Avian community structure is determined by many abiotic and biotic factors such as bird-habitat associations, resource partitioning, and species interactions. Disturbance, such as shelterwood harvesting and prescribed burning, alter these patterns of co-existence. I studied avian forest communities at three sites in Southeast Ohio. Each site consists of four treatment plots: control, burn, thin, and thin + burn. I determined differences in species composition, richness, mean abundance, and nest success at each site.
Avian species composition and abundance appear most impacted within the burn plots in 2001. Species richness is highest in the thin only and thin and burn plots. Daily nest survival rates are similar across treatments and years. My results are comparable to other studies that found these management practices provide habitat for both gap associated birds and mature forest birds. Further research is needed to determine the impact of other factors that may mask treatment effects.