The Sierra Forest Voice
Web Edition
Vol. 4, No. 1, July 2010
2010 - Global Year of Biodiversity
In this issue of the Sierra Forest Voice, we focus on biological diversity. This is the International Year of Biodiversity, and Sierra Forest Legacy is a partner with the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity in support of global conservation efforts.
(Photo left: Edith's checkerspot butterfly nectaring on Fivespot)
In 2002, world leaders made a commitment to achieve significant reductions in the planet’s rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010, through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). If you haven't heard much about this issue, it might be because the U.S. is the only country in the world that is not a party to the convention.
Global-wide biodiversity has continued to decline over the last four decades, according to a team of scientists recently reporting in the journal Science. Humanity's ecological footprint has increased by 78% since 1961, primarily due to consumption of resources.
The purpose of the 2010 Year of Biodiversity is to focus attention on the value and wonder of the planet's myriad living things, and to threats and efforts to reverse downward trends. With the news about climate change getting worse every day, and millions of gallons of oil pumping into the Gulf of Mexico daily, there has never been a time in modern history when the planet’s life forms have been more threatened. These times may present the greatest challenge, outside of nuclear war, that humankind has ever collectively faced.
Biological diversity is defined by all the many ways that life forms are different. It may be described at the molecular, genetic, individual, species, population, and ecosystem levels. The paleontological record documents that diversity is an emergent property of ecosystems – in other words, diversity begets diversity over time. The reverse of this process represents an entrainment towards a period of widespread extinctions. The world may be embarking upon that pathway today, according to many experts.
One reason that biological diversity is so important to the planet’s life support is because diversity increases the natural benefits provided by ecosystems, ensuring that the needs of organisms for food, water, shelter, reproduction, etc. are met in a variety of ways. Preservation of niche habitats, structure, and ecological processes is essential to provide the foundation in which life can flourish. This also builds what is called resiliency in environments, so that when infrequent events occur (such as uncharacteristic climate change, floods or fires, disease or insect outbreaks, hurricanes, etc.) there is a buffering effect upon species whose survival may otherwise be threatened.
The relationship between forest ecosystems and biodiversity, resilience, and stability are the subject of a recent literature synthesis from the U.N.'s Convention on Biological Diversity. This is timely information, since the role of forests in storing carbon and mediating the adverse affects of climate change has received a great deal of attention in recent months. You can read the report here.Citation: Thompson, I., Mackey, B., McNulty, S., Mosseler, A. 2009. Forest Resilience, Biodiversity, and Climate Change. A synthesis of the biodiversity/resilience/stability relationship in forest ecosystems. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal. Technical Series no. 43, 67 pages.
And Structurally Speaking....
(Photo left: Old-growth cedar with hollow chamber)
In forest management, some biological structures that are essential to provide breeding, feeding, and shelter for multiple organisms have not been addressed well -- or at all -- in environmental planning. Recently, researchers examined tree microhabitat structures as indicators of biodiversity in Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest. They compared the frequency and abundance of tree microhabitat structures in natural stands and in stands of varying active management histories. Stands that had been subjected to overstory reduction were found to have 85 percent less microhabitat structures as did natural stands.
Tree microhabitats include such features as broken tops, cracks or scars, hollow chambers, stem cavities, bark bowls and pockets, and burls. Many of these structures are the result of various stages of decay within or on the tree. They are not only correlated with abundance of forest species (biodiversity), but they also happen to be indicators of naturally mature or old-growth stands. American marten and Pacific fisher also utilize these important structures.
At least 85 different species of North American birds require tree cavities for nesting structures. Woodpeckers, owls, titmice, chickadees, flycatchers, nuthatches, and bluebirds are among the many cavity nesting birds. Bark pockets are used for roosting by several species of bats in the Sierra Nevada. Brown creepers also use them for nesting sites. Pockets, cavities and bowls contain decayed residue that provide food and habitat for invertebrates and small mammals, as well as substrate for fungi that are eaten by a variety of mammals. Mistletoe brooms create misshapen dense clusters of branches that provide excellent concealment for denning sites, nests, and to protect young.
