Abstract

Several factors like vegetation structure, quality of food and protection from predators influence habitat utilisation by vertebrates. When an exotic tree species is introduced it has the potential to affect vertebrates in a number of ways. In the boreal region of Sweden (where Scots pine (P. sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) are the dominant native conifers), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) was introduced on a large scale about 40 years ago. Our review of current knowledge on the lodgepole pine suggests that, in general, vertebrates seem to utilise the different parts of the introduced lodgepole pine tree in the same way as they do the parts of Scots pine. However, to some extent they react to differences between the two pine species in needle morphology and chemical composition, bark structure, branch and canopy structure, as well as to differences between understory development in lodgepole and Scots pine plantations as a result of shading and soil pH. Today, we still lack knowledge about to what extent vertebrates use the seeds in lodgepole pine's serotinous cones (with their smaller size and darker colour). Effects on vertebrates are also expected to depend on such factors as the acreage the lodgepole pine will cover, and the distribution or patchiness of the stands. We conclude that bird species composition is relatively similar for pine stands of both species, at least at young age of the stands (i.e. the avian community seems to respond to differences in tree height and canopy density rather than to pine species). In addition, there may also be a temporal dimension involved. To what extent can an animal species with a life history adapted to the native tree species utilise the new habitat created by the introduced exotic tree species? What time is needed for this adjustment? In this paper, we discuss some of these aspects with examples from mammals and birds in the boreal forest. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Published in

Forest Ecology and Management
2001, Volume: 141, number: 1-2, pages: 143-153
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Sjöberg, Kjell

  • Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Danell, Kjell

  • Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00497-7

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/6287