40 Years of Breeding Bird Community Dynamics in a Primeval Temperate Forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)

Wesołowski, Tomasz; Czeszczewik, Dorota; Hebda, Grzegorz; Maziarz, Marta; Mitrus, Cezary; Rowiński, Patryk

doi:10.3161/00016454ao2015.50.1.010

Cited by 68 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, to our knowledge, there are no quantitative models describing relationships between densities and habitat parameters for this species. In our study area, both woodpecker species reached very high densities in both pre-outbreak and outbreak periods compared to other forest stands (Michalek and Miettinen 2003;Pasinelli 2003;Kosiński and Winiecki 2005;Wesołowski et al 2015). This suggests that the availability of suitable nest sites does not limit the abundance of either woodpecker species in mature riverine forests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 45%

“…The great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers are the two most common woodpecker species in old-growth deciduous forests in Central Europe (Kosiński and Kempa 2007;Domokos and Cristea 2014;Wesołowski et al 2015). As major creators of cavities, both species provide a critical resource for secondary cavity users (Mazgajski 2003;Smith 2005;Wesołowski 2007;Lučan et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do increases in the availability of standing dead trees affect the abundance, nest-site use, and niche partitioning of great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers in riverine forests?

Kosiński

Pluta²,

Ulanowska³

et al. 2017

Biodivers Conserv

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Standing dead trees may be a limited resource for woodpeckers in managed forests, especially for species that rely on dead wood for their nest or roost cavity, and as foraging sites. Effective conservation strategies for woodpeckers require a detailed knowledge of species' responses to dead wood availability. To investigate the importance of standing dead wood (snags) for the abundance and nest-site use of the great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major and middle spotted woodpecker Leiopicus medius in mature riverine forests, we compared the responses of birds between two periods-before mass mortality, and during a pulse in standing dead trees. The density of standing dead trees available for cavity excavation by the great spotted woodpecker and the middle spotted woodpecker increased significantly during the study period: 37-fold and 4-fold, respectively. Temporal trends in the abundance of both woodpecker species from 2000 to 2015 were not significant. Great spotted woodpeckers were significantly more likely to use dead trees and places with wounds in species other than oak and ash during the outbreak period than in the pre-outbreak period. Middle spotted woodpeckers were significantly less likely to excavate cavities in tree species other than oak and ash in the outbreak period, but dead trees were more likely selected. An interspecific comparison suggests that the probability of a nest-hole having been excavated by a middle spotted woodpecker increased with a nest-hole sited in ash, in a dead tree, in a limb/branch, and decreased with 123Biodivers Conserv (2018) 27:123-145 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1425-6 a nest-hole in a closed forest. These findings suggest that woodpecker species, especially weak excavators, may benefit from an increase in dead wood availability leading to nest niche shifts into more favorable substrates for cavity excavation. However, a strong increase in dead wood availability does not modify the general pattern of niche partitioning between great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers. Conservation plans for the specialized middle spotted woodpecker must consider the preference for dead and decaying trees. The decreasing number of large ashes and oaks, and the lack of natural regeneration of the latter species, may negatively affect the middle spotted woodpecker in the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 45%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do increases in the availability of standing dead trees affect the abundance, nest-site use, and niche partitioning of great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers in riverine forests?

Kosiński

Pluta²,

Ulanowska³

et al. 2017

Biodivers Conserv

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“…A flashlight bulb, fixed to a flexible wire, was used to light the cavity interior for inspection, with the additional use of a small mirror on a bendable handle for some cavities . Additionally, breeding cavities were searched for during standard mapping census work (details in Wesołowski et al 2015). The breeding cavities were checked regularly, mostly from the ground.…”

Section: Nest Finding and Retrievalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tits as bryologists: patterns of bryophyte use in nests of three species cohabiting a primeval forest

Wesołowski¹,

Wierzcholska²

2018

J Ornithol

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Numerous birds use bryophytes as nest construction material but the species used and their biology remain largely unknown. Therefore, questions related to the selectivity of birds in their bryophyte use, and why they use/ignore particular species, remain unanswered. We studied the composition of bryophytes, including both mosses (Bryophyta) and liverworts (Marchantiophyta), in nests of Marsh Tit Poecile palustris, Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, and Great Tit Parus major breeding sympatrically in tree cavities in pristine patches of the Białowieża National Park, Poland. We checked whether the bryophyte composition of the nests differed, compared usage of different bryophytes with their availability in the surroundings (10 m radius) of the tree cavities, and looked for characteristics that may have resulted in their selection as nesting material. The birds appeared to be highly selective; of 54 bryophyte species found near cavities, 21 were never used. Individual nests contained 4.0-5.5 bryophyte species on average, and only 2.3-2.7 species exceeded 5% of the total bryophyte volume. In each tit species the three most abundantly used bryophytes belonged to mosses and comprised ca. 80-89% of the total bryophyte volume. All of the tits utilized pleurocarpous bryophytes, growing as wefts, mats or pendants mostly on tree trunks. Simulations of plucking showed that the mosses employed as nest constituents yielded larger bundles with longer shoots when plucked. The tit species differed in the sets of bryophyte species collected. Great Tit nests contained an almost completely different assemblage of mosses from that used by Marsh and Blue Tits. This variation was related to the varying mass of their broods; more robust mosses provided support for heavier broods of Great Tits, while the finest moss species were sufficient to form a cushion for the much lighter Marsh Tit broods. Keywords

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“…Fallen logs and branches are frequent in plots M and W, and superabundant in plot N. For a detailed description of the plots see Tomiałoj c et al (1984) and Wesołowski et al (2015). Two of the plots, M (54 ha) and W (50 ha), contain stands of mostly Hornbeam Carpinus betulus, Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata, Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur, Norway Spruce Picea abies and Norway Maple Acer platanoides.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of predator behaviour and Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nest survival in a primaeval forest

Maziarz

Grendelmeier

Wesołowski³

et al. 2018

Ibis

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Understanding the foraging behaviour of predators is key to interpreting the role of anti‐predator adaptations of birds in reducing nest losses. Conducting research in primaeval habitats, with a low level of direct human interference, is particularly valuable in the understanding of predator–prey interactions. Using nest cameras, we investigated the identity and behaviour of potential and actual predators appearing at Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nests, and the importance of different predator groups for nest survival, in the primaeval part of Białowieża Forest (Poland). Mammals formed the main predator group (30 of 32 nest depredations), particularly medium‐sized carnivores (24 of 32), which attacked nests more frequently than merely passing by. This contrasted with other species, especially small rodents, which were commonly recorded near nests but rarely attacked them. Most nest attacks (22 of 32) took place at night and nest survival did not depend on nest visibility, indicating a reduced utility of nest concealment in defence against predators using mainly sound or olfaction when hunting. Daily nest survival declined strongly with nest progression (from egg‐laying to fledging of chicks), probably due to increased predator detection of nests containing older and louder chicks, rather than to increasing parental activity at nests during the day. The set of actual nest predators differed from some previous studies in human‐transformed habitats, showing that Wood Warblers may face different threats in modified vs. near‐pristine environments.

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40 Years of Breeding Bird Community Dynamics in a Primeval Temperate Forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)

Cited by 68 publications

References 40 publications

Do increases in the availability of standing dead trees affect the abundance, nest-site use, and niche partitioning of great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers in riverine forests?

Do increases in the availability of standing dead trees affect the abundance, nest-site use, and niche partitioning of great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers in riverine forests?

Tits as bryologists: patterns of bryophyte use in nests of three species cohabiting a primeval forest

Patterns of predator behaviour and Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nest survival in a primaeval forest

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