Reproductive success of Lewis's Woodpecker in burned pine and cottonwood riparian forests

Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) has been characterized as a "burn spe cialist" because of its preference for nesting within burned pine forests. No prior study, however, has demonstrated the relative importance of crown- burned forests to this woodpecker species by examining its reproductive suc cess in different forest types. We studied breeding Lewis's Woodpeckers in cottonwood (Populus fremontii) riparian forest patches of Colorado and crow n-burned ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests of Idaho to compare their reproductive success, productivity, and potential source-sink status in th e two forest types. Daily nest survival rates were significantly lower in c ottonwood compared to burned pine forests. Nesting success was 46% (n=65) i n cottonwood forests and 78% (n=283) in burned pine forests. Proportion of nests destroyed by predators was significantly higher in cottonwood forests (34%) compared to burned pine forests (16%). We consistently found crown-b urned forests to be potential source habitat, whereas cottonwood riparian s ites were more often concluded to be potential sink habitat. Cottonwood rip arian forests were Surrounded primarily by an agricultural landscape where the composition and abundance of nest predators was likely very different t han the predator assemblage occupying a large-scale burn in a relatively na tural landscape. Conversion of riparian and adjacent grassland landscapes t o agriculture and prevention of wildfire in ponderosa pine forests have lik ely reduced nesting habitat for this species. Prescribed understory fire is the prevailing management tool for restoring ponderosa pine ecosystems. Co nditions created by crown fire may be equally important in maintaining pond erosa pine systems and conserving nesting habitat for the Lewis's Woodpecke r.