Partial and clear-cut harvesting of high-elevation spruce–fir forests: implications for small mammal communities

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 2283-2296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walt Klenner ◽  
Thomas P Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Peak Abundance

Subalpine spruce (Picea) – fir (Abies) forests occur throughout the Cordillera of western North America. A variety of alternative silvicultural systems to clear-cutting are being investigated in these high-elevation forests in terms of their impacts on ecosystem components. We tested the hypotheses that abundance, reproduction, and survival of populations of (i) southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi Vigors) will decline, (ii) long-tailed voles (Microtus longicaudus Merriam) and northwestern chipmunks (Tamias amoenus J.A. Allen) will increase, and (iii) deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) will be similar, with respect to decreasing levels of tree retention. Small mammal populations were live-trapped from 1994 to 1998 in replicated sites of uncut forest, single tree selection, 0.1-ha patch cuts, 1.0-ha patch cuts, a 10.0-ha clearcut, and edges in an Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) forest near Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada. Clethrion omys gapperi dominated the small mammal community, reaching a peak abundance of 80 animals/ha with mean values ranging from 31 to 50 animals/ha. Over the 4 postharvest years, abundance, reproduction, and survival of C. gapperi populations were consistently similar among uncut forest, single tree selection, and patch cut treatments compared with clear-cut sites where this species declined to extirpation. Microtus longicaudus and T. amoenus occurred predominantly in clearcut sites, whereas P. maniculatus was present in low numbers on all sites. With respect to small mammals, partial harvesting systems appear to provide a means for combining timber extraction with maintenance of mature forest habitat in these subalpine ecosystems.

Changes in small mammal communities after logging in north-central Ontario

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 970-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur M. Martell
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
North Central ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Mammal Communities

Changes in small mammal communities following logging were monitored in clear-cut and strip-cut upland black spruce (Picea mariana) stands and in selectively cut mixed wood stands in north-central Ontario. Clear-cutting and subsequent scarification essentially eliminated the vegetative cover. Much of the ground cover recovered within 5 years and shrubs within 12 years, but mosses and lichens took much longer. The small mammal community in both clear-cut and strip-cut stands changed over the first three years after logging from one dominated by southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) to one dominated by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and then remained relatively stable for up to 13 years after harvest. That shift was not apparent in selectively cut mixed wood stands where the composition of the small mammal community was similar between uncut stands and stands 4–23 years after harvest. There was relatively little change in total numbers of small mammals after logging. In general, the diversity and evenness of small mammals increased or remained stable in the first 1–3 years following harvest, decreased on older (3–16 years) cuts, and then increased to values similar to those in uncut stands on the oldest (19–23 years) cuts.

Litterfall, growth, and turnover of arboreal lichens after partial cutting in an Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forest in north-central British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 2306-2320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K Stevenson ◽  
Darwyn S Coxson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
North Central ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Dynamics of canopy lichens were investigated for 2 years after group and single-tree selection harvesting in a Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. – Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. forest in north-central British Columbia. Litter fall was collected in 1-m2 traps set on the forest floor and estimates of Alectoria sarmentosa (Ach.) Ach. and Bryoria spp. litterfall adjusted for decomposition in the snowpack. Growth rates of A. sarmentosa and Bryoria fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksworth were measured by repeatedly weighing samples maintained in mesh enclosures in the canopy. Standing crop of canopy lichens was measured in concurrent studies. There appeared to be a small postharvest pulse of litterfall in the single-tree selection area, but it was largely masked by natural variation. Ninety percent of the lichen litterfall was deposited within 10 m of the nearest tree. Annual relative growth rates of A. sarmentosa and B. fuscescens ranged from 2.7% to 10.4% and from 2.4% to 9.1%, respectively. Growth rates of both species were as high in the single-tree selection area as in the unlogged control area but were reduced along the edges of group selection openings. Growth and turnover (annual litterfall as a percentage of standing crop) of Alectoria were approximately in balance, but growth of Bryoria exceeded turnover. In situ decomposition of Bryoria may account for the difference.

