%0 Research article
%T Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) habitat characteristics in north-boreal Finland
%A Miettinen, Janne
%A Helle, Pekka
%A Nikula, Ari
%A Niemelä, Pekka
%D 2010
%J Silva Fennica
%V 44
%N 2
%R doi:10.14214/sf.151
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/151
%X This study aimed to identify tools for taking capercaillie habitats into  consideration in forest management. This would provide new alternatives  for ecologically more sustainable forest management. Capercaillie  summer and winter locations, from wildlife monitoring counts (1998–2004)  in northern Finland, and reference, non-capercaillie locations were  combined with forest planning data, and the area proportions of  different landscape classes in an 800-m radius circle surrounding  capercaillie and reference locations were compared. Thinning stands (in  summer and winter) and spruce mires (in summer) were more abundant in  capercaillie habitats than in reference landscapes, whereas e.g.  seedling stands, mature stands and waste land areas were less abundant.  The relative habitat use was highest in mean tree diameter (DBH) classes  from 10.5 to 14.5 cm in summer habitats of adult capercaillie in heath  forests, whereas in peatland forests, in brood habitats and in winter  habitats it peaked in diameter classes 14.5 to 18.5 cm. The tree layer  density was positively associated with the relative habitat use. A trend  of lower habitat use was detected in the largest diameters (17–40 cm)  in comparison to middle-sized diameters (10–16 cm) in heath forests, but  not in peatland forests. Relatively young managed forests (age 30–40  years or more) can form suitable capercaillie habitats in north-boreal  forests. However, this suitability is not necessarily permanent.  Understorey management, longer rotations and multicohort forest  management are suitable tools for capercaillie habitat management,  because they can increase the available cover close to the ground,  canopy cover, overall forest cover at the landscape scale and bilberry  cover.