.4
    Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus--10.1--10.4
    White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis--10.1----
    Blackburnian warbler Dendroica fusca--10.1----
    American kestrel Falco sparverius--10.1----
    Blue-winged warbler Vermivora pinus----381183
    Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis----1753012
    Prairie warbler Dendroica discolor----16520.8
    Eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus----13493
    Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata----82145
    Yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens----6210.4
    Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea----52--
    Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina----41--
    Common grackle Quiscalus quiscula----41--
    Mourning dove Zenaida macroura----20.642
    Northern oriole Icterus galbula----20.652
    White-eyed vireo Vireo griseus----10.3--
    Black-eyed cuckoo Coccyzus erythopthaimus----10.3--
    Blackpoll warbler Dendroica striata----10.3--
    Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos----10.3--
    Total367782343248
    • View popup
    Table 4. The relationship between ROW treatment, plant cover type, and bird population on the Allegheny ROW in August 1988. The percent cover value of each life form is shown in brackets.
    ROW wire zoneROW border zoneNo. birds counted per acre per day August 1988
    TreatmentCover typeTreatmentCoverWire ZoneBorder ZoneEntire ROW
    HandcuttingTree sprout (28%)SC* (53%)Shrub0.83.62.2
    MowingGrass-forb-shrub (6%-41%-27%)SBS (66%)Shrub6.717.612.2
    Mowing plus herbicideGrass-forb (75%-<l%)SBS (94%)Shrub1.09.35.2
    Selective basal sprayShrub-forb-grass (116%-21%-5%)SBS (82%)Shrub9.310.910.1
    Stem-foliage sprayGrass-forb (58%-29%)SBS (76%)Shrub5.59.77.6
    Foliage sprayForb-grass (14%-24%)SBS (67%)Shrub6.17.56.8
    • ↵* = selective cutting, SBS = selective basal spray

    • View popup
    Table 5. Typical activity of birds on the Allegheny and Piedmont ROW in August 1987,3 weeks after treatment.
    TreatmentSingingBird activity CallingPerchingForaging
    Wire zoneBorder zoneWire zoneBorder zoneWire zoneBorder zoneWire zoneBorder zone
    No. birds, Allegheny ROW August 1, 1987
    Handcutting2211
    Mowing454216
    Mowing plus herbicide45212
    Selective basal3654142
    Stem-foliage1143542
    Foliage14210166
    Total5219211681729
    %of Total4177171361323
    No of birds, Piedmont ROW August 8, 1987
    Handcutting2
    Mowing14
    Mowing plus herbicide213126
    Stem-foliage116414
    Foliage11127
    Total278905236
    % of Total3121315083810
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January 1992
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Breeding-Bird Population Changes Following Right-of-Way Maintenance Treatments
W.C. Bramble, R.H. Yahner, W. R. Byrnes
Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) Jan 1992, 18 (1) 23-32; DOI: 10.48044/jauf.1992.006

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Breeding-Bird Population Changes Following Right-of-Way Maintenance Treatments
W.C. Bramble, R.H. Yahner, W. R. Byrnes
Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) Jan 1992, 18 (1) 23-32; DOI: 10.48044/jauf.1992.006
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