 Background:
Arizona's ponderosa pine forests are severely stressed by drought, over-crowding,
and bark beetle infestations. Under current forest conditions, ponderosa
pine forests are extremely susceptible to catastrophic wildfire and are
providing marginal habitat for some wildlife species. In response to the
threat of wildfire and to improve habitat conditions for plants and wildlife,
forest restoration treatments are being initiated in parts of Arizona.
Forest restoration is a new science and relies heavily on the process of
adaptive management. That is, land managers change their approach to restoration
as new information becomes available. It is therefore critical to continue
to provide new information to land managers on how restoration activities
affect our wildlife.
In 1996, the Arizona Game and Fish Department joined a team of scientists
from the Bureau of Land Management and the Ecological Restoration Institute
at Northern Arizona University to research the effects of forest restoration
on wildlife. Wildlife with different spatial and habitat requirements may
respond quite differently to restoration treatments. Therefore, AGFD personnel
chose a suite of focal wildlife species that were associated with different
forest habitat conditions. In 1997, we began investigating short-term responses
to forest restoration for the following focal groups: mule deer, western
bluebirds, migrating passerines, lizards, and tassel-eared squirrels.
Location:
This research is being conducted on the Mt
Trumbull study area in the Grand Canyon-Parashant
National Monument. The study area is located
in the Unikaret Mountains in northwestern Arizona,
approximately 60 miles southwest of Fredonia.
Approach:
 From
1997-2000, we collected pre-treatment data.
This is information on how our focal species
were using the study area prior to the initiation
of restoration treatments and serves as a comparison
for our post-treatment data. Currently, we
are entering the first post-treatment stage.
Using state-of-the-art technology, such as
Global Positioning System collars on mule deer
and radio-telemetry on western bluebirds, and
conventional techniques, such as surveys for
forest songbirds and pitfall traps for lizards,
we are investigating wildlife responses to
a changing forest. In 2003, we collected data
on mule deer habitat selection, western bluebird
nestling survivorship, and lizard distributions
in restoration-treated habitats. We expect
to begin the migrating passerine and tassel-eared
squirrel post-treatment components in 2004.
By the end of the 2005 season, we expect to
have completed our initial assessment on short-term
wildlife responses to forest restoration. Our
long-term work, however, will have only just
begun.
Benefits:
The adaptive management process of forest restoration requires that we
continue to improve our understanding of wildlife responses to restoration.
As our knowledge expands, we will be able to provide valuable recommendations
regarding wildlife needs to the land managers who are making forest restoration
decisions.
For more information
contact:
Fenner Yarborough, Arizona Game and Fish Department,
5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000.
Phone: (928) 213-9591 E-mail: ryarborough@azgfd.gov |
