Resting and Xxxxxxx Habitat Sample Clauses

Resting and Xxxxxxx Habitat. ‌ Fishers frequently use large woody structures as rest sites between foraging bouts and as dens for birthing and kit-rearing. These structures include large cavity trees, snags, logs, and log piles which provide security from predators and protection from temperature extremes and inclement weather. These large structures are commonly found in late-successional and unmanaged forests (e.g., National Parks, or wilderness or reserved areas in National Forests). They may also be common in managed forest landscapes that contain late-successional stands or those where large structures are preserved or created (e.g., snag or cavity tree retention, snag or cavity creation). Females require the security of large woody structures because of their need to protect kits and because their smaller size makes females more vulnerable to other mid-sized carnivores (e.g., bobcats, coyotes). Consequently, females are more likely than males to use home ranges and landscapes dominated by continuous late-successional forests or unmanaged forests because they contain greater quantities of these large structures. Because of their larger size, males are less vulnerable to predation and are better able to exploit managed forests that contain fewer large woody structures and also support greater densities of bobcats and coyotes than unmanaged forests (Xxxxx 2014).