"Heartrot fungi's role in creating picid nesting sites in living aspen" by J.H. Hart and D.L. Hart
 

Aspen Bibliography

Document Type

Contribution to Book

Editor

W.D. Shepperd, D. Binkley, D.L. Bartos, T.J. Stohlgren

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Sustaining Aspen in Western Landscapes: Symposium Proceedings

Volume

Proceedings RMPS-P-18

Publisher

USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station

First Page

207

Last Page

213

Publication Date

6-2001

Abstract

To determine the number of cavity-containing aspens in old-growth (>80 years), we counted the number of stems containing cavities in 132 0.02-ha plots in Wyoming. There were 8.7 cavities/ha of aspen type. At least 84% of the cavity stems were alive when the initial cavity was constructed; 60% were alive when examined. Fruiting bodies and Phellinus tremulae (a heartrot fungus) were present on 71% of all cavity-bearing stems but on only 9.6% of all stems >15 cm d.b.h. Cavities were present in 7.7% and 0.2% of living stems with and without fruiting bodies, respectively. Average d.b.h. of cavity stems was 27.4 cm. During a 4-year interval, 74 of 226 snags >15 cm d.b.h. fell, giving an average instantaneous rate of snag loss of r = –0.099. Ninety-six new snags >15 cm d.b.h. were created during the 4-year study period. Our results indicate that some primary cavity-nesting birds in northwest Wyoming prefer- entially selected living aspens with heartrot as nest sites and that the average longevity of aspen snags >15 cm d.b.h. is about 10.7 years.

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