1. Forests, fungi, and small mammals: the impact of fire and forest thinning on truffle production and consumption Marc Meyer and Malcolm North USFS PSW Research Station Sierra Nevada Research Center Davis, California Douglas Kelt Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology University of California, Davis

5. ?

6. Study Questions: n What effect does burning and mechanical thinning have on the forest ecosystem?

7. Study Questions:

8. ectomycorrhizal fungi small mammals fruiting bodies (truffles) provide a major food source

9. ectomycorrhizal fungi small mammals fruiting bodies (truffles) provide a major food source dispersal of fungal spores

10. ectomycorrhizal fungi small mammals fruiting bodies (truffles) provide a major food source dispersal of fungal spores forest trees

11. Teakettle Experimental Forest

13. Experimental forest boundary Stream Teakettle Experimental Forest

14. 200 m 18 plots total Plots 4 ha in area Plots represent replicate stands

15. Teakettle Experimental Design (n = 3 per treatment; 6 treatments total) No BurnBurn No Thin Light Thin (understory) Heavy Thin (overstory) light thin onlylight thin & burn heavy thin onlyheavy thin & burn control burn only

16. Truffle sampling (2002-2003): n 9 grid points per plot in 3 x 3 grid (50 m spacing, 50 m buffer) n truffle sampling (4 m 2 plots) at all grid points - 100 m 2 per plot per season n 2 seasons of sampling for 2 years n Frequency, species richness, and biomass of truffles

17. Truffle consumption n Lodgepole chipmunks (Tamias speciosus) sampled June-August 2002-2003 at truffle grid points n microhistological analysis of chipmunk diets u frequency of truffle consumption u generic richness of truffles in diet

19. Truffles

20. MANOVA results for effect of thinning & burning on truffle production Dependent variable FactorFdfP MANOVABurn Thin B × T 6.582 4.018 0.848 3,22 6,44 0.002 0.003 0.068

25. Truffle consumption

26. MANOVA results for effect of burning & thinning on truffle consumption Dependent variable FactorFdfP MANOVABurn Thin B × T 15.653 4.786 0.570 2,21 4,42 2,21 0.001 0.003 0.686

31. MANOVA comparisons in burned + thinned vs. burned only Dependent variableFdfP Truffle production Truffle consumption 4.990 9.069 3,22 2,21 0.009 0.001

32. Conclusions: n Significant reduction in truffle production & consumption following burning or thinning

33. Conclusions:

34. Management implications: n Current forest management policy in the Sierra Nevada (i.e. Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment 2001) uses combined thin & burn treatments for fuel reduction

35. Management implications: n Current forest management policy in the Sierra Nevada (i.e. Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment 2001) uses combined thin & burn treatments for fuel reduction u These combined treatments have a substantial impact on truffle production & consumption

36. Management implications:

37. Acknowledgments n n USFS PSW Research Lab n n USFS Forest Health Technology Enterprise Grant, Joint Fire Science Program Grant, NIGMS IMSD Fellowship, UC Graduate Opportunity Fellowships n n Sarah Reed, Blake Meneken, Jamie Burke, Kerry Byrne