The authors concluded that where the goal is to increase biodiversity and stand complexity, along with “longterm social, economic, and ecological benefits,” it is crucial to adopt silvicultural practices that preserve tree microhabitats while also preserving all the remaining natural stands in the Pacific Northwest. These recommendations can and should be applied to the Sierra Nevada, where the development of legacy structures is even more critical due to the longer time it takes to grow trees in our dry climate.
(Photo right: Oak snag with woodpecker cavities)
Citation:
Michel, A.K. and S. Winter. 2009. Tree microhabitat structures as indicators of biodiversity in Douglas-fir forests of different stand ages and management histories in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. Forest Ecology and Management 257:1453-1464.
Read more about tree microhabitat and biodiversity on these new SFL webpages.
Send Us Your Photos!
Help us educate about biodiversity in the Sierra Nevada, and spread the word about the importance of tree microhabitats. Send us your digital photographs illustrating tree microhabitats, and we'll select 12 of the best pictures to include in our first ever Sierra Forest Legacy calendar dedicated to Sierra Nevada tree microhabitats.
We're also seeking high quality photos of the conifers from the Sierra Nevada region. There are 26 different species of conifers that grow in the region, making it one of the most conifer diverse regions in the world.
Please send your photos to: info[AT]sierraforestlegacy.org. Include a description of the location and habitat where you took the picture, with as much detail as possible.
The Forgotten Stage of Forest Succession
Protection of the Sierra Nevada’s last remaining old growth forests and the species that are associated with them has always been a major focus of Sierra Forest Legacy’s conservation efforts. Old-growth dependent animals such as the California spotted owl and Pacific fisher are under dire threat from loss of habitat in the region. The significance of logging the last of the ancient forests that took many hundreds of years to develop is obvious. Once cut, ancient forests cannot be replaced in our lifetimes. Only long expanses of time can replace the ancient trees, and the impacts of climate change in the Sierra Nevada increase the uncertainty of restoration efforts.
As a result, it's easy to forget that the early forest stages are equally important to sustain, as they provide the foundation for the entire forest food web. Whatever happens to this stage of forest development can affect future trajectories including species composition, structure, and survivability for entire suites of species.
“Succession” refers to the stages of forest development, with one community replacing another over time. These stages are also sometimes called seres, or seral stages. At one time, ecologists described succession as a linear process culminating with the “climax” or stable old-growth forest community. Forest succession is today more accurately understood as a circular process, with various stages existing in many different locations due to the primary driver of forest structure in the Sierra Nevada, fire.
(Photo left: California bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), an endemic shrub that is dependent upon fire for regeneration)
When forests burn in hot, intense fires that kill the standing trees and understory, the clock is reset and forest succession begins again with the first rains in the fall and winter. These “resets” of the successional clock can occur in small patches or in larger stand-replacing distributions in the forest. The scope and scale of these various distributions contribute to biological and structural diversity in the forest.
A recent paper published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment calls for increased attention to this important early forest stage. The authors include Mark Swanson of Washington State University, Jerry Franklin, Robert Beschta, Charles Crisafulli, Dominick DellaSala, Richard Hutto, David Lindenmayer and Frederick Swanson.
Their findings are similar to the take-home message of the 2008 book Salvage Logging and its Ecological Consequences, by Lindenmayer, Philip Burton, and Franklin, which described how logging after wildfire or other large scale forest disturbances (salvage logging) is detrimental to forests. The practice of salvage logging essentially eliminates all the ecological benefits that fire normally would confer.
Here, the authors broaden the discussion to disclose that all of the commonly practiced post-disturbance management activities - including those which are thought to be restorative, such as tree planting and plantation management - can similarly interrupt or completely eliminate the benefits of the early successional forest stage.
(Photo below: White-leaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida) thrives in the post-fire environment, providing bountiful crops of berries that sustain many species of mammals and birds)
Shrubs and wildflowers that normally occupy the post-fire early forest are rich sources of food and nesting materials for pollinators, birds, reptiles, and mammals. For some species, the burst of diversity which follows fire is necessary to build up populations and seed banks which are in decline or depleted from decades of fire suppression. The various types of woody materials left behind, such as snags and down wood – are legacies that provide important habitat for a wide variety of organisms. Aquatic ecosystems are also enhanced from the increased diversity of beneficial inputs associated with regenerating post-fire ecosystems.
Clearing and planting of these areas, followed by herbicide management, eliminates virtually all of these important attributes and can have a rippling effect throughout the forest ecosystem. The authors question the appropriateness of even using the term “recovery” in respect to dense tree planting, a practice that has been questioned in California’s Region 5 Forest Service.
This refreshing paper breathes new life into the possibility of ecology-focused land management of our national forests, appropriately connecting the dots between the science of old growth forests and early-successional forests in the circle of evolutionary processes. It’s an important paper and highly recommended reading.
Swanson, M.E. et al. 2010 In press. The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional ecosystems on forest sites. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. doi:10.1890/090157.
Update on the Pacific Fisher
In April, SFL filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the agency’s failure to make expeditious progress in listing the west coast distinct population segment of the Pacific fisher. The fisher has been designated as warranting protection under the nation’s Endangered Species Act, but the agency continues to drag its feet, claiming that other priorities have precluded listing the fisher. The suit was brought by Legacy with our partners at the Center for Biological Diversity and Earthjustice, the Environmental Protection Information Center, and Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.
You can download the filing from our website.
Southern Sierra Fisher
The Fisher Team at U.C. Berkeley's College of Natural Resources SNAMP (Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project) recently reported sad news of the death of two female fishers that were being studied by the researchers. One of the females was found killed by a bobcat on April 28, while the other was hit by a car and its still-warm body was found by the research team as they were driving on Highway 41 on May 2. Both fishers were rearing young, and the researchers immediately rescued the kits from the natal dens where they were being monitored.
The rescued fishers are now being cared for by veterinarian Lewis Wright at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Over the next three to five months they will be bottle fed, weaned to solid food, and then trained to hunt on their own in preparation for eventual release back into the wild.
The wildlife biologists are seeking community involvement and support to care for the five orphaned offspring which they rescued near Bass Lake and Fish Camp last week. Donations from the public will be used to purchase milk replacement formula and supplies to build outdoor cages for the rescued fishers. To make contributions, contact Anne Lombardo of UC Cooperative Extension at amlombardo@ucdavis.edu, (559) 676-0576.
A blog has been started at http://ucanr.org/blogs/Fisher/ with regular updates and pictures of the baby fishers. Don’t miss this!
Fisher Reintroduction in Plumas County
California Department of Fish and Game personnel have promised that regular updates on the fisher reintroduction/translocation in Butte County will be made available via a dedicated website. As of this writing, there is still no public website, but we will include a link to the site on the SFL fisher webpage as soon as it is available. A poster of the translocation project created by fisher biologists Aaron Facka and Roger Powell can be viewed on the SFL website here.
Sadly, another female fisher has died in the Stirling tract area (this makes two so far). However, researchers have also seen 4 females with kits, and one more is thought to have also reproduced. Natal dens were observed, and all were in cavities within large, old trees. Most of the fisher remained on SPI lands in second growth (not in clearcuts or plantations). One male fisher has traveled as far north as the town of Manton, in the Battle Creek watershed. As with most of the Sierra Nevada, this region was once prime fisher habitat but is scheduled for massive clearcutting in the near future.
The state Resources agency should act now to limit further clearcutting in the Stirling Tract region and the Battle Creek watershed, as recommended in the state Wildlife Action Plan, in order to preserve any remaining habitat for the fisher and increase its chances of survival in an area which once supported fisher, marten, wolverine, and Sierra Nevada red fox. With intact habitat corridors to the Lassen National Forest and Lassen Volcanic National Park, this area may once again provide viable habitat for fishers and other forest carnivores.
Read more about the fisher translocation here.
Species Profile:
Silver-haired bat
(Lasionycteris noctivagans) Silver-haired bats are one of the few bats primarily associated with forested areas in North America. They are primarily associated with old-growth conifers.
Nursery colonies of up to 70 individuals have been recorded and appear to be almost exclusively in hollow trees and snags, and under loose bark of large diameter snags.
[Silver-haired bat photograph by Dr. J. Scott Altenbach, University of New Mexico, used by permission].
It is estimated that these bats require snag densities of at least 21 per hectare (approximately 8.5 per acre). Forest management practices in the Sierra Nevada have failed to even meet the minimal recommendations of Forest Service policy (minimum of 4 snags per acre in general forest).
