Influence of repeated fertilization on forest ecosystems: relative habitat use by snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus)

Published source details Sullivan T.P., Sullivan D.S., Lindgren P.M.F. & Ransome D.B. (2006) Influence of repeated fertilization on forest ecosystems: relative habitat use by snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 36, 2080-2089.
Share Tweet Email

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Apply fertilizer to trees Action Link

Apply fertilizer to trees

A replicated, controlled study, in 1999–2003, of three lodgepole pine Pinus contorta forests in British Columbia, Canada (Sullivan et al. 2006, same experimental set-up as Sullivan et al. 2006 and Sullivan et al. 2010) found that adding fertilizer to thinned forest stands increased their use by snowshoe hares Lepus americanus in winter but not in summer. In winter, the average density of hare faecal pellets across fertilized stands (7,000–62,000/ha) was higher than that across unfertilized stands (1,400–28,000/ha). In summer, there was no significant difference in the density of hare faecal pellets between fertilized stands (800–21,000/ha) and unfertilized stands (600–11,000/ha). Within each of three site, blocks of commercially grown lodgepole pines were thinned to 2,000, 1,000, 500 and 250 stems/ha in 1993. Half of each stand was fertilized five times in 1994–2003. Hare faecal pellets on 5-m² permanent plots were counted in summer (May–September) and winter (October–April) 1999–2003.

(Summarised by: Nick Littlewood)