Basin-Scale Surveys of Stream-Associated Amphibians in Intensively Managed Forests

Abstract: Conservation and management of native species on landscapes managed for intensive wood production represents an ongoing challenge to forest managers. Previous research suggests that impacts of forest practices on stream-associated amphibians (SAA; giant [Dicamptodon spp.], torrent [Rhyacotriton spp.], and plethodontid [Plethodon spp.] salamanders and coastal tailed frogs [Ascaphus truei]) in Oregon and Washington, USA, vary spatially and temporally as a result of biotic and abiotic factors, some of which can be influenced by management treatments. Although individual harvest units can encompass multiple stream reaches and entire second-order basins, nearly all published research studies used stream reaches of various lengths as sample units. To address this discrepancy between research and operational scales, we sampled first-, second-, and third-order streams in 70 randomly selected third-order basins in Oregon and Washington in 2007 and 2008 to estimate detection and occupancy parameters for SAA and to develop basin-level density estimates for different species and genera. We estimated occupancy probabilities of 0.99 (95% CL = 0.96–1.00) for torrent and giant salamanders, 0.93 (95% CL = 0.76–0.92) for Dunn's salamanders (Plethodon dunni), and 0.60 (95% CL = 0.46–0.72) for tailed frogs. Our estimates can be compared with estimates for unmanaged third-order basins in Oregon and Washington to provide a relative measure of potential impacts of forest management on these taxa. In addition, our estimates provide baseline information with which to assess potential effects of future environmental changes on the 4 genera.     

Landscape Use by Hairy Woodpeckers in Managed Forests of Northwestern Washington

ABSTRACT The hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) is a keystone species in forest ecosystems of Washington, USA, providing nesting and roosting cavities for many species of wildlife. Therefore, management practices that promote healthy populations of this bird will help to conserve cavity-nesting communities as a whole. The objective of this study was to determine patterns in forest type and landscape use by hairy woodpeckers, and thus, provide landscape-level recommendations to forest managers. We documented the ranging patterns and habitat use of 23 hairy woodpeckers on the Olympic Peninsula using radiotelemetry and a Geographic Information System analysis. Use patterns of stand age, type, and size, as well as distance-from-edge analyses revealed that the hairy woodpecker is a relative generalist in its use of the managed forest landscape. However, certain features, such as older stands with large trees, were used more heavily by nesting pairs. Hairy woodpeckers used 61–80-year forest stands significantly (P < 0.05) more than expected relative to their availability within the birds' home ranges. We also documented significant underuse of 6–10-year and 11–20-year stands, whereas the birds used 41–60-year stands, >80-year stands, and clear-cuts (< 5 yr) equivalent to their availability. We suggest that hairy woodpeckers select older stands with larger, dying trees for foraging, but also use clear-cuts proportionally due to the residual snags, decaying trees, and remnant dead wood available. Higher use (P < 0.001) by hairy woodpeckers of small forest patches (0–5 ha) and intermediate-sized stands (5–30 ha) than large patches (>30 ha) may be a result of the older, higher-quality habitat available in small stands in the managed forest landscape. We recommend that land managers interested in maintaining healthy managed forest ecosystems with a full complement of cavity-using species in forests of western Washington and northwestern Oregon maintain a landscape mosaic with approximately 45% of the landscape in stands >40 years, and >30% of the landscape in stands >60 years.     

Habitat Fragmentation and the Persistence of Lynx Populations in Washington State

Abstract Lynx (Lynx canadensis) occur in the northern counties of Washington state, USA; however, current distribution and status of lynx in Washington is poorly understood. During winters 2002–2004 we snow-tracked lynx for 155 km within a 211-km² area in northern Washington, to develop a model of lynx-habitat relationships that we could use to assess their potential distribution and status in the state. We recorded movements and behaviors of lynx with a Global Positioning System and overlaid digitized lynx trails on various habitat layers using a Geographic Information System. Based on univariate analyses, lynx preferred Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) forests, with moderate canopy and understory cover, and elevations ranging from 1,525 m to 1,829 m but avoided Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, openings, recent burns, open canopy and understory cover, and steep slopes. A map of suitable lynx habitat based on a logistic regression model built using these candidate variables revealed that habitats at elevations >1,400 m where lynx historically occurred in Washington are intersected and fragmented by landscape features and forest conditions that are generally avoided by lynx. Our habitat suitability map predicts 3,800 km² of lynx habitat in Washington that could support 87 lynx, far fewer than previous estimates. Since 1985, natural fires have burned >1,000 km² of forested habitat in Okanogan County, the only region in Washington where lynx occurrence has been documented during that period. Loss of suitable habitat from natural and human-caused disturbances, and the lack of verifiable evidence of lynx occurrence in historic lynx range, suggests that fragmented landscape conditions may have impeded recolonization of these areas by lynx. Consequently, translocations may be necessary to ensure lynx persistence in Washington. We suggest that managers assess the potential for translocation by first identifying the scale and distribution of potential foraging habitats for lynx based on our or similar habitat models, survey various habitat conditions to obtain reliable estimates of snowshoe hare densities, and identify a genetically compatible source population of lynx. If habitat and source populations are adequate, reintroducing lynx to areas of their historic range may be an appropriate conservation strategy.     

