Wildlife Use of Douglas-Fir Dwarf Mistletoe Witches' Brooms in the Southwest

Hedwall, Shaula J.; Mathiasen, Robert L.

doi:10.3398/1527-0904(2006)66[450:wuoddm]2.0.co;2

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a study of dwarf mistletoe brooms in Douglas‐fir trees in southern Oregon, this minimum size was attained by all type III brooms sampled, by >67% of type II brooms sampled, but by only 33% of type I brooms sampled (Mallams et al ). Thus, use of witches' brooms may be driven by broom size as well as type (Hedwall and Mathiasen , Hedwall et al ). We did not measure broom size, but many of the brooms used in the Sacramento Mountains were large and likely similar to or larger than the minimum size used by northern spotted owls.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nesting habitat of Mexican spotted owls in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the habitat relationships of rare species is critical to conserving populations and habitats of those species. Nesting habitat is suspected to limit distribution of the threatened Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), and may vary among geographic regions. We studied selection of nesting habitat by Mexican spotted owls within their home ranges in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. We compared characteristics of owl nest trees and nest sites to characteristics of randomly located trees and sites at 2 spatial scales: the general nest vicinity and within activity centers used by spotted owls. Owls nested primarily in mixed-conifer forest (92%), and most nested in cavities in trees or snags (48%), or in dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) witches' brooms (36%). Owl nest trees had greater levels of dwarf mistletoe infection and were larger in diameter than random trees at both of the evaluated spatial scales. Nest trees also were more likely than random trees to be in white fir (Abies concolor) or Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and in trees or snags with broken tops. Differences between owl nest sites and random sites differed with the scale at which we selected random sites, but at both scales examined, owl nest sites had greater canopy cover and more basal area contributed by large trees and white fir than random sites. In addition, most nest sites occurred in drainage bottoms or on the lower 2 thirds of north-or east-facing slopes. Conservation of owl nesting habitat in this area will require retaining forest patches with high canopy cover and large trees containing cavities or large dwarf mistletoe witches' brooms. Locating forest management treatments on ridgetops or the upper third of slopes and/or on south-or west-facing slopes may reduce impacts to owl nesting habitat while simultaneously targeting the drier forest types most in need of restoration. Ó 2013 The Wildlife Society.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nesting habitat of Mexican spotted owls in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…They also reported a weak positive correlation between broom volume and broom age for type I and II brooms and that type III brooms did not show any correlation between broom volume and age. Although and Hedwall and Mathiasen (2006) measured the volume of Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe-induced brooms (types I-III) in the Southwest, these investigators did not report volume data for broom types. However, they did imply that type II and III brooms had the largest volumes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

“…frequently used by a variety of wildlife species (Mathiasen 1996, Mallams et al 2005, Hedwall and Mathiasen 2006. The biomass of needles from broomed branches was much greater than the biomass from nonbroomed branches.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…We also found that these brooms have greater total biomass than non-broomed Douglas-fir branches. Because brooms in Douglas-fir are often large, have more needles, and provide other structural components useful to wildlife such as larger branches and platforms they are often used by a wide variety of species for resting, hiding, foraging, and nesting sites (Hawksworth and Wiens 1996, Parks et al 1999, Shaw et al 2004, Hedwall and Mathiasen 2006. The large size and biomass of brooms provides hiding and thermal cover for wildlife and their architecture provides a suitable site for nest construction.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The large size and biomass of brooms provides hiding and thermal cover for wildlife and their architecture provides a suitable site for nest construction. Therefore, wildlife biologists and other forest managers are interested in preserving Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe-infected trees with large brooms so they can serve as wildlife habitat for many key species, including Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis; Marshall et al 2003, Mallams et al 2005, Hedwall and Mathiasen 2006.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations