Mountain pine beetle, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity: lessons learned and future challenges

Although the current mountain pine beetle (mpb) outbreak is unusually widespread and severe, large, episodic insect events have likely been a natural recurring phenomenon in the pine-dominated landscapes of British Columbia. Thus, wildlife species and ecosystems should be relatively well adapted to recover following these types of disturbances. However, the effects of salvage harvesting on wildlife and biodiversity raises concerns as it removes or alters post-disturbance structural legacies and thus affects the severity and duration of impacts and the timing of recovery. From this experience, two key lessons have emerged: (1) mpb-infested forests continue to provide wildlife habitat and the role of non-salvaged forests should be considered in achieving wildlife and biodiversity conservation objectives in the future; (2) Comprehensive landscape-level planning can help to mitigate the spatial and temporal effects of salvage harvesting and to balance wildlife and biodiversity with social and economic objectives. With the ongoing modification of forested landscapes through human activities and natural disturbances, and the uncertain future effects of climate change, lessons will be critical to ensure future wildlife habitat and biodiversity conservation.