Barred Owl Space Use and Habitat Selection in the Eastern Cascades,Washington

ABSTRACT Competition with barred owls (Strix varia varia) is an important factor contributing to the continued decline of threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations in the Pacific Northwest, USA, but basic information on habitat selection and space use patterns of barred owls is lacking for much of the region. We investigated space use and habitat selection by tracking radiotagged barred owls in the Eastern Cascade Range of Washington, USA, from 2004 to 2006. We surveyed for barred owls across the 309-km² study area and confirmed presence of barred owl pairs at 21 sites. We collected movement data on 14 barred owls from 12 sites. Mean annual 95% fixed-kernel home-range size was 194 ha for females (n = 4, SD = 70) and 288 ha for males (n = 5, SD = 114). Home ranges were located more frequently than expected in areas with low topographic position, gentle slopes, large overstory tree-crown diameter, high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), overstory tree canopy closure >72%, and a moderate amount of solar insolation. Within home ranges, areas that had large tree-crown diameters, low topographic positions, and gentle slopes were used more frequently than expected. The resource selection function we developed for barred owls in our study area indicated that barred owls used areas with the combination of low values for topographic position and slope and higher values for NDVI, solar insolation, and an interaction term for canopy closure and tree-crown diameter. In comparison to published information on northern spotted owls, barred owls used areas with similar canopy closure and tree size classes, but barred owl home ranges were much smaller and more concentrated on gentler slopes in valley bottoms. This information may contribute to the development of management practices that maintain forest characteristics appropriate for spotted owl habitat and prey in areas where spotted owls are least likely to be excluded by territorial barred owls in the Eastern Cascades of Washington.     

Seasonal Resource Selection of Canada Lynx in Managed Forests of the Northern Rocky Mountains

ABSTRACT We investigated seasonal patterns in resource selection of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in the northern Rockies (western MT, USA) from 1998 to 2002 based on backtracking in winter (577 km; 10 M, 7 F) and radiotelemetry (630 locations; 16 M, 11 F) in summer. During winter, lynx preferentially foraged in mature, multilayer forests with Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) in the overstory and midstory. Forests used during winter were composed of larger diameter trees with higher horizontal cover, more abundant snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), and deeper snow compared to random availability; multilayer, spruce-fir forests provided high horizontal cover with tree branching that touched the snow surface. During winter, lynx killed prey at sites with higher horizontal cover than that along foraging paths. Lynx were insensitive to snow depth or penetrability in determining where they killed prey. During summer, lynx broadened their resource use to select younger forests with high horizontal cover, abundant total shrubs, abundant small-diameter trees, and dense saplings, especially spruce-fir saplings. Based on multivariate logistic-regression models, resource selection occurred primarily at a fine spatial scale as was consistent with a sight-hunting predator in dense forests. However, univariate comparisons of patch-level metrics indicated that lynx selected homogenous spruce-fir patches, and avoided recent clear-cuts or other open patches. Given that lynx in Montana exhibit seasonal differences in resource selection, we encourage managers to maintain habitat mosaics. Because winter habitat may be most limiting for lynx, these mosaics should include abundant multistory, mature spruce-fir forests with high horizontal cover that are spatially well-distributed.     

