Much of the southern boreal forest is composed of second-growth stands that have been subjected to a variety of silvicultural treatments ranging from cut and leave to scarification, planting, and tending with herbicides. We have limited understanding of the effects that these treatments may have on wildlife species, as a result of changes to forest structures and species composition. Forest amphibians, generally, and the American marten (Martes americana) are species for which there has been long-standing concern about the effects of forest management. We examined the long-term effects at stand and landscape scales of a range of silviculture intensities on these species by comparing the relative abundances of some amphibians and habitat use by marten in forests that were about 32 to 50 years old. American toads (Bufo americanus) appeared to be unaffected by long-term changes in habitat structure and composition owing to silvicultural techniques. We observed lower relative abundance of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in treated stands 20 to 30 years old than in all other stands including uncut old forests. However, abundance in treated stands more than 32 years old did not differ from untreated or uncut stands. This effect may have resulted from lower moisture levels in treated young stands. Marten seemed to positively respond to post-harvest planting and tending treatments, suggesting that basic silviculture provided habitat attributes, notably a higher conifer content, which was favourable to marten.Key words: post-harvest silviculture, marten, wood frog, American toad, herbicide, boreal, woody debris, Ontario
RĂSUMĂLa majeure partie du sud de la forĂȘt borĂ©ale est composĂ©e de peuplements de seconde venue qui ont connu plusieurs traitements sylvicoles allant de la coupe Ă blanc au scarifiage, suivi de plantation et entretien au moyen d'herbicides. Nous comprenons en partie les effets que ces traitements pourraient entraĂźner sur les espĂšces fauniques, suite Ă des modifications de la structure et de la composition des peuplements. Les amphibiens du milieu forestier, de façon gĂ©nĂ©rale, et la martre d' AmĂ©rique (Martes americana) constituent des espĂšces pour lesquelles des Ă©tudes ont Ă©tĂ© entreprises depuis longtemps sur les effets de l'amĂ©nagement forestier. Nous avons Ă©tudiĂ© les effets Ă long terme au niveau du peuplement et de l' Ă©cosystĂšme de l'intensitĂ© des travaux sylvicoles sur ces espĂšces en comparant l'abondance relative de certains amphibiens et de l'habitat utilisĂ© par la martre dans des peuplements ĂągĂ©s de 32 Ă 50 ans. Le crapaud d' AmĂ©rique (Bufo americanus) a semblĂ© ne pas ĂȘtre affectĂ© par les changements Ă long terme de la structure et de la composition de l'habitat suite aux travaux sylvicoles. Nous avons observĂ© une abondance relative plus faible chez la grenouille des bois dans les peuplements traitĂ©s de 20 Ă 30 ans par rapport aux autres peuplements incluant les vieilles forĂȘts non exploitĂ©es. Cependant, l'abondance dans les peuplements de plus de 32 ans n' Ă©tait pas diffĂ©rente de celle des peu...