scholarly journals Is the reptile community affected by Eucalyptus wandoo tree condition?

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 358 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Moore ◽  
L. E. Valentine ◽  
M. D. Craig ◽  
G. E. S. J. Hardy ◽  
P. A. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Decline ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Litter Cover ◽  
Eucalyptus Wandoo ◽  
Tree Condition

Context Large portions of the world’s forests and woodlands are currently affected by declines in canopy condition of dominant tree species; however, the effects of these declines on faunal communities are largely unknown. Eucalyptus wandoo woodlands in the south-west region of Western Australia have demonstrated declines in condition since the early 1990s. Such declines in tree condition can result in reduced understorey vegetation, increased leaf-litter cover and coarse woody debris, potentially altering the habitat and resource available to reptiles. Prescribed fire events, another mechanism of habitat change for reptiles, are a common occurrence in these woodlands. Aims The present research investigated whether reptile communities were influenced by E. wandoo tree condition, and the changes in the habitat associated with E. wandoo decline. Methods Reptile trapping was conducted at 24 E. wandoo-dominated sites (of varying condition) in Dryandra State Forest and Wandoo Conservation Park, Western Australia. Overall, reptile abundance, species richness and individual reptile species abundances (only those species captured in sufficient numbers for analysis) were compared with a range of habitat characteristics that are likely to be altered by changes in E. wandoo tree condition. Key results Overall, higher reptile abundance and species richness were observed at sites with longer time since fire and more site litter cover. There was also a greater abundance and diversity of reptiles at sites where E. wandoo trees exhibited fewer symptoms of tree decline. Similar analyses for the five most common skink species indicated species-specific relationships with tree-condition measures, time since last fire, site litter cover, distance to drift fence from E. wandoo trees, understorey vegetation density and the density of coarse woody debris. Conclusions Abundance and species diversity of the reptile communities in E. wandoo woodlands were strongly related to time since last fire, E. wandoo tree condition and habitat characteristics such as site litter cover and the density of coarse woody debris. Implications Decline in the condition of E. wandoo trees and the fire events in E. wandoo woodlands are both mechanisms of change correlated with reptile habitat and resources. Future management of E. wandoo woodlands may include reducing prescribed fire events in areas demonstrating symptoms of tree decline, to conserve reptile abundance and species richness.

scholarly journals Signs of wildlife activity and Eucalyptus wandoo condition

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Moore ◽  
M. D. Craig ◽  
L. E. Valentine ◽  
G. E. St J. Hardy ◽  
P. A. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Foraging Effort ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Eucalyptus Wandoo ◽  
Tree Condition

Soil disturbance by terrestrial vertebrates when foraging for food and shelter is not only a sign of activity but an ecosystem function required for soil health. Many forests and woodlands worldwide are currently showing signs of a decline in condition due to various causes. Eucalyptus wandoo, endemic to south-west Western Australia, has undergone a decline in condition over the last decade. This paper explores the influence of E. wandoo condition (e.g. loss of canopy) and the associated changes in the habitat (e.g. changes in leaf litter and bare ground cover) on the foraging activities and soil disturbance by vertebrates. The number of diggings and scats, a representation of the foraging effort by some vertebrates, were recorded in Dryandra Woodland and Wandoo Conservation Park, Western Australia. Mixed-model ANOVAs were used to explore the relationships between the number of scats and diggings with tree and habitat characteristics. More vertebrate diggings and scats were recorded beneath healthier E. wandoo trees. Diggings and scats were also correlated with time since last fire and seasonal differences, with more time since last fire and wetter months related to more diggings and scats. Changes in foraging effort, or turnover of soil by vertebrates, could be a result modification of the level of soil turnover and alter many ecosystem services such as tree recruitment and nutrient cycling, in turn altering the habitat quality and even tree condition itself.

scholarly journals Epixylic vegetation abundance, diversity, and composition vary with coarse woody debris decay class and substrate species in boreal forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Kumar ◽  
Han Y.H. Chen ◽  
Sean C. Thomas ◽  
Chander Shahi
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Wide Range

Although the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) to understory species diversity has been recognized, the combined effects of CWD decay and substrate species on abundance and species diversity of epixylic vegetation have received little attention. We sampled a wide range of CWD substrate species and decay classes, as well as forest floors in fire-origin boreal forest stands. Percent cover, species richness, and evenness of epixylic vegetation differed significantly with both CWD decay class and substrate species. Trends in cover, species richness, and evenness differed significantly between nonvascular and vascular taxa. Cover, species richness, and species evenness of nonvascular species were higher on CWD, whereas those of vascular plants were higher on the forest floor. Epixylic species composition also varied significantly with stand ages, overstory compositions, decay classes, substrate species, and their interactions. Our findings highlight strong interactive influences of decay class and substrate species on epixylic plant communities and suggest that conservation of epixylic diversity would require forest managers to maintain a diverse range of CWD decay classes and substrate species. Because stand development and overstory compositions influence CWD decay classes and substrate species, as well as colonization time and environmental conditions in the understory, our results indicate that managed boreal landscapes should consist of a mosaic of different successional stages and a broad suite of overstory types to support diverse understory plant communities.

