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
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
All things equal
Thickets as far
interior as possible
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
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
Since we get to choose
where we put our thickets,
we can pick places that
naturally grow the types
of understory we want!
Ideal Silver Bluff Location
Ideal Four Holes Swamp Location
Higher… less flooded areas
Ironwood, Sweet Gum, Palmetto, Loblolly Pine,
Water and Swamp Chestnut Oaks, Green Ash,
American Elm, Hawthorne, Switch Cane, and
Persimmon
“Flippable” Ground Litter
Bird survey
Hooded
Warbler
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
803-522-2299
Norman Brunswig
Executive Director
Audubon South Carolina
843-462-2150