executive summary
In British Columbia, approximately 70 species of birds, mammals and amphibians depend on wildlife trees (dead or dying trees with special characteristics such as size, condition and species) for nesting, denning, feeding, perching or roosting. High value wildlife trees have attributes that are generally associated with older trees (e.g., large size, heavy branching, internal decay). These types of trees are often not available in second-growth stands that have previously been managed without objectives for wildlife tree retention, nor in areas where a loss of valley bottom habitat (i.e., due to hydro reservoir development) has artificially removed large areas of lowland forest.
Fungal inoculation and mechanical tree modification techniques were used to enhance the supply of wildlife trees in the Bridge-Seaton watershed west and northwest of Lillooet, British Columbia. The main project objectives were to: i) increase the abundance of wildlife trees in locations with high habitat capability; and ii) increase nesting, roosting and denning habitat for selected wildlife species, specifically secondary cavity dwelling species at risk such as Western Screech-owl and Flammulated Owl, and keystone primary cavity excavators including Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Flicker.
In total, 120 live Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and cottonwood trees were treated (inoculated) in October and November, 2006, at 7 different field sites. 93% of treated trees (112/120) were inoculated, while the remaining 8 trees were inoculated and chainsaw modified (topped and stem scarred, or stem girdled).
The treated trees will be visually inspected for any change in condition post-treatment, in the summer of 2007 (mainly occurrence of windthrow). They will also be checked again in 2009 and 2011 for evidence of windthrow, breakage or use by wildlife.
before the project |
Drilling a Douglas-fir tree for insertion of a treated fungal dowel. |
after the project |
Topping a tree above the point of fungal inoculation. |
Triple Bottom Line Impacts |
environmental
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economic
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social  |
Increased nesting and denning habitat supply for a variety of primary and secondary cavity dwelling wildlife, also Increased nesting habitat supply for selected wildlife species at risk (Flammulated Owl, Western-screech Owl) in areas identified to have high habitat capability for these species. There is also enhanced forest structure conditions resulting from the creation of standing live and dead trees with internal decay. |
