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Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Associated Wildlife

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Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Associated Wildlife Trail Creek Fire Salvage Project Chapter 3 – Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Wildlife Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Associated Wildlife Introduction In western Montana, old growth habitat and riparian habitats are especially important to wildlife, which have adapted to a variety of disturbances such as wildfire, insects, disease, and windstorms. These disturbances have created a changing supply of old growth forest, snags, and downed logs over time. Populations of different species have fluctuated based on the distribution and amount of the different preferred habitats, particularly in response to large wildfires (Bull et al. 2001, Smucker et al. 2005, Noss et al. 2006, Hutto et al. 2008, North American Bird Conservation Committee 2010, Swanson et al. 2011, Bond et al. 2012, Bond 2015, and Hutto et al. 2015). Old growth is defined in Amendment 21 of the Forest Plan as “a community of forest vegetation that has reached a late stage of plant succession.” Wildlife species associated with old growth use other habitats as well, but the habitat characteristics they prefer are often most abundant in old growth stands. Amendment 21 listed 31 old growth associated wildlife species. Of these, the Black-backed Woodpecker, Flammulated Owl, Canada lynx, and fisher are old growth associates that are regionally-designated sensitive species or federally-listed species. Numerous Neotropical migratory birds are associated with old growth habitat, snags and downed woody material, and/or riparian habitats, as are the marten and other species. Exhibit Rn-2 lists the 73 species of Neotropical migratory birds on the Flathead National Forest. The northern goshawk is also often thought of as an old growth associate, although in their status review for that species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found no evidence that it is dependent on large, unbroken tracts of old growth or mature forest (USDI FWS 1998). See also Exhibits Rg-1, Rs-1, and Rn-2. Snags, broken-topped live trees, downed logs, and other woody material are required by a wide variety of wildlife for nesting, denning, roosting, perching, feeding, and cover (Exhibit Rd-4). On the Flathead National Forest, at least 42 species of birds and 10 species of mammals are dependent on dead wood habitat for nesting, feeding, or shelter (Exhibit Rd-2). Snags and downed logs are also used for communication purposes such as drumming (grouse and woodpeckers). Small mammals and birds use standing and down dead material for food storage and for hunting perches. Downed logs are important for travel, both below the snow in the winter and as cover throughout the year. Larger birds and mammals require larger live and dead trees which are most abundant in old growth stands (Bull et al. 1997). Certain species of trees, such as western larch and Ponderosa pine, make long-lasting and high-quality snags that are used year after year by a wide variety of species. The number, condition, size, species, and distribution of snags strongly affect snag-dependent wildlife (Saab et al. 2004; Russell, Saab, and Dudley 2007; and Drever et al. 2008). Too few suitable snags may limit or eliminate populations of cavity- using species (Thomas et al. 1979; Raphael and White 1984; Saab and Dudley 1998; ICBEMP 2000). Longer and larger-diameter downed trees are generally more important because they can be used by a far greater range of species. In addition, they provide stable and persistent structures and better protection from weather extremes. Riparian habitats occur along lakes, rivers, streams, springs, and seeps where the vegetation and microclimate are influenced by year-round or seasonal water and associated high water tables. Most plant and animal species in riparian habitat are more productive and diverse than on nearby 3-69 Trail Creek Fire Salvage Project Chapter 3 – Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Wildlife uplands, making these areas very important to many wildlife species. On the Flathead National Forest, 36 bird, four mammal, three reptile, and two amphibian species are recognized as dependent upon riparian marsh habitat; 23 bird, seven mammal, and four amphibian species are recognized as dependent upon forested riparian areas (Forest Plan, Planning record 219.12[g], 1980). These include threatened and sensitive species (bald eagle, harlequin duck, common loon, western toad, northern leopard frog) and some Neotropical migrants. Neotropical migratory birds are included in this section because six of the Neotropical migrants found on the FNF are old-growth associates, at least 13 are associated with snags or downed wood, and 43 are associated with riparian habitats. In the analysis area, riparian landtypes overlap with some of the existing and recently burned up old growth habitat. Some Neotropical migrants are associated with the edge habitat between young and old forest stands (Thomas et al. 1979) and others are associated with