Habitat Selection of Female Turkeys in a Managed Pine Landscape in Mississippi

Abstract: Intensive pine (Pinus spp.) management is a dominant form of forest management in the southeastern United States. Previous research has shown that managed pine forests provide suitable habitat for eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), but little research has examined seasonal habitat selection for female wild turkeys from a landscape perspective, particularly within managed pine landscapes. Therefore, we used a long-term (1986-1993) data set to describe seasonal habitat selection by female wild turkeys, using an information-theoretic approach from a landscape perspective, on an intensively managed pine landscape. Habitat use patterns during preincubation and autumn-winter were indicative of female wild turkeys moving between a bottomland hardwood-agricultural field complex during autumn-winter and upland managed pine stands during the remainder of the year. During spring and summer, female wild turkeys used landscapes primarily composed of intensively managed pine, including thinned and burned stands and roadsides. Our results confirm results of short-term, stand-based habitat analyses on our study area. We recommend variable fire return intervals of 3 to 7 years to improve habitat conditions for wild turkeys within intensively managed pine forests. Further research is needed to examine management actions, such as thinning, prescribed fire, and herbicide use, within the context of wild turkey use of intensively managed pine landscapes.     

Age-Dependent Changes in Ecosystem Carbon Fluxes in Managed Forests in Northern Wisconsin,USA

The age-dependent variability of ecosystem carbon (C) fluxes was assessed by measuring the net ecosystem exchange of C (NEE) in five managed forest stands in northern Wisconsin, USA. The study sites ranged in age from 3-year-old clearcut to mature stands (65 years). All stands, except the clearcut, accumulated C over the study period from May to October 2002. Seasonal NEE estimates were −655 ± 17.5 g C m^–2 in the mature hardwood (MHW), −648 ± 16.8 in the mature red pine (MRP), −195 ± 15.6 in the pine barrens (PB), +128 ± 17.1 in the young hardwood clearcut (YHW), and −313 ± 14.6 in the young red pine (YRP). The age-dependent differences were similar in the hardwood and conifer forests. Even though PB was not part of either the hardwood or conifer chronosequence, and had a different disturbance agent, it still fits the same general age relationship. Higher ecosystem respiration (ER) in the young than in the mature stands was the combined result of earlier soil warming in spring, and higher temperature and greater biological activity in summer, as indicated by temperature-normalized respiration rates. The fire-generated PB had lower ER than the harvest-generated YHW and YRP, where high ER was sustained partly on account of logging residue. During the main growing season, the equivalent of 31 (MHW), 48 (MRP), 68 (PB), 114 (YHW) and 71% (YRP) of daily gross ecosystem production (GEP) was released in ER during the same day. The lower ER:GEP ratio in the mature stands was driven by greater age-dependent changes in ER than GEP. The magnitude of the increase in ER:GEP ratio in spring and fall was interpreted as the extent of the decoupling of ER and GEP. Decoupling (sustained high ER despite decreasing GEP) was observed in YHW, PB and MHW, whereas in coniferous stands (MRP and YRP) the stable ER:GEP ratio suggested preferential use of new photosynthates in ER. The results indicate that a great part of the variation in landscape-level C fluxes can be accounted for by mean stand age and associated parameters, which highlights the need to consider this source of heterogeneity in regional C balance estimates.     

Multiscale habitat relationships of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in the mixed conifer landscape of the Northern Rockies,USA: Cross‐scale effects of horizontal cover with implications for forest management

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify vegetation through browsing and serve as a prey resource for multiple predators. We implemented a multiscale approach to characterize habitat relationships for snowshoe hares across the mixed conifer landscape of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Our objectives were to (1) assess the relationship between horizontal cover and snowshoe hares, (2) estimate how forest metrics vary across the gradient of snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover, and (3) model and map snowshoe hare occupancy and intensity of use. Results indicated that both occupancy and intensity of use by snowshoe hares increased with horizontal cover and that the effect became stronger as intensity of use increased. This underscores the importance of dense horizontal cover to achieve high use, and likely density, of snowshoe hares. Forest structure in areas with high snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover was characterized as multistoried with dense canopy cover and medium‐sized trees (e.g., 12.7–24.4 cm). The abundance of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) was associated with snowshoe hare use within a mixed conifer context, and the only species to increase in abundance with horizontal cover was Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Our landscape‐level modeling produced similar patterns in that we observed a positive effect of lodgepole pine and horizontal cover on both occupancy and use by snowshoe hares, but we also observed a positive yet parabolic effect of snow depth on snowshoe hare occupancy. This work is among the first to characterize the multiscale habitat relationships of snowshoe hares across a mixed conifer landscape as well as to map their occupancy and intensity of use. Moreover, our results provide stand‐ and landscape‐level insights that directly relate to management agencies, which aids in conservation efforts of snowshoe hares and their associated predators.     