Response of forest soil Acari to prescribed fire following stand structure manipulation in the southern Cascade RangeThis article is one of a selection of papers from the Special Forum on Ecological Studies in Interior Ponderosa Pine — First Findings from Blacks Mountain Interdisciplinary Research.

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 956-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Camann ◽  
Nancy E. Gillette ◽  
Karen L. Lamoncha ◽  
Sylvia R. Mori
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Dominance Relationships

We studied responses of Acari, especially oribatid mites, to prescribed low-intensity fire in an east side pine site in the southern Cascade Range in California. We compared oribatid population and assemblage responses to prescribed fire in stands that had been selectively logged to enhance old growth characteristics, in logged stands to minimize old growth characteristics, and in undisturbed forest reference stands. Low-intensity prescribed fire altered habitat characteristics within the organic layer of forest soil. Acarine populations declined following prescribed fire, and oribatid losses accounted for two thirds of that decline. Individual oribatid species responded differently to prescribed fire, with a few populations increasing after fire but most declining. The prescribed fire also altered oribatid assemblages, reducing species richness and species diversity and modifying assemblage dominance relationships. We also identified several oribatid taxa that were potential indicator species of fire effects upon forest soil fauna. Finally, our results suggested that oribatid responses to fire were intensified by stand alteration and especially by removal of old growth structural characteristics. Decline in oribatid abundance, species richness and diversity, and loss of equilibrium dominance relationships was greatest in the low structural diversity plots.

scholarly journals Wood-inhabiting fungi on pedunculate oak coarse woody debris in relation to substratum quantity and forest age

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reda Iršėnaitė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Pedunculate Oak ◽  
Average Volume ◽  
Rare And Endangered ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Mature Stands

Wood-inhabiting fungi on pedunculate oak (<em>Quercus robur</em>) coarse woody debris (CWD) was investigated in 50 plots of 0.1 ha in oak stands of different ages in Lithuania. In maturing stands (50-120 years) the average volume of oak CWD was 4.7 m<sup>3</sup>/ha, and in mature stands (over 120 years) – 13.9 m3/ha. Both in maturing and mature stands, the greatest fraction of CWD consisted of fallen oak branches (81 % and 84 % respectively), whereas fallen trunks comprised about 10 % of the total units of CWD. In total 1350 records of 203 species (49 ascomycetes and 154 basidiomycetes) were collected during 2 years of investigation. Species richness and abundance increased significantly with the increase of volume and abundance of CWD. Higher species richness was detected in mature stands than in maturing ones. Wood-inhabiting species composition varied greatly at stand scale, and one third of all detected species occurred only in one plot. Red-listed fungi were found only in mature stands. We conclude that, even in managed oak stands, oak CWD maintains a rather diverse species composition of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. However, the current practice of forestry in Lithuania of removing dying or dead wood of large volume, e.g. standing and fallen trunks, reduce the distribution of highly specialized, usually rare, and endangered fungi.

scholarly journals The Structure of Saproxylic Beetle Assemblages in View of Coarse Woody Debris Resources in Pine Stands of Western Poland

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1558
Author(s):  
Andrzej Mazur ◽  
Radosław Witkowski ◽  
Robert Kuźmiński ◽  
Roman Jaszczak ◽  
Mieczysław Turski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Saproxylic Beetles ◽  
Structural Element ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
High Share

Background: Resources of dying and dead trees, decaying fragments of stems, stumps and branches, i.e., coarse woody debris (CWD), are an important structural element of biocenoses and are drivers of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to describe assemblages of saproxylic beetles in pine stands of western Poland in view of dead wood resources. We present faunistic (species identity) and quantitative (species and individual counts) data from two types of stands: 1. unmanaged pine stands, in which no trees have been extracted for over 30 years, with processes connected with tree dying and self-thinning of stands being undisturbed, 2. managed pine stands, in which routine tending operations extracting trees are performed in accordance with forest management plans and naturally dying trees are removed in the course of tending and sanitary logging; Methods: Beetles were captured in the years 2013–2014 using window flight traps. Assemblages of saproxylic beetles were assessed based on the indices of dominance, diversity (the Shannon–Weiner index), and species richness (Margalef’s index) as well as the estimated habitat fidelity index, feeding habits, and zoogeographical distribution. Similarity between the assemblages was evaluated applying cluster analysis. Dependence between dead wood resources and the diversity and species richness indices were analysed; Results: A total of 2006 individuals classified to 216 species were captured. Assemblages show considerable similarity on the local scale. Higher values of species diversity indicators were observed in unmanaged stands, in which no sanitation cuttings are performed; Conclusions: The decision to refrain from sanitation logging in pine monocultures results in increased CWD resources, which nevertheless does not lead to a marked increase in the values of biodiversity indicators. Unmanaged stands were characterised by a high share of zoophagous, mycetophagous, and saproxylic species. In contrast, managed stands were characterised by a high share of xylophagous beetles.

