of water or wet meadow areas. Slopes ranged from zero to 60- percent for 

 primary sites with aspects from 60 to 210 degrees. Distances from potential 

 human disturbance ranged from 100 ft to just under 1 mile (Tables 2,3). Types 

 of forest openings nearest calling sites included clearcuts, parks, meadows, 

 and roads (Table 4). 



Analysis of stand structure at primary sites indicated number of canopy 

 levels ranging from one to four with canopy closure estimates from 40 to 80 

 percent. All stands contained from 2 to 10 snags (> 8") per acre. Ages of 

 dominant trees ranged from 80 to 200 years, with DBH values between 11 and 24 

 inches and heights from 54 to 90 feet (Table 3). 



DISCUSSION 



The presence of boreal owls in the study area during the breeding season 

 is an indication that, though no nests were found, boreals are present in 

 southwestern Montana as potential nesters, and can be monitored as such in the 

 future. Data from this survey should be considered as evidence of boreal 

 activity, and not as a basis for owl density calculations or population levels 

 within the study area. 



Boreal owls were heard in primarily high elevation (6,000-7,800 ft) 

 spruce/subalpine fir, subalpine fir/lodgepole, and Douglas fir/subalpine fir 

 forest types. This is consistent with findings in the Bitterroot Divide (Holt 

 and Hillis 1987) and central Idaho (Hayward et al. 1984). Though surveys 

 covered additional forest types, including ponderosa pine and Douglas 

 fir/ juniper ( Juniperus spp.) at lower elevations, no responses were heard in 

 these forest types. 



Forest openings nearest boreal calling sites were man-made at five of the 

 seven sites (Table 4). G. Hayward (Pers. commun.) suggested that man-made 



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