The efficacy of fungal inoculation of live trees to create wood decay and wildlife-use trees in managed forests of western Washington, USA

Bednarz, James C.; Huss, Martin J.; Benson, Thomas J.; Varland, Daniel E.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2013.06.041

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Several studies attempting to create nest snags for PCEs have reported low use by woodpeckers, indicating that this should be a major concern. For example, Bednarz et al (2013) inoculated 330 trees with Fomitopsis pinicola in western Washington, USA, and found no avian nest cavities eight to nine years later. Likewise, for 883 and 1111 snags created by tree-topping in western Oregon, USA, by Walter and Maguire (2005) and Kroll et al (2012), only 2-3% were used by woodpeckers for nesting 10 to 12 years later.…”

Section: Implications For Research and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of wood hardness in limiting nest site selection in avian cavity excavators

Lorenz

Vierling

Johnson

et al. 2015

Ecological Applications

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Woodpeckers and other primary cavity excavators (PCEs) are important worldwide for excavating cavities in trees, and a large number of studies have examined their nesting preferences. However, quantitative measures of wood hardness have been omitted from most studies, and ecologists have focused on the effects of external tree- and habitat-level features on nesting. Moreover, information is lacking on the role of wood hardness in limiting nesting opportunities for this important guild. Here, we used an information theoretic approach to examine the role of wood hardness in multi-scale nest site selection and in limiting nesting opportunities for six species of North American PCEs. We found that interior wood hardness at nests (n = 259) differed from that at random sites, and all six species of PCE had nests with significantly softer interior wood than random trees (F1,517 = 106.15, P < 0.0001). Accordingly, interior wood hardness was the most influential factor in our models of nest site selection at both spatial scales that we examined: in the selection of trees within territories and in the selection of nest locations on trees. Moreover, regardless of hypothesized excavation abilities, all the species in our study appeared constrained by interior wood hardness, and only 4-14% of random sites were actually suitable for nesting. Our findings suggest that past studies that did not measure wood hardness counted many sites as available to PCEs when they were actually unsuitable, potentially biasing results. Moreover, by not accounting for nest site limitations in PCEs, managers may overestimate the amount of suitable habitat. We therefore urge ecologists to incorporate quantitative measures of wood hardness into PCE nest site selection studies, and to consider the limitations faced by avian cavity excavators in forest management decisions.

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Section: Implications For Research and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of wood hardness in limiting nest site selection in avian cavity excavators

Lorenz

Vierling

Johnson

et al. 2015

Ecological Applications

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“…Indeed, these findings support the tree selection hypothesis, but further research on the fungal communities in these systems is needed to determine whether bird facilitation also applies. Bednarz et al [42] tested tree selection by inoculating living trees with known decay fungi and monitoring excavation activity for nine years. They found no support for the preferential selection of nest excavation sites in inoculated living trees in their system, though they did show some support for the selection of inoculated living trees for general use by picids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence of a symbiosis between red-cockaded woodpeckers and fungi

et al. 2016

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Primary cavity excavators, such as woodpeckers, are ecosystem engineers in many systems. Associations between cavity excavators and fungi have long been hypothesized to facilitate cavity excavation, but these relationships have not been experimentally verified. Fungi may help excavators by softening wood, while excavators may facilitate fungal dispersal. Here we demonstrate that excavators facilitate fungal dispersal and thus we report the first experimental evidence of a symbiosis between fungi and a cavity excavator, the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW, Picoides borealis ). Swab samples of birds showed that RCWs carry fungal communities similar to those found in their completed excavations. A 26-month field experiment using human-made aseptically drilled excavations in live trees, half of which were inaccessible to RCWs, demonstrated that RCWs directly alter fungal colonization and community composition. Experimental excavations that were accessible to RCWs contained fungal communities similar to natural RCW excavations, whereas inaccessible experimental excavations contained significantly different fungal communities. Our work demonstrates a complex symbiosis between cavity excavators and communities of fungi, with implications for forest ecology, wildlife management, and conservation.

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“…The fungus that caused the most rapid decay was were not evaluated, but are also native to Alaska and were recommended for trial in the research needs section of this review. Bednarz et al (2013) found that F. pinicola inoculations were significantly more effective on western hemlock compared to Douglas-fir, which also suggests that it is important to carefully pair inoculation fungi with susceptible tree hosts. Manning (2008) found that Phellinus pini inoculations successfully caused decay of Douglas-fir on Vancouver Island within 5 years of inoculation, but indicated that other fungal species with more rapid growth may be more appropriate.…”

Section: Artificially Inoculate Trees With Decay Fungi-mentioning

confidence: 90%

“…These treatments have the advantage of introducing fungi that are known to cause rapid or a certain type of decay into desired parts of the tree. Filip et al (2011), Bednarz et al (2013), and Manning (2008) concluded that fungal inoculation is significantly more effective in causing decay than wounding without fungal inoculum. It is important to use native fungal species and to collect fungal inoculation materials close to the location where they will be used, as these fungi are best-adapted to the hosts and conditions in their local environment.…”

Section: Artificially Inoculate Trees With Decay Fungi-mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Few studies have evaluated fungal inoculations of Sitka spruce or western hemlock; one exception is a recent study from western Washington in which western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees were inoculated with Fomitopsis pinocola (Bednarz et al 2013). Nonetheless, protocols and lessons learned from inoculations of other tree species and in other locations in the Pacific Northwest have application in coastal Alaska.…”

Section: Artificially Inoculate Trees With Decay Fungi-mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Managing heart rot in live trees for wildlife habitat in young-growth forests of coastal Alaska

Hennon¹,

Mulvey²

2014

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Cover photograph by Robin Mulvey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at http://www. ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html. If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda. gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form.

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The efficacy of fungal inoculation of live trees to create wood decay and wildlife-use trees in managed forests of western Washington, USA

Cited by 20 publications

References 25 publications

The role of wood hardness in limiting nest site selection in avian cavity excavators

The role of wood hardness in limiting nest site selection in avian cavity excavators

Experimental evidence of a symbiosis between red-cockaded woodpeckers and fungi

Managing heart rot in live trees for wildlife habitat in young-growth forests of coastal Alaska

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