六盘山华北豹的栖息地利用及保护建议

大型食肉动物对维持生态系统的结构和功能具有重要作用, 但大部分大型食肉动物处在持续的种群数量和分布面积下降之中, 面临着急迫的研究与保护需求。华北豹(Panthera pardus japonensis)是我国特有的豹亚种, 也是部分区域森林生态系统中仅存的大型食肉动物, 面临着生境破碎化等威胁。本研究使用红外相机调查了宁夏六盘山国家级自然保护区华北豹的分布, 通过构建占域模型分析了华北豹的栖息地利用, 预测了华北豹的适宜栖息地, 并评估了其生境破碎化格局。研究发现, 华北豹在六盘山的平均占域率约为0.135。华北豹偏好植被发育成熟、地势崎岖、温度较低、远离农田和公路的栖息地, 对于农田边缘和居民点等人类活动区域未显示出显著回避。研究识别的六盘山华北豹适宜栖息地主要沿六盘山东西两侧山脉分布, 55%的适宜栖息地斑块位于六盘山国家级自然保护区内。栖息地斑块面积平均为16 km², 最大达214 km², 约77%的栖息地斑块面积在10 km²以下。研究表明六盘山国家级自然保护区有效地保护了华北豹现有的适宜栖息地, 但仍存在栖息地破碎化和人类活动干扰等关键限制因素。建议通过栖息地改造、人类活动管理等方式增强六盘山华北豹适宜栖息地斑块连通性; 并通过推动华北豹跨省保护工作等举措促进华北豹种群扩散恢复。     

Relationship Between Avifaunal Occupancy and Riparian Vegetation in the Central Great Basin (Nevada, U.S.A.)

In western North America, riparian vegetation is being lost in response to changes in land use and climate. We examined the relationship between obligate riparian species of songbirds and environmental and riparian habitat factors in three mountain ranges in the central Great Basin (Nevada, U.S.A.). We estimated patterns of occupancy, colonization, and local extinction for three species detected during the breeding seasons of 2001–2006: MacGillivray's Warbler ( Oporornis tolmiei ), Broad-tailed Hummingbird ( Selasphorus platycercus ), and Song Sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ). We used model selection and multimodel inference to identify functional relationships between the occupancy of each species and multiple habitat variables, including the structure and composition of riparian vegetation. Among all years and species, we observed considerable variation in estimates of detection probability. For MacGillivray's Warbler, annual occupancy rates were relatively constant. Occupancy rates for Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Song Sparrow increased during the first 3–4 years of our study and then decreased. Each species experienced its highest rate of local extinction during 2005. Different components of riparian vegetation were good predictors of occupancy, colonization, and local extinction for each species. Typically, elevation and latitude also were strong predictors. Establishing functional relationships between avifauna and vegetation is essential to predicting how land-cover change may affect the occupancy of riparian areas and other habitats for birds. The conservation of breeding birds in riparian areas in the central Great Basin is more likely to succeed if the quality of their understory habitat as well as the canopy is maintained and restored.     

Predictive Model of Habitat Suitability for the Marbled Murrelet in Western Washington

Abstract: The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small Pacific seabird with a breeding range that extends from the Aleutian Islands to central California. Throughout most of its breeding range, it uses mature and old-growth coniferous forests as nesting habitat. Although most murrelets seem to nest within 60 km of the coast, occupied nesting habitat has been identified as far as 84 km from the ocean in Washington state. Due to the extensive inland distances within which birds are known to breed, the area requiring surveys to identify breeding sites can be enormous. Therefore, the standard 2-year survey protocol can be expensive and time-consuming for forest management agencies and companies to administer. We developed a logistic regression model to determine whether a suite of forest structural characteristics could be used to reliably predict occupancy of a forest patch by marbled murrelets. We tested the performance of the final model using cross-validation procedures and a sample of independent sites. We used 50 sites surveyed for marbled murrelets to estimate the model, and 48 independent sites were available to test model performance. All 50 sites were on private forestland owned by Rayonier located in the western lowlands of Olympic Peninsula within the Sitka spruce and western hemlock transition zones. We sampled forest habitat at each site, and we collected information on 15 explanatory variables. The best-fitting logistic regression model contained variables that measured number of canopy layers (P<0.001, approx. F test) and mistletoe (Arceuthobium sp.) abundance (P = 0.031, approx. F test). The model misclassified 2 of 33 (94% correct) unoccupied sites as occupied using a classification cut-off (c) of c=0.25. In the other direction, under cross-validation the final model misclassified 2 of 17 (88% correct) occupied sites as unoccupied. On a test of the model against an independent sample, using a classification cut-off value of c = 0.25, the final model correctly classified 36 of 48 sites (75% correct). The final model misclassified 3 of 31 occupied sites as unoccupied (90% correct). Use of predictive models could greatly reduce the amount of forest that requires surveys by screening out those sites with little probability of use and by focusing remaining effort on higher probability sites, resulting in a higher likelihood of identifying occupied sites and thereby more efficiently conserving marbled murrelet nesting habitat.     

