State of the Greater Fundy Ecosystem

GREATER FUNDY ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROJECT

UNB Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management

State of the Greater Fundy Ecosystem

Ruffed Grouse Habitat Analysis
for the Fundy Model Forest

Joe Kennedy1 and Joe Pelham2
1Dept. of Natural Resources and Energy, Box 150, Hampton, N.B. E0J 1Z0
2Fundy Model Forest, RR#4, Aiton Road, Sussex, N.B. E0E 1P0

Ruffed grouse habitat has been classically defined as four critical components located in close proximity to each other. Most notably, Gullion has described optimal grouse habitat as sapling, pole, and sawtimber aspen stands within a total area of 10 acres. This definition may be adequate for habitat management on a small woodlot scale, however is not applicable for forest level habitat supply analyses.

GOALS

The objective of this project was to provide a definition of Ruffed Grouse habitat to be applied to a forest inventory database, while taking into account the spatial requirements (connectivity) of all the habitat components.

METHODS

It is recognized that grouse may utilize sub-optimal habitats, however this project focused on definitions of forest structures associated with high grouse densities. Gullion identified a "standard" grouse density of 10 pair per 100 acres from prime habitats. It is expected that similar densities may be supported from habitats defined through this model. Through a literature search, a grouse habitat definition for New Brunswick was synthesized as:

1) Drumming Cover: ...............Predominantly Aspen or Birch, 5-15 years old.

2) Brooding Cover: .................Intolerant hardwoods 5-35 years old, and within
.................................................. .400 meters of.drumming habitat.

3) Wintering Cover: ...............Predominantly Aspen or Birch greater than 25 years
...................................................old, within 200 meters from drumming habitat.

4) Nesting Cover: ...................Mature, open intolerant hardwoods. It is assumed
...................................................that winter cover has the same structure, therefore
...................................................does not need to be modelled separately.

RESULTS

Using GIS technology, this spatially explicit habitat definition was applied to a case study area in the Fundy Model Forest. Optimal grouse habitat was found to occupy only 3% of the study area. This was much lower than anticipated, and appears to be limited by the low abundance of young intolerant hardwoods.

IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

Future extensions of this project may include forecasting grouse habitat using forest management models. This would allow exploration of various management strategies and assessment of the impacts on long-term grouse habitat supply.

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