Effects of powerline right-of-way vegetation management on avian communities

Shrub-dominated habitats and the birds that nest in them are declining in the Northeast. Rights-of-way can provide productive avian habitat with appropriate vegetation management. This study evaluated the avian productivity of two right-of-way vegetation management options. We measured avian density and nesting success on two adjacent power lines near Rome, NY. The mowed line had more nesting birds than the herbicide-treated line. The mowed line had more shrub cover, and birds had more territories and nests in areas with more shrub cover. Mowing may create better short-term habitat for birds, but selective herbicide treatments may create a more stable long-term shrub layer. Since neither treatment provided more productive habitat, whichever treatment produces more abundant stable habitat would be more beneficial for birds.