There is a tad of truth to the following quote forwarded by Jim:
.
"Canada lynx feed primarily on varying hares, which
thrive in thick growth created by saplings and sprouts that
typically follow tree-cutting operations. In short, evidence suggests
that old-growth forests is poor habitat for lynx. In short, man may
be helping lynx in Maine and in the two other U.S. states where lynx
are found, Montana and Washington."
The complete truth is that snow shoe hares and varying hares are abundant in
natural thickets with high densities usually associated with wildfires. The
most common tree species where Lynx and hares occur are in young stands of
lodgepole pine and jack pine. The problem with industrial forestry results
with herbiciding and density management. With low densities of pine the Lynx
and other predators can effectively prey on hares reducing their populations
below the carrying capacity. Secondly, without wildfires, shade tolerant
species often survive replacing less tolerant species of trees. In addition
to this, clearcuts for the most part require artificial reforestation with
optimum densities of pine, spruce and other commercially valuable species.
The hares are dependent in the winter on shrubs such as willow which often
do not regenerate very well on clearcuts, but regenerate very well on
wildfires.
In my studies I found high levels of willow, microtines, and natural
regeneration of pine on wildfires, whereas on plantations that were clearcut
in the Montane Spruce biogeoclimatic zone there was often insufficient shrub
populations to support winter vole populations leading to mortality in the
planted pine. This event occurred last year on numerous plantations and was
accelerated by the effect of the cyclic nature of meadow voles which have a
7 year cycle. The impact of the loss of shrubs directly impacts pine martin
which cannot prey on the voles in clearcuts in the winter since there is
insufficient large woody material that permits hunting under snow. When the
vole populations kill off planted seedlings they do not prefer the pine but
eat the pine because there is a shortage of preferred browse which the hares
also depend on. In my studies that looked at wildfires, there was dense
regeneration of willow and pine, and there was veirtually no browsing and
girdling of the pine.
Statutory decision makers in Canada are obligated to implement silviculture
practices to obtain a stand of preferred conifer and deciduous species that
meet scientific and economic objectives for commercial tree species. Only
rarely within any given stand of conifers that are grown for commercial
purposes are thickets left in a dense state that would ultimately benefit
the hares. So the indirect cause of declining Lynx populations are the laws
regarding silviculture on public forest lands. In British Columbia 95 % of
commercial forests are administrated by the government.
The population of Lynx in Canada is threatened where clearcutting and
density management and herbiciding is taking place. Lynx are not an
indicator of old growth forests except in the driest of the lodgepole pine
forests where densities are very high after wildfire. The Lynx is an
indicator of forest ecosystem health though for young seral stands, and in
fact indicate the health of populations of other species ranging from
species dependent on willow such as butterflies and up to 300 arthropod
species, various songbirds, grouse populations in lodgepole pine infected
with dwarf mistletoe, etc.
The only really good monitoring of the Lynx that occurs in Canada that I am
aware of is the annual harvest and reports by the professional trappers. In
British Columbia the species that is commercially signficant in low snow
areas where the hare occurs is the pine marten which is limited by preferred
winter prey such as voles. The pine martin does not survive in clearcuts
unless there is enough down logs to provide snow tunnels in the winter.
There BC Trapping Assoc. has published an extensive report indicating that
clearcutting impacts the pine martin (Martes americana) this way. The basic
requirement of the marten is for down woody material greater than 20 cm in
diameter. In the winter the martin captures the voles by pursuing the voles
under these logs which act as snow tunnels.
When clearcutting occurs all logs greater than 12.5 centimeters which can be
used for pulp or lumber are harvested and removed from the site. Moreover
when the clearcutting is completed there is often very poor regeneration of
willow which is the primary substrate for voles. Additionally the
regeneration of alders and other shrubs is often lower on clearcuts compared
with fire.
And it is very important to realize that in a wildfire it is very difficult
for large raptors to prey on hares due to the prolific regeneration and the
abundance of snags. The consequence for the trapping industry is devastating
where clearcuts are frequent, rotation ages are shorter than 100 years.
Chao,
John
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Tantillo <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 10:55 AM
Subject: Canada Lynx Rare in Maine
> While this article is now a bit dated, it does help illustrate how
national
> policies that may look good to environmental activists in one part of the
> country can appear to be wrongheaded or even counterproductive to outdoor
> advocates in other regions. jt
>
>
> from:
> http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/nancy/news/me_top.htm
>
> Canada Lynx Rare in Maine
>
> Outdoors with Ken Allen
> Kennebec Journal
> July 28, 1998
>
> Many plants and animals in Maine are living on the
> edge of their
> normal range, the northern boundary for some
species
> and the
> southern extreme for other ones. This creates an
> incredibly rich
> array of plants and wildlife, exciting for outdoor
> folks who roam
> our woods and water.
>
> At one moment, we may view a critter normally
> associated with the
> Arctic or sub arctic such as an Arctic tern, and
the
> next, see a
> species from more tropical areas such as a
> leatherback turtle.
>
> This diversity creates an interesting problem,
> though. Some species
> that were never numerous in the state because they
> are living on the
> extreme edge of their habitat become listed as
> endangered or
> threatened. Next, the Department of Inland
Fisheries
> and Wildlife
> (DIF&W), already strapped financially, ends up
> spending money it
> doesn't have, studying and managing a species that
> never was
> abundant in Maine, thanks to limited habitat, not
> the hand of man.
>
> Canada lynx is a perfect example. The U.S. Fish and
> Wildlife
> Service has proposed listing the lynx as a
> threatened species under
> the Endangered Species Act. Related to the bobcat,
> this large feline
> has historically called Maine home. But, according
> to DIF&W, it has
> always been rare and found in the northern and
> western-mountain
> regions of the state. If this animal winds up on
the
> threatened species
> list, this state must deal with tighter regulations
> that may affect the
> hunting of other species.
>
> Canada lynx feed primarily on varying hares, which
> thrive in thick
> growth created by saplings and sprouts that
> typically follow
> tree-cutting operations. In short, evidence
suggests
> that old-growth
> forests is poor habitat for lynx. In short, man may
> be helping lynx in
> Maine and in the two other U.S. states where lynx
> are found,
> Montana and Washington.
>
> Old-growth forests are disappearing in these two
> western states. Some
> people have criticized DIF&W for not studying lynx,
> but monies for
> funding this Department come almost solely from
> sports folks. You
> can bet most of them prefer studies be done on more
> prevalent
> species such as varying hares or ruffed grouse.
> Interestingly, DIF&W
> has done little study on these two critters,
> extremely popular with
> hunters. DIF&W biologists readily admit they have
> little data on hares
> or grouse.
>
> The lines are drawn between people who want more
> work done on
> lynx and those folks who desire more studies on
> popular species. In
> the end, the U.S. Government will have last say on
> future policies
> dealing with Canada lynx, and at the moment, are
> planning hearings
> for public input.
>
>
>
> Canada Lynx
>
> Lynx canadensis
>
>
>
> MAINE NEWS
>
>
> July 28, 1998:
>
> Canada Lynx Rare in
>
> Maine
>
>
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
