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。为了实现可持续性，森林管理做法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要求。尽管新不伦瑞克省林业历史悠久，但令人惊讶的是，很少有研究利用前后比较来确定动植物对采伐的反应。在这项研究中，我们将使用焦点物种（鸣禽，啄木鸟和地衣生长在树上），以评估芬欧汇川-Kymmene使用的公共（皇冠）林地的新不伦瑞克的采伐实践的可持续性。为此，我们在两种森林类型（阿卡迪亚和半北方）建立了研究样地，在实验性采伐前的2年里，我们调查了鸟类和地衣。目前正在采用各种处理方法（在阿卡迪亚森林进行小块采伐;在半寒带森林进行可变保留）。我们将在2009年和2010年重新调查所有地点，以测量处理地块和对照（未切割）中每个指示物种的反应。选择的重点鸟类物种使用死亡/垂死的树木筑巢，相对较大的树木觅食，并被认为是敏感的改变他们的栖息地在更大的（景观）规模。这两种地衣已被证明是敏感的森林采伐开放。因此，我们认为，这些物种应该代表这些森林类型的生态完整性的有用指标。我们将确定这些物种是否可以坚持和繁殖成功地在处理地块相对于控制。由于焦点物种发生在北美（鸟类）或北方半球（地衣）的其他地方，我们的研究结果应该对其他研究地区的可持续森林管理产生影响。

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.