四川老君山国家级自然保护区四川山鹧鸪繁殖期的生境利用及其变化研究

基于2006年4月—2018年6月四川老君山国家级自然保护区四川山鹧鸪Arborophila rufipectus固定样点监测数据,对四川山鹧鸪栖息地利用及变化进行了分析,结果显示:(1)不同年间四川山鹧鸪对样点的利用率存在差异,2006—2012年对样点的利用频次呈现下降趋势,2012年后呈现上升趋势;(2)利用样点的平均海拔为1 580 m±183 m,年间差异不大,总体保持稳定;(3)对人工林的利用频次最低,2006—2012年对原始林和次生林的利用偏好不明显,2012年之后对原始林的利用率大于次生林;(4)高频利用的生境具有海拔较高、坡度较小、灌丛盖度和竹丛盖度较大、且为原始林的特点。高海拔区域的原始林是保护区需要重点加强保护的区域;加强对低海拔区域人类活动的管控,促进次生林恢复,同时加强对人工林的改造,促进人工林林下灌丛和竹丛生长,将有利于保护区内四川山鹧鸪的栖息与繁衍。     

1200 years of fire and vegetation history in the Willamette Valley, Oregon and Washington, reconstructed using high-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis

High-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analyses were used to reconstruct the fire and vegetation history of the Willamette Valley for the last 1200 years. Presented in this paper are three new paleoecological reconstructions from Lake Oswego, Porter Lake, and Warner Lake, Oregon, and portions of previous reconstructions from Battle Ground Lake, Washington, and Beaver Lake, Oregon. The reconstructions show that prior to Euro-American settlement vegetation and fire regimes were influenced by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. Battle Ground Lake shows a stronger influence from climate, while Lake Oswego, Beaver Lake, Porter Lake, and Warner Lake were more controlled by human activity. However, human-set fires were also modulated by regional climate variability during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age. Fire reconstructions from Battle Ground Lake, Lake Oswego, Beaver Lake, and Porter Lake imply that fires were infrequent in the Willamette Valley 200-300 years prior to Euro-American settlement. The decline of Native American populations due to introduced disease may have led to this reduction in fire activity. The prehistoric record from Warner Lake, however, indicates that fires in the foothills of the Cascade Range were more frequent than on the valley floor, at least until ca. AD 1800. The historic portions of the reconstructions indicate that Euro-American land clearance for agriculture and logging produced the most dramatic shifts in vegetation and fire regimes. All five records indicate that few fires in the Willamette Valley have occurred since ca. AD 1930, and fires today are predominantly grass fires.     

Northern Goshawk Habitat: an Intersection of Science,Management, and Conservation

Abstract: We responded to the claim by Greenwald et al. (2005) that the management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the Southwestern United States (MRNG; Reynolds et al. 1992), a food web-based conservation plan that incorporated both northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and multiple prey habitats, may be inadequate to protect goshawks. Greenwald et al. (2005) based this claim on their review of 12 telemetry studies of goshawk habitat selection and 5 nontelemetry studies of the effects of vegetation structure at the home range scale on goshawk nest occupancy and reproduction that appeared after the 1992 publication of the MRNG. Greenwald et al. (2005) summarized their review as showing that 1) goshawks were habitat specialists limited to forests with mature and old-growth structures including large trees, high canopy cover, multiple canopy layering, and abundant woody debris; 2) habitats were not selected on the basis of prey abundance and, therefore, managing for prey habitats diluted goshawk habitats; and 3) selection for openings, edges, and habitat diversity was inconclusive. Our review found that when the studies' respective authors pooled their radiotagged goshawks there were weak to strong selections for old forest structures. However, the studies also documented extensive variation in use of vegetation types and structures by individual goshawks; some avoided openings, edges, young forests, and old forests, whereas others selected for these characteristics. Additionally, by virtue of their wide geographic distribution, the studies showed that the focal populations themselves occurred in a variety of forest types, some with large structural differences. We found no evidence in Greenwald's et al. (2005) review that the MRNG are inadequate to protect goshawks. Rather, the studies reviewed by Greenwald et al. (2005), as well as many studies they missed, supported the MRNG. The suggestion of inadequacy by Greenwald et al. (2005) appeared rooted in misunderstandings of goshawk habitats described in the MRNG, a discounting of the extent of variation in vegetation structural and seral stages used by goshawks, a limited understanding of the extent to which prey limits goshawks, a failure to recognize the dynamic nature of forests, and an incomplete review of the literature. We believe the MRNG are adequate because they maximize the sustainable amount of mature and old forests in goshawk home ranges and specify the kinds and intermixtures of prey habitats within home ranges. Implementation of MRNG should reduce the likelihood that the availability of vegetation structures suited to goshawk nesting and foraging, as well as abundance and availability of prey, will limit goshawk nest occupancy and reproduction.     

