Poster Abstract: In the French Alps, the black grouse occurs in treeline habitats where the abandonment of traditional agricultural activities has led to the invasion of brood-rearing habitats by dense stands of alder or rhododendron. In the last decade, wildlife managers have tried to restore these habitats by cutting small patches of the invading shrubs. An evaluation of these experiments suggests that removal of dense stands of shrubs in a patchwork pattern may in some cases increase the number of black grouse hens or number of young reared. The differences in vegetation present on the restored sites may to a large extent explain the differences in habitat restoration effects that we observed.