scholarly journals Communicating Effectively about Young Forest Management to Benefit Associated Wildlife Species

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Young Forest

scholarly journals Evaluating outcomes of young forest management on a target species of conservation concern

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4319
Author(s):  
Henry M. Streby ◽  
Gunnar R. Kramer ◽  
Sean M. Peterson ◽  
David E. Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Vegetation Succession ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Treatment Site ◽  
Young Forest ◽  
Western Great Lakes

Background Assessing outcomes of habitat management is critical for informing and adapting conservation plans. From 2013–2019, a multi-stage management initiative aims to create >26,000 ha of shrubland and early-successional vegetation to benefit Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in managed forested landscapes of the western Great Lakes region. We studied a dense breeding population of Golden-winged Warblers at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Minnesota, USA, where shrubs and young trees were sheared during the winter of 2014–2015 in a single treatment supported in part by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and in part by other funding source(s) to benefit Golden-winged Warblers and other species associated with young forest [e.g., American Woodcock (Scalopax minor)] and as part of maintenance of early successional forest cover on the refuge. Methods We monitored abundance of Golden-winged Warblers before (2013–2014) and after (2015–2016) management at the treatment site and a control site, and we estimated full-season productivity (i.e., young recruited into the fall population) on the treatment site from predictive, spatially explicit models, informed by nest and fledgling survival data collected at sites in the western Great Lakes region, including Rice Lake NWR, during 2011 and 2012. Then, using biologically informed models of Golden-winged Warbler response to observed and predicted vegetation succession, we estimated the cumulative change in population recruitment over various scenarios of vegetation succession and demographic response. Results We observed a 32% decline in abundance of Golden-winged Warbler breeding pairs on the treatment site and estimated a 27% decline in per-pair full-season productivity following management, compared to no change in a nearby control site. In models that ranged from highly optimistic to progressively more realistic scenarios, we estimated a net loss of 72–460 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers produced from the treatment site in the 10–20 years following management. Even if our well-informed and locally validated productivity models produced erroneous estimates and the management resulted in only a temporary reduction in abundance (i.e., no change in productivity), our forecast models still predicted a net loss of 61–260 juvenile Golden-winged Warblers from the treatment site over the same time frame. Conclusions Our study sites represent only a small portion of a large young-forest management initiative directed at Golden-winged Warblers in the western Great Lakes region; however, the brush management, or shearing of shrubs and small trees, that was applied at our study site is a common treatment applied by contractors funded by ABC and its partners on public lands across Minnesota with the expressed intent of benefiting Golden-winged Warblers and related species. Furthermore, the resulting vegetation structure at our treatment site is consistent with that of other areas managed under the initiative, and ABC documents include our study site as successful Golden-winged Warbler management based on observations of ≥1 Golden-winged Warbler at the treatment site since the management. Our assessment demonstrates that, at least for the only site for which pre- and post-management data on Golden-winged Warblers exist, the shearing of shrubs and small trees has had a substantial and likely enduring negative impact on Golden-winged Warblers. We suggest that incorporating region-specific, empirical information about Golden-winged Warbler—habitat relations into habitat management efforts would increase the likelihood of a positive response by Golden-winged Warblers and also suggest that management directed generically at young forest may not benefit Golden-winged Warblers.

Exploring the preferences of wildlife recreationists for features of boreal forest management: a choice experiment approach

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1931-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C Boxall ◽  
Bruce Macnab
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Management Schemes ◽  
Moose Hunters

This study uses stated preference methods to determine how Saskatchewan moose hunters and wildlife viewers would choose among hypothetical boreal forest management scenarios described by six attributes. The results suggest that preferences for these attributes differ between hunters and viewers and to a lesser extent among rural and urban residents participating in each activity. The preference models were applied to two management plans proposed by the Saskatchewan Forest Habitat Project to produce moose and woodland caribou habitat in a set of five areas visited by the wildlife recreationists in central Saskatchewan. The results suggest that the hunters would benefit from these plans more than the viewers. This information indicates that passive-use values rather than use values may play an important role in justifying forest management schemes which benefit wildlife species.

