Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martiushabitat selection in the Italian Alps: implications for conservation in Natura 2000 network

Abstract

The Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius is the largest woodpecker of the Palearctic Region and it has been recognised as a keystone species whose presence provides critical resources to secondary cavity-users in European forest ecosystems. Here we investigate cavity tree and foraging-habitat selection of Black Woodpecker in three natural parks located in the central and eastern Italian Alps and included in the Natura 2000 network. A total of 94 cavity trees were identified, showing a minimum diameter of 35 cm and a mean diameter of 51 cm. We counted 30 active nests, but only 40% were newly excavated. Silver fir Abies alba and larch Larix decidua were preferred as cavity trees, with silver fir also associated with habitat surrounding the cavity trees. Norway spruce Picea abies and Silver fir were found to be positively associated with the surroundings of feeding sites. Logistic regression models identified the average diameter at breast height and the average tree crown height as significant predictors, positively associated with both cavity trees (AUC: 0.988) and cavity tree plots (AUC: 0.866). Also, the total volume of dead logs and the percentage of understorey cover turned out to be significant predictors of feeding sites, showing a positive and a negative association, respectively (AUC: 0.708). Cross validation of logistic regression models indicated that only cavity tree models can be considered useful tools in conservation practice. Overall, our results indicated that the Black Woodpecker behaves like an opportunist when choosing feeding sites. On the other hand, our results also indicate that the Black Woodpecker clearly behaves as a demanding species when it selects cavity trees, showing a hierarchical pattern in habitat selection and a marked preference for large trees with high crown height. We discuss the implications of our results for the conservation of the Black Woodpecker in Natura 2000 alpine sites.

Species interactions and climate change: How the disruption of species co‐occurrence will impact on an avian forest guild

“…Black woodpecker, the only diurnal taxon among the modelled species, is tied to mature forests, with large stems and availability of dead wood and ant‐rich habitats (Brambilla & Saporetti, ; Karimi, Moradi, Rezaei, Brambilla, & Ghadimi, ; Pirovano & Zecca, ) over a wide elevation gradient, from sea level to c. 2,000 m a.s.l. This species has shown a dramatic increase in the Alps, and colonization of previously unoccupied lowland forests (Nardelli et al, ).…”

“…Finally, local forest characteristics, potentially sensitive to human management and climate change (Braunisch et al, 2014), can be important, especially for black woodpecker (Karimi et al, 2018;Pirovano & Zecca, 2014). However, at broader scales, they are unlikely to be relevant (see e.g.…”

Current Status and Recent Stand Structure Dynamics in Mixed Silver Fir—European Beech Forests in Croatian Dinarides: Are There Differences between Managed and Unmanaged Forests?

“…A smaller part characterized by high-stocked stands/part of stands is an appropriate base for establishing networks for fulfilling the requirements of habitat and nature protection, i.e., Natura 2000 requirements [62]. No harvest or low harvest approaches will maintain processes of achieving old-growth forest structure [45,63]. Similarly, as mentioned above for unmanaged forests, it would take several decades (up to 5) to achieve old-growth structural characteristics in such high-stocked stands.…”

Long-term dynamics of stand structure and regeneration in high-stocked selection fir-beech forest stand: Croatian Dinarides case study

“…In this forest type, there is a large part (up to one-fourth) of high-stocked stands where two main management objectives may be set: (i) providing economic benefits from fir-dominated forests by gradually establishing an efficient selection stand structure with a growing stock close to or slightly above an equilibrium structure (Hanewinkel et al 2014); and (ii) providing a basis for fulfilling the requirements for habitat and nature protection (i.e., Natura 2000 requirements) by maintaining processes that promote an old-growth forest structure (Bauhus et al 2009, Pirovano & Zecca 2014. The influence of different management regimes (managed, non-managed) and approaches (i.e., the traditionally applied lower-intensity approach vs. a moderate-intensity theoretical approach) on long-term stand dynamics could be simulated on previously monitored permanent sample plots representing such a highstocked stand structure.…”