Post-fire salvage logging reduces snowshoe hare and red squirrel densities in early seral stages

Abstract

Wildfire is an important natural disturbance in western North American forests and has been increasing in prevalence and severity in recent decades. Post-fire salvage logging is a common practice, however, the impacts of salvage logging on wildlife are poorly understood. We studied populations of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in a post-fire and salvage-logged interior Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest on the Chilcotin Plateau, British Columbia, Canada. Snowshoe hare densities were low, but densities were highest in 8–9-year-old regenerating post-fire forests. Hares were mostly absent from 1 to 2-year-old post-fire forests. Salvage-logged areas were not used by snowshoe hares. Red squirrel detections were highest in mature forests, and squirrels were not present in post-fire salvage-logged habitat. Post-fire salvage logging removed live canopy trees required by both snowshoe hares and red squirrels. The large scale and intensity of post-fire salvage logging removes important regenerating post-fire habitat and has detrimental impacts on these important prey species, likely leading to consequences for avian and mammalian predators.