Natural disturbance and old-forest management in the Alberta Foothills

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L Bonar ◽  
Hugh Lougheed ◽  
David W Andison
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Growth Management ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Fire Control ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Young Forest ◽  
Dynamic Landscapes

There is no widely accepted definition of old growth for west central Alberta. The Foothills Model Forest used tree species composition and time since major disturbance to more broadly define old forest and a stochastic model to project levels of old forest across a landscape. Historically, the simulated "natural" forest landscape was, at any one time, mostly covered by young forest due to active fires. Areas of mature and old forest were, and likely always have been, in the minority. There were even rare times historically when virtually no old forest existed over vast landscapes, and what little did persist occurred in small, isolated patches. The single greatest human influence on old growth in the Alberta Foothills appears to have been successful fire control, which has produced forests today that are on average older than would be expected under natural conditions. Managers of both protected areas and working forests are implementing or developing strategies to restore forests to more natural conditions, and at the same time managing old forest to ensure that it remains a part of current and future forest landscapes. We describe an old-forest analysis and strategy recently incorporated into a new Forest Management Plan for the Weldwood of Canada Limited Forest Management Area. Traditional attitudes toward old forest and its role in highly dynamic landscapes are being revisited on the path to a consistent and broadly supported old-forest strategy. Key words: old growth, management, natural disturbance, Alberta

Assessing the Impact of 41 Years of Forest Management on Native Wildlife Habitat in Minnesota, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Zobel ◽  
Alan R Ek ◽  
Christopher B Edgar
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Harvest Scheduling ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Agricultural Regions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Over the last four decades, forest management goals have transitioned to multiuse objectives, begging the question of their impact on wildlife habitat. Using USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data and the WHINGS (Wildlife Habitat Indicator for Native Genera and Species) model, the trends in wildlife habitat were quantified from 1977 to 2018 across Minnesota. Statewide, 35.5% of species experienced significant improvement in habitat, 29% significant reductions, and 35.5% nonsignificant change. The extent of habitat (acreage) increased for 100% of species, but the quality declined for 63% of species. Results were explained by the reduction in acreage of larger size classes of the aspen, balsam, and birch forest type and increases in smaller, younger forest area. Specifically, forest management that converted aspen stands to other forest types benefited certain wildlife species over others. Future forest management should consider the balance between the habitat requirements of the diverse native species in Minnesota. Study Implications Trends in forest wildlife habitat over the last four decades across Minnesota highlight that forest management often favors one species at the expense of another. Statewide, wildlife species with preferences for larger, older aspen experienced diminished habitat, whereas habitat for species preferring younger forest types or older nonaspen types increased. Regionally, the forested ecoregions in Minnesota (northeast) generally saw reduced habitat, whereas the prairie/agricultural regions (south and northwest) saw the largest increases. Through this and further applications, forest and wildlife managers can rapidly assess the habitat implications of proposed management, whether for environmental review, forest planning, or harvest scheduling.

The Value of Private Non-Industrial Forestland for Wildlife Species Conservation

EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly A. Johnson ◽  
Timm Kroeger ◽  
Josh Horn ◽  
Alison E. Adams ◽  
Damian C. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Fact Sheet ◽  
Monetary Value ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Wildlife Viewing ◽  
Animal Habitat

Animals in Florida provide a variety of benefits to people, from recreation (fishing, hunting, or wildlife viewing) to protection of human life and property (oysters and corals provide reef structures that help protect coasts from erosion and flooding). By measuring the economic value of these benefits, we can assign a monetary value to the habitats that sustain these species and assess the value that is lost when development or other human-based activities degrade animal habitat. This 5-page fact sheet presents the results of a study that assessed the value of protecting five animal species in Florida and showed the economic value of protecting animal habitat.

Forest Management In Mongolia – A Review Of Challenges And Lessons Learned With Special Reference To Degradation And Deforestation

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Gradel ◽  
Gerelbaatar Sukhbaatar ◽  
Daniel Karthe ◽  
Hoduck Kang
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Driven System ◽  
The Status

The natural conditions, climate change and socio-economic challenges related to the transformation from a socialistic society towards a market-driven system make the implementation of sustainable land management practices in Mongolia especially complicated. Forests play an important role in land management. In addition to providing resources and ecosystem functions, Mongolian forests protect against land degradation.We conducted a literature review of the status of forest management in Mongolia and lessons learned, with special consideration to halting deforestation and degradation. We grouped our review into seven challenges relevant to developing regionally adapted forest management systems that both safeguard forest health and consider socio-economic needs. In our review, we found that current forest management in Mongolia is not always sustainable, and that some practices lack scientific grounding. An overwhelming number of sources noticed a decrease in forest area and quality during the last decades, although afforestation initiatives are reported to have increased. We found that they have had, with few exceptions, only limited success. During our review, however, we found a number of case studies that presented or proposed promising approaches to (re-)establishing and managing forests. These studies are further supported by a body of literature that examines how forest administration, and local participation can be modified to better support sustainable forestry. Based on our review, we conclude that it is necessary to integrate capacity development and forest research into holistic initiatives. A special focus should be given to the linkages between vegetation cover and the hydrological regime.

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