Small-mammal response to group-selection silvicultural systems in Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forests 14 years postharvest

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1698-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Ransome ◽  
Pontus M.F. Lindgren ◽  
Michaela J. Waterhouse ◽  
Harold M. Armleder ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Subalpine Forests ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Significant Difference

Concerns about the impacts of clear-cut harvesting on ecosystem components in subalpine forests have generated a variety of alternative silvicultural systems in high-elevation forests in western North America. We examined responses of forest-floor small mammals, 14 years posttreatment, in four replicate units, uncut forest, a 1.0 ha group-selection cut, a large (>30 ha) clearcut, and the edge between the group-selection cut and uncut forest, in the Engelmann Spruce ( Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) – Subalpine Fir ( Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) biogeoclimatic zone in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Populations of small mammals were livetrapped during five sessions from June to September 2006. The mean abundance of southern red-backed voles ( Myodes gapperi Vigors) was significantly lower on large clearcuts than in uncut old-growth forests, with intermediate numbers in 1 ha cuts. The opposite trend was found for dusky shrews ( Sorex monticolus Merriam), while there was no significant difference in mean abundance of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) among treatments. Trappability, proportion of adult females breeding, and rate of survival of red-backed voles and deer mice were similar among treatments. Our results suggest that group-selection silviculture conducted in subalpine forests may have fewer negative impacts on the small-mammal community than large clearcuts.

Relationships between deer mice and downed wood in managed forests of southern British Columbia

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2189-2203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa J Craig ◽  
Walt Klenner ◽  
Michael C Feller ◽  
Thomas P Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
The South ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
South Central ◽  
High Elevation Site ◽  
Downed Wood

We examined the relationship between deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner)) and downed wood in a low-elevation Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forest and a high-elevation Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) forest in the south-central interior of British Columbia. We experimentally manipulated the volume of downed wood on clear-cut and forested sites and monitored the response of deer mice with a mark–recapture study to assess population densities and survival and reproduction rates. Populations responded positively to harvesting at the low-elevation but not the high-elevation study area. At the low-elevation study area, the population dynamics of deer mice on clear-cut and forested treatments were not positively associated with patterns of vegetation cover or increasing downed-wood volumes. Instead, populations on clearcuts appeared to increase in response to an unknown factor associated with lower volumes. No relationship was detected between population dynamics of deer mice and downed-wood volumes at the high-elevation site. The population dynamics of deer mice on forests at the high-elevation site appeared to be more closely related to vegetation cover than to downed wood. The results indicated that downed wood is not a critical habitat component for deer mice in the south-central interior of British Columbia.

The influence of clear-cut logging and residual leave material on small mammal populations in aspen-dominated boreal mixedwoods

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A Moses ◽  
Stan Boutin
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Boreal Mixedwoods ◽  
Live Tree

We investigated responses of populations of common small mammals to variation in the amount of standing trees and residual woody material retained during logging in aspen-dominated, boreal mixedwood forest in north-central Alberta. Experimentally manipulated levels of residual material, with two replicates per level, were (i) "zero residual": clear-cut and no woody debris (tree tops and limbs); (ii) "low residual": clear-cut and woody debris; (iii) "moderate residual": 10% basal area standing live tree retention, and woody debris; and (iv) "uncut": 100% uncut. Patterns of small mammal abundance were similar throughout the study on uncut and moderate-residual grids, where southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi Vigors) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) were numerically dominant. In contrast, C. gapperi were virtually absent from the low- and zero-residual grids during the breeding season following logging and occurred at low numbers in the following 2 years. Peromyscus maniculatus were common on low- and zero-residual grids in all years. We found no evidence that rates of reproductive activity and (or) survival in C. gapperi and P. maniculatus were affected by logging treatments. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus Ord) were uncommon on uncut and moderate-residual grids throughout the study but were abundant on both low-residual grids and one zero-residual grid, particularly in the second year following logging, when they exhibited irruptive dynamics in midsummer. In sum, relative abundances of common small mammals were most affected by intensive (clear-cut) logging, and our results suggest that the experimental retention of at least 10% basal area on cutovers may reduce some of these effects.

