—We compared roost site characteristics of the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and northern bat (M. septentrionalis), which form maternity colonies in cavities and beneath bark of dead (snags) and living trees in eastern North American forests. We used published data (n 5 28 sources; n 5 1145 roost trees) from studies completed where the distributions of the two species overlap and evaluated a sui...

Dead wood, in the form of coarse woody debris and standing dead wood, or snags, is an essential structural component of forest ecosystems. It plays a key role in nutrient cycling, ecosystem functions and provision of habitat for a wide variety of species. In order to manage dead wood in a temperate hardwood forest, an understanding of its availability and spatial distribution is important. This...

their discussion, the authors refer to studies that showed that the decay rate of standing dead wood is slower than dead wood in contact with the forest floor. This contributes to explain the absence of clear differences in properties in classes 1-3. The same argument might potentially be used to explain the differences in decay rates of larch and spruce. Assessing the time elapsed standing of ...

Many wildlife species are dependent on habitat attributes within forest stands such as large live trees, standing dead trees, fallen logs, and understory shrubs. Standing dead trees (snags) are especially important because they are used by many species, such as bats, woodpeckers, and furbearers, for feeding and/or nesting. Forest harvesting and silvicultural practices can eliminate or significa...

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Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) are endangered because they have experienced population declines of up to 80% in the past 40 years. The purpose of this study was to identify key habitat and nest-tree characteristics that contribute to successful breeding at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in East Bethel, Minnesota, with the goal of making recommendations to recovery pr...