The Response of Caribou Terrestrial Forage Lichens to Mountain Pine Beetles in West-Central BC
Project Reference Number: 2011-14
Project Status: Complete
Led by: Deborah Cichowski, Caribou Ecological Consulting, Smithers
Funder: Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation; Canadian Wildlife Federation
This project will asses the impacts of MPB and forest harvesting on caribou terrestrial forage lichens on the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou winter range by re-measuring permanent sample plots that wre previusly established in 2001 and re-measured in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
The long-term objectives of this project are:
- To assess the short term and long term response of terrestrial caribou forage lichens and competing vegetation to the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
- To assess the timing and extent of coarse woody debris accumulation, as an indicator of movement barriers for caribou, following a mountain pine bettle epidemic.
- To assess changes in stand structure and composition in caribou winter habitat following a mountain pine beetle epidemic.
The short-term objectives of this project are:
- To re-measure terrestrial lichen abundance, competing vegetation abundance, stand structure, regeneration and coarse woody debris on 79 permanent plots in the East Ootssa and Entiako areas.
- To assess changes in forest floor vegetation dynamics, stand structure, regeneration and coarse woody debris accumulation since the last re-measurement in 2007 and since the study began in 2001.
Related Reports
Publication Date | Report Title | Authors |
---|---|---|
March 2006 | The Response of Caribou Terrestrial Forage Lichens to Mountain Pine Beetles andf Forest Harvesting in the East Ootsa and Entiako Areas | Patrick Williston and Deborah Cichowski |