Breeding Season Diet and Prey Selection of the New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) in a Plantation Forest

Seaton, Richard; Hyde, Noel; Holland, John; Minot, Edward O.; Springett, B. P.

doi:10.3356/jrr-07-50.1

Cited by 25 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…In New Zealand, it has been known that specific management actions can benefit particular threatened species (e.g., clear-cutting edges provide foraging habitat for New Zealand falcons) [73]. Furthermore, it should be noted that the ability of a species to persist in the landscape depends on its metapopulation dynamics (i.e., by processes of colonization and extinction) [74].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biodiversity Benefits and Opportunity Costs of Plantation Forest Management: A Modelling Case Study of Pinus radiata in New Zealand

Nghiem

Tran

2016

Forests

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This study modelled the potential biodiversity benefits and the opportunity costs of a patch-clear-cutting strategy over a clear-cutting strategy for Pinus radiata in New Zealand. Patch-clear cutting is a special case of clear cutting involving the removal of all the trees from strips or patches within a stand, leaving the remainder uncut or clear cutting a series of strips or patches. A forest-level optimisation model was extended to include uncertainty in timber growth, plant diversity, and cutting costs. Using a species-area relationship and economies of cutting scale, the net present value and optimal rotation age under alternative management strategies were calculated. Results suggested that the optimal rotation ages were similar (24 and 25 years) for the two cutting strategies. Patch-clear cutting provided higher biodiversity benefits (i.e., 59 vs. 11 understorey plant species) with an opportunity cost of 27 NZD (18 USD) per extra plant species or 1250 NZD (820 USD) ha −1 . However, the true benefits of patch-clear cutting would be even greater if other benefits of stand retention are included. Our research can potentially inform local decision making and inform international systems of payment for environmental services, such as the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) program, to conserve biodiversity in developing countries with plantation forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biodiversity Benefits and Opportunity Costs of Plantation Forest Management: A Modelling Case Study of Pinus radiata in New Zealand

Nghiem

Tran

2016

Forests

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“…Some species appear to flourish with current forest management, and have high breeding success in exotic plantations. For example, the breeding success of New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) is similar in P. radiata plantations and other habitat types (Seaton et al 2009); and breeding success of Chile's Thorn-tailed rayatido (Aphrastura spinicauda) in plantation forests is significantly higher than in their original Nothofagus forest habitat (Estades 2003). Conversely, other species are not as successful.…”

Section: Greater Understanding Is Needed Of the Use Of Exotic Plantatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, information about native species is needed to decide how to modify forest management to improve the breeding success and survival of native species. For example, research into New Zealand falcon ecology in Kaingaroa Forest, a predominantly P. radiata forest in the central North Island, resulted in advice to operators that minimises the impact of forestry operations on falcon whilst creating little disruption to operations (Seaton et al 2009). In this case, ensuring land preparation and harvesting operations were kept 200 m from nests until the chicks were 14-days old improved breeding success.…”

Section: Greater Understanding Is Needed Of the Use Of Exotic Plantatmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of exotic plantation forest for the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus)

Borkin

Parsons

2010

New Zealand Journal of Zoology

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Environmental certification schemes have stimulated increasing interest in biodiversity and its management within exotic plantation forests. These schemes expect management to be scientifically-based, even though little is known about how often, or which, native species use exotic plantation forests. Greater knowledge of the ecology of native species within exotic plantation forests is required to advise management and reduce risks to native species, particularly those that are rare, such as the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus). Long-tailed bats use exotic plantation forests throughout New Zealand but need protection from the impacts of forest management, and particularly clear-fell harvest, that is achievable only through a better understanding of their biology. The consequences of the current reduced re-planting, and the conversion of plantation forests into pasture resulting in smaller forested areas, should not be ignored because they may be associated with reductions in longtailed bat populations. We review the current knowledge of long-tailed bats' use of exotic plantation forests, and report for the first time which exotic plantations long-tailed bats are known to use. We make recommendations for the design of monitoring programmes to detect long-tailed bats within plantation forests, and for research into the effects of forest management, especially logging, and comment on the likely impacts of reductions in forested areas on longtailed bats.

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“…The newly created open fields (clearcut, stands <3 years old or farmland pasture) are colonised by forbs and grasses (Pawson et al 2006), whose seeds are an attraction to introduced small passerine birds (Moorman & Guynn 2001), the preferred prey of falcons (Fox 1977;Seaton et al 2008Seaton et al , 2010Kross et al 2013). An additional benefit of the harvest practices in these plantations is that logging debris left in stands after a harvesting event (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter habitat use of New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae ferox) in an intensively managed pine plantation, central North Island, New Zealand

Horikohi¹,

Battley²,

Seaton³

et al. 2017

NZ J Ecol

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Deforestation and conversion to intensive agriculture historically caused a large reduction in abundance of the New Zealand falcon, resulting in its current classification as At Risk. Many New Zealand falcons occur in managed plantation forests, but little is known about their winter use of the mosaic of different aged stands present in these forests. We radio tracked adult falcons (n = 36) during three winters (2012)(2013)(2014) in Kaingaroa Forest, an intensively managed pine plantation located in the Central Plateau of the North Island of New Zealand. We used tracking data to establish the extent and habitat composition of winter home ranges, and transect surveys to assess the availability of potential prey (passerine birds). We also investigated whether falcon habitat use was related to weather. Open fields created by clearcutting were the primary hunting ground of falcons. Falcons occupied young pine stands (30.4%) and the ecotone between young and mature pine stands (31.2%) most frequently despite its limited availability (20.1% and 3.7%, respectively). Total prey abundance was similar across all habitats and sizes of open fields, but the species composition of potential prey differed significantly between habitats. Thus, the dynamic changes to forest structure created by clearcutting and its effects on prey accessibility are the most important factors influencing falcon space use. We observed that falcons used the mature portion of the forest edge area as a vantage point for hunting or for territorial defence and as a shelter from heavy rain, and interiors of mature tree stands as a shelter from strong winds. Females had a larger home range size (95% KDE, 32 km 2 ) than males (15 km 2 ). The availability of mature/young edge within a home range may be the key factor determining home range size during winter. Maintaining the availability of ecotones of young stands adjacent to mature trees in plantation forests can assist in supporting falcon populations in this novel habitat and hence the conservation of this endemic raptor.

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Breeding Season Diet and Prey Selection of the New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) in a Plantation Forest

Cited by 25 publications

References 11 publications

The Biodiversity Benefits and Opportunity Costs of Plantation Forest Management: A Modelling Case Study of Pinus radiata in New Zealand

The Biodiversity Benefits and Opportunity Costs of Plantation Forest Management: A Modelling Case Study of Pinus radiata in New Zealand

The importance of exotic plantation forest for the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus)

Winter habitat use of New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae ferox) in an intensively managed pine plantation, central North Island, New Zealand

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