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