Thinning and prescribed fire are increasingly used to promote oak (Quercus L. spp.) regeneration in forest restoration projects across the eastern United States. In addition to monitoring the response of vegetation to these reductions in basal area, the research and land management community has become focused on the response of wildlife to these treatments. In a landscape in which forest ownership is fragmented and dominated by non-industrial private landowners, predicting the range of wildlife and vegetation response to treatments will be necessary to facilitate adoption of a landscape-scale approach to oak restoration. The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of restoring privately owned, mixed forest stands that were partially planted in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) to oak-dominated communities through the use of thinning and prescribed fire. Additionally, the study documented implications of these treatments on small mammal activity in the southern Cumberland Plateau. Following basal area reductions ranging from 30 to 60% and three prescribed fires across three sites, mean oak seedling densities rose from 10 200 ha−1 to 17 900 ha−1. Post-treatment oak seedling densities were related to pre-treatment densities (R2 = 0.55, P < 0.0001) and the number of oak trees >20 cm diameter within 10 m of plot center (R2 = 0.15, P = 0.01). Three years after the last prescribed fire, bat activity (mean passes per night) was significantly higher in the treated stands compared to adjacent undisturbed forest. We did not detect any significant differences in rodent activity between our treated stands and forest controls for two of the three years studied. The results of this study highlighted the within-stand variation that drives post-harvest vegetation trajectories. Three years after the last prescribed fire, bats exhibited higher foraging activity in the treated sites that had lower basal area and very little midstory clutter. Our three-year summer monitoring of rodent activity following the last of the three prescribed fires revealed differences in rodent activity between our treated sites and adjacent forest controls only during 2018 (P = 0.001). These results will assist private landowners in the region as they consider the costs and benefits of oak forest restoration.

中文翻译：

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美国坎伯兰高原南部栎（Quercus）恢复对森林轨迹和小型哺乳动物的利用。

在美国东部的森林恢复项目中，越来越多地使用稀疏化和明火来促进橡木（Quercus L. spp。）的再生。除了监测植被对基础面积减少的反应外，研究和土地管理界已将重点放在野生生物对这些处理的反应上。在森林所有权分散且由非工业私人土地所有者支配的景观中，必须预测野生生物和植被对各种处理措施的反应，以促进采用景观尺度的橡树恢复方法。这项研究的目的是检验恢复部分种植在火炬松（Pinus taeda L.）和东部白松（Pinus strobus L. ），通过使用间伐和规定的火种，以橡木为主的社区。此外，该研究记录了这些治疗对坎伯兰高原南部小型哺乳动物活动的影响。在将基础面积减少30％至60％并在三个地点进行三场明火之后，橡树幼苗的平均密度从10200 ha-1上升至17900 ha-1。处理后的橡树幼苗密度与处理前的密度（R2 = 0.55，P <0.0001）和样地中心10 m内直径> 20 cm的橡树数量有关（R2 = 0.15，P = 0.01）。上次规定的大火发生三年后，经过处理的林分中的蝙蝠活动（每晚平均通过）与相邻的未受干扰的森林相比明显更高。在研究的三年中的两年中，我们没有发现处理过的林分和森林对照之间的啮齿动物活动有任何显着差异。这项研究的结果突显了导致收获后植被轨迹的支架内变化。上次规定的大火发生三年后，蝙蝠在基部面积较小且中层杂物很少的处理部位表现出较高的觅食活动。我们对三个规定的火灾中的最后一个火灾进行了三年夏季夏季啮齿动物活动监测，发现仅在2018年期间，我们处理过的地点与邻近的森林控制之间的啮齿动物活动存在差异（P = 0.001）。这些结果将帮助该地区的私人土地所有者考虑橡树林恢复的成本和收益。这项研究的结果突显了导致收获后植被轨迹的支架内变化。上次规定的大火发生三年后，蝙蝠在基部面积较小且中层杂物很少的处理部位表现出较高的觅食活动。我们对三个规定的火灾中的最后一个火灾进行了三年夏季夏季啮齿动物活动监测，发现仅在2018年期间，我们处理过的地点与邻近的森林控制之间的啮齿动物活动存在差异（P = 0.001）。这些结果将帮助该地区的私人土地所有者考虑橡树林恢复的成本和收益。这项研究的结果突显了导致收获后植被轨迹的支架内变化。上次规定的大火发生三年后，蝙蝠在基部面积较小且中层杂物很少的处理部位表现出较高的觅食活动。我们对三个规定的火灾中的最后一个火灾进行了三年夏季夏季啮齿动物活动监测，发现仅在2018年期间，我们处理过的地点与邻近的森林控制之间的啮齿动物活动存在差异（P = 0.001）。这些结果将帮助该地区的私人土地所有者考虑橡树林恢复的成本和收益。蝙蝠在基部面积较小，中层杂物很少的处理部位表现出较高的觅食活动。我们对三个规定的火灾中的最后一个火灾进行了三年夏季夏季啮齿动物活动监测，发现仅在2018年期间，我们处理过的地点与邻近的森林控制之间的啮齿动物活动存在差异（P = 0.001）。这些结果将帮助该地区的私人土地所有者考虑橡树林恢复的成本和收益。蝙蝠在基部面积较小，中层杂物很少的处理部位表现出较高的觅食活动。我们对三个规定的火灾中的最后一个火灾进行了三年夏季夏季啮齿动物活动监测，发现仅在2018年期间，我们处理过的地点与邻近的森林控制之间的啮齿动物活动存在差异（P = 0.001）。这些结果将帮助该地区的私人土地所有者考虑橡树林恢复的成本和收益。