Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 11:35:19 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Philip Webre Subject: Off Topic: Woodpeckers Carry Fungus In Beaks That Promotes Tree Decay Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Source: Wildlife Conservation Society =20 Date: 2004-02-12=20 URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040212090015.htm=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- Woodpeckers Carry Fungus In Beaks That Promotes Tree Decay NEW YORK (FEB. 10, 2004) -- A new study in the journal Condor by the New = York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Arkansas State = University suggests that a woodpecker's beak is a virtual petri dish of = fungal spores that play a key role in the decay of dead trees, or "snags." The authors examined several species of woodpeckers living in ponderosa = pine forests in northern California and Oregon, finding that over 60 = percent of the sampled birds nesting in tree cavities had a variety of = wood-inhabiting fungi living in their beaks. These fungi serve a critical role in the decomposition of dead trees and = influence how they are used by wildlife. Without adequate decay, woodpecker= s are unable to excavate nest cavities - vital components of forests that = serve as nesting sites to a variety of wildlife. "Our study shows that woodpeckers are really the architects and landlords = of the forest," said WCS scientist Kerry Farris, the study's lead author. = "Their activities play a key role in how snags decay and are used by other = species." Woodpeckers initially puncture dead and dying trees in search of bark = beetles and other wood-boring insects, a process that creates holes in = wood that serve as infection sites for airborne fungal spores. As the = birds return to these holes to feed, or to excavate them further for = nesting, they pick up the fungi in their beaks, then help spread the = spores by foraging on other dead trees.=20 While some forestry practices on public and private lands allocate a = certain number of snags per acre for wildlife use, some recent federal = policies call for removing snags because of their perceived risk in forest = fires. The authors say that more factors need to be taken into consideratio= n than just density or spatial arrangement of snags. "Our research illustrates the numerous agents contributing to the = complexity of snag decomposition and eventual cavity generation by = woodpeckers," Farris said. "Forest management could benefit from a = consideration of these processes when managing snags on public and private = lands." Editor's Note: The original news release can be found here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Wildlife = Conservation Society =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================