University of SaskatchewanHARVEST
  • Login
  • Submit Your Work
  • About
    • About HARVEST
    • Guidelines
    • Browse
      • All of HARVEST
      • Communities & Collections
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
      • This Collection
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
    • My Account
      • Login
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
      View Item 
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item

      SONGBIRD HABITAT USE IN SASKATCHEWAN OLD-GROWTH, BOREAL MIXEDWOOD FOREST

      Thumbnail
      View/Open
      Cumming_Elizabeth_Enid_1995_sec.pdf (4.279Mb)
      Date
      1995
      Author
      Cumming, Enid Elizabeth
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
      Show full item record
      Abstract
      The purpose of this study was to determine how the songbird species composition of the boreal, mixedwood forest changed as it aged from middle­ aged (50- 60 years) to very old (over 130 years), and to determine the minimum age of forest needed to support all species in this community. The study also examined in detail how twelve species of similar, foliage-gleaning song birds could co-exist in the spruce-dominated, old-growth stage of this forest type. I found that there was a group of five songbird species that did not occur in forest under 100 years old, and reached their highest densities only in forest that was over 130 years old In addition, there were six other species that did not occur in forest under 80 years old and reached their highest densities in forest 100 or more years old. The twelve species of songbirds I studied used the available habitat differently from each other by foraging in different kinds of trees and at different heights within the same tree species. Four bird species were not observed foraging in deciduous trees, and three species did not use balsam fir-but all twelve species were observed foraging in white spruce. Vertical stratification between the bird species was best developed in white spruce because all the birds foraged in this tree and because spruce were tallest. From the results of this study,I conclude that the older age classes of boreal, mixedwood forest are an important part of the boreal ecosystem and play a key role in the survival of many forest songbirds. I also conclude that within the old-growth forest, white spruce is a very important tree species that is heavily used by foliage gleaning songbirds. It is important to ensure that all forest age classes continue to exist and that forestry practices do not truncate the normal successional sequence of the boreal, mixedwood forest.
      Degree
      Master of Science (M.Sc.)
      Department
      Biology
      Program
      Biology
      Supervisor
      Diamond, A. W.
      Copyright Date
      Spring 1995
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/9585
      Collections
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      University of Saskatchewan

      University Library

      © University of Saskatchewan
      Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy