Created snag characteristics and cavity-nesting bird associations in the CFIRP stands, McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, Corvallis, OR, USA, 2016

• Main Authors: Amy M. Barry, Joan C. Hagar, James W. Rivers
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: USGS Science Data Catalog 2017
• Subjects: cavity-nesting birds; Oregon Coast Range; Pseudotsuga menziesii; Douglas fir; CFIRP; created snag; snag persistence; silviculture; Buteo; Branta; Cathartes; Patagioenas; Streptopelia; Zenaida; Oreortyx; Meleagris; Bombycilla; Passerina; Pheucticus; Piranga; Certhia; Corvus; Cyanocitta; Perisoreus; Coccothraustes; Haemorhous; Loxia; Spinus; Progne; Tachycineta; Molothrus; Poecile; Cardellina; Geothlypis; Oreothlypis; Setophaga; Junco; Melospiza; Pipilo; Zonotrichia; Regulus; Sitta; Thryomanes; Troglodytes; Catharus; Turdus; Contopus; Empidonax; Vireo; Colaptes; Dryocopus; Picoides; Sphyrapicus; Glaucidium; Strix; Buteo jamaicensis; Branta canadensis; Cathartes aura; Patagioenas fasciata; Streptopelia decaocto; Zenaida macroura; Oreortyx pictus; Meleagris gallopavo; Bombycilla cedrorum; Passerina amoena; Pheucticus melanocephalus; Piranga ludoviciana; Certhia americana; Corvus brachyrhynchos; Corvus corax; Cyanocitta stelleri; Perisoreus canadensis; Coccothraustes vespertinus; Haemorhous purpureus; Loxia curvirostra; Spinus tristis; Progne subis; Tachycineta thalassina; Molothrus ater; Poecile atricapillus; Poecile rufescens; Cardellina pusilla; Geothlypis tolmiei; Geothlypis trichas; Oreothlypis celata; Setophaga nigrescens; Setophaga occidentalis; Setophaga townsendi; Junco hyemalis; Melospiza melodia; Pipilo maculatus; Zonotrichia leucophrys; Regulus satrapa; Sitta canadensis; Thryomanes bewickii; Troglodytes aedon; Troglodytes pacificus; Catharus guttatus; Catharus ustulatus; Turdus migratorius; Contopus cooperi; Contopus sordidulus; Empidonax difficilis; Vireo cassinii; Vireo gilvus; Vireo huttoni; Colaptes auratus; Dryocopus pileatus; Picoides pubescens; Picoides villosus; Sphyrapicus ruber; Glaucidium gnoma; Strix varia; Pacific; Snag
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/d2ec49f9-d00b-41c2-a516-a4cd10bdbc03

Snags provide critical habitat for nearly one-third of wildlife species in forests of the Pacific Northwest, so historic declines in snags are thought to have had a strong impact on biodiversity. Resource managers often create snags to mitigate the scarcity of snags within managed forests, but information regarding the function and structure of created snags across long time periods (>20 years) is absent from the literature. Using snags that were created by topping mature Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) as part of the OSU College of Forestry Integrated Research Project, we measured characteristics of 731 snags and quantified foraging and breeding use of snags by birds 25-27 years after their creation. We also examined whether different harvest treatments (i.e., group selection, two-story, clearcut) and snag configurations (i.e., scattered and clustered) influenced snag characteristics or avian use for foraging and nesting. In addition, we conducted point count and call play-back surveys to calculate naive occupancy estimates for cavity-nesting bird species.