Mattson, Jr, W.J.

English

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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU Aspen Bibliography Aspen Research 1979 Shrub nesting of the red-eyed vireo [Vireo olivaceous] in relation to structure of aspen [Populus tremuloides] forests [in northern Minnesota] W.J. Mattson, Jr Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/aspen_bib  Part of the Forest Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Mattson, William J. Jr 1979. Shrub Nesting of the Red-Eyed Vireo in Relation to Structure of Aspen Forests. Research Note NC-244. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Aspen Research at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Aspen Bibliography by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. NORTHCCNTnRLEHPERII11ENTSTATION 1992 FOLWELL AVE. ST.PAUL, mN 55108 FOREST SERVICE-U.S.D.A..1979SHRUB NESTING OF THE RED-EYED VIREOIN RET,ATION TO STRUCTURE OFASPEN FORESTSJWilliam J. Mattson, Jr., Principal Insect EcologisttABSTRACT.--Nests,were built in five species of occurred from ground level to the bottom of thehigh shrubs in four trembling aspen forests of tree canopy (ca. 8 m). For each nest I recorded itsnorthern Minnesota. Nest densities ranged be- height above ground, the species and stem diame-tween 0.5 .and 3.0 per acre and were positively ter (5 cm above ground) of the shrub in which itrelated tothe abundance of large (> 1.2-cm diame- was built, the basal area (basal area = cross-sec-ter) shrub stems, tional area of tree trunks at 137 cm above ground)of overstory trees using a 10-factor prism, andOXFORD: 156.1:228.0:148.2 (Vireo olivaceous), whether the nest was active (with eggs or nest-KEY WORDS: Breeding, nest density, forest lings) or inactive.structure, nesting habits. Similar measurements were made on all othernests encountered between 1/10-acre sample plotsRed-eyed vireos, Vireo olivaceous L., (REV) areamong the commonest passerine species in the within each study area but such nests were notdeciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests used to estimate densities. The study was doneof northern Minnesota. This note describes their between June 15 and 27, 1973, the period when•nesting characteristics and nest densities in the birds were incubating eggs.shrub layer of four trembling aspen (Populus trem-uloides) forests in relation to aspects of forestStructure. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONNesting DensitiesMETHODS Nests of the REV occurred in all four studyareas (table 1). The number of active nests rangedI selected four study areas, each 25 acres, lo- from 0.0 to 1.0/acre, and the number of inactivecated in nearly pure stands of trembling aspen (35- nests ranged from 0.5 to 2.5/acre. Inactive neststo 45-year old) in extreme northern Minnesota, were in various stages of deterioration becauseKoochiching County. Each study area was arbi- some were built the previous summer. These esti-trarily divided into four equal quadrats which mates are in accordance with observations bywere gridded into 64 blocks that were 1/10 acre Southern (1958) and Rice (1978) which show thatlarge. I randomly selected five 1/10-acre plots from territory size of males ranges from 0.8 to 1.7 acres,each quadrat (20/area) for counting nests which thereby suggesting that nest densities shouldi k. _ .,m.,range I_etween 0.6 and 1.2/acre if a habitat is fully this study, nest heights ranged from 0.75 to 3.00packed and each male has acquired a mate. m, and averaged 1.55 m over all areas. In otherstudies where the tree canopy was also includedalong with shrubs, nest heights were predictablyNest Locations in Relation to higher: Williamson (1971) (range: 0.6 to 21.4 m,Shrub Species and Height average: 3.2), Southern (1958)(range: 0.4 to 7.9 m,average 2.3), and Lawrence (1953) (range: 1.0 toNests 0fthe REV occurred in five shrub species: 16.7 m, average 2.9). In Lawrence's study, 73 per-hazel(Corylus cornuta), juneberry (Amelanchier cent of the nests occurred at heights less than 4.57spp), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), tag alder m. All studies reveal, though, that the REV prefer-(Alnus rugosa), and mountain maple (Acer spica- entially nests low because in spite of wide rangesturn) (table 2). These were basically the same spe- in nest heights the mean heights were invariablycies in which Lawrence (1953) found REV nests. In around 2 to 3 meters.Table 1.-- Nest densities of the red-eyed vireo (based on 20 1/10-acre sample plots per area) and aspects ofcommunity structure in four different aspen forests irL northern MinnesotaShrubs/acre Nestsper acreStudy •Total Tall shrub Tree basal Active Inactive Totalarea. stems stemsonlyI area/acre----..... --............... Number.......................... Ft2 ........................ Number1 7,149 1,146 125 1.0 0.5 1.52 16,322 5,126 110 1.0 2.0 3.03 8,296 1,754 108 0.0 0.5 0.54 15,783 2,360 115 0.0 2.5 2.5_Tatlshrubsaredefinedasthosehavingbasaldiameters>1.20cm,thesmallesttemusedby red-eyedvireosfornesting.Table 2.-- Environmental variables (means + standard errors of shrub stem diameter, nest height, tree basalarea) associated with red-eyed vireo nests in different shrubs in different study areas _• .,, Area 1-- REV Area 2-- REV Area _. REVShrubstemNest Tree Shrub Nest Tree Shrub Nest TreeShrubspecies diameter height basal stem height basal stem height basalarea diameter area diameter area............ cm Ft2/a ............ cm ........... Ft2/a ............ cm........... Ft2/aAcer spicatum ...... 3.7___0.3202+_20 135_05_Alnusrugosa 2.9__.0.2 172_+14 143___133.1+_0.3 154_+36 125_+05 -- _AmalanchierSpp. -- -- -- 3.7___0.02300___00120+_00 -- -- --Co/y/uscomuta 1.5_0.1 114__09 143+_22 1.5___0.1135__07 103_10 1.7_+0.1 133_+17 138_+_17Prunus virginiana 2.9_+0.3 177+_17 157_+03 2.9+_0.0 175_+00 100+_00 -- -- --_Nor totalnumberof nestsobservedperareais 13,21,and7 forareas1, 2, and4, respectively.2Standarderrorof0.0meansthatn=l.'2qNest Locations in Relation within each stand. In spite of differences between•to Overstory frequencies of nests and shrubs, the data still sug-gest that REV's may distribute their nests in rela-tion to the relative abundances of certain tallTree cover around REV nests was usually verydense. For example, mean basal area in the imme- shrubs having the proper physical and other at-diate vicinity of individual REV nests averaged tributes. For some reason, REVs apparently avoid-125 feet 2 , although it ranged from 20 to 190 feet 2 ed black ash at area 1even though it was abundant/acre. In general, REV nests were located under and selected chokecherry in spite of its relativetree cover that was equal to or denser than the scarcity.average for the particular study areas. For exam- Moreover, the density of total nests per acreple, mean basal areas around nests compared with seems to increase with the density of large shrubs:the respective study area means were as follows:146 vs 125for area 1; 107 vs 110 for area 2; 140 vs large stems/acre 5126 2360 1754 1146108 for area3; and 137 vs 105 for area 4. Accordingto Williamson (1971), the REV characteristically total nests/acre 3.0 2.5 0.5 1.5feeds where the canopy is abundant and the under-story is moderate to dense. In such environments it However, area 3 (1754 stems/acre) was anoma-has a cylindrical territory extending from the lous, having the lowest nest density but not thelower understory into the tree canopy, lowest large shrub density. Since the REV nestsacross a wide spectrum of heights, it's possible thatmost REV nested in the canopy rather than in theNesting Locations in Relation to shrub layer at area 3, thereby accounting for thepaucity of nests. This explanation is probable be-Shrub Abundance cause the tree canopy at area 3 was only 8 to 10 m' above the ground, about 3 to 4 m lower than atREV's apparently select shrubs based on their other areas. In other words, the amount of airspacerelative abundances providing all other things are between the shrub and tree canopies could affectequal. For example, the following tabulation com- the vertical positioning of nests and the degree ofpares the frequency distributions of nests among nesting in the shrub layer.tall shrubs With frequencies of tall shrubs (> 1.2-cm diameter , the smallest stems used by REVs) atarea 1 (n = 13 nests) and area 2 (n = 21)where LITERATURE CITEDenough nests were found for such a comparison:Lawrence, L. de K. 1953. Nesting life and behaviorof the red-eyed vireo. Can. Field Nat. 67:46-77.AREA 1 Rice, J. 1978. Ecological relationships of two inter-specifically territorial vireos. Ecology 59:526-Nests: Alder Cherry Hazel Blackash 538.54% 23% 23% 0% Southern, W. E. 1958. Nesting of the red-eyed vir-Shrubs Alder Cherry Hazel Blackash eo in the Douglas Lake Region, Michigan Jack• 50% 0% 13% 37%Pine Warbler 36:105-130.Williamson, P. 1971. Feeding ecology of the red-AREA 2 eyed vireo and associated foliage gleaning birds.' Ecol. Monogr. 41"129-152.Nests: Hazel Alder Cherry Juneberry Misc.Species80% 10% 5% 5% 0% /___ _._L / \Shrubs:HazelAlderCherryJimeberryMisc.Species I _ /l / \62% 20% 3% 3% 12% \ Aspen'\ Birch \Frequencydi tributioof weredeter- :\Conifermined by-counting and measuring all shrubswhich occurred on 20 3 m2plots randomly placed _'_'--PFIOGI_AMI_IZI:_RT"__.U.S. GOVERNMENTPRINTINGOFFICE: 1979--666555/256.,3

Shrub nesting of the red-eyed vireo [Vireo olivaceous] in relation to structure of aspen [Populus tremuloides] forests [in northern Minnesota]

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Shrub nesting of the red-eyed vireo [Vireo olivaceous] in relation to structure of aspen [Populus tremuloides] forests [in northern Minnesota]

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