Small Mammal Module Objective: determine small mammal responses to forest management practices, at local and landscape scales Responses: demography, habitat associations, spatial distribution Components -Long term grids: 21 21 grids, grids, 44 forest forest types types mammals, mammals, vegetation, vegetation, cone cone production production (in (in progress) progress) -Terrestrial bird transects: 68 68 transects transects (in (in progress) progress) -Focal species: radiotelemetry Dusky-footed Dusky-footed woodrats woodrats (completed) (completed) Northern Northern flying flying squirrels squirrels (nearing (nearing completion) completion) Small Mammal Module 1.6 northern flying squirrel dusky footed woodrat 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 2003 2004 2005 2006 Year 2007 2008 Small Mammal Module Overall Year Trends 25 Chipmunks Mice 20 15 10 5 0 Small Mammal Module Mice 80 mean conifer cone abundance annual snow fall mean mouse abundance 60 40 20 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 Year 2007 2008 Small Mammal Module Dusky-Footed Woodrat 4.0 3.5 Experimental Control All Control Group Select Heavy Thin Light Thin Treatment Mean Abundance 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 2005 2006 2007 Year 2008 Small Mammal Module Northern Flying Squirrels 3.5 Experimental Control All Control Group Select Heavy Thin Light Thin 3.0 Mean Abundance 2.5 Treatment 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 2005 2006 2007 Year 2008 Small Mammal Module Mice 25 Experimental Controls All Controls Group Select Heavy Thin Light Thin Mean Abundance 20 Treatment 15 10 5 0 2005 2006 2007 Year 2008 Northern Flying Squirrel and Forest Management • • • Home Range Habitat Assessment Den Trees © Sean Bogle Authors: Jaya Smith, *Doug Kelt, *Dirk Van Vuren, *Michael Johnson * Co-Principle Invetigators on the Plumas Lassen Administrative Study Small Mammal Module Why Flying Squirrels? • Implications for logging: – Keystone Species – Prey of Spotted Owl – Managers interested in flying squirrel use of forest Home Range • Useful tool that allows managers to determine how much contiguous area an animal needs to survive • Index of habitat quality Methods … and Radiotracking! Trapping Collaring Telemetry/Home Range Analysis Concurrent Triangulation Home Range Estimates Modified from James Wilson Locations • Achieved from triangulation • Best estimate for where the animal is located • Allows generation of home ranges Home Range • Helps forest managers make decisions: – How much area is needed? – What habitat types are in the home range? Home Range Area (Fixed Kernel) • Area = 27.2 ± 3.7 Acres Comparison Across Studies 120 120 Northern California 100 100 Acres Acres 80 80 Oregon 60 60 40 40 20 20 00 -- Male Male Female Female Male Male Female Female Witt Witt 1992 1992 Martin Martin and and Anthony Anthony Wilson Wilson et et al. al. 2008 2008 1999 1999 Study Study Male Male Female Female This This paper paper Overlay Habitat Map with Home Range and Points + = Habitat Map • Modeled using California Fish and Game’s Wildlife Habitat Relations (WHR) model from Vestra habitat layer for Plumas National Forest • Categories in our area included: – Riparian – Sierra mixed conifer (small, medium and large) – Monocultures – Wet meadows – Barren areas – Chaparral – Bodies of water Habitat Preferences • Conduct Habitat Assessment on two scales: – 1-Across the forest (Broad) – 2-Within the home range itself (Narrow) • Compare Available habitat with Used habitat Habitat Preferences • Two most important habitat types: – Broad-Scale Importance: 1. Large Sierra mixed conifer 2. Medium Sierra mixed conifer. – Fine-Scale Importance: 1. Large Sierra mixed conifer 2. Medium Sierra mixed conifer Habitat Preferences • Take-home message: – Northern flying squirrels prefer mature forests over forests with small immature trees relative to abundance in Plumas National Forest. X • Den Tree; Methods – Telemetry/Homing Telemetry/ Homing Den Trees Used 92 Flying Squirrel Dens Measured Black Oak White Fir Ponderosa Pine Lodgepole Pine Douglas Red Fir Fir Jeffrey Pine Bigleaf Maple Incense Cedar Use Availability Use Versus Availability 0.4 0.4 Y Data Data Y 0.3 0.3 Available Available Used Used 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 White White Fir Fir Douglas Douglas Fir Fir Black Black Oak Oak Red Red Fir Fir X X Data Data 92 Used den trees 4,188 Available trees measured!! Tree Size • Two Categories Based on Forestry Practices – Hardwoods (Oak, Maple, Dogwood) – Conifers (Pine, Fir, Cedar) Hardwoods Use Versus Availability of Hardwoods Proportion Used 0.4 Availability Use 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 5 4 10 15 6 20 8 25 30 35 40 45 50 20 10 12 14 16 18 Tree Size (cm) (Inches) 55 22 60 Hardwoods Use Versus Availability of Hardwoods Proportion Used 0.4 Availability Use 0.3 Small Large 0.2 0.1 0.0 5 4 10 15 6 20 8 25 30 35 40 45 50 20 10 12 14 16 18 Tree Size (cm) (Inches) 55 22 60 Conifers Use Versus Availability of Conifers 0.5 Proportion 0.4 Available Use 0.2 0.1 0.0 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 60 8 12 4 20 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 150 10 Tree Size (cm) (Inches) e rg La be tim aw r lS al be Sm tim le ngs Po pli Sa Conifers Use Versus Availability of Conifers w Sa be tim r 0.5 r Proportion 0.4 Available Use 0.2 0.1 0.0 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 60 8 12 4 20 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 150 10 Tree Size (cm) (Inches) Den Trees; Use vs Availability • Den Tree Ranking (most to least important): 1. 2. 3. Large hardwood (≥13 inch dbh) Large sawtimber (Conifer ≥21 inch dbh) Small hardwood (4-13 inch dbh) 4. Small sawtimber (Conifer 11-21inch dbh) 5. Poletimber (Conifer 3-11 inch dbh) 6. Sapling (Conifer and hardwood 0-3 inch dbh) Summary • Northern Flying Squirrel: – Home range = 27.2 ± 3.7 Acres – Preferred habitat types are large and medium Sierra Mixed Conifer – Preferred den trees are large hardwoods and conifers, and small hardwoods Informed Forest Stewardship