Avian Community Response to a Recent Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic
by
Victoria A. Saab, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 1648 S. 7th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59717, vsaab@fs.fed.us.
Jay J. Rotella, Montana State University, Department of Ecology, 309 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, Montana 59717, rotella@montana.edu.
Jeffrey P. Hollenbeck, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, hollenb@peak.org
Abstract
Recent epidemics of mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae) will fundamentally alter forests of the Intermountain West, impacting management decisions related to fire, logging, and wildlife habitat. We evaluated effects of a recent mountain pine beetle epidemic on site occupancy dynamics of > 60 avian species in four study units dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Helena National Forest. Point count data were collected during the avian breeding seasons (May-Jul) of 2003-2006 (pre-epidemic) and again during 2009-2010 (post-epidemic). We used a Bayesian hierarchical model that accounts for detection probability to obtain occupancy estimates for rare and elusive species as well as common ones. We estimated occupancy and detection for all species with respect to the occurrence of the beetle outbreak, live tree density at fine scale (1 ha), and live tree density at coarse (landscape) scale (100 ha). Preliminary analyses focus on trends in occupancy for species of interest, such as the American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), as well as patterns of occupancy for nesting and foraging guilds. Results indicated diverse responses among species, with occupancy rates increasing for some and declining for others.
Montana Chapter Of The Wildlife Society 49St Annual Meeting
Multiplying Human Impacts Bordering Open Space: Challenges For Wildlife Habitat And Connectivity Protection
February 22-25, 2011 Missoula, Montana
General Abstracts
Alphabetical By First Author's Last Name (* Denotes Presenter)