Habitat Attribute Targets for Red and Blue Listed Wildlife Species and Plant Community Conservation
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Habitat Attribute Targets for Red and Blue Listed Wildlife Columbia Basin Species and Plant Fish & Wildlife Community Conservation Compensation Program PREPARED BY John M. Cooper1 Chris Steeger2 Suzanne M. Beauchesne1 Marlene Machmer2 Lynne Atwood3 E. Todd Manning1 1 Manning, Cooper and Associates Errington, BC 2 Pandion Ecological Research Ltd. Nelson, BC 3 Genoa Environmental Consulting Ltd Cobble Hill, BC July 2004 Habitat Attribute Targets for Red and Blue Listed Wildlife Species and Plant Community Conservation Written by John M. Cooper, Suzanne M. Beauchesne, and Todd Manning Manning, Cooper and Associates Box 646, Errington, BC V0R 1V0 Marlene Machmer and Chris Steeger Pandion Ecological Research Ltd 532 Park Street, Nelson, BC V1L 2G9 Lynne Atwood Genoa Environmental Consulting Ltd 3845 Lefran Road Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L0 For Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Nelson, BC July 2004 ii Executive Summary Dry low elevation grasslands and open forests within the Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) and Ponderosa Pine (PP) biogeoclimatic zones of the East Kootenay Trench provide critical habitat for a diversity of species. Several Red and Blue-listed wildlife species and plant communities may occur within treatment units considered for habitat restoration. It is the intent of CBFWCP and MWLAP to consider all Red and Blue-listed species and communities when planning restoration so as to prevent conducting treatments for one species/community to the detriment of another. Nine wildlife species (Lewis’s Woodpecker, Williamson Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, Flammulated Owl, Long Billed Curlew, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Northern Goshawk) and seven plant communities (Douglas-fir/snowberry/ balsamroot, Antelope- brush /bluebunch wheatgrass, Western snowberry-Idaho fescue, Bluebunch wheatgrass - junegrass, Douglas-fir – western larch - spruce /pinegrass, Ponderosa pine-trembling aspen/rose [Solomon's seal], Ponderosa pine/bluebunch wheatgrass-silky lupine) were considered. We used these UTM locations to map the known occurrences of the focal species within range and pasture units of the plan area, to provide a spatial context for the species- specific prescription guidelines compiled in this report. For each wildlife species and plant community, information on restoration objectives, BEC zone, subzones and variants, restoration techniques, best management practices and silvicultural practices useful for restoration were summarized from available published and technical literature. Specific recommendations for each Red and Blue-listed wildlife species and plant community were developed from the available literature, combined with our professional opinion. Recommendations for each species and plant community were made, where applicable, for tree stocking densities, range of canopy closure, preferred residual tree species, preferred spatial configuration, wildlife tree stocking density, provision for future wildlife tree recruitment, shrub cover density and height, and herb cover. Recommendations for treatment techniques and estimates of restoration success probability are made. Relevant background information on each wildlife and plant community is also provided. iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...........................................................................................1 2. Methods.................................................................................................3 2.1 Mapping component ........................................................................................3 2.2 Wildlife species habitat and plant community restoration information..............5 3. Mapping Results....................................................................................6 4. Wildlife Species Habitat Restoration Information ..................................9 4.1 Restoration techniques.....................................................................................9 4.2 Lewis’s Woodpecker .....................................................................................10 4.3 White-headed Woodpecker............................................................................13 4.4 Williamson’s Sapsucker.................................................................................15 4.5 Flammulated Owl ..........................................................................................17 4.6 “Columbian” Sharp-tailed Grouse..................................................................20 4.7 Long-billed Curlew........................................................................................23 4.8 Northern Goshawk.........................................................................................25 4.9 Badger ...........................................................................................................28 4.10 Bighorn Sheep ...............................................................................................30 4.11 Relative potential for success of restoration ...................................................33 5. Plant Communities Habitat Restoration Information............................ 44 5.1 Douglas-fir/Snowberry/Balsamroot................................................................44 5.2 Antelope Brush/Bluebunch Wheatgrass .........................................................45 5.3 Western Snowberry-Idaho Fescue..................................................................47 5.4 Bluebunch Wheatgrass/Junegrass...................................................................48 5.5 Douglas-fir-Western Larch-Spruce/Pinegrass.................................................50 5.6 Ponderosa Pine-Trembling Aspen/Rose [Solomon’s Seal] .............................51 5.7 Ponderosa Pine/Bluebunch Wheatgrass-Silky Lupine ....................................52 6. Discussion ........................................................................................... 54 7. Recommendations................................................................................ 55 8. Acknowledgements.............................................................................. 56 9. Literature Cited.................................................................................... 57 10. Other literature consulted..................................................................... 65 List of Figures Figure 1. Study area: Natural Disturbance Type 4 in the East Kootenay Trench…..…..4 Figure 2. Pasture units known to contain 0-4 listed wildlife species ………..………….7 Figure 3. Occurrences of rare wildlife (e.g., Badger) by pasture unit in the NDT4 of the East Kootenay Trench …………….………………………………………………...8 iv List of Tables Table 1. Species and plant communities at-risk addressed in this report ……………..……2 Table 2. Relative impact on Red and Blue-listed wildlife species from restoration of NDT4 conditions in the EKT. (X=highly beneficial, x=beneficial, blank=negligible impact)………………………………………………………...33 Table 3. Stocking targets, wildlife tree recruitment, shrub cover targets and herb cover targets for rare wildlife habitat in open grasslands (range), open forest and closed forest habitats in the East Kootenay Trench………………………….….34 Table 4. Stocking targets for rare plant communities in open grasslands (range), open forest and closed forest habitats in the East Kootenay Trench…………………..38 Table 5. Habitat types and expected feasibility of success of restoration treatments for Red and Blue listed wildlife and plant communities in the East Kootenay Trench……………………………………………………………….…………...41 Table 6. Restoration techniques recommended for Red and Blue wildlife and plant communities in open grassland and open forest habitats in the East Kootenay Trench……………………………………………………………………………42 List of Appendices Appendix 1. Map of occurrences for six Red and Blue-listed wildlife species in the East Kootenay Trench. Appendix 2. Pasture unit names, numbers, size, and occurrence of listed wildlife species. Appendix 3. Scientific names of wildlife and plants mentioned in text. Appendix 4. KBLUP management guidelines for NDT4 systems. Appendix 5. List of contacts and information sources. v 1. Introduction Dry low elevation grasslands and open forests within the Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) and Ponderosa Pine (PP) biogeoclimatic zones of the East Kootenay Trench provide critical habitat for a diversity of species (Machmer 2001). The East Kootenay Trench contains an estimated 135,000 ha of NDT4 Ponderosa Pine (PP) and Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) ecosystems that are considered for restoration treatments (Figure 1). The East Kootenay Trench is a narrow flat glacial plain with a distinctive rain shadow that lies in the southern portion of the Rocky Mountain Trench, from about Golden south to the border with the USA. These ecosystems are characterized by frequent, low intensity fires which promote open stands of mature trees with sparse regeneration, a vigorous understory of bunchgrasses, shrubs and forbs, and a low incidence of insects and diseases (Arno et al. 1995; Daigle 1996; Gayton 1998). Successful fire suppression has led to forest ingrowth and encroachment, and resulted in large-scale conversion of native grasslands and open forests to a closed forest condition (Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Steering Committee 2000). Effects of this conversion include the loss and degradation of critical wildlife habitat and biodiversity, reduction in forage values, establishment and spread of noxious weeds, decreased forest health, and increased risk of catastrophic wildfire (Daigle