The effect of timber stand improvement practices on the abundance of Pileated Woodpeckers

Abstract

The Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopulus pileatus) is a large woodpecker that requires large dead trees within a mature forest. I investigated how forest management practices affect the Pileated Woodpecker. Timber stand improvement (TSI) is the practice of girdling live trees to allow adjacent trees more space and light in which to grow. Areas treated with TSI have more dead snags which may be used by pileated woodpeckers. I surveyed total snag abundance and woodpecker density in these TSI areas compared to unmanaged (control) areas to determine the effect of TSI on Pileated Woodpeckers.