Movements of Allegheny woodrats in relation to timber harvesting

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) occurs in the Appalachian Mountain s, forming colonies in rock outcrops, cliffs, and caves. Populations on the northern and western peripheries of the range have experienced drastic dec lines in the past 20-30 years. Dependence upon rock outcrops makes Alleghen y wood-rats vulnerable to land-use practices that alter habitats surroundin g colonies. To examine the impacts of timber harvesting on Allegheny woodra t behavior, we radiotracked 37 adults during summer 1998 and 1999 in clearc ut, diameter-limit, and intact forest stands in the central Appalachians of West Virginia. Home range size and foraging movements generally were great est at diameter-limit sites and smallest in intact forests in 1998, followi ng a poor mast crop. We detected no differences among han est methods in 19 99 when mast was abundant. We believe that when hard mast was scarce, woodr ats increased foraging movements and home range size to locate mast or suff icient alternative foods. Additionally, woodrats used clearcut and adjacent forested areas in proportion to availability. Our results suggested tl;at clearcutting has minimal impact on woodrat movements, home range, and habit at use if sufficient intact forest is retained adjacent to colonies. Harves ting methods that selectively remove important mast-producing species may r epresent the greatest disturbance to Allegheny woodrats from forest managem ent.