Effects of Management on Wildlife and Habitats
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By Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
November 9, 2017
Conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest are biologically and economically important, are intensively managed for multiple uses, and represent a large area in public domain. Therefore, understanding how management of conifer forests affects biodiversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales is critical for land management agencies.
Conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest are biologically and economically important, are intensively managed for multiple uses, and represent a large area in public domain. Therefore, understanding how management of conifer forests affects biodiversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales is critical for land management agencies. My research projects are designed to provide science-based information that can be directly applied in an adaptive management framework. This work is typically coordinated within the framework of long-term, multi-disciplinary studies, such as Willamette National Forest Young Stand Thinning and Diversity Study, BLM Density Management Study, and the Trask Watershed Study.
In these projects, we are investigating the effectiveness of alternative thinning strategies for promoting diverse habitat for wildlife, and providing information on individual-, population-, and community-level responses of terrestrial birds and their arthropod prey to forest management in riparian habitats.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Forest management and cervid herbivory data from Western Oregon, USA, 2012
Land management practices often directly alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which ecological processes such as herbivory interact with management to influence biodiversity is less well understood. We hypothesized that intensive forest management and large herbivores have compounding effects on early-seral plant communities and plantation establishment (i.e., tree surviva
Below are publications associated with this project.
Level and pattern of overstory retention shape the abundance and long-term dynamics of natural and created snags
Standing dead trees, or snags, serve myriad functions in natural forests, but are often scarce in forests managed for timber production. Variable retention (VR), the retention of live and dead trees through harvest, has been adopted globally as a less intensive form of regeneration harvest. In this study, we explore how two key elements of VR systems — level (amount) and spatial pattern of live-tr
Authors
Charles B. Halpern, Allison K. Rossman, Joan Hagar
Removal of cattle grazing correlates with increases in vegetation productivity and in abundance of imperiled breeding birds
Livestock grazing is the most prevalent land use practice in the western United States and a widespread cause of degradation of riparian vegetation. Riparian areas provide high-quality habitat for many species of declining migratory breeding birds. We analyzed changes in vegetation and bird abundance at a wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon over 24 years, following cessation of 120 years of liv
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Joan Hagar, Patricia Haggerty, Todd E. Katzner
Herbicides and herbivory interact to drive plant community and crop‐tree establishment
Land management practices often directly alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which ecological processes such as herbivory interact with management to influence biodiversity is less well understood. We hypothesized that large herbivores compound the effects of intensive forest management on early seral plant communities and plantation establishment (i.e., tree survival and
Authors
Thomas D. Stokely, Jake Verschuyl, Joan Hagar, Matthew G. Betts
Use of created snags by cavity‐nesting birds across 25 years
Snags are important habitat features for many forest‐dwelling species, so reductions in the number of snags can lead to the loss of biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Intentional snag creation is often used in managed forests to mitigate the long‐term declines of naturally created snags, yet information regarding the use of snags by wildlife across long timescales (>20 yr) is lacking and prevents
Authors
Amy M. Barry, Joan Hagar, James W. Rivers
Long-term dynamics and characteristics of snags created for wildlife habitat
Snags provide essential habitat for numerous organisms and are therefore critical to the long-term maintenance of forest biodiversity. Resource managers often use snag creation to mitigate the purposeful removal of snags at the time of harvest, but information regarding how created snags change over long timescales (>20 y) is absent from the literature. In this study, we evaluated the extent to wh
Authors
Amy M. Barry, Joan Hagar, James W. Rivers
Arthropod prey for riparian associated birds in headwater forests of the Oregon Coast Range
Headwater riparian areas occupy a large proportion of the land base in Pacific Northwest forests, and thus are ecologically and economically important. Although a primary goal of management along small headwater streams is the protection of aquatic resources, streamside habitat also is important for many terrestrial wildlife species. However, mechanisms underlying the riparian associations of some
Authors
Joan C. Hagar, Judith Li, Janel Sobota, Stephanie Jenkins
Thinning of young Douglas-fir forests decreases density of northern flying squirrels in the Oregon Cascades
Large-scale commercial thinning of young forests in the Pacific Northwest is currently promoted on public lands to accelerate the development of late-seral forest structure for the benefit of wildlife species such as northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) and their prey, including the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). Attempts to measure the impact of commercial thinning o
Authors
Tom Manning, Joan C. Hagar, Brenda C. McComb
Thresholds in forest bird occurrence as a function of the amount of early-seral broadleaf forest at landscape scales
Recent declines in broadleaf-dominated, early-seral forest globally as a function of intensive forest management and/or fire suppression have raised concern about the viability of populations dependent on such forest types. However, quantitative information about the strength and direction of species associations with broadleaf cover at landscape scales are rare. Uncovering such habitat relationsh
Authors
M.G. Betts, J.C. Hagar, J.W. Rivers, J.D. Alexander, K. McGarigal, B.C. McComb
Rainforest birds: A land manager's guide to breeding bird habitat in young conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest
This document (hereafter Guide) has been prepared to assist land managers interested in conducting conservation and management activities to benefit breeding birds associated with young conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest. Audiences targeted for use of the Guide include land trusts, watershed councils, non-commercial private land owners, forest products companies, land-managing conservation o
Authors
Bob Altman, Joan Hagar
Short-term response of songbirds to experimental thinning of young Douglas-fir forests in the Oregon Cascades
Commercial thinning has the potential to increase structural diversity in managed conifer stands and redirect development of young stands towards structure characteristic of late-seral habitats. Thinning to increase diversity, however, is likely to require different strategies than thinning to maximize timber production. To prescribe thinning regimes that will promote diversity, managers need more
Conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest are biologically and economically important, are intensively managed for multiple uses, and represent a large area in public domain. Therefore, understanding how management of conifer forests affects biodiversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales is critical for land management agencies.
Conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest are biologically and economically important, are intensively managed for multiple uses, and represent a large area in public domain. Therefore, understanding how management of conifer forests affects biodiversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales is critical for land management agencies. My research projects are designed to provide science-based information that can be directly applied in an adaptive management framework. This work is typically coordinated within the framework of long-term, multi-disciplinary studies, such as Willamette National Forest Young Stand Thinning and Diversity Study, BLM Density Management Study, and the Trask Watershed Study.
In these projects, we are investigating the effectiveness of alternative thinning strategies for promoting diverse habitat for wildlife, and providing information on individual-, population-, and community-level responses of terrestrial birds and their arthropod prey to forest management in riparian habitats.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Forest management and cervid herbivory data from Western Oregon, USA, 2012
Land management practices often directly alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which ecological processes such as herbivory interact with management to influence biodiversity is less well understood. We hypothesized that intensive forest management and large herbivores have compounding effects on early-seral plant communities and plantation establishment (i.e., tree surviva
Below are publications associated with this project.
Level and pattern of overstory retention shape the abundance and long-term dynamics of natural and created snags
Standing dead trees, or snags, serve myriad functions in natural forests, but are often scarce in forests managed for timber production. Variable retention (VR), the retention of live and dead trees through harvest, has been adopted globally as a less intensive form of regeneration harvest. In this study, we explore how two key elements of VR systems — level (amount) and spatial pattern of live-tr
Authors
Charles B. Halpern, Allison K. Rossman, Joan Hagar
Removal of cattle grazing correlates with increases in vegetation productivity and in abundance of imperiled breeding birds
Livestock grazing is the most prevalent land use practice in the western United States and a widespread cause of degradation of riparian vegetation. Riparian areas provide high-quality habitat for many species of declining migratory breeding birds. We analyzed changes in vegetation and bird abundance at a wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon over 24 years, following cessation of 120 years of liv
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Joan Hagar, Patricia Haggerty, Todd E. Katzner
Herbicides and herbivory interact to drive plant community and crop‐tree establishment
Land management practices often directly alter vegetation structure and composition, but the degree to which ecological processes such as herbivory interact with management to influence biodiversity is less well understood. We hypothesized that large herbivores compound the effects of intensive forest management on early seral plant communities and plantation establishment (i.e., tree survival and
Authors
Thomas D. Stokely, Jake Verschuyl, Joan Hagar, Matthew G. Betts
Use of created snags by cavity‐nesting birds across 25 years
Snags are important habitat features for many forest‐dwelling species, so reductions in the number of snags can lead to the loss of biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Intentional snag creation is often used in managed forests to mitigate the long‐term declines of naturally created snags, yet information regarding the use of snags by wildlife across long timescales (>20 yr) is lacking and prevents
Authors
Amy M. Barry, Joan Hagar, James W. Rivers
Long-term dynamics and characteristics of snags created for wildlife habitat
Snags provide essential habitat for numerous organisms and are therefore critical to the long-term maintenance of forest biodiversity. Resource managers often use snag creation to mitigate the purposeful removal of snags at the time of harvest, but information regarding how created snags change over long timescales (>20 y) is absent from the literature. In this study, we evaluated the extent to wh
Authors
Amy M. Barry, Joan Hagar, James W. Rivers
Arthropod prey for riparian associated birds in headwater forests of the Oregon Coast Range
Headwater riparian areas occupy a large proportion of the land base in Pacific Northwest forests, and thus are ecologically and economically important. Although a primary goal of management along small headwater streams is the protection of aquatic resources, streamside habitat also is important for many terrestrial wildlife species. However, mechanisms underlying the riparian associations of some
Authors
Joan C. Hagar, Judith Li, Janel Sobota, Stephanie Jenkins
Thinning of young Douglas-fir forests decreases density of northern flying squirrels in the Oregon Cascades
Large-scale commercial thinning of young forests in the Pacific Northwest is currently promoted on public lands to accelerate the development of late-seral forest structure for the benefit of wildlife species such as northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) and their prey, including the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). Attempts to measure the impact of commercial thinning o
Authors
Tom Manning, Joan C. Hagar, Brenda C. McComb
Thresholds in forest bird occurrence as a function of the amount of early-seral broadleaf forest at landscape scales
Recent declines in broadleaf-dominated, early-seral forest globally as a function of intensive forest management and/or fire suppression have raised concern about the viability of populations dependent on such forest types. However, quantitative information about the strength and direction of species associations with broadleaf cover at landscape scales are rare. Uncovering such habitat relationsh
Authors
M.G. Betts, J.C. Hagar, J.W. Rivers, J.D. Alexander, K. McGarigal, B.C. McComb
Rainforest birds: A land manager's guide to breeding bird habitat in young conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest
This document (hereafter Guide) has been prepared to assist land managers interested in conducting conservation and management activities to benefit breeding birds associated with young conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest. Audiences targeted for use of the Guide include land trusts, watershed councils, non-commercial private land owners, forest products companies, land-managing conservation o
Authors
Bob Altman, Joan Hagar
Short-term response of songbirds to experimental thinning of young Douglas-fir forests in the Oregon Cascades
Commercial thinning has the potential to increase structural diversity in managed conifer stands and redirect development of young stands towards structure characteristic of late-seral habitats. Thinning to increase diversity, however, is likely to require different strategies than thinning to maximize timber production. To prescribe thinning regimes that will promote diversity, managers need more