Restoration thinning and burning treatments in southwestern ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests are designed to both reduce the risk of wildfire and restore ecosystem functions and structure, including maintaining or reestablishing habitat for wildlife populations. However, we found limited quantitative data regarding wildlife responses to restoration treatments and changes in forest structure because most previous studies were conducted at small temporal and spatial scales, and they generally focused on bird species (Kalies et al. 2010). In addition, although habitat components, such as Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), large-diameter trees, snags and downwood, are thought to be important to wildlife, there is debate about treatment targets on the landscape (Abella et al. 2006, Noss et al. 2006). In this ERI working paper, we present the results of a study that assessed small mammal responses totreatments--responses previously unexamined at thecommunity level or at large temporal and spatial scales in southwestern ponderosa pine forests.

This conference was meant to facilitate the development of mutually beneficial human-wildland interactions by exploring ways in which to restore and sustain land health, as well as that of dependent human communities, in an adaptive ecosystem management context. General adaptive ecosystem restoration and management principles were discussed, however the conference was specifically designed to encourage cooperative North American work. The primary focus was on long-needled pine (principally ponderosa and closely related pines) and mixed-conifer landscape systems in the Western U.S.

This paper synthesizes available information on the effects of hazardous fuel reduction treatments on terrestrial wildlife and invertebrates in dry coniferous forest types in the West. We focused on thinning and/or prescribed fire studies in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry-type Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and mixed coniferous forests. Overall, there are tremendous gaps in information needed to evaluate the effects of fuel reduction on the majority of species found in our focal area. Differences among studies in location, fuel treatment type and size, and pre- and post-treatment habitat conditions resulted in variability in species responses. In other words, a species may respond positively to fuel reduction in one situation and negatively in another. Despite these issues, a few patterns did emerge from this synthesis. In general, fire-dependent species, species preferring open habitats, and species that are associated with early successional vegetation or that consume seeds and fruit appear to benefit from fuel reduction activities. In contrast, species that prefer closed-canopy forests or dense understory, and species that are closely associated with those habitat elements that may be removed or consumed by fuel reductions, will likely be negatively affected by fuel reductions. Some habitat loss may persist for only a few months or a few years, such as understory vegetation and litter that recover quickly. The loss of large-diameter snags and down wood, which are important habitat elements for many wildlife and invertebrate species, may take decades to recover and thus represent some of the most important habitat elements to conserve during fuel reduction treatments. Management activities that consider the retention of habitat structures (such as snags, down wood, and refugia of untreated stands) may increase habitat heterogeneity and may benefit the greatest number of species in the long run.