Cavity-breeding birds create specific microhabitats for diverse arthropod communities in boreal forests

Abstract

The nests of secondary cavity-nesters located in tree cavities may form specific microhabitats of conservation importance due to their limited accessibility and availability. Species-specific nesting materials in nests of different secondary cavity-nesters may furthermore provide very different microhabitats for arthropods. The potential differences in arthropod communities inhabiting nests of different bird species in excavated cavities or nest boxes have, however, rarely been studied despite their relevance for conservation. Here we investigated the diversity and composition of arthropod communities in these different cavity types and bird species’ nests in managed boreal forests. We identified morphologically and by DNA-metabarcoding arthropods in nest materials that were collected in and compared between (i) woodpecker-size cavities from seven different combinations of cavity type (nest box or excavated cavity), tree species (aspen or pine) and accumulation history of nest materials (single-season cleaned or uncleaned nest boxes that accumulated nests of passerines or an owl species); and (ii) nests of two different passerine species in small nest boxes. We identified 64 arthropod taxa in ten orders, from which Diptera, Coleoptera, Siphonaptera, and Lepidoptera were the most abundant. Shannon diversity index was similar among the cavity-nest-type combinations, but taxa richness was the highest in the owl nests. The arthropod communities (especially Histeridae beetles) deviated most from the other types of nests in owl and aspen cavity nests with more advanced decomposition of nest material (soil or wet environment related taxa). The differences in arthropod communities between the different nest types point out the importance of the ecological chain “tree cavities—bird nests—arthropod communities”.

Three cases of collared owlet depredation on the green‐backed tit within nest boxes

“…When we found eggs, the laying date was determined by counting backward from the number of eggs, since tits typically lay one egg each day (Perrins, 1970). We considered the next box as active if it contained eggs or chicks, or had an incubating female (Hanzelka et al., 2023). When a nest box was confirmed to be occupied for breeding, we monitored the box from 6:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. using digital cameras (HD99S‐10, LooSafe, Dongguan, Guangzhou, China).…”

Type of Material, Not Tree Hole Characteristics Shapes Uropodina Mites’ Species Composition in Excavated Tree Holes

“…Tree holes excavated by woodpeckers are unique and constitute their specialised breeding sites, but, as long-lasting structures [8,9], they are regularly inhabited in the following years by other species of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals which rely upon existing holes for breeding and roosting [3,5,10,11]. To a much lesser extent, the role of excavated tree holes has been studied with respect to invertebrates [12][13][14].…”