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Response of Passerine Birds to an Irruption of a Pine Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea Pityocampa Population with a Shifted Phenology

Pimentel, Carla and Nilsson, Jan-Åke LU (2009) In Ardeola 56(2). p.189-203
Abstract
Response of passerine birds to an irruption of a pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa population with a shifted phenology The main purpose of the present work was to investigate if the passerine community was able to respond to it localized irruption of a temporally shifted population of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa, the larval development of which takes place during the summer, called summer population (SP) The work wits conducted in the National Pine Forest of Leiria, a highly organised production forest, essentially consisting of maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, and located tit the central west coast of Portugal (39 degrees 50' N, 8 degrees 57' W, 30 - 50 m a.s.l.). The SP irrupted in a homogeneous area... (More)
Response of passerine birds to an irruption of a pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa population with a shifted phenology The main purpose of the present work was to investigate if the passerine community was able to respond to it localized irruption of a temporally shifted population of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa, the larval development of which takes place during the summer, called summer population (SP) The work wits conducted in the National Pine Forest of Leiria, a highly organised production forest, essentially consisting of maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, and located tit the central west coast of Portugal (39 degrees 50' N, 8 degrees 57' W, 30 - 50 m a.s.l.). The SP irrupted in a homogeneous area consisting of young pines Bird abundances and richness were estimated by point counts in the infested area and tit two similar non-infested areas The counts were made during all four seasons, covering all stages of the moth annual cycle and were repeated during two years The overall abundance of birds was similar tit both infested and non-infested areas However, the richness of canopy gleaners was higher in the SP area than tit a nearby non-infested area. Only two bird species responded numerically to the increased insect abundance the blackbird Turdus merula, and the great tit Pat-us major Thus the passerine community responded only to it limited degree to the irruption of the SP. Three factors might have accounted for the results. (i) the bird community consists mostly of territorial residents or short distance migrants and their low range of dispersal may decrease the probability of a response to a localized insect outbreak (it) The larvae of the pine processionary moth has urticating hairs which are considered to be an effective repellent defence against vertebrate predators, thus reducing (tic number of species that could react to the high caterpillar densities (iii) The simple vegetation structure of the forest, homogeneous stands of small Young trees, precludes the establishment of cavity nesters that constitute a large part of the canopy gleaners and most of the species which have been reported as potential T pityocampa predators However, results indicate that this important Mediterranean defoliator may have a positive effect on the canopy gleaners and on some species that are able to act as its predators. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Mediterranean pine forest, life-cycle shift, insect outbreak, bird community, insect defoliator, numerical response, point count
in
Ardeola
volume
56
issue
2
pages
189 - 203
publisher
SEO/BirdLife
external identifiers
  • wos:000274137100002
  • scopus:78149261363
ISSN
0570-7358
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ebbec53b-396a-4ec7-8d00-c53be74eb61d (old id 1568023)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:02:48
date last changed
2022-02-11 18:56:17
@article{ebbec53b-396a-4ec7-8d00-c53be74eb61d,
  abstract     = {{Response of passerine birds to an irruption of a pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa population with a shifted phenology The main purpose of the present work was to investigate if the passerine community was able to respond to it localized irruption of a temporally shifted population of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa, the larval development of which takes place during the summer, called summer population (SP) The work wits conducted in the National Pine Forest of Leiria, a highly organised production forest, essentially consisting of maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, and located tit the central west coast of Portugal (39 degrees 50' N, 8 degrees 57' W, 30 - 50 m a.s.l.). The SP irrupted in a homogeneous area consisting of young pines Bird abundances and richness were estimated by point counts in the infested area and tit two similar non-infested areas The counts were made during all four seasons, covering all stages of the moth annual cycle and were repeated during two years The overall abundance of birds was similar tit both infested and non-infested areas However, the richness of canopy gleaners was higher in the SP area than tit a nearby non-infested area. Only two bird species responded numerically to the increased insect abundance the blackbird Turdus merula, and the great tit Pat-us major Thus the passerine community responded only to it limited degree to the irruption of the SP. Three factors might have accounted for the results. (i) the bird community consists mostly of territorial residents or short distance migrants and their low range of dispersal may decrease the probability of a response to a localized insect outbreak (it) The larvae of the pine processionary moth has urticating hairs which are considered to be an effective repellent defence against vertebrate predators, thus reducing (tic number of species that could react to the high caterpillar densities (iii) The simple vegetation structure of the forest, homogeneous stands of small Young trees, precludes the establishment of cavity nesters that constitute a large part of the canopy gleaners and most of the species which have been reported as potential T pityocampa predators However, results indicate that this important Mediterranean defoliator may have a positive effect on the canopy gleaners and on some species that are able to act as its predators.}},
  author       = {{Pimentel, Carla and Nilsson, Jan-Åke}},
  issn         = {{0570-7358}},
  keywords     = {{Mediterranean pine forest; life-cycle shift; insect outbreak; bird community; insect defoliator; numerical response; point count}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{189--203}},
  publisher    = {{SEO/BirdLife}},
  series       = {{Ardeola}},
  title        = {{Response of Passerine Birds to an Irruption of a Pine Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea Pityocampa Population with a Shifted Phenology}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}