Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Martes americana | American Marten 



ABBREVIATION : 
MAAM

COMMON NAMES : 
   American marten
   marten
   pine marten
   Pacific marten
   eastern marten
   western marten
   Rocky Mountain marten


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for the American marten is Martes
americana.  Five subspecies are recognized:

        Martes americana ssp. americana, eastern marten
        M. americana ssp. actuosa, marten
        M. americana ssp. atrata, Newfoundland pine marten
        M. americana ssp. origenes, Rocky Mountain marten
        M. americana ssp. sierrae, western marten

The name Martes caurina has been used in earlier literature [7,21].


ORDER : 
Carnivora

CLASS : 
Mammal

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
The American marten has been eliminated from much of its former range in the eastern
United States and Canada.  It is limited to small, isolated
areas of the Southwest [7,12,21].

The Newfoundland pine marten is listed as threatened in Newfoundland [22].


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
S. A. Snyder, April 1991


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Snyder, S. A. 1991. Martes americana. In: Remainder of Citation

WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Martes americana | American Marten 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
American Martens occur throughout much of the northern boreal forest of Canada
and in isolated portions of northeastern United States and Canada.  They
also occur in isolated areas of the Pacific Coast States, the inland
Rocky Mountain West, and the Southwest. American martens are rare in the eastern
United States but can be found in limited areas of Wisconsin, Michigan,
and Minnesota [1,3].

  
American martens are also found on the following Alaskan islands:  Admiralty, 
Kuiu, Kupreanof, and Revillagigedo.  They have been stocked on Prince of Wales, 
Garanof, and Chichagof islands.

Subspecies: Eastern marten inhabit eastern North America.  Western marten
inhabit portions of California and Nevada.  Rocky Mountain marten
inhabit the western United States [7,21].



ECOSYSTEMS : 
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES23 Fir-spruce
FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce


STATES : 


    
AK
    
AR
    
CA
    
CO
    
ID
    
MI
    
MN
    
MT
    
NY
    
OH
    
UT
    
WA
    
WY






    
AB
    
BC
    
MB
    
NB
    
NF
    
NT
    
NS
    
ON
    
PE
    
PQ


    
SK
    
YK
    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    





BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
     1  Northern Pacific Border
     2  Cascade Mountains
     4  Sierra Mountains
     8  Northern Rocky Mountains
     9  Middle Rocky Mountains
    10  Wyoming Basin
    11  Southern Rocky Mountains
    12  Colorado Plateau


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K001  Spruce - cedar - hemlock forest
   K002  Cedar - hemlock - Douglas-fir forest
   K003  Silver fir - Douglas-fir forest
   K004  Fir - hemlock forest
   K005  Mixed conifer forest
   K007  Red fir forest
   K008  Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest
   K013  Cedar - hemlock - pine forest
   K014  Grand fir - Douglas-fir forest
   K015  Western spruce - fir forest
   K020  Spruce - fir - Douglas-fir forest
   K021  Southwestern spruce -fir forest
   K093  Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
   K094  Conifer bog
   K096  Northeastern spruce - fir forest
   K102  Beech - maple forest
   K107  Northern hardwoods - fir forest
   K108  Northern hardwoods - spruce forest


SAF COVER TYPES : 
     5  Balsam fir
    12  Black spruce
    13  Black spruce - tamarack
    22  White pine - hemlock
    25  Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
    30  Red spruce - yellow birch
    31  Red spruce - sugar maple - beech
    32  Red spruce
    33  Red spruce - balsam fir
    34  Red spruce - Fraser fir
   201  White spruce
   204  Black spruce
   205  Mountain hemlock
   206  Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
   207  Red fir
   211  White fir
   212  Western larch
   213  Grand fir
   215  Western white pine
   216  Blue spruce
   218  Lodgepole pine
   223  Sitka spruce
   224  Western hemlock
   225  Western hemlock - Sitka spruce
   226  Coastal true fir - hemlock
   227  Western redcedar - western hemlock
   228  Western redcedar
   229  Pacific Douglas-fir
   230  Douglas-fir - western hemlock
   232  Redwood
   243  Sierra Nevada mixed conifer
   251  White spruce - aspen
   253  Black spruce - white spruce


