Estimating snag and large tree densities and distributions on a landscape for wildlife management.

We provide efficient and accurate methods for sampling snags and large trees on a landscape to conduct compliance and effectiveness monitoring for wildlife in relation to the habitat standards and guidelines on National Forests. Included online are the necessary spreadsheets, macros, and instructions to conduct all surveys and analyses pertaining to estimation of snag and large tree densities and distributions at the subwatershed scale. The methods focus on optimizing sampling effort by choosing a plot size appropriate for the specific forest conditions encountered. Two methods are available for density analysis. Method one requires sampling until a desired precision level is obtained for a density estimate. Method two is intended for use in areas that have low snag densities compared to Forest plan targeted densities. After taking a minimum of 60 samples, one may test for a significant difference between the estimated and targeted densities. In addition, data can be used to calculate a distribution index. The value obtained from the distribution index indicates whether the current distribution of target snags and large trees across a subwatershed is adequate to meet the habitat needs of territorial cavity-nesters and other wildlife species. Wildlife use also may be evaluated.