Wildlife response to stand structure of deciduous woodlands

Abstract

Deciduous woodlands provide important habitat for wildlife but comprise < 1% of the land area in the northern great plains. we sampled vegetation, birds, and mammals in 1983 and 1984 in 2 stand types of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) woodlands in northwestern South Dakota. Closed-canopy stands were multilayered communities with dense overstories of several age classes and sizes of trees and a variety of shrubs. Open-canopy stands lacked foliage layers and had sparse overstories of decadent trees. Fifteen birds and mammals occurred in significantly greater numbers (P < .05) in closed-canopy stands compared to open stands; numbers of 2 species were higher (P < .05) in open stands. Nearly 2x as many birds were observed in closed-canopy stands than were observed in open-canopy woodlands. The absence of tree reproduction in these riparian-like woodlands results in a loss of wildlife habitat and will eventually lead to the loss of this community.

Citation

Hodorff, Robert A.; Sieg, Carolyn Hull; Linder, Raymond L. 1988. Wildlife response to stand structure of deciduous woodlands. Journal of Wildlife Management. 52(4): 667-673.