The role of wildfire, prescribed fire, and mountain pine beetle infestations on the population dynamics of black-backed woodpeckers in the black hills, South Dakota

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 15;9(4):e94700. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094700. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Wildfire and mountain pine beetle infestations are naturally occurring disturbances in western North American forests. Black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) are emblematic of the role these disturbances play in creating wildlife habitat, since they are strongly associated with recently-killed forests. However, management practices aimed at reducing the economic impact of natural disturbances can result in habitat loss for this species. Although black-backed woodpeckers occupy habitats created by wildfire, prescribed fire, and mountain pine beetle infestations, the relative value of these habitats remains unknown. We studied habitat-specific adult and juvenile survival probabilities and reproductive rates between April 2008 and August 2012 in the Black Hills, South Dakota. We estimated habitat-specific adult and juvenile survival probability with Bayesian multi-state models and habitat-specific reproductive success with Bayesian nest survival models. We calculated asymptotic population growth rates from estimated demographic rates with matrix projection models. Adult and juvenile survival and nest success were highest in habitat created by summer wildfire, intermediate in MPB infestations, and lowest in habitat created by fall prescribed fire. Mean posterior distributions of population growth rates indicated growing populations in habitat created by summer wildfire and declining populations in fall prescribed fire and mountain pine beetle infestations. Our finding that population growth rates were positive only in habitat created by summer wildfire underscores the need to maintain early post-wildfire habitat across the landscape. The lower growth rates in fall prescribed fire and MPB infestations may be attributed to differences in predator communities and food resources relative to summer wildfire.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Birds* / growth & development
  • Birds* / physiology
  • Coleoptera*
  • Ecosystem
  • Fires*
  • Pinus*
  • Population Dynamics
  • Reproduction
  • South Dakota

Grants and funding

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station agreement 07-JV-11221609-211 and the National Fire Plan agreement 10-JV-11221632-178. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks provided funding through agreement number 08-CO-11221632-111 and the Wildlife Diversity Small Grants Program. This study was also made possible through State Wildlife Grant T-39-R-1, Study #2439, provided by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. CTR was also supported by the Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the University of Missouri ORG, the James D.Chambers Memorial Scholarship, the Judy Southern Fellowship, and a TransWorld Airlines Scholarship administered by the University of Missouri. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.