scholarly journals Modelling Lichen Abundance for Woodland Caribou in a Fire-Driven Boreal Landscape

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Silva ◽  
Scott Nielsen ◽  
Clayton Lamb ◽  
Christine Hague ◽  
Stan Boutin
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Upland Forest ◽  
Time Since Fire

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are reliant on Cladonia spp. ground lichens as a major component of their diet and lichen abundance could be an important indicator of habitat quality, particularly in winter. The boreal forest is typified by large, stand-replacing forest fires that consume ground lichens, which take decades to recover. The large spatial extent of caribou ranges and the mosaic of lichen availability created by fires make it challenging to track the abundance of ground lichens. Researchers have developed various techniques to map lichens across northern boreal and tundra landscapes, but it remains unclear which techniques are best suited for use in the continuous boreal forest, where many of the conflicts amongst caribou and human activities are most acute. In this study, we propose a two-stage regression modelling approach to map the abundance (biomass, kg/ha) of Cladonia spp. ground lichens in the boreal forest. Our study was conducted in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, a wilderness-class protected area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. We used field sampling to characterize lichen abundance in 109 upland forest stands across the local time-since-fire continuum (2–119 years-since-fire). We then used generalized linear models to relate lichen presence and lichen abundance to forest structure, topographic and remote sensing attributes. Model selection indicated ground lichens were best predicted by ecosite, time-since-fire, and canopy closure. Lichen abundance was very low (<1000 kg/ha) across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with dense tree cover. Conversely, lichen abundance increased steadily across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with sparse tree cover, exceeding 3000 kg/ha in mature stands. We interpolated the best lichen presence and lichen abundance models to create spatial layers and combined them to generate a map that provides a reasonable estimation of lichen biomass (R2 = 0.39) for our study area. We encourage researchers and managers to use our method as a basic framework to map the abundance of ground lichens across fire-prone, boreal caribou ranges. Mapping lichens will aid in the identification of suitable habitat and can be used in planning to ensure habitat is maintained in adequate supply in areas with multiple land-use objectives. We also encourage the use of lichen abundance maps to investigate questions that improve our understanding of caribou ecology.

scholarly journals Habitat modelling locates nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata on Hispaniola and identifies habitat loss

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
YVAN G. SATGÉ ◽  
ERNST RUPP ◽  
ADAM BROWN ◽  
PATRICK G. R. JODICE
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Breeding Sites

Summary The Black-capped Petrel or Diablotin Pterodroma hasitata has a fragmented and declining population estimated at c.1,000 breeding pairs. On land, the species nests underground in steep ravines with dense understorey vegetation. The only confirmed breeding sites are located in the mountain ranges of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, where habitat loss and degradation are continuing threats. Other nesting populations may still remain undiscovered but, to locate them, laborious in situ nest searches must be conducted over expansive geographical areas. To focus nest-search efforts more efficiently, we analysed the environmental characteristics of Black-capped Petrel nesting habitat and modeled suitable habitat on Hispaniola using openly available environmental datasets. We used a univariate generalized linear model to compare the habitat characteristics of active Black-capped Petrel nests sites with those of potentially available sites (i.e. random pseudo-absences). Elevation, distance to coast, and the influence of tree cover and density emerged as important environmental variables. We then applied multivariate generalized linear models to these environmental variables that showed a significant relationship with petrel nesting activity. We used the top performing model of habitat suitability model to create maps of predicted suitability for Hispaniola. In addition to areas of known petrel activity, the model identified possible nesting areas for Black-capped Petrels in habitats not previously considered suitable. Based on model results, we estimated the total area of predicted suitable nesting habitat for Black-capped Petrels on Hispaniola and found that forest loss due to hurricanes, forest fires, and encroachment from agriculture had severely decreased availability of predicted suitable habitat between 2000 and 2018.

scholarly journals Woodland caribou and forestry in Northern Ontario, Canada

Rangifer ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Darby ◽  
L. S. Duquette
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Winter Range ◽  
The Third ◽  
Peripheral Portion ◽  
Deer Density

