Bird Population Patterns in Forest Edge and Strip Vegetation at Remington Farms, Maryland

Abstract

Bird populations in Japanese multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) plantings and forest edge habitats adjacent to cultivated fields were examined. Bird species richness, abundance and diversity were calculated for 6 management situations: forest edge, forest edge with a rose hedgerow, tall fescue waterway, rose hedgerow waterway, rose hedgerow with an unmowed tall fescue strip and rose hedgerow with a mowed fescue strip. The hedgerow-forest edges had higher bird species richness, abundnace and diversity than the open forest edges. Differences between sites were greatest in winter and early spring. In late spring/summer, several mixed habitat or edge bird species were detected in the hedgerow-forest edges that were absent or seldom observed in the open forest edges. The addition of edge species was also responsible for the fall, winter and early spring differences. Avian use of the tall fescue waterways was low in all seasons and much lower than the rose hedgerow waterways. Avian use of rose hedgerows with grass borders was not greatly affected by mowing the 7-9-m wide tall fescue border. Wintering birds concentrated in rose hedgerows apparently as a result of the lack of dense shrub cover in other habitats.