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
American martens are found in climax coniferous and mixed forests.  They need
dense overstory (>30 percent) and sufficient understory cover for hiding
and denning.  Mesic sites that support dense, succulent understory
vegetation for American marten prey species are considered the best habitat [12].
During the summer, American martens may hunt for food in open meadows bordering
dense forests if hiding cover is present [1,11,12].  American martens inhabit
high elevation basins in spruce (Picea spp.)-subalpine fir (Abies
lasiocarpa) or mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) forests in the West.
Mature lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands that include spruce or
subalpine fir will also support American marten.  Although American martens are 
usually found at high elevations, they will use forests at lower elevations with
high precipation, such as cedar (Thuja spp.)-grand fir (Abies grandis)
[12].  In the East they are found in maple 
(Acer spp.)-beech (Fagus spp.)-birch (Betula spp.) forests.
 


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Martes americana | American Marten 



TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS : 
Minimum breeding age - 1 year for males
                       2 years for females
Breeding season - late July to August
Gestation period - active gestation is 27 days following delayed
                   implantation
Birthing season - April, two to four young
Maximum lifespan - 17 years in captivity



PREFERRED HABITAT : 
American martens prefer dense, old-growth conifer and mixed stands.  Stands must
have sufficient understory to support various rodents, such as mice
(Cricetids) and voles ( Microtines), the major food source.  Martens
usually den in rotten logs.  They may also den in rock slides and slash
piles [4].


COVER REQUIREMENTS : 
Cover requirements for American martens include dense conifer or mixed forests
with 40 to 60 percent canopy closure.  They will avoid areas that are so
dense that herbaceous cover is suppressed [12].  Dense understory,
including slash or rotten logs and stumps, is necessary for denning and
hiding [18].  Open areas adjacent to these forests will be used for
hunting only if they provide adequate hiding cover and food.
Uneven-aged stands are most beneficial because their vegetation is more
diverse which leads to a greater food base [1,11,12].


FOOD HABITS : 
American martens prey on small mammals, particularly mice and voles.  Other small
mammal prey include ground squirrels (Spermophilus spp.), flying
squirrels (Glaucomys spp.), chipmunks (Eutamias spp.), and snowshoe
hares (Lepus americanus).  The American marten's diet can also include insects,
various fruits and nuts, and passerine birds [1,14].


PREDATORS : 
Amer5ican marten predators include man, bear (Ursus spp.), mountain lion (Felis
concolor), lynx (F. lynx), bobcat (Lynx rufus), coyote (Canis
latrans), gray wolf (C. lupus), eagles (Accipitrines), and the
great-horned owl (Bubo virginianus).


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Koehler and others [12] listed some management recommendations for the
American marten.  During winter American marten need old-growth forests on mesic sites
with a canopy cover exceeding 30 percent.  In winter, they rarely cross
openings greater than 300 feet (90 m) and do not hunt in openings.
Mature forests may support more American marten in certain areas, but diverse
forest communities support more American marten over time.  In summary, openings
should be small, undisturbed, old-growth forests on mesic sites, and
forest diversity must be maintained.  American martens can tolerate human
activity; however, road closures after logging are important to ensure
the geographical isolation that American martens require.


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Martes americana | American Marten 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
American martens could be trapped in a rapidly spreading, intense fire. However,
direct fire mortality probably has little effect on the population as a
whole.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Fires that completely consume the understory and/or reduce the canopy
closure to less than 30 percent are detrimental to American marten populations in
the short-term.  However, fires that create a mosaic of diverse habitats
provide the best cover for American marten and their prey in the long-term.
Marten populations tend to increase several decades after fire as
adequate food and cover are replaced [11,12,20].  Koehler and others
[12] suggested that low-intensity fires on mesic sites where canopy
cover is maintained at greater than 30 percent may not adversely affect
American marten habitat.


