Cavities in trees around spring seeps in the maple-beech-birch forest type

Andrew B. Carey; William M. Healy

doi:10.2737/NE-RP-480

Treesearch

Cavities in trees around spring seeps in the maple-beech-birch forest type

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Andrew B. Carey, William M. Healy

Year:

1981

Type:

Research Paper

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/NE-RP-480

Source:

Res. Pap. NE-480. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 7p.

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Download (PDF 1.20 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/15028.pdf

Abstract

We examined 913 trees of 15 species in the vicinity of eight spring seeps in a second-growth maple-beech-birch forest. We found that 18 percent of the trees had large dead limbs that indicated top rot. We found 37 cavities in 27 trees (3.0 percent). However, only seven cavities were being used by wildlife in September and mice (Peromyscus sp.) used these as dens. The low density of cavities was not sufficient to maintain "fair" populations of cavity-nesting birds, and cutting trees to improve the seeps for wildlife would have little overall effect on cavity-using wildlife.

Citation

Carey, Andrew B.; Healy, William M. 1981. Cavities in trees around spring seeps in the maple-beech-birch forest type. Res. Pap. NE-480. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 7p.