Effects of Forest Management on
Wildlife Use of Early Seral
Habitats
Joan Hagar
USGS-FRESC
Early Seral = Seedling Conifers?
Following Natural
Disturbance ...
• Structure
– Legacy trees and
snags
– Open (low tree
density)
– Large wood
• Composition
– Herbs and Grasses
– Shrubs
– Hardwoods
Bob Altman
Residual
trees and
snags
D. Vesely
Matt Lee
Bob Altman
Early Seral Habitat
for Reptiles
•Basking
•Prey
D. Vesely
Dead Wood as Refugia
D. Vesely
Food Resources
•
•
•
•
Foliage
Nectar
Fruits
Seeds
Matt Lee
Matt Lee
Arthropods
• Insect diversity
correlated with
plant diversity
• Deciduous species
support more
insects
• Influence of
deciduous litter on
soil food webs?
Peter LaTourrette
Matt Lee
Consequences of reduced temporal
span of early seral habitats
• Limit on shrub size
and age
• Shortens duration of
shrubby habitat
• Reduced persistence
of shrubs into midaged forests
Effects of Conifer-centric Forest
Management on Early Seral Habitat
• Fewer residual structures
• Altered vegetation
composition
– Alters patterns of food
abundance
– Reduces diversity of food
resources
– Alters food webs
• Reduced temporal span
30 Year Trend for Swainson’s Thrush from
Tillamook S.F. BBS Route
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004
Vertical Diversity?