| Title: |
Quabbin Cavity Nesters
|
| Objective: |
To study the response of cavity-nesting birds to thinning
in Massachusetts oak stands. |
| Year Established: |
1986 |
| Year Completed: |
1988 |
| Site Description: |
All plots are located on Quabbin Reservation in Franklin and
Hampshire Counties, MA. where a FS research permit is renewed
annually. Land is part of Boston's municipal water supply managed
by Met. District Commission. Stands dominated by pole- and sawtimber-sized
trees occupy 89% of the area. the remainder being stands of
saplings, open fields, and wetlands. Oak types dominate the
white pine-northern red oak-red maple forest land (36%); white
pine(18%); pine(10%). |
| Statistical Design: |
Overstory: Trees >2.5 cm at d.b.h. were sampled using 30 circular
0.025-ha plots in 8 (4 thinned and 4 unthinned) stands.
Bird census: One 400-1220m long transect was located >100 m
from the edge of each stand. 8 runs in 1987; 10 in 1988. |
| Likelihood of Locating Study Areas: |
100% |
| Experimental Treatments: |
Of the 8 stands, 4 were thinned and 4 were unthinned. |
| Sampling Methods: |
2 observers conducted bird census when there was no precipitation
and wind speed was <17mph. Each observer surveyed 2 stands
per day between 0530 and 0930 hours. Each of the 8 stands was
observed before beginning the next set. Cavities were located
from the ground using binoculars. |
| Variables and Sampling Frequency: |
Overstory tree species named by 3-digit Forest Service code,
d.b.h. (to nearest 0.1 cm), tree class, cavity function, cavity
status, species using cavity, cavity size, cavity location.
Saplings (>2.5 cm at d.b.h.) were classified as live or dead.:
Dec 1985-June 1988.
Bird surveys: April-May/1987, 1988.
Percent herbaceous cover by species: 1988, 1991.
Mammal count by species: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992.
Dependent variables: Tree and shrub stem densities, basal area,
and average d.b.h. were calculated for each stand. |
| QA/QC Practices: |
Ranges of each variable are visually checked line-by-line
on hardcopies of every data set entered as a computer file.
Temporary employees are always trained in the field by professionals. |
| Data Storage: |
Raw data are in ASCII (sys.dat) files in dBASE III. All cleaned
raw data are on floppies and some on hard drive as permanent
data files (pdf). Hardcopies of all raw data are kept in file
cabinets. Analyses are generated in dBASE and sometimes SAS. |
| Global Change Research Applications: |
Studies of Ecosystem Processes |
| Data Availability: |
1988 |
| Publications and Reports: |
Welsh, C.J.E.; Healy, W.M.; DeGraaf, R.M. 1992. Cavity-nesting
bird abundance in thinning verses unthinned Massachusetts oak
stands. N. J. Appl. For. 9(1): 6-9. |
| Contact: |
William Healy, USDA Forest Service, Holdsworth Hall, University
of Massachusetts, P.O. Box 34230, Amherst
MA 01003. (413) 545-0357 |
| Cooperation: |
none |
