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Biodiversity within dry forests of the interior of British Columbia : the role of aspen and stand structure Oaten, Dustin Kyle
Abstract
The dry interior forests of British Columbia are composed of contiguous coniferous forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), with a small portion consisting of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). These aspen trees are of particular interest as there is evidence that they may support a relatively abundant and diverse faunal community. However, this potential has not been extensively explored within these forests. Two bioindicator taxa, small mammals and cavity-nesting birds, were investigated within aspen stands near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada during 2005 and 2006, and were compared to neighbouring Douglas-fir and mixedwood stands. Seven thousand ninety seven captures of 12 small mammal species were made during 15,761 trap nights, with 48% of captures within aspen stands. Seven species were numerically dominant within these stands including the deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi), long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus), montane vole (Microtus montanus), meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and the northwestern chipmunk (Tamias amoenus). Eight stand level attribute variables were highly correlated with total small mammal abundance: percent aspen, total plant cover, number of grass species, snag density (stems/ha), CWD volume (m³/ha), plant richness, and shrub and herb cover. Fourteen cavity-nesting bird species were detected 1541 times during 288 point count surveys, with 48% of detections within aspen stands. Four species dominated the counts: three weak secondary cavity excavators and a single primary cavity excavator. The total abundance of cavity-nesting bird species was correlated with total volume of CWD (m³/ha), snag volume (m³/ha), snag density (stems/ha), downed CWD volume (m³/ha) and percent aspen. Overall, the pure stands of aspen supported the largest numbers and diversity of small mammals and birds; these results highlight the importance of aspen stands as they may serve as biodiversity 'hotspots' within dry interior British Columbia forests. Forest managers should incorporate the maintenance of these stands into their long-term management plans.
Item Metadata
Title |
Biodiversity within dry forests of the interior of British Columbia : the role of aspen and stand structure
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2007
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Description |
The dry interior forests of British Columbia are composed of contiguous coniferous
forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), with a small portion consisting of
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). These aspen trees are of particular interest as there is
evidence that they may support a relatively abundant and diverse faunal community.
However, this potential has not been extensively explored within these forests. Two
bioindicator taxa, small mammals and cavity-nesting birds, were investigated within aspen
stands near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada during 2005 and 2006, and were compared
to neighbouring Douglas-fir and mixedwood stands. Seven thousand ninety seven captures
of 12 small mammal species were made during 15,761 trap nights, with 48% of captures
within aspen stands. Seven species were numerically dominant within these stands including
the deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi),
long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus), montane vole (Microtus montanus), meadow vole
(Microtus pennsylvanicus), and the northwestern chipmunk (Tamias amoenus). Eight stand
level attribute variables were highly correlated with total small mammal abundance: percent
aspen, total plant cover, number of grass species, snag density (stems/ha), CWD volume
(m³/ha), plant richness, and shrub and herb cover. Fourteen cavity-nesting bird species were
detected 1541 times during 288 point count surveys, with 48% of detections within aspen
stands. Four species dominated the counts: three weak secondary cavity excavators and a
single primary cavity excavator. The total abundance of cavity-nesting bird species was
correlated with total volume of CWD (m³/ha), snag volume (m³/ha), snag density (stems/ha),
downed CWD volume (m³/ha) and percent aspen. Overall, the pure stands of aspen supported
the largest numbers and diversity of small mammals and birds; these results highlight the
importance of aspen stands as they may serve as biodiversity 'hotspots' within dry interior
British Columbia forests. Forest managers should incorporate the maintenance of these
stands into their long-term management plans.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2011-03-08
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0074944
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.