Postfire salvage logging alters impacts of recent wildfire on small mammal communities in summer

Abstract

Abstract Wildfire is a natural ecosystem disturbance in forests in North America, yet fires are often at odds with human activity and affect the timber supply. Postfire salvage logging is common practice globally, but the impacts of salvage logging on wildlife, especially small mammal communities, remain unclear. We livetrapped small mammals to determine their population responses to wildfire and postfire salvage logging in central British Columbia, Canada. Postfire regenerating forest provided habitat for deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi), and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Postfire salvage logging significantly reduced tree basal area and changed small mammal community structure by reducing southern red-backed vole populations and supporting mainly deer mice, a generalist species. Given the large scale and intensity of postfire salvage logging operations across the province, salvage logging has the potential to decrease vole populations and change small mammal communities across the province.