An appraisal of the fitness consequences of forest disturbance for wildlife using habitat selection theory.

Oecologia
James HodsonLouis Bélanger

Abstract

Isodar theory can help to unveil the fitness consequences of habitat disturbance for wildlife through an evaluation of adaptive habitat selection using patterns of animal abundance in adjacent habitats. By incorporating measures of disturbance intensity or variations in resource availability into fitness-density functions, we can evaluate the functional form of isodars expected under different disturbance-fitness relationships. Using this framework, we investigated how a gradient of forest harvesting disturbance and differences in resource availability influenced habitat quality for snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) using pairs of logged and uncut boreal forest. Isodars for both species had positive intercepts, indicating reductions to maximum potential fitness in logged stands. Habitat selection by hares depended on both conspecific density and differences in canopy cover between harvested and uncut stands. Fitness-density curves for hares in logged stands were predicted to shift from diverging to converging with those in uncut forest across a gradient of high to low disturbance intensity. Selection for uncut forests thus became less pronounced with increasing population size at low levels...Continue Reading

References

Apr 12, 2003·Oecologia·Douglas W Morris
Oct 4, 2006·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Thrond O HaugenNils Chr Stenseth
Oct 13, 2006·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Rudy Boonstra, Charles J Krebs
Oct 13, 2006·Nature·Douglas W Morris
Aug 25, 1995·Science·C J KrebsR Turkington
Oct 1, 1997·Behavioural Processes·P Y QuenetteL Sirois

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