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Introduction

Central British Columbia is experiencing an unprecedented mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae; MPB) outbreak (Eng et al. 2005). Changes in forest pattern, composition and structure, resulting from the current MPB outbreak and timber salvaging activities, could alter the availability of suitable wildlife habitat for those species whose range overlaps the outbreak area. Along with the loss of habitat there are several spatial effects of the MPB outbreak and timber salvage that can impact wildlife population dynamics. For example, wildlife dispersion may become compromised due to changing landscape condition and limit the ability of a metapopulation to "rescue" compromised sub-populations (Levins 1969). As well, the distribution and availability of high quality habitat within a species range may decline. Species would still be able to reproduce, but at a rate below the population's replacement rate and parts of the landscape would switch from being a population source to a sink (Pulliam and Danielson 1991). Further, land cover changes, from the MPB outbreak and management response, can have long term impacts on community structure, by altering landscape structure and pattern, causing shifts in predator prey relationships.

There is a pressing need for forest and wildlife managers to determine appropriate strategies to enhance, as best as possible, the adaptive capacity of wildlife populations to the current MPB outbreak. Information is required on what areas have lower habitat value and are appropriate for forest salvaging and related activities and which areas have high habitat value where harvesting should be minimized; in addition, where can stand tending lead to an accelerated recruitment of good wildlife habitat (Bunnell et al. 2004). However, there are numerous uncertainties associated with these issues. For example, there are uncertainties about what the post MPB structural composition will be across the landscape, including the length of time for MPB killed stands to fall down, the potential shift in sub-canopy vegetation (Williston and Cichowski 2004), and at what point do these stands no longer provide adequate habitat and how fast do they recover (Coates et al. 2006).

The goal of this project is to identify those wildlife species that will be most adversely impacted by the current MPB outbreak and management responses, and to identify forest and land management strategies that may enhance those species resilience to the potential changes in landscape condition. The results of this project can also be applied in developing adaptation strategies to the impacts that climate change may have on wildlife species. The current MPB outbreak is likely a result of climate change with further shifts in landscape condition, habitat availability and overall environmental condition forecasted for the future.