Transcript Objectives of Habitat Improvements

Managing for wildlife on private
forests in Washington
Presented as part of the Coached Forest Management Planning
course for WSU extension and WA- DNR
Presenters:
Jim Bottorff, Stewardship biologist,
Washington Dept. of Natural Resources
Janean Creighton, Wildlife extension coordinator,
Washington State University Extension
Habitat is the “key” to wildlife?
Habitat is only part of the story
Habitat is 1 of 3 keys to wildlife:
Life History
Population
Structure
Habitat &
Environment
Wildlife “Management”
Direct: Removal; either relocation or lethal
Indirect: Control of resource availability
What do wildlife want?
•Acquisition of resources
• Reproduction
Habitat
Characteristics
Plant succession/Edge
Limiting factors:
food, water, cover, space
Vegetative diversity
Stand and landscape
scales
Level of disturbance
Considerations at the Landscape Scale
200
0
Time in years
Horizontal
Diversity:
Succession
Primary succession
Secondary Succession
After a forest fire
After a volcanic eruption
Horizontal diversity
Vertical diversity
The thing about succession is….
“Whenever you alter the
environment to benefit one
species you will impact
another.”
Edge Effect
Induced
Inherent
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Landscape Fragmentation
Red fox
Rodents
Wildlife responses


Brown-headed
cowbird
Ravens/crows

increased diversity
attracts edge dwelling
species
Increased predation?
Cougar
Elk/deer
Kestrel
Lynx
Fisher
Wildlife responses


Decreases in interior forest
habitat
impacts edge-sensitive
species
Boreal owl
Northern goshawk
American (Pine) martin
Hermit thrush
Limiting Factors
Food
Cover
Water
Space
All an animal needs is…
a space of one’s own
-Juvenile dispersal
-Seeking mating opportunities
-Seasonal movements
How much space does an animal need?
Which patch has a potentially viable
population?
Forest management
approaches to improve wildlife
habitat
General Habitat Requirements for
Wildlife
 Food and water
 Areas to breed and rear young
 Areas to hide and rest
 Areas to escape adverse weather
 Areas for travel
Species of cavity users:
39 birds
+ 23 mammals
62
Excavators:
Occupy existing cavities:
16 birds
+ 0 mammals
16
30 birds
+ 23 mammals
53
What do wildlife want?
•Acquisition of resources
• Reproduction
What do we want ?
•Continued use of natural resources
•Clean water and air
•High quality of life
Are they compatible?
Guidelines for landowners
1. Define objectives:
 Human:
harvest value, stand improvement,
visual enhancement, fire prevention
 Wildlife: diversity, game species

Wildlife outcome depends on patch size, site
productivity, and species present.
Human and wildlife values
can be compatible!
2. Evaluate your stand(s)
 Make
a vegetation and wildlife inventory.
 Define site productivity, or potential for
expected change after treatment.
 Identify habitat elements present or possible –
i.e food, cover, water.
 Appropriate for target species?
3. Put stands into landscape context.
 Will
target wildlife be able to find, use, and
persist at site?
 Can you work with adjacent landowners to meet
needs of wide-ranging wildlife?
4. Actively manage for structure
 Variable-retention thinning to maximize diversity.
 Snag & defective tree retention or creation
 Nest boxes a good
critical.
short-term option for some
cavity dwelling species.
 Leave large woody debris, or scattered slash piles.
for cover and foraging sites.
 Under-planting vegetation for forage, fruit & seed.
Wildlife habitat is messy!!
Good wildlife management is a commitment to
long term management…
3 months
5 years
1 year
10 years
50 years