Bird-Friendly BMP’s for Bottomland Forest in the Carolinas Birds and People on Common Ground

Typical Hardwood Management Historically we’ve left as is… or done large harvests followed by natural regeneration

Small Patch Clearcut 2-10 acres with <10% of entire bottomland in regenerative state Feathered edges necessary if thinning does not accompany clearing

“String of Pearls”

Spokes of a Wheel

Example – Silver Bluff Audubon Center 90 acre stand Homogenous stand condition 25 year old stand Mature forest function – 95% canopy closure Prescription Regenerate 10% of stand using patch cut(s) 15 year entry cycle 135 year rotation

Feathered edge of a small patch opening

Brown-headed Cowbird All things equal Thickets as far interior as possible Prolific! One female can Lay as many as 40 eggs a season In other birds nests! Nest parasites that grow larger And compete for adoptamom’s resources

Thicket example 1

Thicket example 2

Hardwood thinning Ideally we want to thin down to 60-70% canopy closure Tree selection can be done to leave better species composition for economics or mast production

95% Canopy Closure

60% Canopy Closure

Epicormic Branching Is a problem that can occur when too much sunlight is allowed into a stand. While epicormic branching can hinder log quality, we feel that a conservative thinning will close canopy quickly enough to avoid this concern.

So how do we decide where? Often times it is best to mimic mother nature! Consider invasive species

Tornado Damage

Hurricane Damage

Ideal Silver Bluff Location Since we get to choose where we put our thickets, we can pick places that naturally grow the types of understory we want!

Ideal Four Holes Swamp Location Ironwood, Sweet Gum, Palmetto, Loblolly Pine, Water and Swamp Chestnut Oaks, Green Ash, American Elm, Hawthorne, Switch Cane, and Persimmon Higher… less flooded areas

“Flippable” Ground Litter

Hooded Warbler Bird survey

Swainson’s Warbler 1989 post tornado this species was Prevalent on the S.B. Island and has since Moved on due to lack of habitat

National Audubon is telling me to cut TREES??? And hunt DEER??? Brandon Heitkamp Resource Manager Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary Norman Brunswig Executive Director Audubon South Carolina