Caribou in the cross-fire? Considering terrestrial lichen forage in the face of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) expansion

Nobert, Barry R.; Larsen, Terrence A.; Pigeon, Karine E.; Finnegan, Laura

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232248

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 91 publications

(107 reference statements)

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“…In addition to quantifying levels of fire and harvesting, our study also quantified levels of NSR, an important variable when assessing habitat change for woodland caribou in BC, due to the large outbreak of mountain pine beetle which has occurred in the province 54 , 79 . While direct negative impacts of beetle attack and NSR on caribou habitat seem to be limited, the full ramifications of this outbreak on woodland caribou in BC are not fully understood 80 , 81 . This mountain pine beetle outbreak altered fire regimes 57 , 82 , as well as increased salvage logging 78 , which can negatively affect caribou, and further study on these impacts is required.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia

Maltman,

Coops,

Rickbeil

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Habitat disturbance is a major driver of the decline of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada. Different disturbance agents and regimes negatively impact caribou populations to different degrees. It is therefore critical that land managers and scientists studying caribou have a detailed understanding of the disturbance regimes affecting caribou habitat. In this work we use recent advances in satellite-based disturbance detection to quantify polygonal forest disturbance regimes affecting caribou ecotypes and herds in British Columbia (BC) from 1985 to 2019. Additionally, we utilize this data to investigate harvesting rates since the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and publication of recovery strategies for caribou in BC. Southern Mountain caribou herds are the most threatened yet experienced the highest rates of disturbance, with 22.75% of forested habitat within their ranges disturbed during the study period. Over the study period, we found that in total, 16.4% of forested area was disturbed across all caribou herd ranges. Our findings indicate that caribou in BC face high, and in many cases increasing, levels of habitat disturbance. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the polygonal disturbance regimes affecting caribou in BC at the herd scale, and highlight the need for effective implementation of policies aimed at preserving caribou habitat.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia

Maltman,

Coops,

Rickbeil

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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“…All stand types in all ecoprovinces showed increasing probability of lichen presence through time, with NT PS having the lowest probabilities of lichen presence in all stand types. Canopy closure or height and stand age are important drivers of lichen presence (Russell and Johnson 2019, Silva et al 2019, Nobert et al 2020). In addition to having increased time for recovery, older stands tend to have more open canopies and thus higher light availability, creating better conditions for lichen establishment and growth (Boudreault et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, the observational data are subject to zero inflation. Few lichen ecology studies have quantitatively modeled lichen biomass recovery accounting for lichen abundance and probability of presence (Keim et al 2017, Silva et al 2019, Nobert et al 2020Fig. 1; Appendix S1: Table S2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, there has been increasing concern regarding the impact of fire on lichen availability (Beaulieu 2012, Joly et al 2012, Mallory and Boyce 2017) and therefore on the viability of caribou populations. Many lichen species take decades to recover substantial cover and height after severe disturbances such as wildfire (Coxson and Marsh 2001, Jandt et al 2008, Russell and Johnson 2019, Nobert et al 2020). However, fire regimes (Boulanger et al 2013) and lichen growth rates (Pegau 1968, Helle et al 1983, Abdulmanova and Ektova 2015) vary across regions, depending on climate, landform, and vegetation, which may cause geographic differences in lichen availability and its susceptibility to climate warming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predicting patterns of terrestrial lichen biomass recovery following boreal wildfires

et al. 2021

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Increased fire activity due to climate change may impact the successional dynamics of boreal forests, with important consequences for caribou habitat. Early successional forests have been shown to support lower quantities of caribou forage lichens, but geographic variation in, and controls on, the rates of lichen recovery has been largely unexplored. In this study, we sampled across a broad region in northwestern Canada to compare lichen biomass accumulation in ecoprovinces, including the Saskatchewan Boreal Shield, the Northwest Territories Taiga Shield, and Northwest Territories Taiga Plains, divided into North and South. We focused on the most valuable Cladonia species for boreal and barren‐ground caribou: Cladonia mitis and C. arbuscula, C. rangiferina and C. stygia, and C. stellaris and C. uncialis. We developed new allometric equations to estimate lichen biomass from field measurements of lichen cover and height; allometries were consistent among ecoprovinces, suggesting generalizability. We then used estimates of lichen biomass to quantify patterns of lichen recovery in different stand types, ecoprovinces, and with time following stand‐replacing fire. We used a hurdle model to account both for the heterogeneous nature of lichen presence (zero inflation) and for the range of abundance in stands where lichen was present. The first component of the hurdle model, a generalized linear model, identified stand age, stand type, and ecoprovince as significant predictors of lichen presence. With a logistic growth model, a measure of lichen recovery (time to 50% asymptotic value) varied from 28 to 73 yr, dependent on stand type and ecoprovince. The combined predictions of the hurdle model suggest the most rapid recovery of lichen biomass across our study region occurred in jack pine in the Boreal Shield (30 yr), while stands located in the Taiga Plains (North and South) required a longer recovery period (approximately 75 yr). These results provide a basis for estimating future caribou habitat that encompasses some of the large variation in fire effects on lichen abundance and vegetation types across the range of boreal and barren‐ground caribou in North America.

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Cut vs. fire: a comparative study of the temporal effects of timber harvest and wildfire on ecological indicators of the boreal forest

Best,

Brown,

Elkin

et al. 2024

Landsc Ecol

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Context Large-scale natural disturbances are crucial drivers of ecosystem function and composition for many forested ecosystems. In the last century, the prevalence of anthropogenic disturbances has increased across Canada’s boreal forest. Habitat disturbance from timber harvest and wildfire is linked to declines of boreal species, including woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Objectives We tested how disturbances influenced the recovery trajectory of ecological indicators of timber, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat through time following timber harvest and wildfire across the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Methods During 2021 and 2022, we collected field data from 251 timber harvested and 264 burned stands (0–40 years since disturbance), as well as 256 older forest stands used by caribou (> 40 years since disturbance). Field data included metrics of stand attributes (e.g., basal area, stems per hectare), coarse woody debris (CWD), and abundance of forage for caribou, moose (Alces americanus), and bears (black bear: Ursus americanus, grizzly bear: Ursus arctos). Results Basal area of trees and stems per hectare recovered more quickly in timber harvest sites when compared to wildfire sites, but as time since disturbance increased there were no differences in these attributes among timber harvest, wildfire, and caribou use sites. CWD was greatest in recently burned sites, but declined over time to be similar in quantity as in harvested stands and older forest stands. Terrestrial lichens, important forage for caribou, were most abundant in the older caribou use sites, whereas forage for moose and bears, including shrubs, was most abundant in younger timber harvest and wildfire sites. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that timber harvesting may result in a quicker development of timber volume when compared to wildfire. However, this anthropogenic disturbance is less advantageous for the development of caribou habitat.

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Caribou in the cross-fire? Considering terrestrial lichen forage in the face of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) expansion

Cited by 7 publications

References 91 publications

Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia

Quantifying forest disturbance regimes within caribou (Rangifer tarandus) range in British Columbia

Predicting patterns of terrestrial lichen biomass recovery following boreal wildfires

Cut vs. fire: a comparative study of the temporal effects of timber harvest and wildfire on ecological indicators of the boreal forest

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