Are forest remnants in managed landscapes of the Eastern Canadian boreal forest suitable breeding habitats for cavity nesting birds?

Transcription

1 Are forest remnants in managed landscapes of the Eastern Canadian boreal forest suitable breeding habitats for cavity nesting birds? Ugo Ouellet-Lapointe 1, Pierre Drapeau 1* et Brian Harvey 2 Université du Québec à Montréal 1, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue 2 Centre d étude des forêts, Chaire industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQAM en aménagement forestier durable International Symposium on Deadwood 2011 Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada, May 15-19

2 Area harvested vs. area burned between Regenerating landscapes (wildfire): ha Regenerating landscapes (harvesting): ha Drapeau, Leduc and Bergeron Setting Conservation targets in managed forest landscapes. Villard and Gunnar Jonsson (editors), Cambridge University Press.

3 Riparian buffers (20 m) Remnant patches (4-10 ha) Cutblock separators ( m)

4 Remnant forests.. Do they offer adequate conditions (composition and structure of deadwood) for occupancy by old forest species (deadwood associates)?

5 Study site Remnant forests Managed landscapes Amos-Matagami Study Area km 2 85% harvested

6 Four Habitat types Remnant patches Riparian buffers (20m) Cutblock separators (60-100m) Unharvested large forest tracks (controls)

7 7 species known to use old forests (cavity nesters, dead wood associates, residents, closed canopy users). Tree-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Boreal Chickadee Brown Creeper Winter Wren Red-breasted Nuthatch Golden-crowned Kinglet

8 abitat Loss and Fragmentation Responses Mean number of individuals/station 1,2 1 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 = Unharvested landscape (65% Mature Forest) Highly fragmented landscape (<15% Mature Forest) N = 166 = = GCKI BRCR RBNU WIWR BOCH TTWO BBWO

9 Remnant forests.. Do they offer adequate conditions (composition and structure of deadwood) for occupancy by old forest species (deadwood associates)? YES and NO...

10 Remnant forests.. Can they provide breeding habitats for old forest species, particularly cavity nesters?

11 Deadwood and cavity users

12 Primary excavators Secondary Cavity Nesters Downy Woodpecker Pic mineur Weak excavators Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pic maculé Pileated Woodpecker Grand Pic Northen Saw- Whet Owl Petite Nyctale American Kestrel Crécerelle d Amérique lack-capped Chickadee Mésange à tête noire Red-breasted Nuthatch Sittelle à poitrine rousse Common Goldeneye Garrot à œil d or Northen Flying Squirrel Grand Polatouche

13 Research Objective Evaluate if linear remnants in landscapes dominated by clear cut agglomerations provide nesting habitat for woodpeckers.. Pierre Drapeau

14 Are linear remnant forests quality nesting habitats? Even-aged forest management with short rotations Reduction in nesting and foraging substrates for woodpeckers Decrease in habitat quality (predation risk food resources) Effects on Occupancy and Breeding Activity

15 Predictions: 1) Nest density : 2) Nest success: 3) Nest productivity:

16 Study Area Mature forest (+ 50 yrs, > 12 m) Other 76% mature forest 38% mature forest

17 Study area Continuous unmanaged forest (CUF) ha 76% forêts matures 41% mixtes ou feuillus 5 Linear remnant habitats (LRH) - 20 ha 38% 7 forêts matures 21% mixtes ou feuillus

18 Are linear remnant forests quality habitats for nesting? 1. Woodpecker nest densities Variables that influence nest densities (General linear model, Poisson distribution) Model n Explanatory variables Nest densities Variable Relation ship Probability 30 Landscape Aspen /ha Nest /ha 2 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 RLH Landscape CUF Mean nest densities for pooled Woodpecker species for Tree /ha Snag /ha Live tree /ha Mean DBH Mean nest densities for SPECIES RLH CUF Probability NOFL YBSA PIMI

19 Are linear remnant forests quality habitats for nesting? 2. Comparisons of Woodpecker s nesting success ,8 Success Rate 0,6 0, ,2 0 YBSA HAWO DOWO NOFL Linear remnant habitat Continuous unmanaged forest

20 Are linear remnant forests quality habitats for nesting? 3. Comparisons of Woodpeckers nest productivity 4 Mean nb. of fledglings per nest 3,5 3 2,5 2 1,5 1 0, YBSA HAWO DOWO NOFL Linear remnant habitat Continuous unmanaged forest

21 Conclusions Are linear remnant forests quality habitats for nestings? 1) Nest densities : 2) Nest success: 3) Nest productivity:

22 Remnant forests.. Can they provide breeding habitats for old forest species, particularly cavity nesters? YES..

23 Acknowledgements: Field assistance Réjean Deschênes Philippe Cadieux Simon Bédard Stéphanie Morin Rachel Brien-Lavergne Carl Paquin Julien Arsenault-Hétu Brenda Salmon Rivera Elizabeth Turcotte Logistical support Sonia Légaré Claude-Michel Bouchard Louis Imbeau Tyler Rudolph Antoine Nappi Michel St-Germain Virginie Angers Daniel Lapointe Financial support - Forêt d'enseignement et de recherche du lac Duparquet - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - NSERC - Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies, FQRNT-Programme Équipe