The impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on wildlife habitat and communities in post-epidemic stands of a lodgepole pine forest in northern Utah

Natural disturbance events influence the patterns and processes in many forest ecosystems. Ecosystem management of coniferous forests in western North America requires the recognition of the importance that natural disturbance regimes have in achieving sustainable resource production and maintaining biological diversity. Mountain pine beetle epidemics have played an historic role in the succession and structure of lodgepole pine forests in this region. Their effects on wildlife habitat and communities are undocumented, but are presumed to be substantial. I sought to quantify these effects in forty 1-ha stands of monotypic, even-aged, mature lodgepole pine forest in northern Utah approximately 3-8 years following an extensive epidemic. I selected 5 stands that were unaffected by the epidemic and 35 that had tree mortalities ranging from 14 to 95%. Mean understory biomass in 50 1-m...