A similar relationship exists between thinning and standing snags. Habitat values, which depend on the functional maturity of stands, are affected by changes in the size and frequency of standing snags, total volume and production rate of coarse woody debris, and the size distribution of large living trees. The effects of thinning on the quality of these habitats may be predicted by considering each factor and its response over time. However, the likelihood of co-ordinating factors to create favourable conditions presents a difficult prescriptive challenge. Some species of plants and animals are more critically dependent on stand age rather than functional structural characteristics.
Stands usually support a number of different species.
Stand density management practices can be designed to immediately enhance habitat quality for one or several species. However, these changes may result in decreased habitat quality for other co-dependent species. Long-term thinned stand dynamics increase, reduce or reverse the initial relationship. No stand or density management treatment can possibly meet the needs of all wildlife species through all stages of stand development. Guidelines for Integrating Grizzly Bear Habitat and Silviculture in Coastal British Columbia.