Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers and Silvicultural Practice: is Uneven-Aged? Silviculture Preferable to Even-Aged

The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) has become a high-profile management issue in the southeastern United States. Suitable habitat consists of mature to old pine, or mixed pine-hardwood forest, with minimal hardwood midstory vegetation. Loss of habitat, detrimental silvicultural practices, and changes in the fire regime have resulted in small fragmented populations, most of which have been declining precipitously in recent decades (Costa and Escano 1989, Conner and Rudolph 1989). The current population of l0-12 thousand birds occurs across much of the original range from Virginia and Florida west to Oklahoma and Texas (James 1995). However, populations are restricted to isolated tracts of suitable habitat, primarily on public lands. Consequently, the debate over the future of this once abundant species, characteristic of fire climax pine forests, has focused primarily on management strategies for the species by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the agency responsible for the majority of the public forest lands in the region

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Colony Status and Trends On the Angelina, Davy Crockett and Sabine National Forests

Abundant hardwood midstory, colony isolation, and habitat fragmentation are believed to be the causes for severe population declines of red-cockaded woodpeckers on three national forests in eastern Texas

Population Trends of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers in Texas

We tracked population trends of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) in eastern Texas from 1983 through 2004. After declining precipitously during the 1980s, woodpecker population trends on federal lands (National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, but excluding the Big Thicket National Preserve) increased between 1990 and 2000, and have been stable to slightly decreasing over the past four years. Litigation against the U.S. Forest Service in the mid 1980s reversed a severe population decline, whereas litigation during the past 8 years hampered recovery efforts for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Red-cockaded Woodpecker populations on private and State of Texas lands have steadily declined over he past 15 years, most likely the result of demographic isolation. Limited availability of old pines suitable for cavity excavation, inadequate fire regimes to control hardwood midstory, and demographic dysfunction resulting from woodpecker group isolation remain as significant obstacles to recovery in most populations

Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers vs Rat Snakes: The Effectiveness of the Resin Barrier

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) excavate resin wells in the immediate vicinity of roost and nest cavity entrances. Resin wells are worked regularly, resulting in a copious and persistent resin flow that coats the tree trunk, especially below cavity entrances. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers also scale loose bark from cavity trees and closely adjacent trees. These two behaviors result in smooth, sticky surfaces surrounding cavity entrances. Climbing experiments on cavity, scaled, and control trees using rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) demonstrate that these behaviors produce a resinous barrier that is highly effective in preventing predatory snakes from gaining access to active Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavities

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Interactions With Fire, Snags, Fungi, Rat Snakes, and Pileated Woodpeckers

Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) adaptation to fire-maintained southern pine ecosystems has involved several important interactions: (I) the reduction of hardwood frequency in the pine ecosystem because of frequent tires, (2) the softening of pine heartwood by red heart fungus (Phellinus pini) that hastens cavity excavation by the species, (3) the woodpecker\u27s use of the pine\u27s resin system to create abarrier against rat snakes (Elaphe sp.), and (4) the woodpecker as a keystone cavity excavator for secondary-cavity users. Historically, frequent, low-intensity ground tires in southern pine uplands reduced the availability of dead trees (snags) that are typically used by other woodpecker species for cavity excavation. Behavioral adaptation has permitted red-cockaded woodpeckers to use living pines for their cavity trees and thus exploit the frequently burned pine uplands. Further, it is proposed that recent observations of pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) destruction of red-cockaded woodpecker cavities may be related to the exclusion of fire, which has increased the number of snags and pileated woodpeckers. Red-cockaded woodpeckers mostly depend on recl heart fungus to soften the heartwood of their cavity trees, allowing cavity excavation to proceed more quickly. Red-cockaded woodpeckers use the cavity tree\u27s resin system to create a barrier that serves as a deterrent against rat snake predation by excavating small wounds, termed resin wells, above and below cavity entrances. It is suggested that red-cockaded woodpeckers are a keystone species in fire-maintained southern pine ecosystems because, historically, they were the only species that regularly could excavate cavities in living pines within these ecosystems. Many of the more than 30 vertebrate and invertebrate species known to use red-cockaded woodpecker cavities are highly dependent on this woodpecker in fire-maintained upland pine forests

