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The effects of logging on wildlife have been evaluated mainly in landscapes dominated by even-aged forest stands, leaving the impacts of harvesting on wildlife in irregularly structured stands less documented. We assessed the response of small mammals and birds to 4 silvicultural treatments with different levels of tree retention (from 55% included those t...

We compared temporal changes in composition and abundance of ground beetles (Carabidae) among hardwood forest stands that underwent single-tree selection cutting 0.5-3 years previously, 15-20 years previously, and reference stands that are and will remain unmanaged in the park’s wilderness zone to determine impact of this silvicultural method on these important invertebrates. Short-term (0.5-3 year post-logging) effects included an increase in the number of forest generalist and open habitat species, a loss of large bodied species, and substantial (> 50%) reductions in activity densities of carabids; the latter effect correlated with significant reductions in leaf litter. Long-term (15-20 year post-logging) effects included an increase in forest generalist and open habitat species and increases in the activity densities of a few species that preferred the vegetation characteristics present in the 15-20 year treatment and absent from reference stands. Beetle communities in stands harvested 15-20 ye...