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire can be used to create a diversity of forest communities,
which, over time, may support more American marten.  Fire can create and maintain
openings where abundant fruits, insects, ground squirrels, and voles
provide summer food.  Smaller burns may be more beneficial because they
are less restrictive to American marten movement in winter, and cover is
reestablished more quickly.  Islands of climax forest containing logs,
stumps, and slash for denning should always be maintained.  Islands of
forest should be no farther apart than 55 yards (50 m) [11,12].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

References for species: Martes americana

1. Allen, Arthur W. 1984. Habitat suitability index models: marten. FWS/OBS-82/10.11 (Revised). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 13 p. [11714]

2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]

3. Burt, William H.; Grossenheider, Richard P. 1976. A field guide to the mammals. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. 289 p. [13685]

4. Buskirk, Steven W.; Forrest, Steven C.; Raphael, Martin G.; Harlow, Henry J. 1989. Winter resting site ecology of marten in the central Rocky Mountains. Journal of Wildlife Management. 53(1): 191-196. [6896]

5. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]

6. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]

7. Hall, E. Raymond. 1946. Mammals of Nevada. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 710 p. [13688]

8. Heinselman, Miron L. 1973. Fire in the virgin forests of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Minnesota. Quaternary Research. 3: 329-382. [282]

9. Honacki, James H.; Kinman, Kenneth E.; Koeppl, James W., eds. 1982. Mammal species of the world. Lawrence, KA: Allen Press Inc. 694 p. [13703]

10. Ingram, Rod. 1973. Wolverine, fisher, and marten in central Oregon. Central Oregon Adminstrative Report No. 73-2. Salem, OR: Oregon State Game Commission. 41 p. [13472]

11. Koehler, Gary M.; Hornocker, Maurice G. 1977. Fire effects on marten habitat in the Selway-Bitterrroot Wilderness. Journal of Wildlife Management. 41(2): 500-505. [7637]

12. Koehler, Gary M.; Moore, William R.; Taylor, Alan R. 1975. Preserving the pine martin: management guidelines for western forests. Western Wildlands Summer 1975. Missoula, MT: University of Montana, Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. 6 p. [8452]

13. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]

14. Lensink, Calvin J.; Skoog, Ronald O.; Buckly, John L. 1955. Food habits of marten in interior Alaska and their significance. Journal of Wildlife Management. 19(3): 364-368. [13689]

15. Mech, L. David; Rogers, Lynn L. 1977. Status, distribution, and movements of martens in northeastern Minnesota. Res. Pap. NC-143. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station. 7 p. [13465]

16. Meehan, William R. 1974. The forest ecosystem of southeast Alaska: 4. Wildlife habitats. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-16. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 32 p. [13479]

17. Rowe, J. S.; Scotter, G. W. 1973. Fire in the boreal forest. Quaternary Research. 3: 444-464. [72]

18. Spencer, Wayne D. 1987. Seasonal rest-site preferences of pine martens in the northern Sierra Nevada. Journal of Wildlife Management. 51(3): 616-621. [13690]

19. Thompson, Ian D. 1991. Could marten become the spotted owl of eastern Canada? Forestry Chronicle. 67(2): 136-140. [7553]

20. Viereck, Leslie A.; Schandelmeier, Linda A. 1980. Effects of fire in Alaska and adjacent Canada--a literature review. BLM-Alaska Tech. Rep. 6. Anchorage, AK: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Mangement, Alaska State Office. 124 p. [7075]

21. Warren, Edward Royal. 1942. The mammals of Colorado. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. 330 p. [13687]

22. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 1992. Canadian species at risk. Ottawa, ON. 10 p. [26183]

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Martes americana | American Marten