Experimental Reintroduction of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is an endangered species endemic to the pine forests of the southeastern United States (Jackson 1971). Deforestation and habitat alteration have severely affected Red-cockaded Woodpecker populations; current populations are isolated and most are declining (Jackson 1971, Lennartz et al. 1983, Conner and Rudolph 1989, Costa and Escano 1989). The species has been extirpated from significant areas of suitable or potentially suitable habitat

Pituophis ruthveni

Number of Pages: 16Geological SciencesIntegrative Biolog

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Recovery: An Integrated Strategy

Populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) have experienced massive declines since European colonization of North America. This is due to extensive habitat loss and alteration. Logging of old-growth pine forests and alteration of the fire regime throughout the historic range of the species were the primary causes of population decline. Listing of the red-cockaded woodpecker under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and increased emphasis on management of non-game species have resulted in efforts to recover remnant populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker in many parts of its historic range. Due to extensive research and adaptive management initiatives much is now known about the elements required for both short- and long-term management of viable populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers. A short-term strategy is crucial because currently available habitat, in nearly all populations, is poor in 1 or more critical respects. Consequently, almost all populations require immediate attention in the short term, to insure suitable midstory and understory conditions, adequate availability of suitable cavities, and restoration of demographic viability through improvements in number and distribution of breeding groups. Management techniques including artificial cavities, cavity entrance restrictors, translocation of birds, prescribed fire, and mechanical and chemical control of woody vegetation are available to achieve these needs. In the long term, cost-effective management of red-cockaded woodpecker populations requires a timber management program and prescribed fire regime that will produce and maintain the stand structure characteristic of high quality nesting and foraging habitat, so that additional intensive management specific to the woodpeckers is no longer necessary. Timber management that achieves this goal and still allows substantial timber harvest is feasible. The implementation of a red-cockaded woodpecker management strategy, as outlined above, represents appropriate ecosystem management in the fire-maintained pine ecosystems of the southeastern United States and will ultimately benefit a great number of additional species of plants and animals adapted to this ecosystem

Diel activity patterns of the Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) in eastern Texas

This study examined the diel activity patterns of six Louisiana pine snakes in eastern Texas using radio-telemetry. snakes were monitored for 44 days on two study areas from May to October 1996. Louisana pine snakes were primarily diurnal with moderate crepuscular activity, spending the night within pocket gopher burrows or inactive on the surface. During daylight hours, snakes spent approximately 59% of their time underground within gopher burrows, burned out/rotten stumps, or nine-branded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) burrows. Remaining time was spent on the surface either close to subteranean refuge, or in long distance movements that generally terminet at another pocket gopher burrow system. Long distance movements occurred on 45% of the days snakes were monitored and averaged 163 m/movement. When snakes were active, movements related to ambientair temperature; 82% of these movements occurred between 1000 and 1800 hours. These resutls confirm that Louisiana pine snakes are diurnal and closely associated with Baird\u27s pocket gophers and their burrow systems, and have provided new insight on the ecology of this rare snake

Ecological Parameters of Coluber constrictor etheridgei, with Comparisons to Other Coluber constrictor Subspecies

In 1998, we conducted a radio-telemetry study of Coluber constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) in the Angelina National Forest in eastern Texas. Individuals were located once daily from 12 June to 14 August. We determined home-range size, movement distances, movement frequency, and habitat use for this short-term study. We also determined food habits of this population by examination of fecal samples. We compared these parameters to other Racer taxa in Utah (C. c. mormon [Western Yellow-bellied Racer]), Kansas (C. c. fl aviventris [Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer]), and South Carolina (C.c. priapus [Southern Black Racer]). Compared to these populations, Texas Racers exhibited larger home ranges and greater movement frequency and distances during the summer than Utah or Kansas populations, but approximately equal to those of the South Carolina population. Available data on food habits suggests that all populations are consumers of invertebrate and vertebrate prey. We hypothesize that the basic diet of C. constrictor is composed of invertebrates captured by active foraging in areas of abundant herbaceous vegetation, that differences in home-range size and movement distances result from variations in patchiness of suitable foraging habitat across populations, and that the proportion of vertebrate prey in the diet of Coluber populations increases as home-range size and movement distances increase due to increasing patchiness of foraging habitat, resulting in increasing encounters with vertebrate prey