Short-term response of wildlife to clear-cutting in Quebec boreal forest: multiscale effects and management implications

We studied the short-term response of wildlife to clear-cutting in four blo cks (52-114 km(2)) that were logged in 100- to 250-ha clustered patches. Su rveys were conducted, 2 years before and 2 years after logging, to determin e the relative abundance of 12 wildlife species, and telemetry data were al so gathered on four species. Small mammals, species with the smallest home ranges (less than or equal to 1 ha), either remained in the clearcut patche s or had replacement habitat in the buffer strips. Most species with home r anges up to 25 ha (spruce grouse, Falcipennis canadensis Linne; snowshoe ha re, Lepus americanus Erxleben) were excluded from clearcut patches. Species with home ranges greater than or equal to 5 km(2) (marten, Martes american a Turton; moose, Alces alces Linne) remained in some residual forest patche s scattered throughout clearcuts and in the adjacent uncut forest. In their home range, these two species avoided clearcut patches where the shrub lay er and coniferous regeneration were scattered. Because many wildlife specie s depend on residual forest, the important issue is not the size of clearcu t patches but the extent and configuration of the remaining forest. Instead of a clustered distribution of clearcut patches, we propose two harvest sc enarios more compatible with integrated wildlife-forest management objectiv es on a local scale.