Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 59 p. : ill. (some col.), maps. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-28).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Frances C. James, Florida State University, College of Arts and Science, Dept. of Biological Science. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jay J. Rotella. Includes bibliographical references.

Birds may have the ability to view their environments at a wide range of spatial scales; accordingly, they may make habitat-selection decisions at multiple spatial scales. I investigated the implications of hierarchy theory and a landscape perspective on nestsite selection in cavity-nesting birds in the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah. I used · three different approaches to address the concept of a multi-scaled nest-site selection Ill process. First, I conducted an exploratory study in which I investigated nest-site selection at three spatial scales for Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli). By conducting a hierarchically structured analysis, I was able to investigate the habitat relationships that might result from a hierarchically organized nest site selection process . I found that the four species were associated with patterns of vegetation at three spatial scales and that these associations combined in such a way as to imply a process of nest-site selection that may be more complex than that posited by the niche-gestalt concept. Second, I conducted an experiment in which I investigated nest-site selection at two spatial scales. I compared the use of four types of aspen stands in a two-by-two factorial design according to within-stand structure and landscape context. Stands were classified as either dense or sparse and as having predominantly meadow or forested edges. To address nest-site selection by secondary cavity nesters , who may be limited by cavity availability, I augmented the natural cavities with nest boxes. I found that birds predominantly nested in sparse stands and in stands with meadow edges. Although only five nest boxes were used for nesting, all five of these boxes were in sparse stands with meadow edges. The third way in which I investigated the process of nest-site selection was to build and test predictive models using associations between birds and landscape patterns. By using landscape patterns to predict habitat, I was able to build models that were easily applied ; predictions could be made without any additional data collection in the field. The models were very accurate for both Red-naped Sapsuckers and Tree Swallows (86- 98% and 53-93% nests correctly predicted, respectively) but were less accurate for Mountain Chickadees and Northern Flickers (33-42% and 19-37%, respectively) .

No description available.

In order to prevent species extinctions, conservation strategies need to incorporate the identification and mitigation of the root causes of population decline with an assessment of vulnerability to genetic and stochastic factors affecting small populations. Species or populations with small ranges, such as those on islands, are particularly vulnerable to extinction, and deficient knowledge of these species often impedes conservation efforts. The Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis) is an endangered secondary cavity-nester that only breeds on three islands in the northern Bahamas: Abaco, Grand Bahama, and Andros. I investigated questions related to population size and distribution, genetic diversity and population structure, breeding biology, and ecological interactions of the swallow, with the goal of informing the conservation and management of the species. Using several population survey methods on Abaco, I found that swallow site occupancy and density is higher in southern Abaco, especially near roads and pine snags. Future research should prioritize identifying the causes of variable and low population densities in parts of the swallow's range. I used microsatellite markers and morphometrics to assess differences between populations on Abaco and Andros. We found a lack of genetic differentiation (G'ST = 0.03) between populations, but differences in morphology suggest that gene flow might be low enough to enable traits under selection to diverge. By locating and monitoring nests, I found that swallows rely on woodpecker-excavated cavities in pine snags and utility poles, and that swallows nesting in pine snags had higher fledging success (92%) than those nesting in utility poles (50-62%). Using a cavity nest-web approach, I assessed how swallows interact with cavity-nesting birds and resources on Abaco. Hairy Woodpeckers (Dryobates villosus) primarily excavated pine snags, while West Indian Woodpeckers (Melanerpes superciliaris) excavated utility poles in non-pine habitat. Only swallows and La Sagra's Flycatchers (Myiarchus sagrae) used nest sites in the pine forest. Swallows in non-pine habitat face competition for cavities with American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), and non-native House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). These results highlight the importance of pine forest and the Hairy Woodpecker for the persistence of the swallow. / Doctor of Philosophy / In order to prevent species extinctions, conservation strategies need to identify and resolve the problems that cause species to decline, as well as address issues characteristic of small populations. Species or populations with small ranges, such as those on islands, are particularly vulnerable to extinction, and lack of knowledge of these species often impedes conservation efforts. The Bahama Swallow is an endangered species that only breeds on three "pine islands" in the northern Bahamas. The swallow is a secondary cavity-nester, which means that it nests in a cavity, usually either a natural tree hole or a hole created by another bird species. In this study, I investigated where swallows are found on the islands, the genetics and body sizes of populations, nesting biology, and connections with other species, with the goal of providing information for the conservation and management of the species. On Abaco, I found that there are more swallows in the southern part of the island, especially near roads and the dead standing pine trees (pine snags) used for nesting. Future research should assess why there are fewer birds in other parts of the swallow's range. I tested whether the genetics and body sizes of populations on Abaco and Andros are different from each other. Populations were genetically similar, but may be separated enough to result in body size differences. I located swallow nests on Abaco, and found that swallows rely on cavities made by woodpeckers in pine snags and utility poles. By visiting some nests repeatedly, I found that swallows nesting in pine snags were more successful than those nesting in utility poles. I also assessed how swallows interact with the other bird species that create and use nesting cavities. Hairy Woodpeckers usually create cavities in pine snags, while West Indian Woodpeckers use utility poles outside of the pine forest. Swallows nesting in the pine forest compete with fewer bird species for cavities than swallows nesting in other habitats. These results show that managing the forest to retain pine snags and Hairy Woodpeckers is important for the conservation of the swallow.

