Cavity excavation and enlargement as mechanisms for indirect interactions in an avian community

Simple item page
dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorBlanc, Lori A.en
dc.contributor.authorWalters, Jeffrey R.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessed2014-03-11en
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-27T13:06:06Zen
dc.date.available2014-03-27T13:06:06Zen
dc.date.issued2008-02en
dc.description.abstractDirect and indirect species interactions within ecological communities may play a strong role in influencing or maintaining community structure. Complex community interactions pose a major challenge to predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change because predictive frameworks require identification of mechanisms by which community interactions arise. Cavity-nesting communities are well suited for mechanistic studies of species interactions because cavity nesters interact through the creation of and competition for cavity-nest sites. In this study, we use a cavity-nest web as a predictive framework for identifying potential indirect species interactions within a cavity-nesting community. From 2002 to 2005, we monitored abundance and nests of cavity-nesting birds in the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem. Using a nest-web approach, we identified a potential indirect interaction between the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and large secondary cavity nesters, mediated by the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). We used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction, using cavity excavation and enlargement as mechanisms which drive the relationship between these species. Through experimental manipulation of cavity availability, we blocked links described in our model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as processes that influence community structure. We found that a single-species management technique could potentially disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting Northern Flicker cavity-excavation behavior. This study is the first demonstration of how experimental cavity manipulation can be used to test inferred processes derived from a nest web and highlights the need to understand how mechanisms underlying species interactions can complicate ecosystem responses to environmental change.en
dc.description.sponsorshipD.O.D. Threatened and Endangered Species funds from Eglin Air Force Baseen
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (0508656)en
dc.description.sponsorshipSigma Xien
dc.description.sponsorshipFlorida Ornithological Societyen
dc.description.sponsorshipWPI Internationalen
dc.description.sponsorshipPEO Internationalen
dc.description.sponsorshipVirginia Tech Graduate Research Development Programen
dc.identifier.citationLori A. Blanc and Jeffrey R. Walters 2008. CAVITY EXCAVATION AND ENLARGEMENT AS MECHANISMS FOR INDIRECT INTERACTIONS IN AN AVIAN COMMUNITY. Ecology 89:506-514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/07-0219.1en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1890/07-0219.1en
dc.identifier.issn0012-9658en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/46846en
dc.identifier.urlhttp://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/07-0219.1en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectcavity nesteren
dc.subjectcolaptes auratusen
dc.subjectcommunity structureen
dc.subjecteglin air forceen
dc.subjectbaseen
dc.subjectindirect interactionsen
dc.subjectlongleaf pineen
dc.subjectpinus palustrisen
dc.subjectnest weben
dc.subjectnorthern flickeren
dc.subjectpicoides borealisen
dc.subjectred-cockaded woodpeckeren
dc.subjectstructuralen
dc.subjectequation modelingen
dc.subjectred-cockaded woodpeckeren
dc.subjectecological communitiesen
dc.subjectclimate-changeen
dc.subjectentrance restrictorsen
dc.subjecthardwood reductionen
dc.subjectpine ecosystemen
dc.subjectpath-analysisen
dc.subjectmanagementen
dc.subjectfloridaen
dc.subjectbirdsen
dc.titleCavity excavation and enlargement as mechanisms for indirect interactions in an avian communityen
dc.title.serialEcologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
07-0219%2E1.pdf
Size:
817.75 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download

Collections

Scholarly Works, Biological Sciences