What s New in NH Northern Hardwoods Silviculture the wildlife habitat elements

Transcription

1 What s New in NH Northern Hardwoods Silviculture the wildlife habitat elements Mariko Yamasaki USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Durham, NH 1 = most abundant in climax stands; 2 = second most abundant in climax stands 1

2 Predator Prey Relationships Managers create habitat conditions over time across landscapes that influence predator prey relationships Silvicultural Options Size of opening influences composition Frequency of cut matters cuts create important ephemeral habitats Spatial and temporal patterns influence the reoccupation of these ephemeral habitats From: DeGraaf et al

3 Species composition of stocked milacres, 10 to 15 years after cutting in beech birch maple by tolerance groups Tolerance Group Clearcutting Group Selection Single tree Selection Percent Tolerants Intermediates Intolerants Tolerants: beech, sugar maple, hemlock, red spruce Intermediates: yellow birch, white ash, red maple Intolerants: paper birch and aspen From: Leak et al. (1987) BBS Trends by Species Habitat Group PERCENT VT + VT - NH + NH - BCR-14 + BCR-14 - BCR-30 + BCR-30 - BCR-13 + BCR-13 - PERCENT VT + VT - NH + NH - BCR-14 + BCR-14 - BCR-30 + BCR-30 - BCR-13 + BCR FOREST ONLY (n=17) -40 NONFOREST ONLY (n=39) Positive trend Pileated woodpecker Blue headed vireo Black throated green warbler Black throated blue warbler Pine warbler Ovenbird Negative trend Veery Wood thrush Scarlet tanager Positive trend American wigeon Rock dove Negative trend Killdeer Chimney swift European starling Vesper sparrow Savannah sparrow Bobolink E. meadowlark House sparrow 3

4 BBS Trends by Species Habitat Group Positive trend Mourning dove Ruby throated hummingbird Warbling vireo Red eyed vireo Tufted titmouse Northern parula Northern cardinal PERCENT FOREST-NONFOREST (n=106) VT + VT - NH + NH - BCR-14 + BCR-14 - BCR-30 + BCR-30 - BCR-13 + BCR-13 - Negative trend Ruffed grouse Northern flicker Olive sided flycatcher E. wood pewee Least flycatcher E. kingbird Brown thrasher Yellow warbler Chestnut sided warbler American redstart Canada warbler E. towhee Field sparrow Song sparrow Rose breasted grosbeak Brown headed cowbird Desired Habitat Composition Goals for NE Landscapes Composition Habitat opportunity class Habitat breadth: Essentially forest Forest and nonforest Forest > Nonforest Water < 5 > 5 Size class Distribution: Regeneration Sapling pole Sawtimber Large sawtimber Cover type Distribution: Deciduous (not oak) Short rotation Long rotation < < Hard mast oak Coniferous Nonforest Upland openings Wetlands

5 So what s new? We re treating stands with an eye to their patchiness rather than tree by tree We re recognizing the importance of how regeneration is laid out onthe ground We re paying closer attention to habitat features in managed stands that maintain/enhance wildlife habitat diversity Ordination of avian similarity for 114 survey points, WMNF Early successional bird community in new hardwood clearcuts is very different from the mature hardwood bird community Bird community in group selection cuts are mixtures of mature hardwoods and some but not all early successional communities 5

6 BEF case study ES birds respond to group size Costello et al. (2000) groups/patches studied for additional 3 5 years ES birds were observed more often in larger than smaller groups/patches From: Leak et al. (in review) BEF case study bird use of clearcuts, patches, and shelterwood From: Yamasaki et al. (2014) ES species not present in preharvest stands Species richness was similar (ES, Gen, M/LS) Higher proportions of ES species and observations in CC and patches than shelterwood 6

7 Frequency of Cutting Cycle Matters Ephemeral Habitats Species First appear Common Decline E. bluebird N. flicker Willow flycatcher Winter wren 1 2 Swainson's thrush * Chestnut sided warbler Mourning warbler Common yellowthroat American goldfinch Cedar waxwing Veery 3 6 * Black and white warbler * Rose breasted grosbeak 3 15 * Canada warbler 5 15 * Ruffed grouse * Wood thrush * Ovenbird * Black throated blue warbler 15 * * Black throated green warbler 15 * * From: DeGraaf et al. (1992) ESH as post fledging habitat Capture rates of mature forest nesting birds (BLBW, BTBW, BTNW, REVI, SWTH) in ESH > in mature forest during postfledging period ES birds were rarely mist netted in mature forest habitat Generalists use ES habitats also as post fledging habitat From: C. Chandler et al

8 Bat passes/detector/night Relative Bat Flight Activity Across Opening Sizes, WMNF Softwood groups (0.2 ha) mature comparisons (n = 4) Patch cuts (1.6 ha) no adjacent roads Comp. 18 (n = 2) 0 Cut Stand Forest Stand 0 Cut Stand Forest Stand Bat passes/detector/hour Patch cuts (1.6 ha) roads adjacent to cut stand Comp. 45 (n = 2) Hardwood regen (7.3 ha) mature comparisons (n = 4) 0 Cut Stand Forest Stand Treatment Type EFU LBO LCI LNO PSU MYOTIS 0 Cut Stand Forest Stand Treatment Type EFU LBO LCI LNO PSU MYOTIS Modified from: Krusic and Neefus 1996 So what s new? We re treating stands with an eye to their patchiness rather than tree by tree We re recognizing the importance of how regeneration is laid out onthe ground We re paying closer attention to habitat features in managed stands that maintain/enhance wildlife habitat diversity 8

