The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna
The cavities that develop in veteran trees represent a key microhabitat for forest biodiversity and especially for secondary cavity nesters that rely on this resource for shelter. Since the availability of deadwood, veteran and hollow trees is threatened by forest management, we explored the possibi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2015-08-01
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| Series: | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1281-007 |
| _version_ | 1811198620309913600 |
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| author | Zapponi L Minari E Longo L Toni I Mason F Campanaro A |
| author_facet | Zapponi L Minari E Longo L Toni I Mason F Campanaro A |
| author_sort | Zapponi L |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The cavities that develop in veteran trees represent a key microhabitat for forest biodiversity and especially for secondary cavity nesters that rely on this resource for shelter. Since the availability of deadwood, veteran and hollow trees is threatened by forest management, we explored the possibility of increasing the presence of these scarce resources. To increase the abundance of dead wood-microhabitats, 113 trees of the hybrid planes (Platanus x acerifolia) were converted into new living structures, the Habitat Trees (HT). To investigate the potential of this resource on the native avian fauna, six types of cavities were designed according to the size requirements of the target bird species. The temporal evolution of the cavities and their use by birds were then studied for eight years. The artificial cavities generally did not compromise growth and stability of the trees, and the majority remained alive. These hollows offered better thermal insulation compared to traditional nest-boxes and natural cavities. Their use increased during the first three years, reaching the 80%. In the following years, the use declined (probably because of the increase of rot and displacement of the lids).This highlights the need of management to maintain their suitability through time. Our results suggest a possible cost-effective alternative use of alien tree species, which should be included in management actions to compensate the shortage of hollow trees in managed forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:34:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c4fc57915aa24d7fbf32db09c46e1eb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1971-7458 1971-7458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:34:24Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| spelling | doaj.art-c4fc57915aa24d7fbf32db09c46e1eb82022-12-22T03:53:22ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74581971-74582015-08-018146447010.3832/ifor1281-0071281The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native faunaZapponi L0Minari E1Longo L2Toni I3Mason F4Campanaro A5Centro Nazionale per lo Studio e Conservazione della Biodiversità Forestale “Bosco Fontana”, str. Mantova 29, I-46045 Marmirolo (MN, Italy)Centro Nazionale per lo Studio e Conservazione della Biodiversità Forestale “Bosco Fontana”, str. Mantova 29, I-46045 Marmirolo (MN, Italy)v. XXVIII Marzo 19, I-37133 Verona (Italy)Centro Nazionale per lo Studio e Conservazione della Biodiversità Forestale “Bosco Fontana”, str. Mantova 29, I-46045 Marmirolo (MN, Italy)Centro Nazionale per lo Studio e la Conservazione della Biodiversità Forestale “Bosco Fontana” di Verona, v. C. Ederle 16/a I-37126 Verona (Italy)Centro Nazionale per lo Studio e Conservazione della Biodiversità Forestale “Bosco Fontana”, str. Mantova 29, I-46045 Marmirolo (MN, Italy)The cavities that develop in veteran trees represent a key microhabitat for forest biodiversity and especially for secondary cavity nesters that rely on this resource for shelter. Since the availability of deadwood, veteran and hollow trees is threatened by forest management, we explored the possibility of increasing the presence of these scarce resources. To increase the abundance of dead wood-microhabitats, 113 trees of the hybrid planes (Platanus x acerifolia) were converted into new living structures, the Habitat Trees (HT). To investigate the potential of this resource on the native avian fauna, six types of cavities were designed according to the size requirements of the target bird species. The temporal evolution of the cavities and their use by birds were then studied for eight years. The artificial cavities generally did not compromise growth and stability of the trees, and the majority remained alive. These hollows offered better thermal insulation compared to traditional nest-boxes and natural cavities. Their use increased during the first three years, reaching the 80%. In the following years, the use declined (probably because of the increase of rot and displacement of the lids).This highlights the need of management to maintain their suitability through time. Our results suggest a possible cost-effective alternative use of alien tree species, which should be included in management actions to compensate the shortage of hollow trees in managed forests.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1281-007BirdsDeadwoodExotic SpeciesForest ManagementLIFE ProjectSaproxylic Organisms |
| spellingShingle | Zapponi L Minari E Longo L Toni I Mason F Campanaro A The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry Birds Deadwood Exotic Species Forest Management LIFE Project Saproxylic Organisms |
| title | The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| title_full | The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| title_fullStr | The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| title_short | The Habitat-Trees experiment: using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| title_sort | habitat trees experiment using exotic tree species as new microhabitats for the native fauna |
| topic | Birds Deadwood Exotic Species Forest Management LIFE Project Saproxylic Organisms |
| url | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1281-007 |
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