Snag Density Varies with Intensity of Timber Harvest and Human Access

Snag density variation with intensity of timber harvest and human access was assessed. A stratified random method was used to select stands for sampling. Topography within each stand was characterized by measuring percent slope along each 12.5-m subsegment of each 50-m sampling transect. Late-seral stands supported the highest density of snags when all species were considered. Mean density was > 3 times higher in late-seral than in mid-seral stands, and > 9 times higher than in early-seral stands. Mean density of pine and larch snags in unharvested stands was 15 times higher than that in stands that underwent complete harvest, and 3 times higher than in stands partially harvested. Mean density of pine and larch snags was nearly 5 times higher in unharvested stands without an adjacent road.