Habitat occupancy of sloth bear Melursus ursinus in Chitwan National Park,Nepal

Mammals have experienced a massive decline in their populations and geographic ranges worldwide. The sloth bear, Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791), is one of many species facing conservation threats. Despite being endangered in Nepal, decades of inattention to the situation have hindered their conservation and management. We assessed the distribution and patterns of habitat use by sloth bears in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal. We conducted sign surveys from March to June, 2020, in 4 × 4 km grids (n = 45). We collected detection/non‐detection data along a 4‐km trail that was divided into 20 continuous segments of 200 m each. We obtained environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic covariates to understand determinants of sloth bear habitat occupancy. The data were analyzed using the single‐species single‐season occupancy method, with a spatially correlated detection. Using repeated observations, these models accounted for the imperfect detectability of the species to provide robust estimates of habitat occupancy. The model‐averaged occupancy estimate for the sloth bear was 69% and the detection probability was 0.25. The probability of habitat occupancy by sloth bears increased with the presence of termites and fruits and in rugged, dry, open, undisturbed habitats. Our results indicate that the sloth bear is elusive, functionally unique, and widespread in CNP. Future conservation interventions and action plans aimed at sloth bear management must adequately consider their habitat requirements.     

Relations Between Regional–Local Habitat Loss and Metapopulation Properties of Epiphyllous Bryophytes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Richness and occupancy patterns of epiphyll bryophytes in a fragmented landscape of tropical rain forests in northeastern Brazil (Murici Ecological Station) were investigated to assess the influence of regional and local disappearance of habitat on epiphyllous metapopulation indicators. Bryophytes were collected from ten forest fragments, from the fragment's border to 100 m inside the forest. The number of colonized phorophytes and the cover on leaves were scored. Decreasing trends in regional and local abundance linked to habitat loss were observed, which may be related to the sexual and asexual expression. Although fertility was not related to constancy in the fragments, frequently fertile species colonized more sites within fragments than infertile species. Landscape metrics and indicators of habitat quality explained better the variation in epiphyll richness and occupancy than distance from the forest's edge. This suggests that the abrupt habitat quality modification resulting from edge creation is secondary in the area studied, while irreversible landscape modifications still play an important role. The results add to empirical support that metapopulations are prone to negative and long-term effects in fragmented landscapes. Thus, the selection of priority areas for conservation must take into account the remaining amount of habitat as well as the connectivity between the landscape's patches.     

The use of infrared‐triggered cameras for surveying phasianids in Sichuan Province,China

We report on the use of infrared‐triggered cameras as an effective tool to survey phasianid populations in Wanglang and Wolong Nature Reserves, China. Surveys at 183 camera‐trapping sites recorded 30 bird species, including nine phasianids (one grouse and eight pheasant species). Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus and Temminck’s Tragopan Tragopan temminckii were the phasianids most often detected at both reserves and were found within the mid‐elevation range (2400–3600 m asl). The occupancy rate and detection probability of both species were examined using an occupancy model relative to eight sampling covariates and three detection covariates. The model estimates of occupancy for Blood Pheasant (0.30) and Temminck’s Tragopan (0.14) are close to the naïve estimates based on camera detections (0.27 and 0.13, respectively). The estimated detection probability during a 5‐day period was 0.36 for Blood Pheasant and 0.30 for Temminck’s Tragopan. The daily activity patterns for these two species were assessed from the time/date stamps on the photographs and sex ratios calculated for Blood Pheasant (152M : 72F) and Temminck’s Tragopan (48M : 21F). Infrared cameras are valuable for surveying these reclusive species and our protocol is applicable to research or monitoring of phasianids.