post-fire environments (Hutto 1995, Smucker et al. 2005 and Hutto 2008). In fact, severe fire is seen to benefit most bird species in some way, while other species may depend on sever fire (Hutto et al. 2015). Species detailed in this section are not Flathead National Forest sensitive species or MIS. They are considered because the Forest Service’s Landbird Conservation Strategic Plan (2000), Executive Order 13186 (2001), and the Partners in Flight Draft Bird Conservation Plan for Montana (2000) reference goals and objectives for integrating bird conservation into forest management and planning. Within the National Forests, conservation of migratory birds focuses on providing a diversity of habitat conditions at multiple spatial scales and ensuring that bird conservation is addressed when planning for land management activities. It is important to remember that the old growth stage of forest development is temporary. Wildland fire can convert large areas of old growth habitat to areas of snag and dead wood habitat. Reducing downed wood and snags through timber salvage can remove habitat features that are essential to many species, particularly marten, fisher, and pileated woodpeckers (Witmer et al. 1998; McClelland and McClelland 1999, Bull et al. 2005). Timber salvage, insect epidemics, and wildland fire can also impact wildlife using riparian habitats, including changes in plant species, hiding cover, downed wood recruitment, water temperature, shading, humidity, erosion, water quality, and predator-prey interactions. Timber salvage itself most directly impacts wildlife that use tree cavities through removal of potential nesting and denning structures (Hitchcox 1996, Kotliar et al. 2002, Lindenmayer et al. 2004, Hutto and Gallo 2006, and Hutto et al. 2015; Exhibits Rd-3 and Rd-10). Timber salvage and wildland fire can remove forested cover and structures that provide habitat linkages that appear essential for the functioning of metapopulations (Lidicker and Koenig 1996; Witmer et al. 1998). Conversely, vegetation management and planting can accelerate regeneration, reduce the risk of insect infestation, and increase the diversity of future habitats. Analysis Area The analysis area for old growth associated wildlife species, snags and downed woody material habitat, and riparian wildlife habitat is the Trail Creek Salvage Wildlife Analysis Area (Figure 3- 1, in the Wildlife Introduction section in this chapter). At approximately 45.3 square miles (about 29,000 acres), it is large enough to include the home range of numerous wildlife species that use old growth, snag and downed woody material, and riparian habitats and to represent the effects of wildland fires, natural tree mortality, timber harvest and salvage, fuel reduction, and firewood cutting across the landscape. It is sufficiently large to evaluate the ability of the habitat to support populations of wildlife and plant species using old growth habitats, but small enough to not obscure the effects of the alternatives. All of the actions proposed in the alternatives that 3-70 Trail Creek Fire Salvage Project Chapter 3 – Old Growth, Snag, Downed Wood, and Riparian Wildlife could directly or indirectly affect old growth associated species are contained within this area. No known or suspected population sinks for these species occur in or near the area. An assessment at multiple scales was also conducted to address population diversity concerns (Exhibit Rg-1). See also Exhibits Q-3, Q-11, Rd-9, Rg-3, Rs-6, Rs-16, Rs-18, and Rs-20 for assessments of some key species associated with these habitats. Temporal Bounds The temporal scale of the effects analysis extends 100 years into the future, enough time for some mature stands to develop into old growth habitat as well as enough time for some of the trees to grow and die or to acquire decay and other characteristics that make them useful to numerous wildlife species. This is also more than enough time for any effects on riparian habitats to stabilize. Information Sources/Methodology Classification of habitat characteristics for habitat modeling and analysis used a combination of data sources. These include pre-fire project area field visits, post-fire walk-through surveys, pre-fire and post-fire Common Stand Exam data, existing GIS data layers and vegetation burn severity data, roads data, pre-fire and post-fire aerial photography, Northern Region Vegetation Mapping Project (R1-VMP) data, riparian landtype data, wildlife monitoring and observations, and extensive past experience with large wildland fires on the Forest (Exhibits Q-2, Q-6, Rd-3, Rd-11, Rg-9, Rn-1, Rr-3, and Rr-4). For this project, “Old- Growth Forest Types of the Western Montana Zone” were used as the criteria to identify stands that qualify as old growth habitat (Green et al. 1992, updated 2011; Exhibits Q-1, Q-2, and Q-5). This analysis covered the standing and downed dead wood wildlife habitat resource in terrestrial areas. See the Aquatics section of this chapter for consideration of large wood recruitment in aquatic systems. Also see the Vegetation section of Chapter 3 and Black-backed Woodpeckers (in the Sensitive Wildlife Species section).
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