{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/28420"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/28420","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Experimental study of an avian cavity-nesting community: nest webs, nesting ecology, and interspecific interactions","abstract":"Cavity-nesting communities are structured by the creation of and competition for cavities as nest-sites. Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species.","abstract_html":"Cavity-nesting communities are structured by the creation of and competition for cavities as nest-sites. Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Blanc, Lori A."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":"Biological Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Walters, Jeffrey R."],"committee_members":["Adler, Lynn S.","Jones, Robert H.","Haas, Carola A.","Stauffer, Dean F."],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-07-17","date_published":"2007-07-17","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:12Z","subjects":["cavity-nester","ecosystem engineer","snag","structural equation modeling","red-cockaded woodpecker","Colaptes auratus","nest web","Picoides borealis","longleaf pine","northern flicker","endangered species management","indirect interaction","keystone species"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-07272007-151106"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-07272007-151106","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28420","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Walters, Jeffrey R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Adler, Lynn S.","Jones, Robert H.","Haas, Carola A.","Stauffer, Dean F."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Blanc, Lori A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:14:22Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:14:22Z","2007-09-04"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2007-07-17"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. 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Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Experimental study of an avian cavity-nesting community: nest webs, nesting ecology, and interspecific interactions"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Walters, Jeffrey R."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Adler, Lynn S.","Jones, Robert H.","Haas, Carola A.","Stauffer, Dean F."],"dc:contributor.department":["Biological Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Blanc, Lori A."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:14:22Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:14:22Z","2007-09-04"],"dc:date.issued":["2007-07-17"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cavity-nesting communities are structured by the creation of and competition for cavities as nest-sites. Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-07272007-151106"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28420"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["cavity-nester","ecosystem engineer","snag","structural equation modeling","red-cockaded woodpecker","Colaptes auratus","nest web","Picoides borealis","longleaf pine","northern flicker","endangered species management","indirect interaction","keystone species"],"dc:title":["Experimental study of an avian cavity-nesting community: nest webs, nesting ecology, and interspecific interactions"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:12Z"}