Table Of Content

The Wilson Journal ofOrnithology 118(4):580-585, 2006 Ornithological Literature Compiled by Mary Gustafson FIRE AND AVIAN ECOLOGY IN fects on what is known about general avian NORTH AMERICA. By Victoria A. Saab and habitat associations and responses to habitat Hugh D. W. Powell (Eds.). Studies in Avian change, or on the results offire studies in sim- Biology no. 30, Cooper Ornithological Soci- ilar habitats. For example, although fire is rel- ety, Camarillo, California. 2005: vii + 193 atively common in California’s oak wood- pp., 20 tables, 12 maps, 8 ot—her figs. ISBN: lands, only one study has focused on the ef- 0943610648. $18.00 (paper). Formerly the fects of an actual fire on birds in that system. purview of agency personnel and a handful of In total, the responses ofmore than 200bird academics, over the last 30 years wildland fire species to fire are discussed, with some pre- management has entered the mainstream con- dictable outcomes. Forexample, it is clearthat sciousness as a topic of debate and interest. frequent burning creates less favorable con- This has been accompanied by a correspond- ditions for forest birds that nest low or on the ing increase in attention paid by ornithologists ground, and that foliage gleaners prefer un- to topics on fire ecology. This volume adds to bumed habitats. The predictability of a given the ever-growing list offire-related papers and species’ response, however, may not be books, in this case providing a well edited and straightforward: it may vary by region or with useful literature review specifically concerned differences in fire size, intensity, frequency, with the effects of fire and fire exclusion on and seasonal timing. In the case of Greater birds and their habitats. Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an This work is largely the result ofa Partners obje—ctive analysis suggests—that prescribed In Flight symposium (held in 2002) that fo- fire although often touted may not have cused on patterns in human alteration of fire been overly successful as a management tool. regimes and the consequences on bird popu- Although not part of the typical Studies in lations and habitats. The introductory chapter Avian Biology format, an index summarizing provides an overall summary, highlights pat- the effects of fire on different species would terns, and suggests future research needs. have been useful to workers concentrating on While not a definitive treatment of all avian one or a few bird species. All 11 chapters are habitats found in North America, discussion well-referenced, as evidenced by more than of more than 40 North American ecosystems 900 sources listed in the Literature Cited sec- provides ample opportunity for the emergence tion. Such a hefty Literature Cited section on ofsome broad patterns in fire regimes and avi- the relatively narrow topic of fire and birds an responses. For example, habitats with nat- further increases this work’s utility as a ref- urally long fire-free periods have been less af- erence. fected by fire exclusion practices because the Several recurring themes appear in the period of fire exclusion is not markedly dif- chapter—s, including a call for additional re- ferent from the normal fire-return interval. search especially experimental work on fire Ten chapters summarize the current state of effects, which makes for good science and is knowledge regarding fire and birds in the entirely feasible in many prescribed fire sce- southwestern United States, California’s oak narios. Response variables should focus on woodlands, the maritime Pacific Northwest, avian demographics, rather than on bird abun- sagebrush habitats, the Rocky Mountains, the dance, as is the case in many previous bird- boreal forests ofCanada, central tallgrass prai- fire studies. Well-stated was the premise that ries, eastern deciduous forests, grasslands and “understanding past fire regimes is of less shrublands in New England, and southeastern practical value than investigating how present- pine savannas and native prairies. Many au- day fires fit into the landscape and how they thors point out the lack of fire-effects data for can be used to achieve management objec- particular habitats, and base projected fire ef- tives.” Given the clear need for more fire on 580 ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE 581 the landscape, many of the authors suggest an information provided will facilitate planning approach to using prescribed fire that does not for, and implementation of, a range of habitat involve burning all the available acres in a treatments. short time period, but rather at a variety of In light of the ongoing public debate re- temporal and spatial scales to produce a mo- garding forest health and fire, especially wel- saic of different habitat and age classes. This come was a statement contrasting the effects well-reasoned approach to maintaining varia- of fuels treatments involving commercial har- tion in the landscape might contrast with some vest of large trees with those treatments in- practices, such as the large-scale application tended to remove highly combustible, small- of frequent understory fires (as is typical in diameter fuels. We can only hope that forest southwestern pine forests) in the Rocky managers also heed the cautions provided by Mountains, where a stand-replacing fire might many authors on post-fire salvage logging, be an objective. which can easily reverse any benefits the bum Like most treatises on fire ecology, this one may have provided to certain groups ofbirds, makes the obligatory call for less fire sup- especially cavity-nesters. pression with statements like “. . . it clearly Fire and Avian Ecology in North America seems reactive to continue battling naturally will be an interesting and useful addition to ignited fires burning within historic ranges of the reference libraries of agency biologists, severity.” Although understandable, such fire managers, ecologists, and others involved statements fail to appreciate the current im- in fire and fuels issues. I recommend this practicality ofletting most wildfires bum, con- book.—JOHN E. HUNTER, U.S. Fish and sidering that modem wildlands comprise a Wildlife Service, Areata, California; e-mail: complex mix offire-adapted vegetation, small [email protected] remnant patches ofvulnerable special habitats (e.g., riparian and stands ofold-growthforest), areas of increased flammability due to the presence of exotic plants and other buildups BIRDS OF WESTERN AFRICA. By Nik of fuels, and at-risk investments (e.g., conifer Borrow and Ron Demey. Princeton University plantations and other anthropogenic improve- Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 2004: 512 pp., ments). Such a landscape, combined with dy- 147 color plates, 3,000+ color illustrations. namic weatherpatterns, a political atmosphere ISBN: 0691123217. $40.00 (paper).—Birds of driven by special interest groups (e.g., pro- Western Africa, by N. Borrow and R. Demey, ponents of scenic values for tourism), public was originally published in 2001 by Christo- health (e.g., smoke management) and safety pher Helm, London (hard cover), whereas this concerns, and an increasingly litigious society volume was released as part of the Princeton make risk-averse decision makers unlikely to Field Guide series (soft cover). This magnifi- push too hard for expanded let-bum policies cent field guide covers all 1,285 species of any time soon. While many authors call for birds found within the present region ofWest- expanded prescribed burning programs, large- ern Africa, which the authors define as ex- scale application of fire as the primary fuels tending from Senegal and southern Mauritania treatment could only be done with massive east to Chad and the Central Africa Republic, (and seemingly unlikely) increases in pre- and south to Congo, including Cape Verde and scribed fire budgets. Thus, although fire is an the Gulf of Guinea islands. A color-shaded appealing treatment for ecosystem restoration map shows the location of each country. and management, it seems likely that mechan- The introduction provides information on ical thinning, livestock grazing, and other changes to scientific and common names, in- treatments intended as surrogates for fire will cluding standardizations of English names, provide land managers with solutions over the made since the 2001 publication. Name short run, so researchers should probably look changes are those recommended by David and a bit harder at such options. However, since Gosselin (David, N. and M. Gosselin. 2002. much of the discussion in this volume deals Gender agreement of avian species names. with responses of birds to habitat change, not Bulletin of the British Ornithology Club 122: necessarily their responses to fire, per se, the 257-282) (David, N. and M. Gosselin. 2002.