Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach

Autores
Zavala, Diego; Cockle, Kristina Louise; Gomez, Milka; Ferreyra, Carlos; Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca; Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel; Ferraz, Goncalo
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
conjunto de datos
Estado
Descripción
Avian tree-cavity excavators are widely held to maintain diversity of forest vertebrate faunas through the facilitation of nesting resources, and yet in many systems they are absent or redundant. Why do avian excavators sometimes supply only a small proportion of cavities used by non-excavating species? Researchers hypothesized that low re-use of excavated cavities could be driven by high rates of excavated cavity loss (low availability) or by low suitability of excavated cavities. The two hypotheses imply different cavity use dynamics. The availability hypothesis predicts high rates of excavated-cavity transition from excavators to secondary cavity-nesters. The suitability hypothesis predicts high transition rates from excavators to empty (unused), and high reuse rates for cavities previously used by secondary cavity-nesters. From 2006 to 2021, we studied 438 excavated and non-excavated bird nest cavities in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, where excavators provide ~20% of cavities used by secondary cavity-nesters. We fit our data with a multi-state occupancy dynamics model that accounts for observation errors and estimates transition probabilities among cavity states ‘Empty’, ‘Occupied by an excavator’, ‘Occupied by a secondary cavity-nester’ and ‘Lost’. We complemented the modelling results with a numerical simulation of cavity use dynamics. As predicted by the suitability hypothesis, the estimated probability of transition was high from excavator to empty (~0.75), low from excavator to secondary cavity-nester (~0.05) and high for reuse by secondary cavity-nester. Transition from ‘Empty’ to use by secondary cavity-nester was much more probable among non-excavated (~0.2) than excavated cavities (~0.05), which—our simulation shows—is compatible with secondary cavity-nesters using excavated cavities in proportion to their availability. Excavated cavities remained available for several years after their last use, suggesting suitability declines with age. We conclude that the marginal role of excavators as cavity producers is driven primarily by low suitability of their excavated cavities for other birds. Statistical support for the suitability hypothesis relied on the quantification of uncertainty about cavity states afforded by multi-state occupancy dynamics models. We encourage further exploration of state-transition probabilities among tree cavities and other multi-use resources to test ecological hypotheses and inform resource conservation policy.
Fil: Zavala, Diego. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil
Fil: Cockle, Kristina Louise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina
Fil: Gomez, Milka. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Ferreyra, Carlos. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina
Fil: Ferraz, Goncalo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/285551
Acceder
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spelling Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approachZavala, DiegoCockle, Kristina LouiseGomez, MilkaFerreyra, CarlosBonaparte, Eugenia BiancaDi Sallo, Facundo GabrielFerraz, Goncalohttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Avian tree-cavity excavators are widely held to maintain diversity of forest vertebrate faunas through the facilitation of nesting resources, and yet in many systems they are absent or redundant. Why do avian excavators sometimes supply only a small proportion of cavities used by non-excavating species? Researchers hypothesized that low re-use of excavated cavities could be driven by high rates of excavated cavity loss (low availability) or by low suitability of excavated cavities. The two hypotheses imply different cavity use dynamics. The availability hypothesis predicts high rates of excavated-cavity transition from excavators to secondary cavity-nesters. The suitability hypothesis predicts high transition rates from excavators to empty (unused), and high reuse rates for cavities previously used by secondary cavity-nesters. From 2006 to 2021, we studied 438 excavated and non-excavated bird nest cavities in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, where excavators provide ~20% of cavities used by secondary cavity-nesters. We fit our data with a multi-state occupancy dynamics model that accounts for observation errors and estimates transition probabilities among cavity states ‘Empty’, ‘Occupied by an excavator’, ‘Occupied by a secondary cavity-nester’ and ‘Lost’. We complemented the modelling results with a numerical simulation of cavity use dynamics. As predicted by the suitability hypothesis, the estimated probability of transition was high from excavator to empty (~0.75), low from excavator to secondary cavity-nester (~0.05) and high for reuse by secondary cavity-nester. Transition from ‘Empty’ to use by secondary cavity-nester was much more probable among non-excavated (~0.2) than excavated cavities (~0.05), which—our simulation shows—is compatible with secondary cavity-nesters using excavated cavities in proportion to their availability. Excavated cavities remained available for several years after their last use, suggesting suitability declines with age. We conclude that the marginal role of excavators as cavity producers is driven primarily by low suitability of their excavated cavities for other birds. Statistical support for the suitability hypothesis relied on the quantification of uncertainty about cavity states afforded by multi-state occupancy dynamics models. We encourage further exploration of state-transition probabilities among tree cavities and other multi-use resources to test ecological hypotheses and inform resource conservation policy.Fil: Zavala, Diego. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Cockle, Kristina Louise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Milka. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Ferreyra, Carlos. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Ferraz, Goncalo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil2026info:ar-repo/semantics/conjuntoDeDatosv1.0info:eu-repo/semantics/dataSetapplication/octet-streamapplication/octet-streamapplication/octet-streamapplication/octet-streamhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551Zavala, Diego; Cockle, Kristina Louise; Gomez, Milka; Ferreyra, Carlos; Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca; Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel; Ferraz, Goncalo; (2026): Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. (dataset). http://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:35:08Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/285551instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:35:08.601CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
title Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
spellingShingle Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
Zavala, Diego
title_short Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
title_full Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
title_fullStr Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
