Wildlife objectives: mixed-conifer dry forest

John Lehmkuhl Research Wildlife BiologistWenatchee Forestry Sciences Lab

Flying squirrel densityLincoln-Peterson estimator

Year2000199

919981997

Mea

n de

nsity

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

Open pine

Young

Mature

Open pine forest consistently is poorer habitat.

Home range area as indicator of habitat quality…..

4.6 ha2.7 ha 2.3 ha

Open Pine Young Mature

> =

Flyers in PIPO foraged in mixed conifer stands

Low canopy closure = fewer flying squirrels

Canopy cover (%)9080706050403020

GLS

A d

ensi

ty

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

Mature

Young

Open pine

Flyer fitness increases with richness of plant understories…

Understory species richness

60504030

Sur

viva

l or R

ecru

itmen

t rat

e0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

survival rate

recruitment rate

r = 0.98

r = 0.98

Truffle biomass important for survival & recruitment….

survival

recruitment

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Truffle biomass (kg/ha)

Prob

abili

ty

Truffle biomass & richness is higher in cool-moist environments

aspect gradient index4.03.02.01.0

Bio

mas

s / R

ichn

ess

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

biomassr = 0.7

richnessr = 0.8

Canopy closure (%)9080706050403020

Bio

mas

s (k

g/ha

)

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Biomass

r = 0.75

Truffle food increases with canopy closure

Coarse woody debris cover (%)403020100

Bio

mas

s / R

ichn

ess

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Biomassr = 0.80

Richnessr = 0.85

Truffle richness & biomass increases with woody debris cover…

Flyer survival rate increases with forage lichen biomass……

0.40

0.45

0.50

0.55

0.60

0 2 4 6 8 10

Lichen biomass (kg/ha)

Prob

abili

ty

survival

Lichen biomass highest in old moist stands

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Bryoria spp. All Species

Bio

mas

s (k

g/ha

)

OpenModerateMature

foragelichens

Bushy-tailed woodrat density

Density groups

0.13

0.28

0.54

0.93

0.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91.0

Low Mod.Low

Mod.High

High

Den

sity

(n/h

a)

n = 3 n = 2 n = 4 n = 3

Woodrat density groups low high

Large snag density <20/ha

Mistletoe index <5.0

Soft log cover <1.3%

0.13 0.28 0.54 0.93

Group mean density(woodrats/ha)

Woodrats most

abundant where more

snags, mistletoe, &

logs

BT woodrats density highest where dead wood & mistletoe…

Deer mouse

no yes-1.00

-0.25

0.50

1.25

2.00

Log(

dens

ity)

unburnedburned

Thinned

Yellow-pine chipmunk

-2.00

-0.75

0.50

1.75

3.00

no yes

Treatments increase dominant small mammals

Thinned

thinned thinnedburned

Retain mesic patches of stands & landscapes…

Mesic stands Dry stands "Mesic-site" spp. southern red-backed vole 1 long-tailed vole 1 montane shrew 1 1 1 Townsend's chipmunk 1 1 creeping vole 1 1 1 1 1 1 American shrew-mole 1 1 1 deer mouse 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 Trowbridge's shrew 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 northern pocket gopher 1 1 1 1 1 "Dry site" spp. Great Basin pocket mouse 1 1 1 1 1 vagrant shrew 1 1 1 1 1 yellow-pine chipmunk 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1

Treatment objectives to test… Flying squirrels

Maintain 50% closure overall, but patchy…

Leave patches large trees (lichens, truffles).

Create open patches (understory richness).

Large down wood (truffles).

Large old snags, large mistletoe brooms (dens).

Bushy-tailed woodrats Large old snags &

replacements. Large mistletoe

brooms. Large down wood.

Other small mammals Patchy dense & open

stands maintain diversity.