Daniel Twedt, Ph.D.
Daniel J. Twedt received graduate degrees from Western Kentucky and North Dakota State University for his work on starling and yellow-headed blackbird ecology, respectively.
For the past 20+ years, Dr. Twedt has been a research wildlife biologist with the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, stationed in Vicksburg, MS and Memphis, TN. During this time, his research has focused on avian ecology within bottomland hardwood forests, including bird response to forest restoration and silvicultural management, and assessment of alternative restoration and management techniques. Ongoing projects address forest structure and bird response to silvicultural prescriptions targeting wildlife in bottomland hardwoods, survival and productivity of birds in bottomland forests, and landscape scale integration of national land cover and forest inventory databases for assessment of bird distribution and abundance.
Science and Products
Landscape and vegetation effects on avian reproduction on bottomland forest restorations
Change in avian abundance predicted from regional forest inventory data
Effects of wildlife forestry on abundance of breeding birds in bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana
Winter bird population studies and project prairie birds for surveying grassland birds
Longevity records for Acadian flycatcher and white-eyed vireo following prescribed timber harvest
Bird response to silviculture induced change in forest structure within bottomland hardwood forests
Spatial models of Northern Bobwhite populations for conservation planning
Combining Breeding Bird Survey and distance sampling to estimate density of migrant and breeding birds
A spatially explicit decision support model for restoration of forest bird habitat
Small clusters of fast-growing trees enhance forest structure on restored bottomland sites
The role of the Wetland Reserve Program in conservation efforts in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
Restoration of understory trees on bottomland hardwood sites (Mississippi)
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Landscape and vegetation effects on avian reproduction on bottomland forest restorations
Forest restoration has been undertaken on >200,000 ha of agricultural land in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA, during the past few decades. Decisions on where and how to restore bottomland forests are complex and dependent upon landowner objectives, but for conservation of silvicolous (forest-dwelling) birds, ecologists have espoused restoration through planting a diverse mix of densely spaceAuthorsDaniel J. Twedt, Scott G. Somershoe, Kirsten R. Hazler, Robert J. CooperChange in avian abundance predicted from regional forest inventory data
An inability to predict population response to future habitat projections is a shortcoming in bird conservation planning. We sought to predict avian response to projections of future forest conditions that were developed from nationwide forest surveys within the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. To accomplish this, we evaluated the historical relationship between silvicolous bird populaAuthorsDaniel J. Twedt, John M. Tirpak, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Frank R. Thompson, William B. Uihlein, Jane A. FitzgeraldEffects of wildlife forestry on abundance of breeding birds in bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana
Effects of silvicultural activities on birds are of increasing interest because of documented national declines in breeding bird populations for some species and the potential that these declines are in part due to changes in forest habitat. Silviculturally induced disturbances have been advocated as a means to achieve suitable forest conditions for priority wildlife species in bottomland hardwoodAuthorsJennifer L. Norris, Michael J. Chamberlain, Daniel J. TwedtWinter bird population studies and project prairie birds for surveying grassland birds
We compared 2 survey methods for assessing winter bird communities in temperate grasslands: Winter Bird Population Study surveys are area-searches that have long been used in a variety of habitats whereas Project Prairie Bird surveys employ active-flushing techniques on strip-transects and are intended for use in grasslands. We used both methods to survey birds on 14 herbaceous reforested sites aAuthorsD.J. Twedt, P.B. Hamel, M.S. WoodreyLongevity records for Acadian flycatcher and white-eyed vireo following prescribed timber harvest
No abstract available.AuthorsD.J. TwedtBird response to silviculture induced change in forest structure within bottomland hardwood forests
Silvicultural treatments prescribed to encourage development of desired stand structure (i.e., wildlife-forestry) should result in increased abundance of many bird species of management concern, especially species using dense understory habitat. Desired forest conditions within bottomland vary among sites, but average 60-70% overstory canopy that is heterogeneously distributed with >5 dominant trAuthorsD.J. Twedt, S.G. SomershoeSpatial models of Northern Bobwhite populations for conservation planning
Since 1980, northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) range-wide populations declined 3.9% annually. Within the West Gulf Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region in the south-central United States, populations of this quail species have declined 6.8% annually. These declines sparked calls for land use change and prompted implementation of various conservation practices. However, to effectively revAuthorsDaniel J. Twedt, R. Randy Wilson, Amy S. KeisterCombining Breeding Bird Survey and distance sampling to estimate density of migrant and breeding birds
We combined Breeding Bird Survey point count protocol and distance sampling to survey spring migrant and breeding birds in Vicksburg National Military Park on 33 days between March and June of 2003 and 2004. For 26 of 106 detected species, we used program DISTANCE to estimate detection probabilities and densities from 660 3-min point counts in which detections were recorded within four distance aAuthorsS.G. Somershoe, D.J. Twedt, B. ReidA spatially explicit decision support model for restoration of forest bird habitat
The historical area of bottomland hardwood forest in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley has been reduced by >75%. Agricultural production was the primary motivator for deforestation; hence, clearing deliberately targeted higher and drier sites. Remaining forests are highly fragmented and hydrologically altered, with larger forest fragments subject to greater inundation, which has negatively affecteAuthorsD.J. Twedt, W.B. Uihlein, A.B. ElliottSmall clusters of fast-growing trees enhance forest structure on restored bottomland sites
Despite the diversity of trees in bottomland forests, restoration on bottomland sites is often initiated by planting only a few species of slow-growing, hard mast?producing trees. Although successful at establishing trees, these young forests are slow to develop vertical structure, which is a key predictor of forest bird colonization. Furthermore, when natural seed sources are few, restored siteAuthorsD.J. TwedtThe role of the Wetland Reserve Program in conservation efforts in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
The Mississippi River Alluvial Valley includes the floodplain of the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois, USA, to the Gulf of Mexico. Originally this region supported about 10 million ha of bottomland hardwood forests, but only about 2.8 million ha remain today. Furthermore, most of the remaining bottomland forest is highly fragmented with altered hydrologic processes. During the 1990s landscapAuthorsSammy L. King, Daniel J. Twedt, R. Randy WilsonRestoration of understory trees on bottomland hardwood sites (Mississippi)
No abstract available.AuthorsJ. A. Allen, J. Wessman, D.J. Twedt