Future Forests Webinar: Ecological Consequences of Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks for Habitats & Populations of Wildlife
For the third in the Future Forests Webinar Series, March 6, 2012, Regional Wildlife Biologist for the Northern Region (Beth Hahn) and several researchers with the Rocky Mountain Research Station (Vicki Saab, Barbara Bentz, Rachel Loehman, and Bob Keane) presented on topics ranging from implications of the mountain pine beetle outbreak for avian habitat to approaches for modeling habitat suitability under different climate and bark beetle scenarios. They also explored questions such as “Which life history traits and strategies of wildlife species predict short-term (0-20 years) positive and negative responses to beetles and fire?” and “What are the appropriate spatial and temporal scales for evaluating wildlife responses to beetle outbreaks and wildfire?”
Presentations
Managing Wildlife in the Context of Wildfire & Beetle OutbreaksVideo
Transcript
Beth Hahn, Regional Wildlife Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region
Implications of a Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak for Small Landbird Populations & Habitats
Video
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Vicki Saab, Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Predicting Mountain Pine Beetle Demographics in a Changin Climate & Potential Influences on Woodpecker Foraging in the Elkhorn Mountains
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Barbara Bentz, Research Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Potential Effects of Future Climate & Landscape Changes on Wildlife Habitat Suitability
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Rachael Loehman, Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Bob Keane, Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Future Directions and Q&A
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Speaker Bios
Barbara Bentz
Research Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 860 North 1200 East, Logan, UT, 84321. 435-755-3577. Email
Since 1991 Barbara has served as a Research Entomologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station out of Logan, UT. Barbara’s research interests include the biology, ecology, and management of bark beetles. Her recent research has focused on modeling climate change influences on bark beetle populations and the interactions between fire and bark beetles.
Beth Hahn
Regional Wildlife Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, 200 East Broadway Street, Missoula, MT, 59802. 406-329-3677. Email
Beth is the Regional Wildlife Ecologist for the Northern Region of the Forest Service stationed in Missoula, MT. She works on a variety of multi-scale inventory/monitoring programs, habitat analyses, and plan revision and amendments.
Bob Keane
Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 5775 US West Highway 10, Missoula, MT, 59808. 406-329-4846. Email
Bob Keane is a Research Ecologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab. Bob’s most recent research includes 1) developing ecological computer simulation models for the exploring landscape, fire, and climate dynamics, and 2) investigating the ecology and restoration of whitebark pine.
Rachael Loehman
Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 5775 US West Highway 10, Missoula, MT, 59808. 406-829-7386. Email
Rachel is a Research Ecologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab. Rachel’s research includes spatial modeling of climate change effects on ecosystem processes, climate drivers of wildfire, and disturbance ecology.
Vicki Saab
Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 1648 South 7th Avenue, MSU Campus, Bozeman, MT, 59717. 406-994-5032. Email
Vicki is a Research Wildlife Biologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station of the Forest Service out of Bozeman, MT. Her research interests include disturbance ecology and avian ecology, with a focus on cavity-nesting birds and other small landbirds. Her research focuses on avian distributions and demographics in relation to wildfires, beetle epidemics, and forest restoration activities.