The northern goshawk as an The northern goshawk as an exampleexample

Desired Conditions:Desired Conditions:Habitat, Biodiversity, Habitat, Biodiversity,

and Foodwebsand Foodwebs

Morphological Morphological and Behavioraland BehavioralCharacteristicsCharacteristics

Adapted to forest Adapted to forest environmentsenvironments

Long tail, short wingsLong tail, short wings Sub-canopy foragerSub-canopy forager Primarily perch hunterPrimarily perch hunter Short-sit, short-flight Short-sit, short-flight

hunting behaviorhunting behavior Searches for prey in Searches for prey in

low vegetation columnlow vegetation column Broad dietBroad diet

Foraging HabitatForaging Habitat

Occupies many forest Occupies many forest typestypes

Forest structureForest structure– Lifted crowns Lifted crowns

(mature forests) (mature forests) – Open understory Open understory

(flight space)(flight space)– Hunting perchesHunting perches

Strong evidence of Strong evidence of food limitationfood limitation

BirdsBirds American robinAmerican robin Band-tailed pigeon Band-tailed pigeon Blue grouseBlue grouse Mourning doveMourning dove Steller’s jaySteller’s jay Northern flickerNorthern flicker Hairy woodpeckerHairy woodpecker

MammalsMammals ChipmunksChipmunks Cottontail Cottontail JackrabbitJackrabbit Mantled ground squirrelMantled ground squirrel Red squirrelRed squirrel Abert’s squirrelAbert’s squirrel

Prey

Black-tailed jackrabbit Clark's nutcracker Cottontail rabbitKaibab squirrel Northern flicker Red squirrelSteller's jay

Kaibab Goshawk DietKaibab Goshawk Diet% frequency % biomass

Proportion of Pairs Proportion of Pairs Breeding Breeding

Pair

s B

reedin

g (

%)

Year

Prey Density and Prey Density and Goshawk Productivity Goshawk Productivity

Pre

y D

en

sity

ha

-1

Year

Gosh

aw

k pro

duct

ivit

y

per

Terr

itory

Precipitation

Goshawk breeding

Annual precipitation and goshawk breeding

101 years precipitation Kaibab

Plateau

Habitat Synthesis: The Goshawk Food Web

Management Management Recommendations for the Recommendations for the Northern Goshawk in the Northern Goshawk in the

Southwestern United StatesSouthwestern United States

Richard T. ReynoldsRichard T. Reynolds Russel T. GrahamRussel T. Graham M. Hildegard ReiserM. Hildegard Reiser Richard L. BassettRichard L. Bassett Patricia L. KennedyPatricia L. Kennedy Douglas A. Boyce, Jr.Douglas A. Boyce, Jr. Greg GoodwinGreg Goodwin Randall Smith and Randall Smith and E. Leon FisherE. Leon Fisher

GOSHAWK HABITAT

GOSHAWK PREY SPECIES

Composition & structure

Tree longevity

Sustainability

Disturbance factors

Landscape patterns/scale

Goshawk

nesting habitat

Goshawk

foraging habitat

Species 1

Foods &

Habitat

Species 2

Foods &

Habitat

Species 3

Foods&

Habitat

Species 4

Foods &

Habitat

FHE FHE FHE FHE FHE FHE

SYNTHESIS OF FOREST HABITAT ELEMENTS (FHE)

SYNTHESIS OF FOREST HABITAT ELEMENTS WITH FOREST ECOLOGY

SUSTAINING LANDSCAPE MIX OF FOREST HABITATS

FOREST ECOLOGY

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

Trees grouped with Trees grouped with interlocking crowns interlocking crowns

Grass-forb-shrub Grass-forb-shrub openings between tree openings between tree groupsgroups

All age classes and as All age classes and as much old forest as is much old forest as is ecologically sustainableecologically sustainable

High interspersion of High interspersion of age classesage classes

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

Trees grouped with

interlocking crowns

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

As much old forest in groups as is As much old forest in groups as is ecologically sustainableecologically sustainable

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

High age-class interspersion

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

Large tree component Large tree component provides:provides:– SnagsSnags– LogsLogs– Woody debrisWoody debris

Habitat, biodiversity, Habitat, biodiversity, foodwebsfoodwebs

grass/forb/shrub

Poles25-80 years

Yellow pine200+ years

Blackjack80-200 years

Grass/seedlings

Scale - feet100 200 3000

”Historical” conditionsFort Valley Experimental Forest

Desired Desired conditions conditions

provide provide habitats for habitats for

goshawk food goshawk food webweb

Unique elementsUnique elements

Multi-species focus, not single species!!Multi-species focus, not single species!!

Food web approachFood web approach– Information across trophic levelsInformation across trophic levels

Desired conditions are:Desired conditions are:– Ecosystem specific, different DCs for Ecosystem specific, different DCs for

different forest typesdifferent forest types

Unique ElementsUnique Elements Landscape ecologyLandscape ecology

– Multiple goshawk home ranges = landscape Multiple goshawk home ranges = landscape scalescale

– 1,000-year planning horizon incorporates 1,000-year planning horizon incorporates forest growth and successionforest growth and succession

– Spatial & temporal shifting mosaic of habitatsSpatial & temporal shifting mosaic of habitats

Forest RestorationForest Restoration– Natural composition, structure, and pattern Natural composition, structure, and pattern

of forest use as guides for assembling of forest use as guides for assembling habitatshabitats

– Restores natural disturbances, processes, Restores natural disturbances, processes, and forest health (productivity)and forest health (productivity)

SummationSummation Small groups of trees with Small groups of trees with

interlocking crownsinterlocking crowns

Scattered single treesScattered single trees

Grass-forb-shrub open Grass-forb-shrub open interspaces between interspaces between groupsgroups

Snags, logs, woody debrisSnags, logs, woody debris

Spatial and temporal Spatial and temporal distribution of the abovedistribution of the above