Stand-level Attributes of Snowshoe Hare ( Lepus americanus ) Habitat in a Post-Fire Trembling Aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) Chronosequence in Central Yukon

摘要: Large-scale fires are anticipated to increase in frequency the boreal forest under global climate warming scenarios. To understand concomitant responses by wildlife fire-induced habitat changes, fecal pellet counts were used assess Snowshoe Hare ( Lepus americanus ) use of four age-classes after fire central Yukon, Canada. Use stands across a chronosequence 8–177 years was bimodal. Post-fire Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides ≤20 old had greater densities pellets (median 156 pellets/dam 2 than 21–70 old, mixedwood 71–120 (<17 ), or Western White Spruce Picea albertiana -dominated 121–170 (71 ). Forty stand-level compositional and structural variables assessed as possible predictors densities. Multidimensional scaling identify n = 10) that most strongly related followed multiple regression. Canopy cover <50 cm tall ≤1 m tall, deadfall depth, combination, best estimators among P <0.001, 64.5% variance explained). Although explained variance, its canopy did not exceed 10%. More depths within associated with old. Peak occurred early (≤20 old) rather mid-successional (21–120 stands, contrary patterns reported elsewhere. The lack understory shrubs likely limited stands.