Use of higher severity fire areas by female Pacific fishers on the Kern Plateau, Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Pacific fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a rare and imperiled forest carnivore, with a genetically distinct and isolated population living in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA. Female fishers are of special interest and concern, given their very small numbers and their disproportionately important role in the potential recovery of the population. Using fisher scat detection to assess patterns of habitat use, I conducted analyses regarding use by fishers of unlogged higher severity fire areas at 10–11 years postfire in the 2002 McNally fire area. Contrary to the prevailing current hypothesis regarding fisher postfire habitat use, fishers did not use higher severity fire areas less than low–moderate‐severity areas or unburned forest (n = 77 scats), and female fishers used the large, intense McNally fire area significantly more than unburned forest (n = 12 scats). Female fishers were detected at multiple locations >250 m into the interior of a very large (>5,000 ha), unlogged higher severity fire patch. These results indicate unlogged higher severity fire areas are suitable habitat for fishers, especially female fishers, and suggest a need to revisit current management direction, which emphasizes extensive commercial thinning and postfire logging to reduce fuels and control fire. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.