Expansion of logging in remote Ontario boreal forest requires mitigation of effects on woodland caribou. Three examples of caribou-forestry interaction are reviewed. In two, caribou were apparently displaced from peripheral portions of their winter range by logging. In the third, caribou disappeared when exposed to: logging in a central third of their winter range; increased deer density, and; a probable increase in predation. In all cases there is no evidence of human harvest. The literature plus experience in Ontario suggest the following mitigative techniques: protection of winter concentration areas, significant calving areas and traditional migration routes from logging; directing timber harvest to forest stands of least value to caribou; restricting disturbance to one large clearcut in a peripheral portion of range rather than dispersing it over a large portion as several small clearcuts; modified site preparation and regeneration, and; restricted road access. Research is required on the effect of forestry on caribou with and without mitigation, and on causes for effects observed.

scholarly journals Production of peroxy nitrates in boreal biomass burning plumes over Canada during the BORTAS campaign

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 3485-3497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcella Busilacchio ◽  
Piero Di Carlo ◽  
Eleonora Aruffo ◽  
Fabio Biancofiore ◽  
Cesare Dari Salisburgo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Fire Plumes ◽  
Peroxy Nitrates ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The observations collected during the BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites (BORTAS) campaign in summer 2011 over Canada are analysed to study the impact of forest fire emissions on the formation of ozone (O3) and total peroxy nitrates ∑PNs, ∑ROONO2). The suite of measurements on board the BAe-146 aircraft, deployed in this campaign, allows us to calculate the production of O3 and of  ∑PNs, a long-lived NOx reservoir whose concentration is supposed to be impacted by biomass burning emissions. In fire plumes, profiles of carbon monoxide (CO), which is a well-established tracer of pyrogenic emission, show concentration enhancements that are in strong correspondence with a significant increase of concentrations of ∑PNs, whereas minimal increase of the concentrations of O3 and NO2 is observed. The ∑PN and O3 productions have been calculated using the rate constants of the first- and second-order reactions of volatile organic compound (VOC) oxidation. The ∑PN and O3 productions have also been quantified by 0-D model simulation based on the Master Chemical Mechanism. Both methods show that in fire plumes the average production of ∑PNs and O3 are greater than in the background plumes, but the increase of ∑PN production is more pronounced than the O3 production. The average ∑PN production in fire plumes is from 7 to 12 times greater than in the background, whereas the average O3 production in fire plumes is from 2 to 5 times greater than in the background. These results suggest that, at least for boreal forest fires and for the measurements recorded during the BORTAS campaign, fire emissions impact both the oxidized NOy and O3,  but (1 ∑PN production is amplified significantly more than O3 production and (2) in the forest fire plumes the ratio between the O3 production and the ∑PN production is lower than the ratio evaluated in the background air masses, thus confirming that the role played by the ∑PNs produced during biomass burning is significant in the O3 budget. The implication of these observations is that fire emissions in some cases, for example boreal forest fires and in the conditions reported here, may influence more long-lived precursors of O3 than short-lived pollutants, which in turn can be transported and eventually diluted in a wide area.

scholarly journals Emulating boreal forest disturbance dynamics: Can we maintain timber supply, aboriginal land use, and woodland caribou habitat?

2013 ◽  
Vol 89 (01) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narayan Dhital ◽  
Frédéric Raulier ◽  
Hugo Asselin ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Osvaldo Valeria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Forest Age ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Timber Supply ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Potential Interest ◽  
Forest Age Structure

The effects on timber supply incurred by implementing an ecosystem-based management strategy were evaluated in an eastern Canadian boreal forest management unit. Standard linear programming was used to test the effects of four key policy issues: (1) aim for a targeted forest age structure inspired by natural fire regime and forest dynamics (multi-cohort approach), (2) agglomerate harvest blocks in operating areas to reproduce natural disturbance patterns at the landscape scale, (3) maintain cumulated clearcutting and natural disturbance rates inside the historical range of variability, and (4) exclude from harvest areas of potential interest to aboriginal people. The targeted forest age structure was achieved with a minimum reduction of periodic timber supply, but only after 50 years. Compared to a “business-as-usual” scenario, inclusion of the first three policy issues resulted in a 3% to 11% reduction in planned timber supply and a restoration period requiring that 43% to 67% of the productive area be excluded from clearcutting activities for the next 50 years. Such results require that partial cutting not be confined to operating areas eligible for clearcutting. Further exclusion of forest areas of potential interest to aboriginal people resulted in an additional 4% to 10% decrease in planned timber supply. Validation of the coarse filters used in this study (first three policy issues) was done using habitat requirements of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Almost all scenarios induced a disturbance rate likely to allow a self-sustaining woodland caribou population within 25 years.

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