Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:50, 8 November 2006

Revision as of 08:45, 8 November 2006

Line 53:

===Interaction with Animals===

In spring and winter (in British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana) [[elkElk]] browse on south- and southwest-facing Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine stands, particularly when shrubs and/or grasses are productive. In summer, elk generally are found at higher elevations (outside the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Pacific ponderosa pine zones). During fall elk use stands of Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, western larch, or grand fir with high canopy cover.

In parts of [[Yellowstone National Park]], elk browsing is so intensive that young Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir are stunted at 1-1.5 m (3-4.5 feet) in height, with live branches trailing very close to the ground, and branches on the upper two thirds of the tree dead. Low-elevation and south-facing open-structure Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types are often important winter range for [[whiteWhite-tailed deer|white-tailedDeer]] and [[muleMule deerDeer]]. [[Moose]] winter in low-elevation Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types in areas where willow thickets, the preferred winter habitat, are lacking; in such areas Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is an important moose food.

[[Chipmunk]]s, [[mouse|mice]], [[vole]]s, and [[shrew]]s eat large quantities of conifer seeds from the forest floor, and clipped cones are a staple and major part of storage of red squirrels. These animals store a large amount of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir cones or seeds. [[American martenMarten]] commonly den in hollow logs.

Numerous species of [[songbird]]s extract seeds from Douglas-fir cones or forage for seeds on the ground. The most common are the [[Clark's Nutcracker]], [[Black-capped Chickadee]], [[Mountain Chickadee]], [[Boreal Chickadee]], [[Red-breasted Nuthatch]], [[Pygmy Nuthatch]], [[Common Crossbill|Red Crossbill]], [[Two-barred Crossbill|White-winged Crossbill]], [[Dark-eyed Junco]], and [[Pine Siskin]]. Migrating flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos may consume vast quantities of seeds and freshly germinated seedlings. [[Woodpecker]]s commonly feed in the bark of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir. [[Blue Grouse]] forage on needles and buds in winter; they and other birds rely heavily on Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir communities for cover.