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Harvest-related edge effects on prey availability and foraging of hooded warblers in a bottomland hardwood forest

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The effects of harvest-created canopy gaps in bottomland hardwood forests on arthropod abundance and, hence, the foraging ecology of birds are poorly understood. I predicted that arthropod abundance would be high near edges of group-selection harvest gaps and lower in the surrounding forest, and that male Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) foraging near gaps would find more prey per unit time than those foraging in the surrounding forest. In fact, arthropod abundance was greater >I00 m from a gap edge than at 0-30 m or 30-100 m from an edge, due to their abundance on switchcane (Arundinuria gigantea); arthropods did not differ in abundance among distances from gaps on oaks (Quercus spp.) or red maple (Acer Rubrum)similarly, Hooded Warbler foraging attack rates were not higher near gap edges: when foraging for fledglings, attack rate did not differ arnong distances from gaps, but when foraging for themselves, attack rates actually were lower 0-30 m from gap edges than 30-100 m or >100 m from a gap edge. Foraging attack rate was positively associated with arthropod abundance. Hooded Warblers apparently encountered fewer prey and presuinably foraged less efficiently where arthropods were least abundant, i.e., near gaps. That attack rates among birds foraging for fledglings were not affected by distance from gap (and hence arthropod abundance) suggests that prey availability may not be limiting at any location across the forest, despite the depressing effects of gaps on arthropod abundance.

Keywords

anthropod, bottomland hardwoods, canopy gap, foraging, hooded warbler, timber harvest, wilsonia citrina

Citation

Kilgo, John C. 2005. Harvest-related edge effects on prey availability and foraging of hooded warblers in a bottomland hardwood forest. The Condor 107:627-636
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/21045