Bird communities of Holly Springs National Forest: Past and present habitat considerations for forest songbird conservation

I compared presettlement and current distribution of closed-canopy forest habitat in Holly Springs National Forest (HSNF), in addition to examining edge and area effects on forest obligates within present-day oak-pine forests. I also surveyed bird communities in closed-canopy, oak-pine fragments, pine poletimber (PT) stands, high-density pine seedling (SS) stands, and clearcut areas to determine the effects of silvicultural habitat heterogeneity on regional avian diversity. Present-day upland closed-canopy forest contained a mixture of fire-tolerant and mesophytic trees, in contrast to presettlement uplands, which were open woodlands dominated by large, fire-tolerant oaks. Tree species composition around nests of forest-obligates was more similar to that of presettlement alluvial forests than to current or presettlement upland tree samples. Fire suppression following logging in the 1900s created a closed-canopy, mixed mesophytic forest that now favors forest-obligates. Restoration of closed-canopy forests to open, fire-maintained oak and pine woodlands might threaten forest-obligates but could benefit species adapted to oak or pine savannas.; Nests of forest-obligates <200 m from clearcut edges had decreased nest success compared to other edges and forest interior habitats. The relative abundance and nesting success of forest obligates was greater in larger forest tracts (>50 ha) than in smaller tracts. My results support the theory that effects of local nest predators and brood parasites on forest obligates vary according to region and local landscape factors. Conservation efforts in northern Mississippi require an examination of the specific effects of local management and land use practices on bird species within and adjacent to habitats of concern.; Bird community composition varied among silvicultural stand types. Species richness was 25% greater in silvicultural stands compared to clearcut areas, yet total bird abundance was 50% greater in clearcuts. Bird communities ranged from open-habitat assemblages in early successional areas to forest-obligate assemblages in mature closed-canopy stands. SS and PT stands supported avian communities where most species were observed at intermediate abundance values compared to oak-pine forests or clearcut stands. Land managers could maximize regional avian diversity by maintaining a mixture of closed-canopy and open areas. Intensively managed pine stands provide suboptimal habitat for both forest-obligate and grassland species.