Treatment of an Old-Growth

Stand and Its Effects on Birds,

Ants, and Large Woody Debris:

A Case Study

Evelyn L. Bull, Torolf R. Torgersen, Arlene K. Blumton,

Carol M. McKenzie, and Dave S. Wyland
	











 
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Introduction

Methods

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Figure 1-Frog Heaven (A) before harvest and (B) after the small-diameter trees were removed

(same photo point).

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Down Wood and Ants
Table 1-Number of nest and roost trees used by Vaux’s swifts in Frog Heaven,

1990-94

Year Nests Roosts

Pretreatment:

1990 4 1

1991 3 0

1992 4 0

1993 2 1

Posttreatment, 1994 5 2

5

Figure 2-Locations and home range used by a female pileated woodpecker before (circles and solid

line) and after treatment (squares and dashed line). The roost tree in the harvested area (A) was

used from August until April; the second roost tree (B) was used in May. Two nest trees (C and D)

with freshly excavated cavities were located in April and May.
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Table 2-Average number of birds heard or seen during 4 surveys in the treated and

control stands at Frog Heaven, 1994

Species Treated stand Control stand

Red-tailed hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis) 0.25 0

American kestrel

(Falco sparverius) .5 0

Pileated woodpecker

(Dryocopus pileatus) .5 1.25

Hairy woodpecker

(Picoides villosus) .25 .75

Black-backed woodpecker

(Picoides arcticus) .75 .25

Northern flicker

(Colaptes auratus) .75 2.0

Williamson’s sapsucker

(Sphyrapicus thyroideus) .5 0

Unknown woodpecker .25 1.0

Unknown sapsucker .5 1.0

Western flycatcher

(Empidonax sp.) 0 .25

Unknown flycatcher .25 .5

Vaux’s swift

(Chaetura vauxi) 3.0 1.75

Common raven

(Corvus corax) 1.0 .5

Steller’s jay

(Cyanocitta stelleri) 1.25 .75

Gray jay

(Perisoreus canadensis) .25 .75

Mountain chickadee

(Parus gambeli) 1.5 2.5

Red-breasted nuthatch

(Sitta canadensis) 3.25 3.75

Brown creeper

(Certhia americana) .25 .5

Ruby-crowned kinglet

(Regulus calendula) 1.0 0

Golden-crowned kinglet

(R. satrapa) 0 .25

American robin

(Turdus migratorius) 3.5 2.25

8
9

Table 2-Average number of birds heard or seen during 4 surveys in the treated and

control stands at Frog Heaven, 1994 (continued)

Species Treated stand Control stand

Swainson’s thrush

(Catharus ustulatus) .75 .25

Hermit thrush

(C. gutiatus) 1.0 1.5

Mountain bluebird

(Sialia currucoides) .25 0

Solitary vireo

(Vireo solitarius) .75 0

Warbling vireo

(V. gilvus) .25 0

Yellow-rumped warbler

(Dendroica coronata) 2.5 1.75

Townsend’s warbler

(D. townsendi) 0 .25

Orange-crowned warbler

(Vermivora celata) .5 .75

Unknown warbler .25 1

Western meadowlark

(Sturnella neglecta) 0 .25

Brown-headed cowbird

(Molothrus ater) 2.25 1

Western tanager

(Piranga ludoviciana) 2.75 2

Chipping sparrow

(Spizella passerina) 3.5 3.75

Lincoln’s sparrow

(Melospiza lincolnii) .25 0

Unknown sparrow .25 .25

Dark-eyed junco

(Junco hyemalis) 3.75 4.25

Cassin’s finch

(Carpodacus cassinii) .25 .5

Unknown finch 0 1.25

Evening grosbeak

(Coccothraustes vespertina) 1 0

Pine siskin

(Carduelis pines) 0 .5
10

Table 3-Amounts of down logs in the treated and control stands in Frog Heaven

in 1993 and 1994

 Treated standa Control stand

Log characteristic 1993 1994 1993 1994

Logs per acre (no.)b 129.4 237.3 86.9 135.4

Logs per acre (tons) 17.4 24.3 16.2 21.1

Logs per acre with ants

(no.; percentage

in parentheses) 37.2 52.9 30.3 26.3

(29%) (22%) (35%) (19%)

Logs per acre with recent

pileated woodpecker foraging

sign (no.; percentage

in parentheses) 4.3 3.2 6.1 13.4

(3%) (1%) (7%) (10%)

a

 The treated stand was harvested between sampling periods.

b Logs = 6 inches large-end diameter.

Figure 3-Number of logs per acre by diameter class in treated and control stands at Frog Heaven in 1993 and 1994. The treated stand was logged between sampling

periods

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Silvicultural Prescription

Bird Use

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Acknowledgments

Literature Cited

12
* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1996-794-214/46052

Bull, Evelyn L.; Torgersen, Torolf R.; Blumton, Arlene K.; McKenzie, Carol M.;

Wyland, Dave S. 1995. Treatment of an old-structure stand and the effect on

birds, ants, and large woody debris: a case study. Gen. Tech. Rep.

PNW-GTR-353. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Pacific Northwest Research Station. 12 p.

An old-structure stand with large amounts of mortality was treated to accelerate

regeneration and reduce fuel loads but still maintain its function as old-growth for

selected bird species and ants. Vaux’s swifts and pileated woodpeckers continued to

use the stand after harvest for nesting and roosting. Brown-headed cowbird populations, more than doubled after harvest. After harvest, amount of downed wood

increased as did the number of logs with ants.

Keywords: Ants, down woody debris, old-structure stand, restoration, pileated woodpecker, Vaux’s swift, Dryocopus, Chaetura, Molothrus, Camponotus, Formica.

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