Sciurid Habitat Relationships in Forests Managed Under Selection and Shelterwood Silviculture in Ontario

Holloway, Gillian L.; Malcolm, Jay R.

doi:10.2193/0022-541x(2006)70[1735:shrifm]2.0.co;2

Cited by 45 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In central Ontario, Holloway and Malcolm (2006) found that densities of large-diameter live and dead trees were important predictors of red squirrel and northern flying squirrel abundance, and that both species were less abundant in white pine stands that recently experienced a shelterwood harvest. In the boreal forest, red squirrel abundance was found to be low in harvested black spruce stands with 25% residual structure, but comparable to mature forest in stands with 50% residual structure (Lawrence 1996).…”

Section: Rodentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of partial harvesting on vertebrate species associated with late-successional forests in Ontario’s boreal region

Vanderwel¹,

Mills²,

Malcolm³

2009

The Forestry Chronicle

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In the boreal forest region, partial-harvest silviculture has been garnering increasing interest as a means of maintaining wildlife species and habitat structure associated with late-successional forests. If late-successional species can find suitable habitat in partially harvested stands with a given level of structural retention, then partial harvesting might represent a viable silvicultural tool for maintaining wildlife dependent on mature or old-forest habitat within managed stands over time. Here we summarize literature on the responses of late-successional amphibians, birds, and mammals in Ontario's boreal region to various intensities of partial harvesting. We assess species responses from comparisons of habitat use in harvested and unharvested stands; we do not explicitly consider impacts of partial harvesting applied over large areas across the landscape. At the stand scale, light-intensity harvesting (70% retention) negatively affects several passerine birds, as well as spruce grouse winter habitat, but most late-successional species (including all mammals and amphibians considered) appear to be tolerant of this level of habitat alteration. Moderate-intensity harvesting (50% retention) was found to reduce the abundance of about 40% of the species considered, particularly cavity-and snag-dependent species (martens, northern flying squirrels, owls) and passerine birds that forage or nest in the canopy and understory. Highintensity (30% retention) partial harvesting was found to provide unsuitable habitat for about one quarter of all late-successional species, including most forest raptors, pileated and black-backed woodpeckers, brown creepers, northern flying squirrels, and woodland caribou. Also, studies indicate that additional passerine bird species would decrease in abundance, as would small, moisture-dependent, terrestrial species such as short-tailed shrews, red-backed voles, and eastern red-backed salamanders. There is a need to strengthen our understanding of responses to partial harvesting for nonpasserine birds and large mammals, and to verify species responses through experimental studies within Ontario's boreal region.Key words: structural retention, selection, shelterwood, seed tree, cavities, snags, downed woody debris, habitat suitability, amphibians, birds, mammals, biodiversity, review RÉSUMÉ Dans la région de la forêt boréale, la sylviculture basée sur une récolte partielle a attiré de plus en plus d'attention en tant que moyen de préserver les espèces sauvages et la structure du milieu associé aux forêts de fin de succession. Si les espèces de fin de succession peuvent retrouver un milieu adéquat dans les peuplements ayant subi une coupe partielle qui préserve à un niveau donné la structure du milieu, alors la coupe partielle pourrait constituer un outil sylvicole viable pour la préservation de la faune dépendante d'une forêt mûre ou d'une vieille forêt retrouvée au cours du temps parmi les peuplements aménagés. Nous avons résumé dans cet article la littérature portant sur les ...

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Section: Rodentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of partial harvesting on vertebrate species associated with late-successional forests in Ontario’s boreal region

Vanderwel¹,

Mills²,

Malcolm³

2009

The Forestry Chronicle

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“…Smith 1968;C.C. Smith 1968), but are also found in conifer-hardwood mixtures and pure hardwood forests (Kemp and Keith 1970;Rusch and Reeder 1978;Holloway and Malcolm 2006). Population fluctuations of holarctic tree squirrels (Tamiasciurus and Sciurus) have been related to availability of seed crops of coniferous trees (M.C.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree squirrel abundance and demography in managed coniferous forests of British Columbia are within the range of natural fluctuations of old-growth stands

Sullivan

Ransome²,

Sullivan³

et al. 2017

Can. J. For. Res.

