Keywords

Northern Goshawk, forest structure, sensitive species

Abstract

The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter genii/is) is a large forest raptor in the northern hemisphere that preys on small to medium-sized birds and mammals in mature forests (Squires and Reynolds 1997). Because forest structure and composition in the southwest have undergone significant change since pre-settlement times due to fire suppression, timber harvesting, livestock grazing, mining, and recreational use (Reynolds et al. 1992), the goshawk has been listed as a Forest Service sensitive species for Region 4, which includes the Dixie National Forest in Utah. This ranking dictates that for all actions on the Forest, effects to the species must be addressed. On all of the six National Forests in Utah, the goshawk also bolds Management Indicator Species (MIS) status. For those Forests, grounding activities must be addressed as they will affect goshawk population trend and viability. Significant time and resources are applied to gathering population and trend data to fulfill these obligations.