In recent years, conflicts between ecological conservation and economic growth forced a reassessment of the motivations and goals of wildlife and forestry management. Focus shifted from game and commodity management to biodiversity conservation and ecological forestry. Previously separate fields such as forestry, biology, botany, and zoology merged into a common framework known as conservation biology and resource professionals began to approach natural resource problems in an interdisciplinary light.
Wildlife Habitat Management: Concepts and Applications in Forestry presents an integrated reference combining silvicultural and forest planning principles with principles of habitat ecology and conservation biology. With extensive references and case studies drawn from real situations, this book begins with general concepts such as habitat selection, forest composition, influences on habitat patterns, and the dynamics of disturbance ecology. It considers management approaches for specific habitats including even-aged and uneven-aged systems, riparian areas, and dead wood and highlights those approaches that will conserve and manage biodiversity. The author discusses assessment and prioritization policies, monitoring techniques, and ethical and legal issues that can have worldwide impact. Detailed appendices provide a glossary, scientific names, and tools for measuring and interpreting habitat elements. Writing in a species-specific manner, the author emphasizes the need to consider the potential effects of management decisions on biodiversity conservation and maintains a holistic approach throughout the book.
Drawing from the author’s more than 30 years working and teaching in natural resources conservation, Wildlife Habitat Management: Concepts and Applications in Forestry provides a synopsis of current preservation techniques and establishes a common body of knowledge from which to approach the conservation of biodiversity in the future.
Introduction
What Is Habitat?
Forests as Habitat
Case Study: The Forests of British Columbia
Summary
References
Humans as a Forest-Dependent Species
Ecological Restoration and Ecosystem Services
Social Values Associated with Forests and Wildlife
Public Resources on Private Lands
Case Study: Environmental Activism and Effects on Habitat
Summary
References
Vertebrate Habitat Selection
Hierarchical Selection
Density-Dependent Habitat Selection
Relationship between Habitat Quality and Demographics
Measuring Habitat Selection
Proximate and Ultimate Cues to Habitat Quality
Case Study: American Marten Habitat Selection
Summary
References
Forest Structure and Composition
Food and Cover in a Cellulose-Managed System
Summary
References
Physical Influences on Habitat Patterns
The Physical Environment
Summary
References
Cultural Effects on Habitat Patterns
Land Use
Climate Change
Invasive Species
Synergistic Effects
Case Study: Passenger Pigeons, Humans, and Forests
Summary
References
Disturbance Ecology and Habitat Dynamics
Disturbance Size and Pattern
Disturbance Severity
Disturbance Frequency
Disturbance Frequency, Size, Severity Relationships
Stand Dynamics
Succession as a Continuum of Habitat Elements
Summary
References
Silviculture and Habitat Management: Even-Aged Systems
Silviculture as a Forest Disturbance
Characteristics of Even-Aged Stands
Case Study: Douglas-Fir Plantation
Summary
References
Silviculture and Habitat Management: Uneven-Aged Systems
Characteristics of Uneven-Aged Stands
Considering the Site Potential
Uneven-Aged Regeneration Methods
Natural Regeneration and Planting Options
Uneven-Aged Stand Development
Habitat Elements in Uneven-Aged Stands
Challenges to Using Uneven-Aged Methods
Nontraditional Management Approaches
Case Study: Managing a Small Privately Owned Forest
Summary
References
Desired Future Conditions
Developing the Stand Prescription
Case Study: Growing Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat
Summary
References
Riparian Area Management
Animal Associations with Riparian Areas
Gradients within Riparian Zones
Riparian Functions
Riparian Buffers
Case study: Riparian Area Management in a Patchwork Ownership
Summary
References
Dead Wood Management
Primary Cavity Excavators
Secondary Cavity Users
Log Users
Patterns of Dead Wood Following Disturbance
Management of Tree Cavities and Dead Wood
Effects of Biofuels Management on Dead-Wood-Dependent Species
Summary
References
Managing Fire in Forests
Effects of Fire on Habitat Elements and Succession
Changing Fire Risk through Management
Summary
References
Urban Forests and Habitat Elements
Defining Urban Forests along an Urban-Rural Continuum
How Some Species Interpret the s’Built Environment?"
Finding Spaces for Habitat Management
Habitat Elements Limiting Species in Urban and Suburban Settings
Urban Streams and Wetlands
Urban Expansion, Wetlands, and Mitigation
Managing Trees, Parks, and Forests in Urban Settings
Summary
References
Landscape Structure and Composition
Living on the Edge
Habitat Fragmentation
Summary
References
Landscape Connections
Dispersal
Connectivity and Gap-Crossing Ability
Case Study: Matrix Management for a Wide-Ranging Species
Summary
References
Managing Woodlands in Agricultural Environments
Values of Woodlots to Landowners
Edge Effects in Agricultural Settings
Loss of Forests in Industrial Agricultural Settings
Field and Farm Management That Influences Woodlot Function
Specialty Crops and Agroforestry
Organic versus Traditional Agriculture
Multifunctional Landscapes
Certification of Agricultural Lands for Wildlife: The Role of Trees
Summary
References
Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation
What is Biodiversity?
Setting Biodiversity Goals
How Do We Conceptualize "Biodiversity" to Be Able to Conserve It?
Challenges to Managing Biodiversity
Summary
References
Landscape Management Plans
Establishing Goals
Current Conditions
Desired Future Conditions
Pathways to Desired Future Conditions
Developing the Landscape Management Plan
Plan Effectiveness
Summary
References
Ecoregional Assessments and Conservation Priorities
Ecoregional Assessments
Examples of Ecoregional Assessments
Aßeßing Patterns of Habitat Availability and Quality
Summary
References
Viable Populations in Dynamic Forests
Extinction Risks
Goals of PVAs
PVA Models
Conducting a PVA for a Forest-Associated Species
Examples of PVA Analyses
Model Errors and Uncertainties
Interpreting Results from PVA Projections
Summary
References
Monitoring Habitat Elements and Populations
Adaptive Management
Designing Monitoring Plans
Is Data Already Available and Sufficient?
Making Decisions with Data
Examples of Approaches to Monitoring
Summary
References
Forest Sustainability and Habitat Management
Defining the Resources to be Sustained
Scales of Sustainability
Humans are Part of the System
Forest Certification
Sustaining and Marketing Ecosystem Services: Habitat Banking
Summary
References
Regulatory and Legal Considerations
International Laws and Agreements
Policy Analysis
How Decisions in the United States Influence Habitat in the World
Case Study: The Endangered Species Act and Climate Change
Summary
References
Should I Manage the Forest?
What Does Restoration Mean?
Developing a Personal Management Philosophy
Summary
References
Common and Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in the Text
Glossary
Measuring and Interpreting Habitat Elements
Wildlife-Habitat Relationships Models
Projecting Habitat Elements through Time
Brenda C. McComb , PhD, is Professor and Dean, Graduate School, Oregon State University, Corvallis. She is responsible for over 80 graduate programs and 4500 graduate students at a large research intensive university, having spent much of her 36-year career engaged in natural resources research, teaching, outreach, and administration.