| Due to negative effects of past land use on biodiversity, there is a growing recognition that successful biodiversity conservation will often necessitate restoration of ecosystems. In the boreal and hemiboreal biomes of northern Europe, little is known about the ecological effects of potential forest restoration measures in formally or voluntarily protected areas (i.e. ‘set-asides’). A few recent studies have shed light on short-term effects on plants, fungi, lichens and some insect groups. However, birds have not been studied in that context, in spite of their importance from ecological and conservation perspectives. This four-year PhD project (planned for 2014-2017) aims to quantify the effects of forest restoration on northern bird assemblages, with a focus on resident species of particular conservation concern. Through two unique large-scale field studies -- developed in close collaboration with industrial partners -- we will assess emerging restoration methods relevant to forest set-asides. The first study system, located in northern Sweden, includes 10 large forest stands restored using canopy gap creation and mechanical dead wood creation, 10 restored using prescribed burning and 10 used as unrestored controls. The second study system, located in south-central Sweden, will include 15 sites restored for the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) through conifer removal and dead wood creation, and 15 unrestored control stands. Using the latest technologies for monitoring of bird breeding, we will evaluate how restoration influences occupancy and reproductive success in two red-listed woodpeckers (three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)) and two declining tits (willow tit (Poecile montana) and marsh tit (P. palustris)), as well as the general structure of forest-dwelling bird assemblages. To gain insight into underlying mechanisms, we will study the effects of restoration on local forest habitat characteristics using field vegetation measurements, as well as the effects of the landscape context, assessed by combining newly available airborne laser data with satellite data. We will also study the cost-effectiveness of the different restoration measures in relation to bird conservation benefits. The results will be of immediate value to the development of cost-effective restoration approaches for improved biodiversity conservation in northern forest landscapes, a central theme for Stiftelsen Oscar och Lili Lamms Minne. |