FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Accipiter striatus | Sharp-Shinned Hawk 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Direct, fire-caused mortality of sharp-shinned hawks has not been reported in
the literature.  Nestlings and eggs are probably vulnerable to fire; most
fledglings and adults could easily escape fire [33].

Some authors [28,51] have described the attraction of hawks to readily
available prey at fires and on fresh burns.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
The effects of fire on sharp-shinned hawk habitat are related to habitat
structure and to prey abundance and availability.  The sharp-shinned
hawk is most benefited by a mixture of habitats.  Fire in dense conifers
tends to thin understories and open canopies, making them less suitable
for sharp-shinned hawk nesting habitat; severe fire can destroy nest
trees, roost sites, and perching sites [33,58].  However, open canopies
are more suitable for hunting.  Thus, the sharp-shinned hawk is
vulnerable to either extreme:  loss of nesting habitat with fire, or the
lack of open foraging areas without fire [58].  Lehman and Allendorf
[33] stated that lack of fire, with concomitant increases in the density
of vegetation, can result in an increase in sharp-shinned hawk numbers.
However, sharp-shinned hawks occur in the following fire-dependent
(sensu Wright and Bailey [56]) ecosystems:  ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir,
redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganticus), and
chaparral [33].
 
Lawrence [31] reported that predatory birds increased in burned
chaparral for the first 2 postfire years, but declined the third year.
Sharp-shinned hawks were more abundant in the burned area in the first
postfire years, probably due to the increased vulnerability of prey.
Declines in later postfire years were attributed to increased vegetative
cover.

In the Southwest, sharp-shinned hawk prey populations and diversity
decreased during long fire-free intervals; the loss was attributed to a
reduction in grassy understory and in structural diversity caused by
lack of fire [12].


FIRE USE : 
NO-ENTRY


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Accipiter striatus | Sharp-Shinned Hawk