Short-term effects of logging on snowshoe hares in the boreal forest

We investigated snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben) abundance, home r ange size, daily movements, survival, and habitat utilization in black spru ce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands before and after clearcuts with prote ction of regeneration (CPR) in southwestern Quebec. Hare abundance was inde xed by pellet counts in permanent plots 2 years before and over 4 years fol lowing logging (1991-1996). Home range size, daily movements, survival, and habitat use were measured by radiotracking 16 hares before and after loggi ng, during 3 months between May and August 1992; some additional fixes were recorded monthly until the end of March 1993 for additional data on surviv al. Hare reaction to logging included immediate increased daily movements, larger home ranges involving partial or complete relocation, but no change in survival rate. After logging, hares moved to habitat structurally simila r to the one they used before logging, but these sites contained larger tre es and a greater proportion of deciduous species. Recent cutovers were unsu itable habitats for snowshoe hares despite protection of regeneration. Hare s were still rare in clearcuts 4 years after logging. Residual forests are thus necessary to maintain hare populations in commercial timber landscapes .