Management of Ungulate Winter Range for Northern · PDF fileManagement of Ungulate Winter Range for Northern Caribou ... Terrestrial forage lichens • Bulk of diet is composed of

Scott McNay

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Management of Ungulate Winter Range for Northern CaribouCaribou recovery in north-central BC

Scott McNay

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Habitat useTerrestrial forage lichens

• Bulk of diet is composed of terrestrial forage lichens

• Availability of lichens determines habitat use patterns• Abundance of lichens• Snow depth• Snow hardness

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Snow depth (cm)% cover (Cladina)

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d of

use

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Abundance of terrestrial forage lichensRegional differences

• At least 3 broad regions that differ in:• Competitive stressors • Research• Management

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The Omineca ContextSoils and canopy cover

• Lichens are most abundant on sites of poor productivity (stress tolerated)• Soil texture (nutrients,

moisture)• Canopy cover (micro-

climate)• Lichens are likely the climax

community on poorest sites• Interception of snow will

allow caribou to crater more efficiently

Mesic - successional Xeric – not successional

Increasing lichensIncreasing moisture

and nutrients

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Succession of Lichen CommunitiesRehabilitate terrestrial forage lichens

• Recovery planning …• Ecological succession of

plant communities will reduce lichen abundance

• Planned rehabilitation would encourage sustainable supply Polytrichum

Cladonia

Cladina/Stereocaulon

FeathermossPe

rcen

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ver

ofRe

inde

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iche

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Years From DisturbanceYoung Prime Late Prime Old

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FormalizationSpatial depiction of range values

• Used a graphical modeling technique to articulate factors and environmental relationships

• Built model in a collaborative workshop setting

Nyberg, J.B., Marcot, B.G., and Sulyma, R. 2006. Using Bayesian belief networksin adaptive management. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36: 3104-3116.

PREP: Site Prep

REM: Stand Removal

STOK: Stocking

SA: Stand AgeOMD: Organic Matter Disturbance

SEA: Removal Season

PLWR_TLFA: Terrestrial Lichen Forage Abundance

ASP: Aspect

ECO: Ecological Unit

PINE: Stand Percent Pine

SI50: FC1 Site Index

TLHC: Terrestrial Lichen Habitat Capability

SC: Stand Characteristics

FFC: Forest Floor Characteristics

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Formal DesignationUngulate winter range for northern caribou

• Mackenzie 340,029 ha• Fort St. James 50,000 ha• Vanderhoof >50,000 ha

Mackenzie

Fort St. James

Vanderhoof

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Forecasting Hypothetical FutureOscillating supply of range

Polytrichum

Cladonia

Cladina/Stereocaulon

Moss Woodland

AgeClass

Lichen SuccessionPhase

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Year 2000

Age Class

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8- 8+ 9

Year 2140

Year 2090

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8- 8+ 9

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a (h

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Year 2060

• Due to past disturbance history, we expect a decline in the supply of pine-lichen woodlands

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The Omineca ParadigmRehabilitate terrestrial forage lichens

• Based on active management (primarily forestry)

• Stakeholders tended to be more familiar with protection paradigms associated with management of arboreal lichens

• Caribou originally considered as a constraint but now viewed as an opportunity (in some places)

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ManagementBased on adaptation and continued research

• Silviculture prescriptions• Concept of climax lichen

communities

TreatmentRegime

PredictedCondn for

Lichen

HarvestingMethod

HarvestingSeason

SitePreparation

RegenMethod

1 Best WT Winter None Natural

2 Good CTL Winter None Natural

3 Good CTL Summer None Natural

4 Moderate CTL Summer None Plant

5 Worst CTL Summer DragScarify Natural

6 Good WT Summer None Nat

7 Moderate WT Summer None Plant

8 Worst WT Summer DragScarify Natural

9 Worst WT Summer DragScarify Plant

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What now?The future ain’t what it used to be

• Down turn in lumber market

• Mountain Pine Beetle• Lack of balance & poor

spatial location• Effect of remnant

stems• Effect of “apparent”

competition from other shrubby vegetation

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Caribou Response to MPBResults from an “Expert Forum”

• Salvage will increase• Fragmentation• Predation

• Deactivate roads• Loss of canopy will increase

• Vegetative competition• Mitigate with fire / lichen

“seeding”

No Management

• Loss of canopy will decrease• Snow interception

• Recruit forest cover• MPB could increase

• Habitat value for other ungulates

• Further study• Use of predator control

• Movement-impairing debris• Mitigate with fire

Management

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To burn or not to burn?The Ritchie recommendations

Decision, at least from an ecological perspective, should be based on:

1. Regional differences factors contributing to lichen niches and2. Spatial delineation of lichen sites into climax versus succession

… still much uncertainty expected responsesmethods guiding the use of fire

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Further Informationwww.wildlifeinfometrics.com

FOREST INVESMENT ACCOUNT

Contact me at [email protected]