Identifying the resources that limit bee populations is essential both for bee conservation and pollination management in agroecosystems. Land-use change typically leads to decreased habitat availability for wild pollinators including loss of nesting habitat, which is an essential but often-overlooked resource for wild bees. Cavity-nesting bees, such as many Osmia spp. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), occupy holes in wood or reeds to build their nests; due to their nesting habits, they are frequently scarce in agricultural settings, although, under the right circumstances, these bees can be ideal pollinators of apple and other orchard crops. Artificial nesting structures (“bee hotels”, “trap nests”, or “nest boxes”) are used to study cavity-nesting bees and have been posited as solutions for promoting bee conservation. To evaluate the effects of additional nesting habitat on the local abundance of Osmia spp., and on bees more generally, artificial nesting structures for cavity-nesting bees were installed at 24 sites in apple orchards around Ottawa in 2021 and 2022. Each site had two treatments: one with nest boxes, and one without (control). Transect walks were conducted to measure overall bee contact (including contact by Osmia spp.) with apple blossoms and, after the end of apple bloom, with flowers in the undergrowth and/or in shrubs. Numbers of apple buds and developing fruit were also recorded. Osmia spp. and overall bee numbers were both significantly higher in the treatment with nest boxes (44% and 15% higher, respectively, in 2021, and 113% and 47% higher, respectively, in 2022); however, there was no difference in fruit set (apple count/bud count) between the two treatments. Thus, nest boxes seem to locally increase Osmia spp. numbers as well as total bee numbers, but they have no apparent effect on apple yield, likely because apple production was not pollinator limited in the years of this study. These findings suggest that bee populations in apple orchards are limited by nesting resources, which has important implications for orchard management practices and bee conservation policy.

