Management Recommendations for the Northern Goshawk in the Southwestern United States
Reynolds RT, Graham RT, Reiser MH, Bassett RL, Kennedy PL, Boyce DA, Goodwin G, Smith R, Fisher EL. 1992. Management Recommendations for the Northern Goshawk in the Southwestern United States. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service General Technical Report. RM-217. US Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Fort Collins, CO
Present forest conditions-loss of a herbaceous and shrubby understory, reductions in the amount of older forests, and increased areas of dense tree regeneration-reflect the extent of human influence on these forests. These changes may also be affecting goshawk populations. Information on goshawk resting habitat and foraging behavior, and the food and habitats of selected goshawk prey, was therefore synthesized to develop a set of management objectives, desired forest conditions, and management recommendation. Key objectives of the guidelines are to provide (1) nesting, post-fledging and foraging areas for goshawks, and (2) habitat to support abundant of 14 goshawk prey. Thinning trees in the understory, creating small openings in the forest, and prescribed fires should help produce and maintain the desired forest conditions. Other habitat elements critical for maintaining both goshawk and prey populations include abundant snags and large downed logs, woody debris, interspersion of different tree sizes across the landscape, and the majority of a goshawk's home range in older-aged forests. These guidelines should also benefit forest health, oil productivity, and the habitats of other old-growth-dependent plants and animals.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Reynolds, Richard; Graham, Russel; Reiser, M.; Bassett, Richard; Kennedy, Patricia; Boyce, Douglas; Goodwin, Greg; Smith, Randall; Fisher, E.
- Date of Issue
- 1992
- Publisher
- US Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station
- Units
- BRCA , GRCA , PARA
- Keywords
- Accipiter gentilis, Animal Studies, Northern goshawk -- Habitat, Threatened - Endangered - Sensitive Animals, Wildlife Management