Lewis's woodpecker nesting habitat suitability: Predictive models for application within burned forests

Cross, Todd B.; Latif, Quresh S.; Dudley, Jonathan G.; Saab, Victoria A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108811

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Heterogeneity created by wildfire can benefit several species of birds, pollinators, morels, and understory plant species (Larson et al, 2016; Tingley et al, 2016; Carbone et al, 2019). In the western United States, improvement of suitable woodpecker nesting conditions and foraging resources created by standing dead snags in recently burned forests is a model of such benefits (Craig, 2012; Cross et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From the severity patch to the landscape: Wildfire and spatial heterogeneity in northern Sierra Nevada conifer forests

Paudel,

Markwith

2023

J Vegetation Science

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AimsProlonged fire suppression in conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, California, USA, has led to ingrowth of conifer seedlings, converting the open heterogeneous structure into uniformly dense and layered forest. The threat of a stand‐replacing fire has increased because of fuel buildup in combination with rising drought and extreme heat frequency caused by climate change. With such high severity fire, there is also rising concern regarding conifer forest converting to shrublands as severe fire favors the establishment of large shrub patches altering landscape vegetation pattern and heterogeneity. However, a clear understanding of the effects of increased fire severity, size, and frequency on landscape‐scale heterogeneity and postfire patch dynamics is lacking, which is critical in implementing restoration and forest management activities. Our aim was to understand multiscale dynamics and spatial heterogeneity patterns of conifer forests and chaparral shrublands due to repeated mixed‐severity fire.LocationA mosaic of burned and unburned patches spanning the boundary of Lassen and Plumas National Forests, CA, USA.MethodsWe used secondary geospatial landcover data classified by cover type before modern fires (1999) and after eight modern fires (2014). We calculated various landscape diversity and fragmentation metrics at patch and landscape scales using FRAGSTATS for comparison before and after fires.ResultsAt the fire severity patch scale, high‐severity fire reduced vegetation cover type heterogeneity by half, but reburning at low to moderate severity nearly doubled cover type heterogeneity. At the full landscape scale mixed‐severity fire, including all burn severities, increased vegetation cover type heterogeneity. Fragmentation indexes confirmed that fire created larger patches of shrub and fragmented patches of conifer forest.ConclusionsThe effects of frequent large fire events on vegetation pattern and heterogeneity vary with the scale of analysis. Hence, heterogeneity and vegetation pattern change need to be evaluated at more than one scale to understand past and future ecological processes before prioritizing management actions for the conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From the severity patch to the landscape: Wildfire and spatial heterogeneity in northern Sierra Nevada conifer forests

Paudel,

Markwith

2023

J Vegetation Science

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“…Larger snags provide important foraging (Nappi et al 2003, Dufour-Pelletier et al 2020) and nesting (Conner et al 1975, Saab et al 2009, Cross et al 2021 opportunities and the value of retaining large snags to improve habitat quality for cavity-nesting birds has long been identified (Zarnowitz andManuwal 1985, McComb et al 1986). We found that 67% of southeastern kestrel nesting snags were > 25 cm dbh.…”

Section: Nest Survival and Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

Beatty¹,

Miller²,

Fletcher³

2022

ACE

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Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionABSTRACT. Many early successional and disturbance-dependent bird species have declined over the past several decades. Cavitynesting birds in early successional forests are vulnerable because they often require specific habitat characteristics and frequent disturbance events. We examined whether stand age (a proxy for forest succession), stand size, and snag density explained occupancy, nest survival, and productivity of a threatened cavity nester, the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus), in natural cavities in early successional forest (≤ 15 years since treatment). We conducted point counts, nest searching, and monitoring during the 2018-2019 breeding seasons in sand pine (Pinus clausa) scrub habitat in Ocala National Forest, Florida. Stands were created by either a clearcut, a clearcut followed by prescribed burn, or wildfire. Occupancy probability tended to peak in stands ≤ 5 years old, but this varied with snag density: β standage²xsnagdensity = -1.40, 95% CI (-2.57, -0.23). Even slight increases in snag density were related to large increases in occupancy across stand ages. For example, our occupancy model predicted that if there were 5 snags/ha, there was a 70% probability of occurrence (per point) in a four-year-old stand, whereas 1 snag/ha led to expected occupancy probability of 30%. Nest survival was best explained by snag density: β snagdensity = 0.71, 95% CI (0.12, 1.46). Neither occupancy nor nest survival were explained by stand size. Productivity did not have a relationship with any measured covariate. Our data indicate that snag density is an important measure of habitat quality for cavity-nesting birds and that interpreting stand age without considering the role of snag density may lead to under-or overestimating habitat quality of stands. Occupancy probability and nest survival had a low positive correlation across clearcut stands, but not in prescribed burns or wildfires. These results emphasize caution when extrapolating predictions from clearcuts to wildfire or prescribed burn stands.La densité de chicots et l'âge du peuplement, mais pas la taille du peuplement, expliquent l'occupation et la reproduction d'un nicheur cavicole menacé en forêt de début de succession

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Lewis's woodpecker nesting habitat suitability: Predictive models for application within burned forests

Cited by 2 publications

References 54 publications

From the severity patch to the landscape: Wildfire and spatial heterogeneity in northern Sierra Nevada conifer forests

From the severity patch to the landscape: Wildfire and spatial heterogeneity in northern Sierra Nevada conifer forests

Snag density and stand age, but not stand size, explain occupancy and reproduction of an imperiled cavity nester in early successional forest

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