Management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the southwestern United States

Abstract

This file was created by scanning the printed publication.Errors identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain.Reynolds, Richard T.; Graham, Russell T.; Reiser, M. Hildegard; and others. 1992. Management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the southwestern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-217, Ft. Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 90 p.Present forest conditions -loss of a herbaceous and shrubby understory, reductions in the amount of older forests, and increased areas of dense tree regeneration -reflect the extent of human influence on these forests. These changes may also be affecting goshawk populations. Information on goshawk nesting habitat and foraging behavior, and the food and habitats of selected goshawk prey, was therefore synthesized to develop a set of management objectives, desired forest conditions, and management recommendations. Key objectives of the guidelines are to provide (1) nesting, post-fledging, and foraging areas for goshawks, and (2) habitat to support abundant populations of 14 primary goshawk prey. Thinning trees in the understory, creating small openings in the forest, and prescribed fires should help produce and maintain the desired forest conditions. Other habitat elements critical for maintaining both goshawk and prey populations include abundant snags and large downed logs, woody debris, interspersion of different tree sizes across the landscape, and the majority of a goshawk's home range in older-aged forests. These guidelines should also benefit forest health, soil productivity, and the habitats of other old-growthdependent plants and animals. Management Recommendations for the Northern Goshawk in the Southwestern Executive SummaryThe northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus) (hereafter called the "goshawk") is the largest North American member of the genus Accipiter, which includes both the sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) and the Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii). It breeds in coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests throughout much of North America.The goshawk is a: forest habitat generalist that uses a variety of forest types, forest ages, structural conditions, and successional stages. It preys on small-to medium-sized birds and mammals (robins and chipmunks to grouse and hares), which it captures on the ground, in trees, or in the air. A single goshawk rna y consume one-to-two prey per day.The principal forest types occupied by the goshawk in the Southwest are ponderosa pine, mixed-species, and spruce-fir. There is a concern that populations and reproduction of the goshawk are declining in these forests and elsewhere in the western United States. These declines may be associated with forest changes caused by timber harvesting. However, fire suppression, livestock grazing, drought, and toxic chemicals may be involved. Because of the concerns over the effects of timber harvesting, the goshawk was listed as a "sensitive species" by the ...

Assessing the cumulative effects of linear recreation routes on wildlife habitats on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests.

“…They reported that juveniles and adults were unlikely to flush at distances ≥12 m and ≥24 m from hikers, respectively. Finally, although not a study of 1998, Grubb et al 1998, Hamann et al 1999, Jones 1979, Reynolds et al 1992. b Sources: Delaney et al 1999, Swarthout and Steidl 2001, USDA FS 1997, Wasser et al 1997.…”

“…Some types of human disturbances to goshawk nests have been a suspected cause of nest abandonment (Reynolds et al 1992). In addition, roads and trails may facilitate access for falconers to remove young from nests (Erdman et al 1998).…”

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“…Area of the nest stand was determined to reflect conditions at a larger spatial scale (cf. goshawk's nest area; REYNOLDS et al, 1992), and at the same time to generate enough variation between the nests; analyses on a larger scale would yield only a little difference between sites due to the heterogeneous character of the NF.…”

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“…WD, particularly coarse woody debris (CWD), has been shown to be an important structural and functional element in many forested ecosystems (Lambert et al, 1980;Sollins, 1982;Harmon et al, 1986;Spies et al, 1988). It provides a key habitat component (especially large logs) for many forms of wildlife (Reynolds et al 1992). Studies by Harvey et al (1981) and Harvey et al (1987) showed that organic materials, especially humus and buried residue in the advanced stage of decay, are excellent sites for the formation of ectomycorrhizal root tips.…”