Covariance Patterns Among Birds and Vegetation in a California Oak Woodland

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Publication Information

Title: Covariance Patterns Among Birds and Vegetation in a California Oak Woodland

Author: Wilson, Randolph A.; Manley, Patricia; Noon, Barry R.

Date: 1991

Source: In: Standiford, Richard B., tech. coord. 1991. Proceedings of the symposium on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland management; October 31 - November 2, 1990; Davis, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-126. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 126-135

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Station ID: GTR-PSW-126

Description: We sampled characteristics of vegetation and estimated abundances of bird species on 23 plots representing a continuum of tree densities of the blue oak phase of the Coast Range foothill woodland near Hopland, California. Fifty-one bird species were found breeding. Cavity-nesters dominated the bird community in number of species and individuals. Cavity nesters used a variety of tree species for nesting, highlighting the importance of tree species richness. Large deciduous oaks were found to be important as granary trees for acorn woodpeckers, as well as substrates for nest cavity excavation by primary cavity nesters. Large evergreen trees were important in providing natural cavities to many secondary cavity nesting bird species. Both individual bird species and guilds showed few covariations with tree density. We discuss why a guild approach is not always a useful way to describe relationships between bird abundance and vegetation. Effects of spatial scale and plot size on observed bird/habitat relationships are discussed.

Publication Notes:

Citation

Wilson, Randolph A.; Manley, Patricia; Noon, Barry R. 1991. Covariance Patterns Among Birds and Vegetation in a California Oak Woodland In: Standiford, Richard B., tech. coord. 1991. Proceedings of the symposium on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland management; October 31 - November 2, 1990; Davis, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-126. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 126-135.