@article{greenberg_moorman_elliott_martin_hopey_caldwell_2023, title={Breeding bird abundance and species diversity greatest in high-severity wildfire patches in central hardwood forests}, volume={529}, ISSN={0378-1127}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120715}, DOI={10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120715}, abstractNote={In 2016, mixed-severity wildfires in the southern Appalachians created a gradient of forest structures not typical following prescribed burns, providing a unique opportunity to study temporally dynamic conditions and breeding bird response. We measured forest structure and breeding bird communities across a fire-severity gradient in 3 burned and 3 unburned watersheds for 5 years (Y1-Y5). We categorized plots as unburned (NB), low- (L), moderate- (M), or high-severity (H) using a composite fire-severity index. Tree mortality increased with fire-severity category (FSC) and over time; by Y5, 7 % of trees in NB, 11 % in L, 38 % in M, and 71 % in H had died. Shrub recovery was rapid and most pronounced in H, exceeding other FSCs (70 % vs 21 %–44 %) by Y5. Total bird abundance, species richness, and diversity increased over time in H (by Y3) and M (by Y4); by Y5, these metrics were highest in H and twice as high in H as in NB. Low-severity wildfires had no detectable effects on birds. Abundance of 7 species was greatest in higher-severity FSCs; 11 species did not differ among FSC, although ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla) indicated a trend of lower abundance in H. No species was limited to NB, L, or M, whereas disturbance-dependent indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica), and eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) were primarily associated with H. Increased richness and diversity were associated with heavy tree mortality and subsequent shrub recovery in H, accompanied by an influx of disturbance-dependent species and positive or neutral responses by most other species. Results highlight the interrelated roles of fire severity and time in driving forest structure and breeding bird response. Breeding birds responded to high-severity burns similarly to silvicultural treatments with heavy canopy reduction documented in other studies, offering possible alternatives when managing for breeding bird diversity in hardwood forests.}, journal={Forest Ecology and Management}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Greenberg, Cathryn H. and Moorman, Christopher E. and Elliott, Katherine J. and Martin, Katherine and Hopey, Mark and Caldwell, Peter V.}, year={2023}, month={Feb}, pages={120715} }
 @article{journe_andrus_aravena_ascoli_berretti_berveiller_bogdziewicz_boivin_bonal_caignard_et al._2022, title={Globally, tree fecundity exceeds productivity gradients}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1461-0248"]}, DOI={10.1111/ele.14012}, abstractNote={AbstractLack of tree fecundity data across climatic gradients precludes the analysis of how seed supply contributes to global variation in forest regeneration and biotic interactions responsible for biodiversity. A global synthesis of raw seedproduction data shows a 250‐fold increase in seed abundance from cold‐dry to warm‐wet climates, driven primarily by a 100‐fold increase in seed production for a given tree size. The modest (threefold) increase in forest productivity across the same climate gradient cannot explain the magnitudes of these trends. The increase in seeds per tree can arise from adaptive evolution driven by intense species interactions or from the direct effects of a warm, moist climate on tree fecundity. Either way, the massive differences in seed supply ramify through food webs potentially explaining a disproportionate role for species interactions in the wet tropics.}, journal={ECOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Journe, Valentin and Andrus, Robert and Aravena, Marie-Claire and Ascoli, Davide and Berretti, Roberta and Berveiller, Daniel and Bogdziewicz, Michal and Boivin, Thomas and Bonal, Raul and Caignard, Thomas and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Apr} }
 @article{boggs_moorman_hazel_greenberg_sorger_sorenson_2020, title={Ground-Dwelling Invertebrate Abundance Positively Related to Volume of Logging Residues in the Southern Appalachians, USA}, volume={11}, ISSN={1999-4907}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11111149}, DOI={10.3390/f11111149}, abstractNote={Invertebrates, especially those dependent on woody debris for a portion of their life cycle, may be greatly impacted by the amount of downed wood retained following timber harvests. To document relationships between invertebrates and logging residues, we sampled invertebrates with pitfall traps placed near or far from woody debris in 10 recently (2013–2015) harvested sites in western North Carolina with varying levels of woody debris retention. We measured the groundcover and microclimate at each trap and estimated site-level woody debris volume. We modeled predictors (e.g., site-level woody debris volume, percent woody debris cover at the trap site, site type) of captures of spiders (Araneae), harvestmen (Opiliones), centipedes/millipedes (Chilopoda/Diplopoda), ground beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), other beetles, ants (Formicidae), grasshoppers (Acrididae/Tetrigidae), crickets (Gryllidae), and cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae). In addition, we modeled ant occurrence at a finer taxonomic resolution, including red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) and 13 other genera/species. Forest type, whether hardwood or white pine (Pinus strobus L.) overstory preharvest, was a predictor of invertebrate response for 21 of 24 taxonomic analyses. Invertebrate captures or the occurrence probability of ants increased with increasing site-level woody debris volume for 13 of the 24 taxa examined and increased with increasing coarse woody debris (CWD; diameter ≥ 10 cm) cover at the trap level for seven of 24 taxa examined. Our results indicate that woody debris in harvested sites is important for the conservation of a majority of the taxa we studied, which is likely because of the unique microclimate offered near/under woody debris. Stand-scale factors typically were more important predictors of invertebrate response than trap-level cover of woody debris. We recommend implementing sustainability strategies (e.g., Biomass Harvesting Guidelines) to retain woody debris scattered across harvested sites to aid in the conservation of invertebrates.}, number={11}, journal={Forests}, publisher={MDPI AG}, author={Boggs, April D. and Moorman, Christopher E. and Hazel, Dennis W. and Greenberg, Cathryn H. and Sorger, D. Magdalena and Sorenson, Clyde E.}, year={2020}, month={Oct}, pages={1149} }
 @article{boggs_moorman_hazel_greenberg_pacifici_2020, title={Relationships between white-footed mice and logging residue: Informing the sustainability of potential wood bioenergy harvests}, volume={457}, ISSN={0378-1127}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117706}, DOI={10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117706}, abstractNote={We examined local and site-scale relationships between white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and logging residue after timber harvests to assess potential effects of expanding bioenergy markets in the southern Appalachian region of the United States. We sampled mice in 10 recent (2013–2015) clearcut or shelterwood harvests dominated either by white pine or hardwoods prior to harvest. We captured mice May–August, 2016 and 2017 using 10 grids of 60 Sherman traps spaced 15 m apart and set twice for five consecutive nights in each year. We categorized traps as either near (≤5 m) or far (>5 m) from coarse woody debris (CWD; woody debris ≥10 cm in diameter). We estimated site-level woody debris volumes using modified prism sweep sampling and determined vegetation, woody debris, and ground cover composition at each trap location. White-footed mouse occupancy increased with greater trap-level CWD cover in all stands, and greater site-level woody debris volume in white pine stands. Mouse abundance increased with greater site-level woody debris volume, and abundance was greater at white pine sites than hardwood sites. These results demonstrate that residual logging debris is important to white-footed mice, both at the local- and site-scale. Reductions in residual logging debris following harvests, including via removal of low value stems for wood bioenergy, likely will result in decreased white-footed mouse occupancy and abundance. We recommend developing proactive strategies to retain scattered logging residues following even-aged timber harvests, especially in cases where bioenergy harvests occur in the southern Appalachian region.}, journal={Forest Ecology and Management}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Boggs, April D. and Moorman, Christopher E. and Hazel, Dennis W. and Greenberg, Cathryn H. and Pacifici, Krishna}, year={2020}, month={Feb}, pages={117706} }