HEIGHT CLASS (m)
MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Pileated woodpecker cavities are an important resource for the cavity-using wildlife community and rnay be a critical resource for some large SCU in boreal forests. On that basis, pileated woodpeckers are a keystone species, with an essential functional role in maintaining the cavity-using wildlife community in boreal forests. Further research on species-specific cavity selection and use would help to determine functional relationships between PCE and SCU.
While there rnay have been a surplus of pileated woodpecker cavities in this study, potential increases in tosses from fires, logging, and other disturbances could interact to reverse the current situation. It could take many years to replace lost cavities because of low rates of cavity production. As pileated woodpecker cavity trees can persist as a cavity user resource for many years, perhaps several decades, forest managers should attempt to identify and protect existing
pileated woodpecker cavity trees. Habitat conservation strategies that include a continuing supply of trees suitable for future cavity production should be developed to ensure continued production of new pileated woodpecker cavities.
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Table 4.1. Species, use category, and % use, determined by cavity inspection, of pileated woodpecker cavities in forests near Hinton, Alberta, 1993-98.
Cavity type (% use)
Shelf Shallow Deep Hollow ~ o t a i ' Species Use categorya (n = 1 15) (n = 97) (n = 570) (n = 96)
(n
= 878)Pileated woodpeckerC Ro 0.0 10.3 50.9 95.8 44.6
Secondary cavity users
Duck Squirrel Owl Bat
Woodpecker Unknown mammal Unknown bird Unknown species Wasps
Total SCU species Em P ~ Y
Re
Re, Sh, Fs, Re, Sh, Fs, Ro Ro
Re, Ro, Sh Un
Un Un Re
. -
a Use category: Ro = roosting, Re = reproduction, Sh = shelter, Fs = food storage, Un = unknown.
Total use exceeds 100% because of cavities that contained evidence of multiple species use
Excludes pileated woodpecker nesting activity.
Jan Feb Mar Apr
M a y
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct NovDec
Fig. 4.1. Monthly Ohoccupancy of pileated woodpecker cavities in forests near Hinton, Alberta, 1 993-98. Darkest bar indicates significantly (P c 0.05) h igher than expected occupancy, grey bars indicate use not significantly different than expected, white bars indicate significantly lower than expected occupancy, assuming unifom yearly occupancy- Sample size is shown above each bar.