Landscape heterogeneity compensates for fuel reduction treatment effects on Northern flying squirrel populations

Whereas thinning had negative effects on Northern flying squirrel density on the scale of a thinning treatment unit, our results suggest that these effects were largely absorbed by the heterogeneous landscape, as animals shifted their distribution into un-thinned areas without a decline in overall density. This highlights the need to incorporate the landscape context when evaluating the effects of forest management on wildlife.