Experimental study of indicator species' response to habitat alteration by forest management

林业仍然是加拿大景观变化的最重要因素之一。为了实现可持续，森林管理实践必须保持生态服务和足够的栖息地，以满足与我们的森林有关的最苛刻物种的需求。尽管新不伦瑞克省有着悠久的林业历史，但令人惊讶的是，很少有研究利用前后比较来确定植物和动物对采伐的反应。在这项研究中，我们将使用焦点物种（鸣禽、啄木鸟和生长在树上的地衣）来评估upm - kymene在新不伦瑞克省公共（皇冠）林地上采用的采伐方法的可持续性。为此，我们在两种森林类型（阿卡迪亚森林和半北方森林）中建立了研究地块，在实验采伐前的2年里，我们对鸟类和地衣进行了调查。目前正在采用的处理方法（阿卡德森林的斑块采伐；半北方森林的可变保留）。我们将在2009年和2010年对所有地点进行重新调查，以测量处理样地和对照（未切割）中每个指示物种的反应。被选中的鸟类焦点物种使用死亡/垂死的树木筑巢，相对较大的树木觅食，并且被认为对更大（景观）尺度上的栖息地变化很敏感。这两种地衣已经被证明对森林的开放很敏感。因此，我们认为这些物种应该是这些森林类型生态完整性的有用指标。我们将确定这些物种是否能在处理过的地块上相对于对照地持续存在并成功繁殖。由于焦点物种发生在北美其他地方（鸟类）或北半球（地衣），我们的研究结果应该对其他研究区域的可持续森林管理具有启示意义。

Forestry remains one of the most important agents of landscape change in Canada. To be sustainable, forest management practices must maintain ecological services and enough habitat to meet the requirements of the most demanding species associated with our forests. In spite of New Brunswicks long history of forestry, surprisingly few studies have taken advantage of a before-after comparison to determine the response of plants and animals to harvesting. In this study, we will use focal species (songbirds, woodpeckers and lichens growing on trees) to assess the sustainability of harvesting practices used by UPM-Kymmene on public (Crown) forest lands of New Brunswick. To do so, we established study plots in two forest types (acadian and hemiboreal), where we surveyed birds and lichens in the 2 years before experimental harvesting. Treatments (patch cutting in acadian forest; variable retention in hemiboreal forest) are currently being applied. We will resurvey all sites in 2009 and 2010 to measure the response of each indicator species in treatment plots and controls (uncut). The focal species of birds selected use dead/dying trees for nesting, relatively large trees for foraging, and are thought to be sensitive to alterations of their habitat over the larger (landscape) scale. The two lichens have been shown to be sensitive to the opening of the forest by harvesting. Hence, we believe that these species should represent useful indicators of ecologica integrity in these forest types. We will determine whether these species can persist and reproduce successfully in treated plots relative to controls. Because the focal species occur elsewhere in North America (birds) or the northern hemisphere (lichens), our findings should have implications for sustainable forest management in other study regions.