A comparison of postburn woodpecker foraging use of white fir (Abies concolor) and Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)

We examined the temporal patterns of the structural decay, insect infestation and woodpecker foraging patterns on white-fir and yellow pine following a prescribed burn in Lassen National Park, CA. Our objectives were to: 1) describe how pine and fir differ in their decay patterns and insect activity, and 2) determine how these differences reflect woodpecker foraging habitat quality. Preliminary results indicate that these two tree species differed in several aspects of structural decomposition, insect use and subsequent woodpecker foraging intensity. White fir tended to decay more quickly and was used more intensively by both wood-boring beetles and foraging woodpeckers during the first 1 to 2 yr following the fire. In contrast, Jeffrey pine was not initially used as intensively, but continued to provide foraging resources for both insects and woodpeckers throughout the entire study period (4 yr). These results suggest that prescribed burning may help to restore ecological interactions between insects, woodpeckers, and snag decomposition critical for snag-dependant wildlife species.