Selection of vertebrate wildlife indicators for monitoring sustainable forest management in Ontario

Abstract

Part of a recently advocated method of sustainable forestUne partie d'une methode recemrnent recommandee touchant development employs indicator species as h e filters to assess changes le developpernent durable des for& emploie les espkes indicatrices within ecosystems and landscapes. We used a series of criteria based en tant que filtres specifiques pour evaluer les modifications on biology, sampling methods, and legal or particular status to select survenant dans les ecosystemes et les paysages. Nous avons vertebrate indicator species for the province of Ontario. The utilis6 une shie de c r i t k b&s sur la biologic, les maodes #khan-criteria for selection were applied in a hierarchical manner, with tillonnage, et le statut legal ou particulier d'une espece pour species ecology given primary importance, followed by sampling selectionner les especes vertebrees indicatrices pour la province considerations, and status criteria. The latter represented certain de I'ontario. Les criteres de selection Ont ete appliquee de facon societal weightings and political or featured management hierarchique, I'ecologie des especes ayant le premier rang, suivi species fitting the selection ,-riteria were placed in a four-dimendes considerations d'echantillonnage, et des criteres du statut. Ce sional matrix (with axes: broad habitat type, age class, trophic level, demier point representait I'importance accordee par la societe ainsi and spatial scale), and species were then chosen from among the qUe les aspects politiques ou d'amenagement mis en valeur. Les matrix cells. The exercise reduced the total vertebrate species in especes correspondantes aux criteres de selection ont ete placees two forest biomes (Boreal and Great-Lakes St. Lawrence) to a reldans IJne matrice a quatre dimensions (avec les axes : type ative few, from which the final choices were made primarily based general d'habitat, classe d'bge, niveau trophique, et echelle spaon expert opinion. In Ontario, the species selected as indicators tiale), et les especes fbrent par la suite selectionnees a partir des cellules de la matrice. L'exercice a reduit le nombre total of biological diversity will be used to test the underlying generd,especes vertebrees en fonction de deux biomes forestiers that forest management has no effect On 'pecies richboreale et des Lacs-St-Laurent) a quelques espkes seuleness and species abundance, or the distribution of species in time merit, a partir desquelles une selection finale a realisee prinand space. cipalement selon I'opinion d ' e x w . En Ontario, les espkes retenues cornme indicatrices de la diversite biologique seront utilisees pour evaluer I'hypothk g h M e sous-jacente que I'amhagement forestier n'a aucun effet sur la richesse et I'abondance des especes, ou sur la distribution des especes dans le temps et I'espace.

Examining the Specifics approach to identifying indicators of sustainable natural resource management in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia

“…Prairie and cerulean warblers, however, are associated with wooded areas, and they may be reasonable indicators of early and later successional forests, respectively. Neither of these warbler species, however, were identified by broader-scale experts (McLaren et al 1998), likely because both are at the northern edge of their breeding range (Robbins et al 1966). More southerly populations (in the United States) seem to be doing fine.…”

“…More southerly populations (in the United States) seem to be doing fine. Although McLaren et al (1998) justified their choices and reasons for not including VTEs in their final list, most of the vertebrate wildlife indicators they suggested are relatively common and are unlikely to be good indicators. For instance, their masked shrew (an indicator of polewood mixedwood stands) is more correctly called the common shrew because it is so ubiquitous .…”

Synthesis of Silviculture Options, Costs, and Consequences of Alternative Vegetation Management Practices Relevant to Boreal and Temperate Conifer Forests: Introduction

“…Zimmerman et al (2011) recommend that songbird monitoring studies continue beyond the expected turnover time (i.e., the life expectancy of the resident population of songbirds at the time the treatment was applied) of the study populations. McLaren et al (1998) suggested a list of possible wildlife indicator species for monitoring the effects of forest management in boreal Ontario. These included the masked shrew (Sores cinereus Kerr), rock vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus Mill.…”

Development of integrated ecological standards of sustainable forest management at an operational scale

“…In Ontario, a list of indicator species to be used in the evaluation of forest operations has been developed (McLaren et al 1998). Although the formulation of criteria for selecting species is clear, rigorous and leads to an exhaustive list of indicators for Ontario's forests ecosystems, the operational feasibility of setting monitoring programs for each indicator at the scale of an FMU can be questioned.…”