title_full_unstemmed Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
title_sort Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Zavala, Diego
Cockle, Kristina Louise
Gomez, Milka
Ferreyra, Carlos
Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca
Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel
Ferraz, Goncalo
author Zavala, Diego
author_facet Zavala, Diego
Cockle, Kristina Louise
Gomez, Milka
Ferreyra, Carlos
Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca
Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel
Ferraz, Goncalo
author_role author
author2 Cockle, Kristina Louise
Gomez, Milka
Ferreyra, Carlos
Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca
Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel
Ferraz, Goncalo
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Avian tree-cavity excavators are widely held to maintain diversity of forest vertebrate faunas through the facilitation of nesting resources, and yet in many systems they are absent or redundant. Why do avian excavators sometimes supply only a small proportion of cavities used by non-excavating species? Researchers hypothesized that low re-use of excavated cavities could be driven by high rates of excavated cavity loss (low availability) or by low suitability of excavated cavities. The two hypotheses imply different cavity use dynamics. The availability hypothesis predicts high rates of excavated-cavity transition from excavators to secondary cavity-nesters. The suitability hypothesis predicts high transition rates from excavators to empty (unused), and high reuse rates for cavities previously used by secondary cavity-nesters. From 2006 to 2021, we studied 438 excavated and non-excavated bird nest cavities in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, where excavators provide ~20% of cavities used by secondary cavity-nesters. We fit our data with a multi-state occupancy dynamics model that accounts for observation errors and estimates transition probabilities among cavity states ‘Empty’, ‘Occupied by an excavator’, ‘Occupied by a secondary cavity-nester’ and ‘Lost’. We complemented the modelling results with a numerical simulation of cavity use dynamics. As predicted by the suitability hypothesis, the estimated probability of transition was high from excavator to empty (~0.75), low from excavator to secondary cavity-nester (~0.05) and high for reuse by secondary cavity-nester. Transition from ‘Empty’ to use by secondary cavity-nester was much more probable among non-excavated (~0.2) than excavated cavities (~0.05), which—our simulation shows—is compatible with secondary cavity-nesters using excavated cavities in proportion to their availability. Excavated cavities remained available for several years after their last use, suggesting suitability declines with age. We conclude that the marginal role of excavators as cavity producers is driven primarily by low suitability of their excavated cavities for other birds. Statistical support for the suitability hypothesis relied on the quantification of uncertainty about cavity states afforded by multi-state occupancy dynamics models. We encourage further exploration of state-transition probabilities among tree cavities and other multi-use resources to test ecological hypotheses and inform resource conservation policy.
Fil: Zavala, Diego. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil
Fil: Cockle, Kristina Louise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina
Fil: Gomez, Milka. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Ferreyra, Carlos. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina
Fil: Ferraz, Goncalo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil
description Avian tree-cavity excavators are widely held to maintain diversity of forest vertebrate faunas through the facilitation of nesting resources, and yet in many systems they are absent or redundant. Why do avian excavators sometimes supply only a small proportion of cavities used by non-excavating species? Researchers hypothesized that low re-use of excavated cavities could be driven by high rates of excavated cavity loss (low availability) or by low suitability of excavated cavities. The two hypotheses imply different cavity use dynamics. The availability hypothesis predicts high rates of excavated-cavity transition from excavators to secondary cavity-nesters. The suitability hypothesis predicts high transition rates from excavators to empty (unused), and high reuse rates for cavities previously used by secondary cavity-nesters. From 2006 to 2021, we studied 438 excavated and non-excavated bird nest cavities in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, where excavators provide ~20% of cavities used by secondary cavity-nesters. We fit our data with a multi-state occupancy dynamics model that accounts for observation errors and estimates transition probabilities among cavity states ‘Empty’, ‘Occupied by an excavator’, ‘Occupied by a secondary cavity-nester’ and ‘Lost’. We complemented the modelling results with a numerical simulation of cavity use dynamics. As predicted by the suitability hypothesis, the estimated probability of transition was high from excavator to empty (~0.75), low from excavator to secondary cavity-nester (~0.05) and high for reuse by secondary cavity-nester. Transition from ‘Empty’ to use by secondary cavity-nester was much more probable among non-excavated (~0.2) than excavated cavities (~0.05), which—our simulation shows—is compatible with secondary cavity-nesters using excavated cavities in proportion to their availability. Excavated cavities remained available for several years after their last use, suggesting suitability declines with age. We conclude that the marginal role of excavators as cavity producers is driven primarily by low suitability of their excavated cavities for other birds. Statistical support for the suitability hypothesis relied on the quantification of uncertainty about cavity states afforded by multi-state occupancy dynamics models. We encourage further exploration of state-transition probabilities among tree cavities and other multi-use resources to test ecological hypotheses and inform resource conservation policy.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:ar-repo/semantics/conjuntoDeDatos
v1.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/dataSet
format dataSet
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551
Zavala, Diego; Cockle, Kristina Louise; Gomez, Milka; Ferreyra, Carlos; Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca; Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel; Ferraz, Goncalo; (2026): Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. (dataset). http://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551
identifier_str_mv Zavala, Diego; Cockle, Kristina Louise; Gomez, Milka; Ferreyra, Carlos; Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca; Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel; Ferraz, Goncalo; (2026): Resource suitability drives low use of avian-excavated tree cavities: A multi-state occupancy dynamics approach. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. (dataset). http://hdl.handle.net/11336/285551
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
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repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
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