Chippewa National Forest Hunter Walking Trail Project 2021 – Pre-harvest Results

Abstract

Minnesota’s managed forests provide critical habitat for hundreds of resident and migrant bird species. Forest management provides an important opportunity to conserve and cultivate critical habitat for species of management and conservation concern. Recent declines in upland game populations in the state have generated a renewed interest in using forest management to create habitats that not only support breeding adults but also those that maximize juvenile survival and increase recruitment into the populations. Conservation concerns regarding Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) have been extensively documented: ● North American populations of American Woodcock have declined by over 30% in the last 50 years. In Minnesota, American Woodcock are a Species in Greatest Conservation Need. Approximately 10% of the global population breeds in Minnesota. ● Ruffed Grouse populations in Minnesota are significantly declining. Recent declines in harvest numbers of Ruffed Grouse and potential issues with recruiting birds into the population have caused concern range-wide, including in Minnesota. American Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse require a matrix of forest size classes throughout the breeding season. Historically, periodic natural disturbances would create habitat for these species—wildfires or flooding from beaver dams produced a patchwork of shrubby openings amid a largely forested landscape. Currently, the major mechanism of disturbance is harvest; this provides an important opportunity for habitat management for these species. There is increasing interest from forest managers to promote heterogeneous forest matrices that can optimize wildlife occupancy and diversity over time. Chippewa National Forest is planning a long-term habitat improvement project by implementing small-scale, frequent harvests (<5 acres, 5-year intervals) adjacent to hunter walking trails. Currently, there are more than 600 miles of hunter walking trails in Minnesota, and maintaining and enhancing these areas as productive hunting grounds is a priority. The goal of this project is to create and maintain a long-term matrix of habitat in the region that is suitable for Ruffed Grouse while supporting additional game species such as American Woodcock and breeding forest birds. The primary objective of the Chippewa National Forest Hunter Walking Trail Project is to assess the effects of experimental harvesting on Ruffed Grouse and breeding bird species. The results from the preharvest study will establish baseline data for future reference. Here, we report the results from preharvest line transect and ARU (Autonomous Recording Unit) surveys conducted during the 2021 breeding bird season. These two survey methods are complementary to one another and provide a comprehensive assessment of Ruffed Grouse and breeding bird communities. Specific objectives include: 1. Assess Ruffed Grouse abundance and characterize breeding bird communities before harvest treatments planned for 2021-2022; and 2. Summarize preliminary results as a part of the National Forest Bird Monitoring Project annual report and provide data to Chippewa National Forest.