Abstract
The plight of species dependent upon disturbed or early successional habitats of Appalachian Mountain forests has been documented by wildlife managers across the region. We conducted surveys of managers and examined State Wildlife Action Plans and initiatives aimed at addressing conservation of these species and their habitats. Although the decline of disturbance-dependent species and the types of habitats they need are well documented, determining the amount and quality of existing early successional habitats is difficult. Few managers have clear goals of how much early successional habitat is needed and where it should be located, although most agree that much more is needed. Recently developed game bird and songbird plans represent some of the best efforts to date to address levels of habitat needed. Managers have prescriptions but face serious social and cultural barriers to establishing early successional habitats on the ground. Ecological forestry and collaborative management approaches may be the best solutions to overcome these barriers.
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Warburton, G.S., Harper, C.A., Weeks, K. (2011). Conservation of Early Successional Habitats in the Appalachian Mountains: A Manager’s Perspective. In: Greenberg, C., Collins, B., Thompson III, F. (eds) Sustaining Young Forest Communities. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 21. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1620-9_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1620-9_13
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