Forest landscapes: their effect on the interaction of the southern pine beetle and red-cockaded woodpecker

摘要

The nature of the interaction of the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) and red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) was investigated using spatially explicit information on the structure of a forest landscape mosaic (USDA Forest Service data collected in southwestern Mississippi, with loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, providing 73% of the forest cover) and knowledge of the behaviour of the two organisms. This interaction is the basis for defining functional heterogeneity - how an organismperceives and responds to the elements forming the landscape. Implications for forest landscape management are discussed. The approach used illustrates how information on landscape configuration can be used with knowledge of animal behavior to investigate species interaction in forests.