L. D. Harris

Breeding bird counts were conducted in 12 mesic hardwood hammock islands in north central Florida during April and May 1978. The number of species observed to defend territories in the habitat islands was a direct function of island area. The form of the species-area curve is sensitive to the criterion used to define a “breeding” species. If presence on 3 of 4 counts is required before a recorded species is considered to be a breeding species, then small islands are shown to support many fewer species and the slope of the species area curve is increased by 25 %. The number of breeding bird...

Habitat differences 9 years after planting of slash pine are compared for three levels of site disturbance in a north Florida flatwoods. Observed wildlife abundance is discussed in light of structural (quality, occurrence and stratification) and nutritional habitat differences. Where grasses and forbs were most productive (low site preparation intensity), ground arthropods, small mammals, herhivores, birds, and insectivores were most abundant. Increased site preparation accelerated pine overstory and shrub midstory development with greater foliage arthropad abundance. Rapid vegetation...