Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut
We studied the response of beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl), moose (Alces alces L.), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxl.) to clear-cutting in three blocks that had been logged 10 years ago. In a previous study, these species had been surveyed in the same blocks 2 years before and 2 years after...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Forest Research |
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Language: | English |
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2005
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x04-151 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/x04-151 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/x04-151 2024-10-06T13:41:53+00:00 Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut Potvin, François Breton, Laurier Courtois, Réhaume 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x04-151 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/x04-151 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Forest Research volume 35, issue 1, page 151-160 ISSN 0045-5067 1208-6037 journal-article 2005 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/x04-151 2024-09-12T04:13:24Z We studied the response of beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl), moose (Alces alces L.), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxl.) to clear-cutting in three blocks that had been logged 10 years ago. In a previous study, these species had been surveyed in the same blocks 2 years before and 2 years after logging. We also surveyed an uncut block of the initial experimental design that was logged more recently. Over the 10-year period, the shrub layer and available browse have improved markedly in clear-cut areas. As compared with logged coniferous stands, logged mixed stands had higher lateral cover (62% vs. ≈55%) and taller regeneration (>4 m vs. <3 m). Beaver density did not change over the period because its feeding habitat remained unchanged in the riparian forest strips. Moose densities increased 54%87% in two harvested blocks as a result of both logging and stricter hunting regulations (selective hunting). Based on the rate of increase observed in a control block, we estimate that a 25% density increase in the mixed forest block can be related to logging, while selective hunting can solely be responsible for the change in the coniferous forest block. Snowshoe hare have started to reoccupy logged coniferous stands, but their relative density still remained less than half that of uncut stands. We conclude that, after 10 years, logged mixed stands already offer good habitat conditions for moose and snowshoe hare. Conversely, in logged black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands, habitat conditions still remain poor for snowshoe hare because of a lack of cover. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Forest Research 35 1 151 160 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
We studied the response of beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl), moose (Alces alces L.), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxl.) to clear-cutting in three blocks that had been logged 10 years ago. In a previous study, these species had been surveyed in the same blocks 2 years before and 2 years after logging. We also surveyed an uncut block of the initial experimental design that was logged more recently. Over the 10-year period, the shrub layer and available browse have improved markedly in clear-cut areas. As compared with logged coniferous stands, logged mixed stands had higher lateral cover (62% vs. ≈55%) and taller regeneration (>4 m vs. <3 m). Beaver density did not change over the period because its feeding habitat remained unchanged in the riparian forest strips. Moose densities increased 54%87% in two harvested blocks as a result of both logging and stricter hunting regulations (selective hunting). Based on the rate of increase observed in a control block, we estimate that a 25% density increase in the mixed forest block can be related to logging, while selective hunting can solely be responsible for the change in the coniferous forest block. Snowshoe hare have started to reoccupy logged coniferous stands, but their relative density still remained less than half that of uncut stands. We conclude that, after 10 years, logged mixed stands already offer good habitat conditions for moose and snowshoe hare. Conversely, in logged black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands, habitat conditions still remain poor for snowshoe hare because of a lack of cover. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Potvin, François Breton, Laurier Courtois, Réhaume |
spellingShingle |
Potvin, François Breton, Laurier Courtois, Réhaume Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
author_facet |
Potvin, François Breton, Laurier Courtois, Réhaume |
author_sort |
Potvin, François |
title |
Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
title_short |
Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
title_full |
Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
title_fullStr |
Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
title_full_unstemmed |
Response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a Quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
title_sort |
response of beaver, moose, and snowshoe hare to clear-cutting in a quebec boreal forest: a reassessment 10 years after cut |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x04-151 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/x04-151 |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Forest Research volume 35, issue 1, page 151-160 ISSN 0045-5067 1208-6037 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/x04-151 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Forest Research |
container_volume |
35 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
151 |
op_container_end_page |
160 |
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1812182646224060416 |