Keystone role of Eurasian beaver Castor fiber in creating the suitable habitat over the core breeding range for forest specialist species the three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus

Authors

  • Krzysztof Pietrasz 1 Barycz Forest District, The State Forests National Forest Holding, Barycz 69, Barycz, 26-200 Końskie, Poland. 2. Ornithology Research Group, Forestry Students' Scientific Assaciation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
  • Dawid Sikora Department of Forest Management Planning and Forest Economics, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
  • Tomasz Chodkiewicz Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
  • Magdalena Ślęzak Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute, Krucza 5/11D, 05-077 Warsaw, Poland
  • Bartłomiej Woźniak Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46490/vol25iss2pp223

Abstract

The European breeding range of the three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus overlaps with the distribution range of coniferous and mixed forests with domination of Norway spruce Picea abies or European silver fir Abies alba. The paper describes a new breeding site of the three-toed woodpecker in the Sobibór Forest, eastern Poland outside the distribution range of these two tree species and its relationship with Eurasian beaver Castor fiber. The birds occurred in dead alder forests and were recorded 3–4 years after forest started to decline due to the high level of surface waters associated with the keystone role of the beaver. The decaying cycle of trees was possible because the area settled by woodpeckers was protected as a nature reserve.

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Published

2019-12-31

How to Cite

Pietrasz, K., Sikora, D., Chodkiewicz, T., Ślęzak, M., & Woźniak, B. (2019). Keystone role of Eurasian beaver Castor fiber in creating the suitable habitat over the core breeding range for forest specialist species the three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus. Baltic Forestry, 25(2), 223–227. https://doi.org/10.46490/vol25iss2pp223

Issue

Section

Biodiversity