Habitat Use by Boreal Mammals in Response to Salvage Logging After an Insect Outbreak

Post-disturbance logging (i.e., salvage logging) is controversial, as it may disrupt forest succession and alter wildlife habitat. I examined habitat use by moose (Alces americanus), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), lynx (Lynx canadensis), coyotes (Canis latrans), and little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in response to salvage logging after a bark beetle outbreak in Yukon, Canada. I monitored species occupancy in beetle-affected forests and salvage-logged stands of different tree retention levels and ages using wildlife cameras and bat detectors. Moose occupancy was highest in low-retention-logged stands with low cover and abundant shrubs. Snowshoe hares occupied stands with dense canopies and avoided logged stands (regardless of retention or age); lynx and coyote used similar habitat to hares. Logging had no significant effect on little brown bats, although bats avoided densely-treed stands. Diverse forest management strategies may benefit the most species, including salvage logging with variable retention and maintaining patches of beetle-affected forest.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Thomas, Julie

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Reid, Mary L.
• Barclay, Robert Malcolm Ruthven

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Galpern, Paul
• Harder, Lawrence D.

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32008

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/106782