forestry & society wildlife habitat hort rgsc 302 j.g. mexal spring 2001

Forestry & Society

Wildlife Habitat

HORT RGSC 302

J.G. Mexal

Spring 2001

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Rediscovered in Big Woods of AR (Apr/05)

Singer Tract, LA, 1935. Photo credit: David Allen Colorized version of version

Monarch Butterfly

Neotropical Parrots

Wildlife in the Forest/Ciencia Forestal

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/Guanaco in Chile

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat

Jaguars in the Chiracahuas

Forestry & Society

Wildlife Habitat/U.Mass. CES 1993

Forestry & Society

Wildlife Habitat

• Concerns:– Big animals

• deer, elk, turkey, bear, cougar

• thermal cover, hiding cover, food, corridors (forest fragmentation

– Little animals• fish, prey (mice, etc), insects

– Threatened & Endangered Species• western goshawk, red cockaded woodpecker,

spotted owl (Mexican & northern), wolf

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/Elk like clearcuts!

Science Findings 22/feb2000 PNW Res. Stn.

Elk Body Weight Change (%)- OR

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/Harvesting decreases standing deadwood (Science Findings 42:3/02)

0

4

8

12

16

W-conifer Mixedconifer

SW mixedconifer

E mixedconifer

Oak/Doug-fir

E pond.pine

LPP Juniper

UnharvestedHarvested

Forest Type

Snags (>20”)/ac

Red-cockaded Woodpecker PreyWild. Soc. Bull. 31:131:’02

0

20

40

60

80

100

LoblollyLongleaf

Number/tree

Red-cockaded Woodpecker PreyWild. Soc. Bull. 31:131:’02

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

LoblollyLongleaf

Biomass (mg/tree)

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/Small mammals vs patch

size/ SEAFWA Proc. 1997

0

1

2

3

4

P. polin

otus

P. gossypinus

S. hisp

idus

R. humilu

s

All species

<6 ha10-15 ha>25 ha

Individuals captures/100 nights

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/Small mammals vs patch

size/ SEAFWA Proc. 1997

• 542 captures (307 individuals)– Peromyscus polionotus (44%) [field mice]– Sigmodon hispidus (36%) [cotton

rats]– Peromyscus gossypinus (16%)– Reithrodontomys humilus (2%)– Neotoma floridana (1% [wood rats]– Mus musculus (0.3%)

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/clearcuts have food!

0

20

40

60

80

100

Yr-1Yr-3Yr-5

Harvest method

Soft mast cover (%)

Ouachita NF, AR/OK

Wildlife Soc. Bull. 27:915:99

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/clearcuts have food!

0

20

40

60

80

100

Yr-1Yr-3Yr-5

Harvest method

Soft mast production (kg/ha)

Ouachita NF, AR/OK

Wildlife Soc. Bull. 27:915:99

A

B

C

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/clearcuts have food!

Wildlife Soc. Bull. 27:915:99

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 5 10 15 20 25

Yr-1Yr-3Yr-5

Pine BA (m2/ha)

Soft mast production (kg/ha)Ouachita NF, AR/OK

ClearcutGroupShelterwoodSingle-treeUnharvested

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/soft mast species

• muscadine grapes• blueberries• blackberries• wild roses• sumac• American beautyberry• hackberry• dogwood

• plums• cherries• mulberry• pokeberry• holly• sassafras• green briers• poison ivy

Wildlife Soc. Bull. 27:915:99

y = 18.2x + 18.6

R2 = 0.48

0

30

60

90

120

150

Clearcut Shelterwood Single-tree Unharvested Group

Oak/Hickory (tpa)Hard Mast Index

71%22%

17%

10%

17%

% of total BA

Forestry & SocietyWildlife Habitat/review questions

• Why are forest gaps good for wildlife?

• Why are forest gaps bad for wildlife?

Pileated woodpecker