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Abstract:The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Exrleben) and northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus Shaw) are important mammal species in coniferous forests that are widely distributed across temperate and boreal ecological zones. Although T. hudsonicus and G. sabrinus apparently prefer late-successional forests, their population dynamics show no clear pattern in young second-growth and old-growth conifer forests. We used a compilation of study results that had standardized methodology and sampling effort to compare tree squirrel responses across a range of forest conditions. We tested the hypotheses (H) that abundance, reproduction, recruitment, and survival would be higher in (H 1 ) old-growth than second-growth stands, (H 2 ) unthinned than thinned second-growth stands, and (H 3 ) lightly than heavily thinned stands. Tree squirrel populations in old-growth stands were considered the "standard" treatment to which other treatments in second-growth stands (unthinned and variously thinned) were compared. Thinned stands were grouped into low, medium, and high densities of trees. Datasets from seven published studies included 2804 Tamiasciurus and 837 G. sabrinus individuals, 25 study years, and 158 trapping periods. Mean abundance of Tamiasciurus was similar among treatment stands, ranging from 0.62 to 1.29·ha −1 . Mean numbers of G. sabrinus were highest in old-growth stands at 0.65·ha −1 , followed by the low-and medium-density stands at 0.50·ha −1 , the high-density stands at 0.25·ha −1 , and finally the unthinned second-growth stands at a low of 0.12·ha −1 . In terms of effect size, mean proportional change in abundance, relative to that within old-growth stands, of both squirrel species in the three thinned stands were within the range of natural fluctuations in old-growth stands. Populations of Tamiasciurus in the unthinned stands were not within the range of fluctuations in the old-growth stands. Mean number of successful pregnancies and total recruits were similar among stands for Tamiasciurus, with variability in female breeding and winter survival. Mean number of recruits of G. sabrinus was highest in old-growth stands with no other differences in demographic attributes among stands. The biological significance of these differences in demographic variables was small in terms of effect sizes. Tamiasciurus and G. sabrinus seem to persist in a relatively broad range of young managed forest habitats, as well as in old-growth stands.Key words: coniferous forests, Glaucomys sabrinus, managed stands, old-growth forest, population dynamics, Tamiasciurus.Résumé : L'écureuil roux américain (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Exrleben) et le grand polatouche (Glaucomys sabrinus Shaw) sont deux espèces de mammifères d'importance dans les forêts de conifères qui couvrent une grande partie des biomes tempérés et boréaux. Mis à part le fait que T. hudsonicus et G. sabrinus semblent préférer les forêts de fin de succession, leur dynamique des populations ne montre pas de tendances nettes dans les jeunes forêts d...

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“…The northern flying squirrel and the red squirrel typically inhabit coniferous forests (Goheen and Swihart 2005;Holloway and Malcolm 2006). In this study, our sampling was limited to mature deciduous forest types.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patch occupancy by squirrels in fragmented deciduous forest: effects of behavior

Walpole

Bowman

2010

Acta Theriol

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We tested whether species-specific behavioral traits could explain patterns of habitat patch occupancy by five different squirrel species in Ontario, Canada: the northern and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volans), the North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), and the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Flying squirrel species exhibit group nesting in winter, which may put them at risk of extirpation in small patches with few individuals to contribute to group nests. Flying squirrels are also volant, potentially making non-treed matrix a barrier. Our surveys revealed that G. sabrinus was most likely to occur in large patches that were embedded in landscapes with low connectivity, and least likely to occur in small patches in highly connected landscapes. Conversely, G. volans was most likely to occur in large, well-connected patches and least likely to occur in small, unconnected patches. Patch occupancy by the cursorial squirrels was not strongly influenced by patch area or isolation. These findings reinforce previous studies suggesting that an understanding of species-specific traits such as behavior is an important consideration when interpreting habitat fragmentation effects.

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Sciurid Habitat Relationships in Forests Managed Under Selection and Shelterwood Silviculture in Ontario

Cited by 45 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of partial harvesting on vertebrate species associated with late-successional forests in Ontario’s boreal region

Effects of partial harvesting on vertebrate species associated with late-successional forests in Ontario’s boreal region

Tree squirrel abundance and demography in managed coniferous forests of British Columbia are within the range of natural fluctuations of old-growth stands

Patch occupancy by squirrels in fragmented deciduous forest: effects of behavior

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