9 Early Successional Habitat Strategies From: DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2003 So what s new? We re treating stands with an eye to their patchiness rather than tree by tree We re recognizing the importance of how regeneration is laid out onthe ground We re paying closer attention to habitat features in managed stands that maintain/enhance wildlife habitat diversity 9

10 BEF Vegetative Structure Cover type a good habitat descriptor for some species, not for others better with stand structure info For species with size class affinities, interpreting relationships needs stand structure assessment Forest bird habitat management needs the finer details of stand structure that neither cover type nor size class can provide From: DeGraaf et al. 1998; Leak et al. 1987; DeGraaf et al. 2001, 2005, 2006 Within stand features enhanced with integrated prescriptions Canopy closure Exposed perches No mgt Uneven aged mgt Even aged mgt Tree sized gaps Singletree Group/ patch Closed Partial Closed partial Thinning Shelterwood Clearcut Partial Open X X X Inclusions X X X X X X Large cavity Abundant X X X X X trees Hard mast X X NI X X NI Soft mast X X X Midstory X X NI X NI NI Shrub layer X X X Herb layer X X X CWD Abundant Minimal X X X X 10

11 Retention Areas on Larger Cuts Provides: resistant beech mast opportunities larger diameter tree diversity within cut stand over time secure groups of cavity trees (OSHA) Structure Related Within Stand Features Soft mast and herbaceous layer Regenerating shrub layer Midstory layer Upland openings Vernal pools 11

12 Tree Related Within Stand Features Exposed perches Cavity trees Hard mast inclusions From: DeGraaf et al Soft snags Den trees Millions of seeds/ha Millions of seeds/ha YB SM BE Seed fall in old growth northern hardwoods SM, YB, and BE account for 98% of seed fall On average 1/3 of the crop was available for regeneration Seed production is highly variable Wildlife consumption estimated at 2 16%; BE consumption at 8% 0 From: Graber and Leak

13 Beech seed fall in managed stands Production increases with age/size and percent of BE basal area Seed production is highly variable Filled seed averaged 74 to 88% Avian consumption ranged from 0 to 11% Rodents consumed 0 to 9% Heavy seed production occurs about 1 in 3 years From: Graber and Leak 1992; Leak and Graber 1993 Uneven aged Management Concerns Extensive landscapes managed using singletree selection only tends to limit horizontal diversity, distribution of browse and early and mid successional foraging substrates used by herbivores and insectivores alike 13

14 No Vegetation Management Approaches No vertebrate old growth obligates documented in NE to date Surveys indicate some bryophyte, mite, and ground dwelling beetle species may find such stands of interest Potential Habitats Available With Broad Management Strategies From: DeGraaf et al

15 So what s new? We re treating stands with an eye to their patchiness rather than tree by tree We re recognizing the importance of how regeneration is laid out onthe ground We re paying closer attention to habitat features in managed stands that maintain/enhance wildlife habitat diversity CWD Structural Habitat Elements Large cavity and den trees Large hollow logs Cull, slash, and brush piles 15

16 Species That Benefit from CWD Presence BEF Snag Longevity Dense Hardwoods From: Yamasaki and Leak (2006) 16

17 BEF Large snags (> 16 in dbh) BEF Evidence of Woodpecker Use 17

18 BEF CWD Piece Size Distribution midpoint diameter (in) Small Mammal CWD Test Comp Pilot study on existing BEF small mammal study CWD removed from C45 each spring Very preliminary results CWD treat Pre treat (n= 9 yr) > = < Post treat (n =3 yr) > = < NC Pieces per acre Captures/100 trap nights Average number of CWD pieces per acre pre/post treatment < 9" " " 16+" Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post C 41 C 42 C 45 COMP 41 (ADDED) COMP 42 COMP 45 (REMOVED)

19 Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Birds of NA Forest Landscape Compositions 100 Landscape Composition (%) NOGO Territories FOREST_400 CL_OTH_OPEN_ D_LAND_100 ACT_AGRI_200 OPENWATER_5 WETLAND_ALL 19

20 Goshawk Nest Territories Occur in forest dominated landscapes Often a component of managed stands Occur on lands with history of agricultural activity or prior cutting Nest Site Characteristics Often near upland openings, woods roads and trails Most often at the bottom of lower slope positions at elevations less than 1500 ft 20

21 Nest Site Characteristics Goshawks in this region use white pine stands or mixed stands of spruce/fir and hardwoods Nest Site Characteristics More sawtimber sized trees and higher softwood basal areas in nest sites compared to random sites 21

22 White Pine Nest Tree Characteristics Hardwoods 51.7 ft 43.0 ft Mean DBH = 19.5 in Mean DBH = 14.8 in BEF patches

23 BEF patches Advanced regeneration can recover from severe browsing From: Jacobs (1969) From: Trimble (1968) 23

24 Browse pressure effects Heavy browsing on BF can favor RS Can increase softwood composition on the right site Can be severe in localized areas Physical obstacles to limit browse impacts? Resist lopping all tops Consider leaving more tops on site Consider regenerating larger stands On small openings consider strategic brush fencing 24

25 New Forest Habitat Management Guide Available Habitats described at different scales Silvicultural practices described Structural habitat features presented Important habitat concepts for managers 25