Silver-haired bat roosts are located approximately 50 feet or more above the ground. They prefer hollow snags, loose bark or deeply furrowed bark for daytime roosting.
Though their diets vary widely, these bats feed chiefly on small, soft-bodied insects such as moths. Silver-haired bats have been known to take flies, midges, leafhoppers, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, crane flies, lacewings, caddisflies, ants, crickets, and occasional spiders. Bats can eat as much as half their weight each night in insects. Their role in preserving the balance of nature in forest ecosystems is likely to be significant.
Quick Facts:
Medium sized, densely furred with white or silver highlights on the wing tips, and black wings. Weight is about 8-12 grams and total length is 2 ¾ to 4 ¼ inches (100mm).
Solitary; migrates south in the winter but may also occasionally hibernate over winter.
Distribution: southern Alaska, throughout southern Canada, and most of the United States into the San Carlos Mountains of northeastern Mexico.
Threats: The primary threat is likely to be loss of roosting habitat due to logging practices that fail to accommodate the roosting needs of this species (e.g., clusters of large snags). Loss of temporary roosts within migration corridors could also be important. Loss of foraging habitat in riparian areas, and reduction of prey base due to broadcast application of pesticides are other potential threats.
Status: The California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service list the silver-haired bat as a species of special concern, and the Sierra Framework requires annual monitoring for population distribution of the species throughout the Sierran forests.
News Bytes from the Front
Forest Plan Revisions
Sierra Forest Legacy is currently engaged in leading a partnership of over 20 environmental groups to compile a Sierra Nevada Conservation Strategy in preparation for the U.S. Forest Service's forest plan revisions. We've developed action items for 18 different topic sections ranging from protection of key habitats and ecological processes, to climate change, carbon management, and adaptive management.
In this process, we've organized multiple stakeholder meetings with conservation partners to collaborate on comment letters, strategic planning, and key meetings with Forest Service leadership. Our group has assembled an impressive body of ideas and actions. Many thanks to all the people and organizations who have been working together and supporting this effort.
Although the Forest Service won't start formally revising forest plans until 2012, the agency is now compiling information for a bioregional assessment to define current trends and desired conditions of resources. Our goal is to have a completed review draft of the Conservation Strategy by winter 2011 to influence the agency's thinking about sustainable resource management in the Sierra Nevada before site specific planning begins.
NFMA Planning Rule Revision Update
In February we submitted comments in response to the Forest Service's Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the agency's latest revision of the national forest Planning Rule. A draft rule and draft EIS is expected by the end of 2010. Look for additional information and updates here on Legacy's NFMA website.
The Forest Service now has a dedicated listserv for the 2011 Planning Rule and a twitter account. You can subscribe to these and get the latest updates here. Be sure to check the agency website for documents associated with the new rule. There is also a Forest Service Planning Rule blog where you can post additional comments. This is an opportunity to maximize public input to the process of developing the rules under which national forests throughout the nation will be managed for the next 15 years. In the Sierra Nevada alone, nearly 12 million acres of publicly owned lands will be directly affected by the new rule.
Global Warming Updates
There's new information and links to the latest relevant science about global warming and the forests of the Sierra Nevada here on our website. Don't miss it.
Sierra Forest Legacy Bookshelf
Managing Fire in the Urban Wildland Interface by Kenneth Blonski, Cheryl Miller, and Carol Rice. 2010. Solano Press Books, Point Arena, California. 396 pgs.
This latest land management reference from Solano Press (www.solano.com) is a comprehensive guide for individuals and community organizations working through the many issues involved in protecting life and property in the urban wildland interface -- where many people work and live in close proximity to wildlands. This book is likely to be an essential reference tool for Firewise planning in the Sierra Nevada, and for community planning.
Help Protect Our Sierra Nevada Forests
The work we do to protect the forests, with all of their unique and rare plants and animals, and the many wild places of the Range of Light cannot be done without the generosity of our supporters. Please help us to keep up our efforts. You can make a safe and secure donation from this website. Thanks to all who have so generously supported our work - together we form a multitude of voices. Join us in saying, "Si, se puede" on behalf of the wild forests of the Sierra Nevada.
"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it does otherwise."
~Aldo Leopold