Short-term impacts of partial cutting on lichen retention and canopy microclimate in an Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forest in north-central British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 830-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwyn Coxson ◽  
Susan Stevenson ◽  
Jocelyn Campbell
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
North Central ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Single Tree Selection

The retention of canopy lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, and foliose) in group selection (GS) and single-tree selection (STS) partial cuts (30% removal) was studied within a subalpine spruce–fir forest (Picea englemannii Parry ex Engelm. – Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in north-central British Columbia. Baseline canopy lichen loading (preharvest and immediate postharvest) was compared with lichen loading 2 years after harvesting, using both ground- and canopy-based sampling techniques. Additionally, canopy microclimate was compared between GS and adjacent stand areas with no harvest treatment (NT). Partial cutting did not have a significant effect on lichen loading in residual trees, although a trend of declining lichen abundance was observed in each of the GS, STS, and NT areas. Partitioning of lichen abundance data showed significant postharvest declines for upper canopy STS Bryoria and smaller, but significant, changes in foliose lichen abundance in the NT and STS areas. No significant changes in canopy microclimate were observed between treatments, with the exception of south-facing aspects in GS trees, which showed reduced duration of lichen hydration. Taken together, these factors suggest that although the placement of Bryoria in residual trees may shift towards lower canopy exposures, partial-cut harvest treatments can maintain short-term lichen loading and associated ecosystem values (e.g., caribou forage) in subalpine spruce–fir stands.

Demography of populations of deer mice in coastal forest and clear-cut (logged) habitats

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 1636-1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Average Density ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Coastal Forest ◽  
Juvenile Male ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting

This study was designed to test the widely held hypothesis that clear-cut (logged) habitats support higher density populations of Peromyscus than do forested habitats. Deer mouse populations were livetrapped in forest and clear-cut habitats at Maple Ridge, British Columbia, from May 1975 to April 1978. The average density of mice per hectare in the forest was 19.6(1975), 15.8(1976), 22.3(1977), and on the clear-cut areas was 23.3(1975), 16.6(1976), 29.9(1977). The slightly higher number of animals on the clear-cutting in 1975 and 1977 reflected a burst of recruitment in the late summer and fall of each year. The density of mice on clear-cut areas declined during each winter to a level comparable with that of the forest. Juvenile male deer mice were able to enter into the clear-cutting populations during the breeding season in the first year after logging. Recently logged areas may be acting as dispersal or behavioural sinks.

scholarly journals Preferences for Northern Hardwood Silviculture among Family Forest Owners in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C Helman ◽  
Matthew C Kelly ◽  
Mark D Rouleau ◽  
Yvette L Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Family Forest Owners ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Upper Peninsula ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Family Forest ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Abstract Managing northern hardwood forests using high-frequency, low-intensity regimes, such as single-tree selection, favors shade-tolerant species and can reduce tree species diversity. Management decisions among family forest owners (FFO) can collectively affect species and structural diversity within northern hardwood forests at regional scales. We surveyed FFOs in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan to understand likely future use of three silvicultural treatments—single-tree selection, shelterwood, and clearcut. Our results indicate that FFOs were most likely to implement single-tree selection and least likely to implement clearcut within the next 10 years. According to logistic regression, prior use of a treatment and perceived financial benefits significantly increased the odds for likely use for all three treatments. Having received professional forestry assistance increased likely use of single-tree selection but decreased likely use of shelterwood. We discuss these results within the context of species diversity among northern hardwood forests throughout the region.

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