Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Restoration Integration with Landscape-scale Dry Forest Restoration

Transcription

1 Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Restoration Integration with Landscape-scale Dry Forest Restoration Bill Gaines Washington Conservation Science Institute

2 Acknowledgments

3 Overview Challenges in Dry Forests An Integrated Approach Collaboration Focused on Restoring Dry Forest Resiliency

4 Challenges Habitat Conservation and Large Scale Disturbances Climate Change Shifts in species distribution connectivity Interactions with disturbances 2-3 X area burned by 2040s (Littell et al. 2009) Declining Populations and Habitat for Key Focal Species NSO Monitor Fecundity Survival Pop. Trend Wa E Cascades Decline Decline Decline Or S Cascades Decline Decline Stationary

5 Key Focal Species Habitats Area Northern Spotted Owl Habitat a White-Headed Woodpecker Habitat b NRF Habitat Core NRF Source Habitat Habitat Trend Washington East Cascades Oregon East Cascades -4.5% -6.9% % Strongly Decreasing -6.5% -6.8% Decreasing A based on 15 year NWFP Monitoring report (Davis and Dugger 2011) B - based on Source Habitats (Wisdom et al. 2000)

6 Focus On Restoration, Resiliency, Collaboration The Vision: restore dry forest landscape resiliency The Goal: significantly increase (double) restoration footprint Approach for Wildlife Habitat Restoration: Focal Wildlife Species and Habitats Landscape Evaluation Reference Conditions Landscapes and Patches Road Networks Integration

7 Focal Wildlife Species and Habitats Region 6 Focal Species Assessment Process Forest Plan Revisions in eastern Oregon and Washington Linked to Forest Restoration Strategy The Process Identification of Species of Conservation Concern (209 species) Description of Source Habitats Other Important Ecological Factors (Risk Factors) Grouping Species (10 habitat families, 28 habitat groups) Selection of Focal Species (52 Focal species) Focal Species Assessment Models Source habitats, risk factors Watershed based

8 Focal Species and Habitats in Dry Forests Closed Canopy/Multi-Layered Structure Northern Spotted Owl NRF Northern Goshawk Nesting Old Forest MultiStory Open Canopy/Single Layer Structure White-headed Woodpecker Old Forest Single Story

9 Provincial Assessment of Spotted Owl Habitat Suitability and Fuels Treatment Priority Spotted Owl Habitat Suitability Fuels Treatment Priority High Moderate Low High 15% 19% 4% Moderate 8% 10% 2% Low 15% 20% 6%

10 Landscape Evaluation landscape evaluations concerned with the restoration of ecosystems might be based on a set of ecological indicator measures (focal species and habitats) against reference conditions for those same indicators (Reynolds and Hessburg 2005)

11 Reference Conditions Objective Measure of Habitat Conditions Changes Over Time Historical Range of Variation Future Range of Variation Habitat Amount and Configuration (Connectivity) Percent landscape Aggregation Index Patch Density Largest Patch Index

12 Landscapes and Patches Current Conditions compared to Reference Conditions Departure in amount and configuration Priorities for restoration treatments Priority habitat for conservation Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Manage towards the upper end of the range of variation Treat only when Landscape Evaluation (see integration) shows strategic location to reduce landscape fire risk Future habitat medium and large trees Where treatments occur see Patch Level

13 Restoration Treatments Patch Level Retain old trees and large snags Restore large tree habitat Stand reconstructions Forest type Spatial Pattern Clumps Gaps Complex Patches Consistent with understanding of focal species habitats needs Treatment Monitoring (FFS)

14 Restoration Treatments and Birds Response Variables Abundance/Density Foraging Behavior/Habitat Nest Habitat and Survival Key Findings Retention of large trees Spatial variability Neutral to Positive Responses Community Focal Species

15 Aquatic Road Network Evaluation Hydrologic Connectivity Fish Distribution Slope/soil Stability Stream Channel Confinement Wildlife Habitat effectiveness Habitat connectivity Social/Economic Roads needed for management, recreation, etc. What is affordable? Priorities for Restoration Appropriate tools

16 Integration Ecosystem Management Decision Support Synthesis of large amounts of diverse information Reference Conditions (natural and future) are easily evaluated and linked to GIS Transparent and repeatable Core variables (indicators); other variables can be added that are unique to a landscape Evaluation of treatment options and alternative landscapes

17 Integration Wildlife Priorities

18 Restoration and Collaboration A Whole-Landscape Approach. Some key reasons: Large-scale high intensity disturbances have resulted in significant loss of habitat and connectivity in some parts of the NWFP habitat Reserve network, and climate change is likely to exacerbate this. Barred owls have displaced spotted owls into drier parts of the forest outside of reserves (approx. 75% overlap in preferred habitats). Continued decline of the NSO has resulted in increased conservation value of NSO habitat in the Matrix. Continued decline of the NSO has resulted in increased conservation value of NSO sites that occur in the Matrix (45% in Matrix on OWNF). Substantial increase in the Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat network further challenging Matrix Desired Conditions. Restoration principles are less consistent with Matrix Desired Conditions. Source habitats for some old forest associated focal species are poorly represented in Reserves (e.g. WHWO <5% of source habitat in Reserve). Evaluation of this Approach compared to Reserve Networks

19 Questions/Comments

20 Key References Franklin et al The case for active management of dry forest types in eastern Washington. Washington Dept. Nat. Res., Olympia, WA. Gaines et al Short-term effects of thinning and burning restoration treatments on avian community composition, density, and nest survival in the eastern Cascades dry forests, Washington. Forest Science 56: Gaines et al Integration of northern spotted owl habitat and fuels treatments in the eastern Cascades, Washington. Forest Ecology and Management 260: Harrod et al Historical stand reconstruction in ponderosa pine forests to guide silvicultural prescriptions. Forest Ecology and Management 114: Harrod et al Thinning and prescribed fire effects on overstory tree and snag structure in dry coniferous forest on the interior Pacific Northwest. Forest Ecology and Management 258: Hessburg et al. In review. Landscape evaluation for restoration planning on the Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest. Sustainabililty. Hessburg et al Dry forests and wildland fires of the inland Northwest: constrasting landscape ecology of the pre-settlement and modern eras. Forest Ecology and Management 211: Hollenbeck et al Habitat suitability and nest survival of white-headed woodpeckers in unburned forests of Oregon. Journal of Wildlife Management 75: Singleton et al Barred owl space use and habitat selection in the eastern Cascades. Journal of Wildlife Management 74: Suring et al Maintaining populations of terrestrial wildlife through land management planning: a case study. Journal of Wildlife Management 75: