What's Being Done to Protect Wildlife in Oregon's Forests?

About 300 species of native vertebrates in Oregon use some form of forest cover. Because disturbances, both natural and human, over time have produced a mosaic of forests of different ages, forest habitat is not uniform. Scientists are learning that this mosaic is actually beneficial to wildlife because different animals have different habitat needs. What is emerging is a picture of a wildlife community associated with diverse forest habitats needed for feeding, breeding and shelter.

Many species -- like elk, lazuli buntings, and goldfinches -- use open areas such as clearcuts. Some, like the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet, need the structures and stand conditions provided by older forests. Still others do well in most forest stages, young and old. Changes in forests often benefit one species to the detriment of another.

Scientists have learned that the age of a forest stand is less important than its habitat structures. The realization that forest management practices can actually create or leave desired habitat structures with the potential to benefit wildlife diversity led to Forest Practice Act requirements to leave snags, downed logs, and wildlife trees after a harvest. It also has given rise to use of a variety of new forestry techniques to create habitat diversity in managed forests.

SOURCE: Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Forest Fact Book.