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Vol. 19, No. 5 
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the ground are not good nest cavities for one reason or another) are needed to 
sustain reasonable densities (fall densities of 1 . 5 - 2.0 per acre). 
As we have shown, both storable food and shelter are eliminated for 
squirrels by clear-cutting for at least 22 years postcutting (see MWRL 19 (4): 3 ). 
On the basis of our 8 -year study of both the immediate and long-term effects 
of clear-cutt 1 ng on squirrels, we offer the following recommendations as guide¬ 
lines for using clear-cutting where squirrels are considered important. 
1. If the stand to be clear-cut is mature and contains a significant 
proportion of the food or shelter, or both, of the compartment as a whole, then 
the stand should be cut using only single tree selection until surrounding stands 
mature. At Truetown, survival of young gray squirrels was much reduced after 
clear-cutting 35 acres of the best cavity-producing stand on the entire 206-acre 
study area (see MWRL 18(12):1). 
2. Clear-cuts should be less than 150 meters wide. At Doanville, survival 
of adult squirrels was not reduced by clear-cuts up to 180 meters wide, but 
three of seven surviving adult female gray squirrels shifted their home ranges 
away from the clear-cut. A clear-cut narrower than 180 meters should lessen the 
disruption of home ranges for resident squirrels. The average home range for a 
total of 34 adult female gray squirrels captured at Truetown and Doanville was 
5. 6> acres. We are specifying the home range of the adult female because we 
believe the well-being of any squirrel population depends on the number of adult 
females maintained in good condition during the winter months. A circle of 5 .16 
acres has a diameter of about 160 meters; a clear-cut with a lesser diameter should 
help reduce the effects of the cut on the resident adult females. 
3. If the clear-cut is kept narrow and the surrounding timber is suitable 
to support huntable squirrel densities, then the length of the clear-cut should 
be dictated by site, topography, and logging constraints. 
4, The retention of 0.5- to 1.0-acre islands of uncut trees in a clear-cut 
does not appear to be justified for squirrels alone. At Truetown there were 
two uncut islands left in the 35-acre clear-cut, one 0.5 acre and one 1.0 acre 
in size. Before cutting, nine squirrels were taken in live traps within these 
r° ' s lands. After cutting, only an adult male gray squirrel was captured in 
the 0.5-acre island located 20 m from the uncut forest. There were no squirrels 
captured in the 1.0-acre island located 40 m from the uncut forest. In winter, 
on snow, only one or two squirrels were found to be using the 0.5-acre island 
and no squirrels were located in the 1.0-acre island. 
5* For long, narrow clear-cuts, a strip of uncut forest up to 100 m wide 
should be left intact to provide wildlife with a connecting travel lane through 
the clear-cut. Travel lanes should be placed so as to divide a large clear-cut 
into areas of about 20 acres. Travel lanes should contain numerous tree 
cavities for protection from predators and should be well stocked with food 
species (oaks and hickories >14.0 inches dbh). 
