The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project is:

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The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project is

• a project initiated in 1989 within the Missouri
  Department of Conservation out of discussions
  concerning the potential impact of clearcuts on
  forest interior birds within a forested landscape

• long-term evaluation (100 years)
• an experiment with 3 treatments treatments can
  change if MDC changes its management
• landscape-level look at forest management
  practices
• finger on the pulse of what results from using
  MDCs forest management guidelines with the goal
  of maintaining healthy, sustainable forests

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No-Harvest
Even-aged
Uneven-aged
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Why should we be concerned about the effects of
forest management on amphibians, reptiles, and
small mammals?

• They comprise a significant amount of biomass in
  forest systems

Red-backed salamander
Up to 11,452 salamanders per acre
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Why should we be concerned about the effects of
forest management on amphibians, reptiles, and
small mammals?

• They comprise a significant amount of biomass in
  forest systems
• Amphibians are tied to moisture in the
  environment for breeding and respiration

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• Moist Environments for survival breeding
• For Example vernal pools, decaying logs, moss,
  leaf litter, closed canopy forests, small mammal
  tunnels

Red-backed salamander
Spotted salamander
Logs litter
Vernal pool
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Why should we be concerned about the effects of
forest management on amphibians, reptiles, and
small mammals?

• They comprise a significant amount of biomass in
  forest systems
• Amphibians are tied to moisture in the
  environment for breeding and respiration
• Amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals move
  relatively short distances and must deal with
  changed conditions of their environment

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Red-backed Salamander
Lives within 15.5 yd2 of forest floor
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Determine if the species composition and relative
abundance of amphibians, reptiles, and small
mammals are affected by even-aged, uneven-aged,
and no-harvest forest management.
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Timeline of MOFEP management evaluation

• 1992-1995 Pre-treatment period
• 1996 First entry harvest (15 yr
  re-entries)
• 1997-2001 First Post-treatment Look
• 2008-2010 Status evaluation prior to second
  entry
• 2011 Second entry harvest

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What have we learned so far?
1) No species have disappeared or appeared
2) Numbers of most amphibians declined, even on
no-harvest sites effect of drought?
3) Numbers of reptiles were not affected
4) Decline in number of mice was dampened on
even-aged sites
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43 species of herps
8 species of small mammals
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Western Slimy Salamander
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Western Slimy Salamander
Captures/100 trap days
NE Slopes
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Eastern Fence Lizard
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Eastern Fence Lizard
Captures/100 trap days
NE Slopes
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Peromyscus mouse
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Lessons Learned from MOFEP
- No species appeared or disappeared
- After the first entry, we did not detect a
landscape-scale impact upon amphibians and
reptiles due to forest management
- Even-aged management may have dampened a
natural decline of mice
- Weather may have had a greater impact upon
observed amphibian numbers than forest management
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Questions?