The relationship between forest management and amphibian ecology: a review of the North American literature

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 230-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip G. deMaynadier ◽  
Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Forest Practices ◽  
Logging Roads

Questions about the compatibility of forest harvesting practices and conservation of biological diversity are largely driven by concerns that habitat quality for many species may be degraded in intensively managed forest landscapes. We review the literature on relationships between common forest harvesting practices and the distribution and abundance of amphibians, a group that has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their potential ecological importance in forest ecosystems and because of reports of widespread population declines. Clear-cut harvesting generally has negative short-term impacts on local amphibian populations, especially salamanders. An analysis of the results of 18 studies that examined the effects of clear-cutting on amphibians yielded a 3.5-fold median difference in abundance of amphibians on controls over clear-cuts. However, research on the influence of forest age suggests that the long-term effects of forest harvesting on amphibians are variable, and for many species these effects can be mitigated if regeneration practices leave adequate microhabitat structure intact. In contrast, long-term effects can be significant in forest plantations, which are often associated with intensive site preparations and stand management practices that modify levels of coarse woody debris and other microhabitats. Other forest practices reviewed for their effect on amphibians include prescribed fire, logging roads, and streamside harvesting. We discuss problems commonly encountered in the experimental design and measurement of forest amphibian populations, including a notable lack of pretreatment data, and outline several aspects of amphibian–forestry relationships in need of further research. Management recommendations relevant to conserving upland and riparian zone amphibian habitat during forest harvesting are offered.Key words: amphibians, clear-cutting, coarse woody debris, forest management, logging roads, plantations, prescribed fire, riparian, succession.

scholarly journals Communities of epigeic beetles in tree line from montane spruce forest to secondary meadow in the different stage of the forest decline in the area of Modrava (Bohemian forest, Czech Republic)

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-349
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Boháč ◽  
Karel Matějka
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Statistical Testing ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Epigeic Beetles

Abstract Communities of epigeic beetles were studied using pitfall trapping on 10 plots with the different stage of decline and clear-cut plots without coarse woody debris. Species richness (number of all species, S), total species diversity as the Shannon-Wiener’s index (H) and equitability (e) were calculated in the DBreleve. The Ward’s method of hierarchical agglomerative classification with Euclidean distance was used for the differentiation of the communities on the plots. Species data for this analyse were represented by logarithm-transformed activities [log(x+1)]. The single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for statistical testing of differences in structural parameters (e.g. species richness and diversity) amongst distinguished groups of the plots. The species diversity and activity differs on glades without trees and coarse woody debris. The highest number of species was found in clear-cut areas. The lowest number of species was found on the plots with the living forest particularly invaded by bark beetle. This fact is caused by the fact that the clear-cut plots are invaded by ubiquitous and anthropotolerant species with good migration possibilities. These species are adapted to habitats without trees and are able to leave even in the habitats with very sparse or without vegetation. Species living in the forest even under the bark beetle attack are often stenotopic and adapted to the forest microclimate (higher humidity and low average temperature). These species are very sensitive to great difference in the daily changes of microclimate. The study of beetle communities support the hypothesis that the keeping of dead tree stands on plots after bark beetle outbreak is better for biodiversity conservation than the cutting down of trees and the abolishment of stems.

Response of small mammals to clear-cutting and precommercial thinning in mixed forests of southeastern Quebec

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2813-2822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Etcheverry ◽  
Jean-Pierre Ouellet ◽  
Michel Crête
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
Precommercial Thinning ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Snowshoe Hares ◽  
Ecosystem Diversity ◽  
Species Specific

The impacts of forest management on habitat characteristics, species richness, and population dynamics of small mammals remain ambiguous. We studied the response of small-mammal populations, including snowshoe hares, to clear-cutting with protection of advanced regeneration and soils (CPRS) and precommercial thinning (PCT). We compared stands recently treated by CPRS or PCT with established stands dominated by deciduous or coniferous trees in two large blocks of mixed forests. We measured habitat components and abundance of small mammals in the four stand types. Trees (DBH ≥ 9 cm) became very rare in CPRS stands and remained at low density in PCT stands, which stimulated the growth of herbs and seedlings, resulting in increased lateral cover. Tree harvest also generated coarse woody debris in CPRS stands, which did not persist in PCT stands. Small mammals responded to these disturbances in a species-specific manner but, overall, relative abundance and species richness of small mammals were lower in PCT stands than in CPRS and closed stands. Our results suggest that forest managers should exclude some stands from PCT following CPRS or natural perturbations, to maintain ecosystem diversity at the landscape level.

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