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Factors Affecting Landscape Occupancy by Fishers in North‐Central British Columbia
Author(s) -
WEIR RICHARD D.,
CORBOULD FRASER B.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2008-579
Subject(s) - occupancy , geography , logging , wetland , range (aeronautics) , boreal , taiga , ecology , habitat , mountain pine beetle , forestry , biology , archaeology , materials science , composite material
ABSTRACT To better understand distribution and density of fishers ( Martes pennanti ) in industrial forests of north‐central British Columbia, Canada, we examined factors affecting the probability of a potential home range being occupied by 10 radiotagged resident fishers in the Sub‐Boreal Spruce biogeoclimatic zone between 1996 and 2000. Percentage of a home range in wetlands and recently logged (within past 12 yr) best predicted likelihood of occupancy by each fisher. Probability of a home range area being occupied by a resident fisher decreased with increasing amounts of wetlands and recent logging present in the area. We estimated that a 5% increase in wetlands or recent logging decreased the relative probability of occupancy of a potential home range by 50%. The accelerated rate of timber harvest in forests affected by mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) infestations may have substantial implications for the ability of the landscape of central British Columbia to support sustainable populations of fishers.