Abstract Animals need information about local conditions to make optimal fitness-enhancing decisions such as where to breed. Information can be acquired by personal sampling of the environment, but it can also be acquired from other individuals. The latter is termed social information use. Social information use has gained a lot of attention in modern ecology because it affects principal ecological phenomena such as animal distribution and resource use. Social information use is not restricted to obviously cognitive mammals and birds but is also found in e.g. reptiles, fish and insects. Social information use studies have thus far been concentrated on situations with one social information user and one (often the same) source species. The community-wide consequences of social information use have almost exclusively been considered in theoretical studies. In this thesis, I studied empirically social information use in the nest site selection within and between species in a cavity-nesting bird community consisting of the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), the great tit (Parus major) and the blue tit (P. caeruleus). I studied social information use on two time scales: social information gathered just before a breeding attempt, and social information gathered already during the previous breeding season for the following year’s breeding attempt. I used experiments in which different white geometric symbols represented nest site choices of earlier settled tutors and empty nest boxes, and I observed the symbol choices of later-breeding individuals. The symbol approach eradicates bias from innate and learned preferences enabling strong inference. My results demonstrate that collared flycatchers use social information from both con- and heterospecific tutors in different situations in a flexible manner. Hence, social information use seems to be context-dependent. Furthermore, I show that great tits avoid choosing nest site characteristics which were associated with either con- or heterospecifics nests the previous year and prefer symbols which depicted an empty nest box the previous year, probably to avoid nest ectoparasites. I also show that in great tits the male has greater influence on nest site selection than previously assumed even though the female builds the nest. My thesis deepens our understanding about the complexity of social information use and highlights its significance in future ecological research. / Tiivistelmä Eläimet tarvitsevat informaatiota paikallisista olosuhteista tehdäkseen edullisia päätöksiä esimerkiksi siitä, missä lisääntyä. Informaatiota voidaan hankkia tutkimalla ympäristöä itse, mutta sitä voidaan hankkia myös muilta yksilöiltä. Jälkimmäistä kutsutaan sosiaaliseksi informaatioksi. Eläinten sosiaalisen informaation käyttö on saavuttanut viime aikoina paljon huomiota ekologisessa tutkimuksessa, koska se vaikuttaa tärkeisiin ekologisiin ilmiöihin, kuten eläinten levinneisyyteen ja resurssien käyttöön. Sosiaalinen informaation käyttö ei rajoitu vain nisäkkäisiin ja lintuihin, vaan sitä on havaittu myös esimerkiksi matelijoilla, kaloilla ja hyönteisillä. Sosiaalisen informaation käyttöä on tutkittu lähes yksinomaan lajien sisällä tai käyttäen ainoastaan yhtä sosiaalisen informaation lähdelajia. Yhteisötason vaikutuksia on pohdittu miltei pelkästään teoreettisissa tutkimuksissa. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä tutkin kokeellisesti sosiaalisen informaation käyttöä pesäpaikan valinnassa lajin sisällä ja lajien välillä kolopesivien lintujen yhteisössä sepelsiepolla (Ficedula albicollis), talitiaisella (Parus major) ja sinitiaisella (P. caeruleus). Otin tutkimuksissani huomioon kaksi aikatasoa: tutkin juuri ennen pesimisyritystä kerätyn sekä jo edellisen lisääntymiskauden aikana seuraavan vuoden pesintää varten hankitun sosiaalisen informaation käyttöä. Kokeissani käytin linnunpönttöihin kiinnitettyjä erilaisia valkoisia geometrisia symboleita, jotka edustivat aiemmin pesinnän aloittaneiden lintujen eli tuutoreiden pesäpaikanvalintoja. Seurasin tämän jälkeen myöhemmin pesimään saapuvien parien symbolivalintoja. Tulosteni perusteella sepelsiepot hankkivat sosiaalista informaatiota sekä lajitovereiltaan että tiaisilta joustavasti eri tilanteissa. Lisäksi osoitan, että talitiaiset välttävät valitsemasta pesäpaikkoja, jotka olivat asuttuina edellisenä vuonna, ja suosivat sellaisia pesäpaikkoja, joissa ei pesitty edellisenä vuonna - todennäköisesti välttääkseen kirppuja ja muita pesäloisia. Osoitan myös, että talitiaiskoirailla on suurempi vaikutus pesäpaikan valintaan kuin aikaisemmin on oletettu, vaikka naaraat rakentavat pesän. Väitöskirjatyöni syventää käsitystämme sosiaalisen informaation käytön monitahoisuudesta eläinkunnassa ja korostaa sen merkitystä ekologisessa tutkimuksessa.

No description available.

Graduation date: 2006 / Habitat loss causes a reduction in available resources for wildlife, alters the configuration of remaining habitat, and may isolate wildlife populations. White-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) are experiencing long-term population declines in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where they are historically associated with oak woodlands. As secondary cavity-nesters, white-breasted nuthatches may be limited by the availability of existing cavities for nesting and roosting. Oak vegetation in the Willamette Valley has changed since European-American settlement times from vast areas of open oak savanna to isolated closed-canopy stands separated by agricultural fields. We examined nuthatch density, nest cavity selection, and nest success in relation to oak woodland structure and landscape context. We conducted point transect surveys in 3 strata: woodland interiors, large woodland edges, and small woodlands. We located and monitored nuthatch nests and sampled vegetation at nest locations and matching random locations around each nest. Woodland structure and edge density were measured at a 178-m radius (home range) scale, and landscape context was measured using vegetation cover within a 1-km radius around point transects and nests. We used program DISTANCE to fit detection functions and calculate nuthatch densities. We used conditional logistic regression to compare nest locations with random locations, and analyzed nest success with Mayfield logistic regression. White-breasted nuthatch density was significantly higher in small woodlands than in edges of large woodlands, which had higher nuthatch density than woodland interiors. Density of nuthatches increased with a combination of oak cover within a 1-km radius of the point, edge density within a 178-m radius, and number of oak trees >50 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) within a 100-m radius. Nest cavities were situated in oak trees containing more cavities than random oak trees that had cavities, and oak trees used as nest trees had a larger dbh than oak trees within random plots. Local woodland structure at nest locations was characterized by larger trees, measured by greater mean dbh, canopy cover, and basal area of oaks than random locations within the home range. Nest success in natural cavities was 71% and was not predicted by attributes of nest cavities, nest trees, local woodland structure at nests, woodland structure at the home range scale, or landscape context. These results suggest that the most suitable habitat for white-breasted nuthatches in the Willamette Valley includes oak woodlands in close proximity to one another with a high proportion of edge and mature oak trees. Managers should preserve trees containing cavities and large oak trees whenever possible. Thinning of small oaks and removal of conifers in oak woodlands to create more open, savanna-like conditions may also promote the development of larger oaks with more spreading branches, providing more opportunities for cavities to form and more foraging surface area for nuthatches.