Secondhand homes: The multilayered influence of woodpeckers as ecosystem engineers

Hardin, Faith O.; Leivers, Samantha; Grace, Jacquelyn K.; Hancock, Zachary B.; Campbell, Tyler A.; Pierce, Brian L.; Morrison, Michael L.

doi:10.1002/ece3.7932

Ecology and Evolution

2021

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7932

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Secondhand homes: The multilayered influence of woodpeckers as ecosystem engineers

Faith O. Hardin

Samantha Leivers

Jacquelyn K. Grace

et al.

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 77 publications

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“…For example, beavers cut down big trees and use their trunks for building dams (thereby regulating ecosystem hydrology), big branches for building their castle, and twigs for food. Some bird species build nests (in some cases containing twig litter) on or between branches, while woodpeckers make nest holes in trunks, which in turn can be used by multiple other cavity-breeding bird species as an example of (biodiversity) supporting services [24]. The same is true for humans; as examples of utilitarian services, we use tree trunks or big branches to construct buildings or furniture but small branches and twigs to weave baskets.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Size matters for linking traits to ecosystem multifunctionality

Guo

Yan

Cornelissen

2022

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Size matters for linking traits to ecosystem multifunctionality

Guo

Yan

Cornelissen

2022

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Comparative analysis of meningeal transcriptomes in birds: Potential pathways of resilience to repeated impacts

Beatty,

Barnes‐Tompkins,

Long

et al. 2024

The Anatomical Record

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The meninges and associated vasculature (MAV) play a crucial role in maintaining cerebral integrity and homeostasis. Recent advances in transcriptomic analysis have illuminated the significance of the MAV in understanding the complex physiological interactions at the interface between the skull and the brain after exposure to mechanical stress. To investigate how physiological responses may confer resilience against repetitive mechanical stress, we performed the first transcriptomic analysis of avian MAV tissues using the Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) and Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) as the comparison species. Our findings reveal divergences in gene expression profiles related to immune response, cellular stress management, and protein translation machinery. The male woodpeckers exhibit a tailored immune modulation strategy that potentially dampens neuroinflammation while preserving protective immunity. Overrepresented genes involved in cellular stress responses suggest enhanced mechanisms for mitigating damage and promoting repair. Additionally, the enrichment of translation‐associated pathways hints at increased capacity for protein turnover and cellular remodeling vital for recovery. Our study not only fills a critical gap in avian neurobiology but also lays the groundwork for research in comparative neuroprotection.

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

et al. 2023

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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”.

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Secondhand homes: The multilayered influence of woodpeckers as ecosystem engineers

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 5 publications

References 77 publications

Size matters for linking traits to ecosystem multifunctionality

Size matters for linking traits to ecosystem multifunctionality

Comparative analysis of meningeal transcriptomes in birds: Potential pathways of resilience to repeated impacts

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

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