Examining ecosystem services and disservices of bear damage on Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation

Graduation Date

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Natural Resources: Wildlife, 2016

Committee Chair Name

Matthew D. Johnson

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Pileated woodpecker, Cultural ecosystem services, Woodpeckers, Cavity-nesting birds, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Wildlife, Douglas-fir damage, Black bear, Economic disservices

Abstract

Economic loss due to tree damage by black bears (Ursus americanus) on managed timberlands has been valued at several million dollars annually in the Pacific Northwest. While bear damage to trees may negatively affect timber production, it also alters forest structure and habitat that may contribute to forest wildlife diversity. I studied the relationship between bear damage to coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) trees and response of cavity nesting birds on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. I measured disservices from bear damage by calculating current and future timber revenue loss, and ecosystem services by calculating forest structural complexity, abundance and diversity of cavity nesting birds, and woodpecker activity. Bear damage negatively affected tree growth and estimated lumber recovery. Forest structural complexity was positively correlated with bear damage, and cavity nester abundance and woodpecker foraging activity were positively correlated to forest structural complexity and bear damage. Pileated woodpeckers and red-breasted sapsuckers used bear damaged trees out of proportion to their availability, and pileated woodpeckers selected for more structurally complex sample units. Information from this study advances our understanding of the potential for bear foraging to negatively affect economic revenue and the trade-offs which help to create habitat conditions favoring other important wildlife species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate ecosystem services for multiple species in relation to disservices from another species. Understanding the costs and benefits of bear damage can help guide management decisions vital to forest managers both on and off tribal lands.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/bg257h510

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